My Top 5 Tiny Desk Concerts

After all, NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concerts, a series of live musical performances filmed in a tiny office space at NPR headquarters, have been around since 2008!They are now mandatory viewing for music-lovers like myself. But the best of the best? That’s a tall order.

So, I narrowed it down to the concerts that were really meaningful for me (OK, plus a few others that just had to be honorably mentioned). Perhaps it was the first time I heard this artist and it sent me into an immediate obsession. Or maybe it was an OG who showed us a different side of themselves…and I loved it. Or it was just a solid set that stood out among so many others. But what ties all of these concerts together is the fact that I go back often and watch them.

(I did not include any of the Tiny Desk Home Concerts that happened during the pandemic. That’s another list altogether.)

So, knowing that I am likely missing some great ones, here is my list of the Top 5 Tiny Desk Concerts in random order.

1. Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals (2016). I was captivated from the first silky, smooth words out of his mouth. And that smile! His first appearance behind the desk – on his drum kit – was the charismatic kick into the stratosphere that this super talented rapper, singer, songwriter and producer needed. I remember immediately searching for his nearest tour stop and heading to Louisville for one of the best live shows I’ve seen.

2. Mac Miller (2018). Mac Miller and his sound had grown up and this Tiny Desk was an opportunity to show that. It was the first time he performed music off “Swimming,” which offered us a taste of what was sure to be an amazing career ahead of him. But, sadly, he died just a month later of an overdose.

3. Red Baraat (2012 and 2016). They had me at “party dance band.” This fusion of bhangra, go-go, hip-hop and jazz driven by front man Sunny Jain on his dhol (a double-sided drum) gets you out of your seat immediately. I danced until I dropped at two of their shows at the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis after discovering them on Tiny Desk.

4. Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso (2024). I told EVERYONE I saw after watching this performance that this “El Tiny” takeover by this amazing Argentinian duo is a MUST WATCH. Before coming to TD, the duo’s releases were primarily electronic-based, but they showed up behind the desk with new arrangements and a full band. It was fun, sexy, and oh-so-addictive.

5. T-Pain (2014). T-Pain, one of the pioneers of Auto-Tune, delivered one of the most memorable TD performances by going sans software. The reaction was, understandably, viral. His voice was wonderfully soulful (he would go on to record an album without Auto-Tune). And let’s face it, we all need to hear “Buy You A Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” as a ballad.

Honorable Mentions: Doechii, Tyler, the Creator, Hobo Johnson, Chaka Khan, Bono and The Edge, Tom Misch, Cat Stevens (Bob Boilen himself provided the introduction), Lizzo, Tank and the Bangas (Tiny Desk Contest winner), Sesame Street, Laufey, DOMi & JD Beck, Daniel Caesar, and Phish (yes, they brought their tiny trampolines).

Michelle Kinsey is one of the hosts of IPR’s Pop of Culture, a communications manager for the Office of Community Engagement at Ball State University, a former entertainment writer, and an admitted Tiny Desk addict.