8. The Postal Service – “We Will Become Silhouettes”
Album: Give Up
Starring: An apocalyptic survivor
Synopsis: At some point in the future, our narrator is in his well-stocked home looking at photographs of his loved one. The air outside has become cancerous, making human cells divide uncontrollably until the body itself explodes. The silver lining: the inevitable rupture results in sweet sounding music that goes “Ba ba ba.”
7. Jonathan Coulton – “Still Alive”
Starring: GLaDOS
Synopsis: After the sarcastic, sadistic machine with artificial intelligence is defeated by Chell, she conveys her posthumous thoughts that are both congratulatory to her victor and complimentary to her baker. Also, this cake is delicious.
6. Styx – “Mr. Roboto”
Album: Kilroy Was Here
Starring: Robert Orin Charles Kilroy (ROCK)
Synopsis: Part of a grander rock opera, persecuted musician Kilroy escapes from prison by hiding in the empty shell of robot janitor.
5. Flaming Lips – “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots pt. 1”
Album: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Starring: Yoshimi
Synopsis: A disciplined marital arts expert is employed by a local municipality to battle evil robots and prevent the pink machines from eating the unnamed narrator.
4. Janelle Monae – “Many Moons”
Album: Metropolis: The Chase
Starring: Cindi Mayweather
Synopsis: Part of a particularly epic sci-fi concept album, Cindi Mayweahter is an android who falls in love with a human and is hunted for her indiscretion.
3. They Might Be Giants – “Particle Man”
Album: Flood
Starring: Person Man
Synopsis: ACT I) Particle Man remains an enigma, which may or may not be the source of Triangle Man’s hatred towards our hero. Regardless, in a battle which we can only imagine to be epic, Triangle Man prevails. ACT II) There exists a benevolent force so large he can only be referred to as Universe Man. He’s kind to the much smaller Person Man. ACT III) Person Man’s existence is a struggle, attacked with cooking implements and living in a trash receptacle. ACT IV) Triangle Man’s evil quest for dominance doesn’t end with Particle Man as he attacks and defeats Person Man. We can only wonder why Universe Man refuses to intervene.
2. Black Sabbath – “Iron Man”
Album: Paranoid
Starring: Iron Man
Synopsis: A time-traveler returns to the present to warn humanity of their impending doom, but is turned into a mute, metallic being unable to effectively communicate. When he’s mocked by those he’s trying to save, his anger leads to the destruction he saw in the future.
1. David Bowie – “Space Oddity”
Album: Space Oddity
Starring: Major Tom
Synopsis: An astronaut is stranded floating outside his spaceship with Earth in the distance. Eleven years later, in “Ashes To Ashes,” Ground Control gets another message from a the major, “I’m happy, hope you’re happy too.”