That Obama and his staff and 21st century media go hand in glove is no secret. That’s why it came as no surprise last Friday when the White House announced a 40-track playlist selected by the American president.
As you would expect, the playlist is a small ode to the past 60 years of, predominantly, American musical history, with Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin, Howlin’ Wolf and many other icons taking up a spot in ‘The President’s Summer Playlist’.
Some songs in Obama’s playlist strike a pretty ironic chord, like the presence of the classic “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” by the Temptations. This after the oratorical manoeuvres the President had to pull out his sleeve recently to persuade members of his own party to back the Iran nuclear deal and the relaxed sanctions it gained in return.
Hilary Clinton actually came up with the idea of releasing a Spotify playlist first, but was not received as positively as Obama’s. Rolling Stone music critic Alan Light criticized Clinton’s playlist as being “poll tested” and a “gimmick”. Not that Obama’s playlist is much more adventurous. What would really be an interesting Spotify playlist is one curated by Donald Trump.
The 40 songs in Obama’s playlist:
40. “Paradise,” Coldplay
39. “Shake It Out,” Florence + The Machines
38. “Red & White & Blue & Hold,” Aoife O’Donavan
37. “Pusher Love Girl,” Justin Timberlake
36. “Until,” Cassandra Wilson
35. “Down Down the Deep River,” Okkervil River
34. “You Don’t Know Me,” Ray Charles
33. “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” Al Green
32. “Nothing Even Matters,” Lauryn Hill/D’Angelo
31. “The Best Is Yet to Come,” Frank Sinatra/Count Basie
30. “Memories Live,” Reflection Eternal
29. “Gimme Shelter,” The Rolling Stones
28. “La Salsa La Traigo Yo,” Sonora Carruseles
27. “Wherever Is Your Heart,” Brandi Carlile
26. “Suzanne,” Leonard Cohen
25. “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember,” Otis Redding
24. “Flamenco Sketches,” Miles Davis
23. “Boozophilia,” Low Cut Connie
22. “So Much Trouble in the World,” Bob Marley & the Wailers
21. “Help Me,” Joni Mitchell
20. “Wang Dang Doodle,” Howlin’ Wolf
19. “Woo,” Erykah Badu
18. “Superpower,” Beyoncé/Frank Ocean
17. “Live It Up, Parts 1 & 2,” The Isley Brothers
16. “I Found My Everything,” Mary J. Blige/Raphael Saadiq
15. “Tombstone Blues,” Bob Dylan
14. “My Favorite Things,” John Coltrane
13. “Hot Fun in the Summertime,” Sly & the Family Stone
12. “UMI Says,” Mos Def
11. “Rock Steady,” Aretha Franklin
10. “Tengo Un Trato — Remix,” Mala Rodríguez
9. “Moondance,” Van Morrison
8. “The Very Thought of You,” Billie Holiday
7. “Stubborn Love,” the Lumineers
6. “Good Day,” Nappy Roots
5. “Another Star,” Stevie Wonder
4. “Is Your Love Big Enough,” Lianne La Havas
3. “Green Light,” John Legend/André 3000
2. “Feeling Good,” Nina Simone
1. “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” the Temptations