EUROPE “FINAL COUNTDOWN”

In case you missed it, there’s a countdown happening…actually, no, wait, it already happened. Anyhow, depending on your political stance it was either a countdown to the launch of an orange-haired apocalypse or the golden dawn of a great new America. Whichever side of the poll you’re on, it’s been a few hours and nothing earth-shattering has happened yet, so you’ve still got time to stream Europe’s seminal hair anthem. Equally suited for household chore marathons, fierce workouts and shower karaoke sessions, “Final Countdown” is a pleasantly cheesy and non-partisan way to remind yourself (and your neighbors if you crank it), that change of any and every kind is only a matter of time.  

#BestHairEver #80s #InaugurationRock 

 R.E.M. “IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT”

R.E.M.’s classic singalong is a laundry list of potential cataclysms, cultural threats and general paranoia, including earthquakes, hurricanes, governments for hire, book burnings, bloodlettings, low flying planes and continental drift divide. But for being this paranoid, Michael Stipe still sounds pretty chill and claims to feel fine. Granted, this was 1987—nature had yet to show its heaviest wear and tear, and the internet and social media were still strange Orwellian dreams, ones which likely would have drummed up his anxieties a bit. Nonetheless, 30 years later, the globe is still spinning and Stipe is still chill, so maybe we’ll make it after all. May we each handle these times of division and tension with such cool-headedness!    

 #StipeLife #AlmostRap #InaugurationRock

CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG “OHIO”

During the 1968 presidential election, one of Richard Nixon’s major campaign promises was to end the Vietnam War, so when he ordered the invasion of Cambodia in 1970, many Americans were enraged. U.S. college campuses erupted in protests, one of which occurred on May 4, 1970, at Kent State in Ohio. When the Ohio National Guard moved in, panic ensued, guardsmen fired, four students were killed and nine wounded. No justifiable reason for the shootings was ever established. "Ohio" is a protest song written in reaction to the events of that day, one that was banned by many AM  stations because it called Nixon out by name. A vital reminder of the price Americans have paid for the right to demonstrate, though if you’re looking for chuckles, just throw “Final Countdown” on repeat.

 #4DeadInOhio #ProtestAnthems #InaugurationRock 

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN “BORN IN THE U.S.A.”

During the chorus, this may feel like the most fist-pumping, flag-waving American anthem of all time. But dig a little deeper—actually, just listen to a verse—and you’ll discover that’s not quite the case. This song is no victory celebration, but rather a reminder of the ill-effects of the Vietnam War on America, especially the hostile attitudes Vietnam vets faced when returning home. Many soldiers returned to find a lack of jobs, insufficient medical care, and given the American cultural climate at the time, no respect from their neighbors. Recorded in 1982 alongside the legendary E. Street Band, “Born in the U.S.A.” is a poignant reminder that no matter your political party, faith, gender or sexual orientation, we’re all humans and should be treating each other as such.        

 #BruceTruth #PatriotPeace #InaugurationRock

BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS “GET UP, STAND UP”

Having been exposed to the extreme poverty and widespread military corruption of mid-20###sup/sup### century Jamaica, Bob Marley was no stranger to oppression, nor the revolutionary urges that it breeds. Written by Marley and fellow reggae king Peter Tosh, “Get Up, Stand Up” has become a timeless call to action cry for overlooked and oppressed parties worldwide. An appropriate summation of his career, “Get Up, Stand Up” was the last song ever performed by Marley, on September 23, 1980, less than a year before his death from skin cancer at the age of 36. It’s unlikely Bob would’ve desired to play this year’s inaugural ball, but were he still alive in 2017, Don surely would have asked him—huge, huge songwriter, that guy.

#StandUpForYourRights #DontGiveUpTheFight #InaugurationRock