Paste's Best Music of 2009 (So Far)
Wilco - "Wilco (the song)"
Cory Chisel - "Born Again"
If You're Happy and You Know It: The 13 Best Songs with Handclaps
Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons- "Born Again"
In honor of this Friday night's presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama (the first of three)—and my obsession with politics as full-contact sport—I've compiled the following playlist to tell the story of the 2008 election so far. Whether you're red, blue, independent or other, enjoy.
Part I: The Primaries
“Changes” - David Bowie
The Thin White Duke sings about what us young (and old) Americans want in Washington this year.
“The Rising” - Bruce Springsteen
Barack Obama surprises everyone by pulling off an upset in the Iowa Caucus and ascending to frontrunner status.
“Mutiny, I Promise You” - The New Pornographers
Ron Paul’s challenge to the republican mainstream during the primaries looked for a moment like it might pick up steam, but his coup quickly fizzled.
“Mama Said Knock You Out” - LL Cool J
Don’t call it a comeback folks, he’s been here for years. When John McCain returned from the brink to win the New Hampshire primary, he was “blastin’” and “outlastin’” his republican peers.
“Hope” - Twista feat. Faith Evans
A cornerstone of Obama’s campaign message.
“Johnny B. Goode” - Chuck Berry
McCain’s campaign song.
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)”- Stevie Wonder
Obama’s campaign song.
“Get in the Ring” - Guns N’ Roses
Playing right into the cable-news media’s lazy, high-school-newspaper-style boxing metaphors, John McCain and Mitt Romney, and Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton “take off the gloves” and "come out swinging," as the primaries go negative.
“Fairytale” - Sarah Bareilles
Peeved that his one-time frontrunner wife is now losing, Bill Clinton calls Obama’s opposition to the war in Iraq a “fairy tale.”
“Who Let the Dogs Out” - The Baha Men
The theme to candidate Mitt Romney’s hilariously awkward photo op.
“The Pusher” - Steppenwolf
Instead of asking God to "damn America," perhaps Rev. Wright could’ve taken a cue from Steppenwolf’s John Kay and damned something we can all agree on: dishonest drug dealers who “don’t care if you live or if you die.”
“The Hucklebuck” - Otis Redding
In honor of “likeable” Mike Huckabee, who started big with a win in Iowa and hung with McCain as long as he could during the republican primaries.
“Tabloid Reporter” - Peter Bruntnell
Picture an indignant John Edwards singing this song after
being nailed by The National Enquirer for
cheating on his wife.
“The Song That Doesn’t End” - Shari Lewis
Closely following this year’s democratic primaries felt a lot like listening to this tune from Lambchop’s Play-Along.
“Say it Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud), Pt. 1” - James
Brown
Finally, after a hard-fought battle, comes the perfect celebratory anthem to commemorate America’s first nomination of a black presidential candidate.
“The Safety Dance” - Men Without Hats
Amidst rumors of Al Gore, Michael Bloomberg and republican Chuck Hagel being tapped, Obama plays it safe by choosing experienced, well-known senator Joe Biden as his running mate.
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...and here is the real playlist. Listen to more than 170 of the BEST songs in support of Barack Obama: http://tinyurl.com/2t4mjf