If I am in someone’s house for the first time, I will often take a peek at their music collection to get a better feel for them, personally. You can tell a lot about a person by examining their musical choices; not the artists they listen to, per se, but the variety and breadth of the music they choose.
Of course, that makes music an important issue in this election. In fact, if you are undecided at this juncture in the election cycle, I suggest you take a good look at the candidates’ musical collection before you head into the polling booth.
Here are Obama and McCain’s ten favorite songs.
John McCain1. ‘Dancing Queen’ - ABBA
2. ‘Blue Bayou’ - Roy Orbison
3. ‘Take a Chance On Me’ - ABBA
4. ‘If We Make It Through December’ - Merle Haggard
5. ‘As Time Goes By’ - Dooley Wilson
6. ‘Good Vibrations’ - The Beach Boys
7. ‘What A Wonderful World’ - Louis Armstrong
8. ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ - Frank Sinatra
9. ‘Sweet Caroline’ - Neil Diamond
10. ‘Smoke Gets In Your Eyes’ - The Platters
Barack Obama
1. ‘Ready or Not’ - Fugees
2. ‘What’s Going On’ - Marvin Gaye
3. ‘I’m On Fire’ - Bruce Springsteen
4. ‘Gimme Shelter’ - Rolling Stones
5. ‘Sinnerman’ - Nina Simone
6. ‘Touch the Sky’ - Kanye West
7. ‘You’d Be So Easy to Love’ - Frank Sinatra
8. ‘Think’ - Aretha Franklin
9. ‘City of Blinding Lights’ - U2
10. ‘Yes We Can’ - Will.i.am
You can’t tell a whole lot from these lists, which were probably chosen more for public palatability than anything else. I’m sure there are musical skeletons in those closets. I’d like to think that, when no one is looking, Obama rocks out to Bad Brains and McCain bangs his head to Slayer. Or not.
These lists, though, are pure fluff. There’s nothing on either that makes me say “Oh yeah, I can totally identify with that man, musically!” Sure, I’m a big Neil Diamond fan, but “Sweet Caroline”? One of the most overused, overplayed songs in the history of anthem songs? I can just imagine McCain sitting in his living room listening to this tune, not embarrassed at all about standing up and shouting “SO GOOD SO GOOD SO GOOD!” to himself. Why choose such an old, stale song? Is McCain subconsciously telling us that he’s an overplayed novelty?
On the other hand, there’s Obama’s choice of “I’m on Fire”, Springsteen paean to, well, screwing another man’s girl. Should we read something into that? Does Obama want to screw us? Is this a hidden message to the public that he’s going to sneak off and make secret deals with Republicans while in office? Or am I just reacting to my utter abhorrence of BRUUUUCE?
No, I think the top ten list of both candidates are really messages to the public; cryptic, almost subliminal messages that are giving us clues as to the future of America. Do I really have to explain the socialist connotations of “Gimme Shelter” or the nuke-em-all scenario of “If We Make it To December”? I thought not.
Sure you can make fun of McCain’s list for being old and out of touch, but, ok…obvious joke…and while Obama’s list looks eclectic and inclusive at first glance, a deeper look reveals that the less, uh, colorful artists on the list have a decided political bent. Which is fine, most of us surround ourselves with music that reveals our hopes and dreams. But when it comes down to it, it’s not really these top ten lists that clue us in to the real heart and soul of these men. It’s what their absolute favorite music is that lets us see them for what they can be for America. McCain often touts Abba as his favorite band and Obama has publicly stated his love for Jay Z.
So then what to make of McCain’s love for Abba? He’s too old to like them in a postmodern ironic sort of way and there’s just no one in this world who is hip enough to pull off liking them and looking cool about it. I can only surmise that McCain is confident enough in his masculinity to proudly announce his love of Swedish dance pop. But I am having a hard time imagining McCain’s staff happily bopping around the campaign office while “Dancing Queen” plays on infinite loop.
On the other hand, I’m not having a hard time imagining Obama and his staff nodding knowingly while listening to “99 Problems (But a Bitch Ain’t One).”
If Abba were coming out with those same songs today instead of 30 years ago, they’d be very popular with youth, just as Jay Z would be popular with youth of 30 years ago. People who like or dislike music, or sneer or praise musical tastes, based on the age of a piece of music are sheep, snobs, hypocrites and philistines. When it was made just doesn’t matter. Whether it’s those who sneer at the Beatles for being too old for them, or those who don’t listen to modern classical because they prefer the eighteenth century, they’re all the same.
Abba is fine, I have no trouble imagining McCain’s campaign staff bopping around with Dancing Queen on infinite loop. It’s an upbeat and rhythmic piece of music, that’s all.
mccains music is some from his time. merle haggard and the great frank sinatra are oldiesmusic from his time. i too like abba and merle and frank. obama’s music is almost the same. its his music i suppose