David Hajdu

David Hajdu is the music critic of The Nation and a professor at Columbia University.

Arthur Russell’s Endless Reinventions

Arthur Russell’s Endless Reinventions Arthur Russell’s Endless Reinventions

Since his death, his music has only become more influential and more mysterious.

Jun 20, 2023 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

Oscar statues, 1877.

What the Oscars Represent: Meritocracy Without Merit What the Oscars Represent: Meritocracy Without Merit

In Michael Schulman’s extensive history of the awards, Oscar Wars, he documents how the institution’s reactionary origins still leak into today’s film culture.

Mar 8, 2023 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

The Best Albums of 2022

The Best Albums of 2022 The Best Albums of 2022

David Hajdu’s favorite albums encompass everything from Bad Bunny to English metal to Afrobeat.

Dec 29, 2022 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

Julius Eastman’s Great Expectations

Julius Eastman’s Great Expectations Julius Eastman’s Great Expectations

The neglected music of a revolutionary 20th-century composer continues to shock and awe.

Aug 12, 2022 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

The Best Albums of 2021

The Best Albums of 2021 The Best Albums of 2021

Our music critic’s 10 favorite pieces of music from this year.

Dec 24, 2021 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

The Last Days of the Beatles

The Last Days of the Beatles The Last Days of the Beatles

Does Peter Jackson’s eight-hour documentary give us the fullest picture of the band’s late history? 

Dec 15, 2021 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

What the Harlem Cultural Festival Represented

What the Harlem Cultural Festival Represented What the Harlem Cultural Festival Represented

Questlove’s debut as a director, the documentary Summer of Soul, revisits a musical event that encapsulated the energies of Harlem in the 1960s.

Jul 29, 2021 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

St. Vincent, 2020.

St. Vincent’s Journey Into Musical Memory St. Vincent’s Journey Into Musical Memory

An exploration of her father’s past and the rock music of the 1970s is a new challenge for the artist.

Jul 7, 2021 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

The Music We Made in Lockdown

The Music We Made in Lockdown The Music We Made in Lockdown

On the artists who found new sounds in our collective solitude.

Feb 17, 2021 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

The Best Albums of 2020

The Best Albums of 2020 The Best Albums of 2020

Our music critic’s 11 favorite pieces of music from this year.

Dec 18, 2020 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

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