Far from his down-and-out days on Skid Row, Ben Shirley is currently a student at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Mark Hayes/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Album Cover, Christmas with Elvis and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real appear inside the World Cafe Performance Studio. Galea McGregor/WXPN hide caption

Katie Alice Greer of Washington, D.C.'s Priests. The band released its full-length debut, Nothing Feels Natural, in the early weeks of 2017. Katie Alice Greer/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Clockwise from upper left: Lorde, SZA, The National, St. Vincent Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Michael McDonald Timothy White/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Turnstile's Time & Space comes out Feb. 23. Jimmy Fontaine/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Emily Haines Justin Broadbent/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Sylvan Esso's What Now is Stephen Thompson's favorite album of 2017. Shervin Lainez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Feist's Pleasure was one of Robin Hilton's favorite albums this year. Mary Rozzi /Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Morrissey performs in Hamburg, Germany, where the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel is based. Ullstein Bild/Getty Images hide caption

Rag'n'Bone Man Courtesy of the artist hide caption

The death of musician Fred "Freak" Smith, known for his contributions to hardcore punk and his ostentatious humor, remains unsolved. Onam Emmet hide caption

Pat DiNizio, leader of The Smithereens, died on Tuesday. He's seen here singing during the band's 2003 performance at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images hide caption

JD McPherson Alysse Gafkjen/Courtesy of the aritst hide caption

Rainbow, Kesha's first album since the start of her legal battle with former producer Dr. Luke in 2016 after she accused him of sexual and emotional abuse, is a document of an artist taking reclaiming her story. Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images hide caption