100 Best Albums Radio

The Story of Classical is your essential nine-part companion guide to classical music. In each of our commentaries, we unlock the mystery and beauty of every musical period—from the Middle Ages to the present day—by chronicling an encounter between vital figures in music history.

Elton John’s career has spanned more than five decades. On his Apple Music Show, now over 400 episodes in, the international singer-songwriter and performer brings in special guests and has thoughtful conversations with established and rising stars—in many cases sharing music from his comprehensive record collection. Having begun his musical journey in the late ’60s, John is one of music’s top-selling solo artists—with more than 300 million albums sold worldwide and one of the biggest-selling singles of all time, “Candle in the Wind.” He is a multiple Grammy winner and the first recipient of the BRITs Icon Award. He has won a Tony, two Oscars, a Best British male artist BRIT Award, and an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, alongside a Kennedy Center Honor for his lifetime contributions to American culture and excellence through the performing arts. Since 1992, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has raised more than $450 million for HIV prevention, treatment, and advocacy programs across the globe.

On his namesake show and New Music Daily, Apple Music 1’s flagship shows, host Zane Lowe brings users unparalleled music knowledge with headline interviews, breaking news, and emerging music from around the globe every day. It’s become the world’s go-to for the best brand-new music, sure, but it’s also popular music’s premier confessional booth: Day after day, Zane—who’s also Apple Music’s global creative director and co-head of artist relations—gets the biggest, most elusive superstars, from Justin Bieber to Taylor Swift to Kanye West, to let their guards down—laughs, tears, and news-making quotes are the norm. “I’m a curious person, I ask questions, and I guess if I'm passionate about something, I'll talk about it and engage people about it. I want to start a conversation and learn,” Zane explains of his approach. “Because the more you share, the more you learn, and vice versa. It’s just a circle that keeps spinning.” Zane earns guests’ trust with a music obsessive’s curiosity and enthusiasm, compassionate questioning, and firsthand music knowledge of life as an artist—he started his music career recording and performing, and continues to write, produce, and record. “The artist side of it, that really drives what I do,” he explains. “I'm not a conventional media-type personality. I’m no good at being a host, really. I'm not a journalist. I don't write, I'm not a writer. What I do is feel and translate.” Check out Zane on The Zane Lowe Show every Monday through Thursday on Apple Music 1 at 9 am LA/12 pm NYC/5 pm LDN and New Music Daily every Friday at 9 am LA, 12 pm NY, and 5 pm LDN.

Over a career-spanning five decades, Nile Rodgers has helped write and produce some of the most iconic songs in pop music, both for his pioneering disco band Chic and for superstar collaborators like Diana Ross, David Bowie, and Daft Punk. On his Apple Music show, the composer, record producer, and rhythm guitar legend—a Rock & Roll and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee—invites the most important established and emerging songwriters to discuss the ideas and inspirations behind their work. With each episode digging deep into the stories behind the songs, Rodgers’ candid discussions give invaluable insight into how your favorite music was created.

Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig is one of indie’s most thoughtful frontmen, and on TIME CRISIS, he digs into today’s politics and pop culture headlines. Some episodes are serious (he hits the campaign trail with Bernie Sanders, and teaches a masterclass on sampling) and some aren’t (you’ll hear heated debates about Cheetos, Yeezys, and Seinfeld), but each show gets an eclectic soundtrack that spans Drake, David Bowie, Diplo, and Def Leppard. Regular guests include Jonah Hill, Mike D, Alana Haim, and co-host Jake Longstreth, but you never know who could stop by. What you can be sure of: No topic is too high-or-low-brow for Ezra’s hot take.

Composer and pianist Alexis Ffrench is one of today’s most popular classical musicians. His work taps into the vast musical galaxy—from Bach and Debussy to Hollywood, gospel, and beyond—which makes him the perfect host for Classical Connections Radio, a show that takes listeners along exhilarating and often unexpected pathways through classical music. “I want to present classical in the way I believe it’s meant to be presented—as beautiful music that’s there to be enjoyed and without barriers,” he tells Apple Music. “We’re going to be zipping from here to there, but everything is going to be connected and curated. I see myself as a musical concierge!” Classical Connections Radio features the best new releases, interviews with exciting stars, and a few surprises, too. In his “Sampology” feature, Alexis unlocks the classical roots of a recent chart hit, while we get to hear his incredible improvisational skills in “60 Second Sonata” as he spontaneously crafts a piece of music at the piano, inspired by a listener. And in “Journeys,” he finds the influences in his own work through the composers and artists who have formed his musical DNA over the years. “The powerful thing about music is that it can be like these emotional postcards from various points in your life,” he says, “which I find so beautiful.” If Classical Connections Radio is about gathering different musical strands, it’s also about bringing together a musical community. “Classical music is not about dates or understanding different periods. It’s people, it’s emotions, and it’s love. That’s why it’s so dear to me.” Tune in to Classical Connections Radio with Alexis Ffrench on Apple Music 1 every Saturday at 10 am PT/6 pm UK.