I caught a lot of flack yesterday for not producing a playlist for the end of the world, which was supposed to happen this past Saturday night according to 89-year preacher Harold Camping. Let's just say I was too busy enjoying what I thought was the last weekend of my life. Thanks Harold! As we all know, the end of the world never did arrive, but we have 2012 (the Mayan calendar end of the world date) to look forward to. I wanted to be musically prepared for the next "end of the world", so I sat down and thought hard about what my top 10 end of the world songs would be. To qualify, they had to be connected to the end of the world in some fashion and they had to be songs I would personally enjoy listening to if they turned out to be the last I ever heard. What 10 songs would be on your end of the world list?
Top 10 Songs For The End of The World
R.E.M.
Between 1983 and 1986, R.E.M.'s first four albums defined a type of music still taking shape at the time, an as-yet unnamed "alternative" rock then emerging on college radio. With Peter Buck's Velvet Underground-influenced guitars and Michael Stipe's murkily poetic lyrics, R.E.M. were the de facto kings of the underground in the '80s. Life's Rich Pageant, generally regarded as the band's fourth near-perfect album in a row when it came out in 1986, gave them an untouchable cache among their peers and fans. This popularity grew with the advent of alternative-themed radio stations and video shows on MTV, finally breaking when Green came out in 1988 and "The One I Love" became an inescapable MTV/radio hit. Out of Time followed in 1991 and yielded "Losing My Religion," which remains their most popular song today. The next three albums sold in astronomical numbers, and in 1997 Warner Bros paid them $80 million to re-up their contract. After signing the deal, founding bass player Bill Berry opted to leave the band, and between 1997 and 2008 R.E.M. released four studio albums amid a few collections and a live set.
Blondie
In contrast to the heroin-fueled, raw farage power offered by the Stooges, the stilettos-and-lipstick glam of the New York Dolls, and the turtlenecked, literary-minded experimentalism of the Talking Heads, Blondie were the embodiment of sweetly seductive, powder-puff pop wrapped in punk sandpaper. Built on a foundation of wistful '60s girl-group pop spiked with tough-chick lyricism, Blondie walked a fine line between innocent good girl/seductive bad girl imagery: in their songs, the dewy-eyed sex kitten may have been purring contentedly, but her claws were razor sharp. The formula worked well enough for the band to become a major mainstream force -- vocalist Debbie Harry's striking beauty was certainly no hindrance -producing new wave hits that appealed to types far beyond those who frequented CBGB's. The band continued to create new, inventive music by covering obscure artists (the Nerves, the Paragons) and delving into then-widely unexplored genres (ska, reggae, rap), cementing their reputation as founding punk figures and musical experimentalists.
The Doors
The mania Jim Morrison elicits decades after his death is just one of the many fascinating and seemingly eternal aspects of the Doors. Lest it be forgotten, the band also recorded some of the darkest and most challenging music of their time. What is so distinctive about the Los Angeles group is how it successfully melded rock, jazz-inspired improvisation and Weill-esque angularity into dramatic settings for Morrison's haunting baritone and acid-damaged poetry. Their amazing range set them apart from their psychedelic brethren, as they moved seamlessly from the propelling rock of "Break on Through" to the breathy beauty of "Indian Summer," the manic blues of "Five to One" and the Coltrane-flavored "Light My Fire." Whether you feel that Morrison was a brilliant and complex modern-day shaman or a second-rate poet who lost it to alcohol and pills, it's impossible to deny the long-lasting impact the Doors have had on rock 'n' roll. In 2002, following a 20 year hiatus in the wake of Morrison's death, Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek reunited, enlisting ex-Cult singer Ian Astbury on lead vocals and shamanistic behavior duties. The band now calls itself Riders On the Storm.
The Wall
Listening to this rich union of artistic endeavor and commercial viability was a rite of passage for suburban teenagers during the '80s. Using themes every teen can relate to (isolation, betrayal, anti-homeworkism), Waters delivered a record, stage show and film that, while of questionable taste, was undeniably what the kids were after in 1979.The Best Of Creedence Clearwater Revival (Box Set)
All the great CCR hits in one place -- what more could you ask for? There's "Proud Mary," "Born on the Bayou," and "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" not to mention so many other great songs it'll make your head spin. When it comes to simple, perfect rock 'n' roll with a slight country feel, CCR sit atop the heap.60's Gold
The Rapture
The Cure
The group's 2004 album, the first since 2000's Bloodflowers, is a dark listen, but not self-consciously so -- the band (especially Robert Smith) sounds comfortable and inspired. The Cure blueprinted this miasma of heavy rhythms and lush, fluid guitar work years ago, and here they revel in it.
New Releases
Talk That Talk (Bonus Tracks) (Explicit)
Rihanna
Here And Now
Nickelback
The Muppets
Various Artists
My Life II...The Journey Continues (Act 1) (Bonus Tracks)
Mary J. Blige
Songbook (Explicit)
Chris Cornell
Radioactive (Explicit)
YelaWolf
50 Words For Snow
Kate Bush
Break The Spell (Bonus Tracks)
Daughtry
Joyas Prestadas
Jenni Rivera
Immortal (Bonus Tracks)
Michael Jackson
Come Through For You
Javier Colon
Elevate
Big Time Rush
Take Care (Explicit)
Drake
The Sound Of A Million Dreams
David Nail
The Papercut Chronicles II (Explicit)
Gym Class Heroes
Brava!
Paulina Rubio
Blue Slide Park (Explicit)
Mac Miller
This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 2
Various Artists
Concerto: One Night In Central Park
Andrea Bocelli
Savage Life 3 (Explicit)
Webbie
Get Along
Tegan and Sara
Camp (Explicit)
Childish Gambino
Fear Of God II: Let Us Pray (Explicit)
Pusha T
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (Bonus Tracks)
Various Artists
The Dreamer
Etta James
Parallax
Atlas Sound
Fórmula Vol. 1
Romeo Santos
Crazy Clown Time (Explicit)
David Lynch
Welcome To Strangeland (Explicit)
Tech N9ne
The Vision
Joker
The Lost Children (Explicit)
Disturbed
The Best Of Rascal Flatts Live
Rascal Flatts
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds (Bonus Tracks)
Noel Gallagher
Four The Record
Miranda Lambert
Ambition (Deluxe Edition) (Explicit)
Wale
Ceremonials (Bonus Tracks)
Florence & The Machine
The Smile Sessions (Box Set)
The Beach Boys
Under The Mistletoe
Justin Bieber
Eso Es Lo Que Hay
Choc Quib Town
Achtung Baby (Bonus Tracks)
U2
Th1rt3en
Megadeth
Long Live The King (EP)
The Decemberists
Open Invitation (Explicit)
Tyrese
Mi Amigo El Príncipe
Cristian Castro
Balls Out (Explicit)
Steel Panther
Stronger
Kelly Clarkson
Clancy's Tavern
Toby Keith
Audio, Video, Disco.
Justice
The Goat Rodeo Sessions
Yo-Yo Ma
Guitar Slinger
Vince Gill
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