Music
Dolly Parton's sister asks for prayers amid health challenges
Fears are growing for Dolly Parton's health after the country music superstar cancelled shows and her sister posted an emotional message to fans on social media.
Music Critic: Herbert & Momoko and Clear Path Ensemble
Music critic Sarah Thomson joins us with some new tunes to share, today there's a little bit of funk with some jazz thrown in. Audio
Why vinyl records are having a comeback
Vinyl sales are booming. They've more than tripled since 2016, far outselling CDs and other physical media, but of course digital is where most people get their music or indeed podcasts. In a new… Audio
Science: Gut biome, music + reading, why cats eat grass
What researchers found by studying the microbiome of the world's oldest known person - and the other researcher went to some icky places to understand the behaviour of her two cats, Mildred and… Audio
Music with Kirsten Zemke: Scat songs
Music correspondent Kirsten Zemke digs into scat, the vocal jazz improvisation where a singer uses wordless vocables. Audio
The Panel with Claire Amos and Liam Hehir Part 2
In part two, the huge drop in the number of victims of violent offending in recent years has been closely mirrored by a massive drop in violent crime where alcohol was involved. This is prompting… Audio
Aotearoa Jazz Orchestra debut
John Rae and Oscar Lavën talk to RNZ Concert ahead of what they hope will be a pivotal moment in the history of New Zealand jazz. Audio
High Notes: Suzanne Lynch on 60 years in the music industry
It's time for our music feature and today Jese is joined by Suzanne Lynch of 'The Chicks' fame to play a selection of songs from her career. Suzanne was discovered at age 14 and formed 'The Chicks'… Audio
Puawai & Mazbou Q
It's Mental Health Awareness Week so we have some important chats including with our gurst from Puawai. Mazbou Q joins us in studio to catch up We recap the NRL Grand Final Audio
The Panel Plus
An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin. Then: the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch is running a fundraising campaign to restore a hundred-and-forty-three year-old… Audio
Four players for the Four Last Songs
NZTrio's Amalia Hall talks about performing a pared-back arrangement of Strauss's Four Last Songs with the soprano Emma Pearson. Audio
Bangers and Match: The Ride of the Valkyries
We've got something new for you this Monday, a collaboration between us and our friends at RNZ Concert, a game we're calling Bangers and Match. Clarissa Dunn, host of Music Alive, joins Jesse to share… Audio
Not for Broadcast - Part 4: Explicit Content
Sexual innuendo has always been a staple of the pop song, but when is a song too sexy for the radio? The fourth part of this series looks at the history of songs, sex and censorship. Audio
Not for Broadcast - Part 3: Political football
What's the difference between a political satire and a campaign song? In the third part of this series Nick Bollinger listens to some songs about politicians that were deemed suitable for broadcast -… Audio
Not For Broadcast - Part 2: Teenage Rebellion
In the second part of this series Nick Bollinger goes back to the 1950s and looks at how a nationwide morals panic influenced the songs that were played - and not played - on New Zealand radio. Audio
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo goes Down Under
2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and fans can see it in Auckland next year. Audio
How Taylor Swift became a billionaire - and it's not just album sales
The superstar has made business part of her persona, defying the narrative that executives receive much of the money generated by artists.
Worlds of Music 5 October, 2025
Music from the world, for the world, with Anoushka Shankar, Orquesta Akokán, Nigel Gavin, and master kora player Toumani Diabaté. Audio
Best Song Eva: Tom Sainsbury
Comedian, actor and writer Tom Sainsbury is hitting the road with his new stand-up show 'Lessons Not Learnt' over the next few weeks. Audio
Hymns on Sunday, 5 October 2025
Lawyer, politician, church minister, teacher, opera singer: just some of the many and varied occupations of the hymn writers in this week’s episode of Hymns on Sunday. Audio
