Let’s see if this meme goes anywhere.
This election campaign is proving to be a dirty one. We’ve had attack ads, gotcha politics, and directors of communications alternately questioning the political leanings of a bereaved father or threatening lawsuits against bloggers.
There’s always a risk that party supporters will take their cue from their party and respond in kind, so we all run the risk of forgetting the cardinal rule of democracy: that most of the people who disagree with you disagree for their own personal reasons which are perfectly valid to them. In a democratic system, they are not to be considered fools or rogues for coming to a different conclusion to what you have.
I have seen the people behind the politics. Online and off, I have met and hobnobbed with Jay Currie and Warren Kinsella, Canadian Cynic and Stephen Taylor. There are few people that I hold any grudge towards, and such people are best ignored rather than engaged. I believe that I can maintain cordial relationships with such a broad spectrum of people because, at the end of the day, another person’s political opinions have little bearing on how I live my life. We can still nod to each other as we meet in the street, or hold the door open for each other, or collaborate on a work project, or share a sandwich. We each can love a certain television show and talk it to death. We each can rock.
Politics is an important part of our lives, and it plays a big part in defining who we are and how we see the world, but it isn’t the only part of our lives, and it doesn’t play the biggest part in defining how we respond to the world.
So, with that in mind, I’d like to ask every political blogger in the Canadian blogosphere to stop thinking about politics a moment, and think about rock music.
I’m serious. I am compiling a list of songs for an iTunes playlist which I am calling “Rock Essentials”. These are songs that I’ve arbitrarily decided are important to the history of rock and roll. You may not own the albums, but whenever you hear the single, you recognize it immediately and smile, and possibly say “rock on”.
So, tell me: what would you say are your top five most essential rock songs for an iTunes playlist? Or top ten. Or top fifteen. Take a moment to list our choices and explain them. Then link back here and leave me a comment pointing to your post. Let’s see what your choices are.
And next week, I’ll see if I can find another question to ask.
My Rock Essentials
Here’s my iTunes list, in random order. And, I’m serious: tell me your choices. I’ll add the best ones to my iPod.
- Mustang Sally — Wilson Pickett
- Werewolves of London — Warren Zevon
- Born in the U.S.A. — Bruce Springsteen
- Lorelei — The Pogues
- Spirit in the Sky — Norman Greenbaum
- Moondance — Van Morrison
- American Pie — Don McLean
- Brown Eyed Girl — Van Morrison
- Get Off My Cloud — The Rolling Stones
- Proud Mary — Creedence Clearwater Revival.
- School’s Out — Alice Cooper
- In the Midnight Hour — Wilson Pickett
- Roxanne — The Police
- If I Should Fall From Grace With God — The Pogues
- (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction — The Rolling Stones
- Bad Moon Rising — Creedence Clearwater Revival
- You Can’t Always Get What You Want — The Rolling Stones
- Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) — Neil Young
- The Old Man Down the Road — John Fogerty
- Glory Days — Bruce Springsteen
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door — Warren Zevon
- Down on the Corner — Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Brilliant Disguise — Bruce Springsteen
- Ride Across the River — Dire Straits
- Light My Fire — The Doors
- Paint it, Black — The Rolling Stones
- Thousands Are Sailing — The Pogues