Ken Tucker

Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker offers his picks for the best music of the year, including Fiona Apple's latest album and a Bob Dylan DVD. He also addresses the topic of women in music, and he talks about the year in hip-hop. Tucker is the film critic for New York magazine.

Confessions on a Dance Floor, the new CD from Madonna, represents her renewed devotion to dance music. The songs echo propulsive disco favorites of the '70s, updated with Madonna's flair for the dramatic.

Baby is the new album by the group The Detroit Cobras, who specialize in playing raucous cover versions of other musicians' songs.