the futurist playlist: 20 best songs ever

8/8/2019 The Futurist Playlist: 20 Best Songs Ever

1/12

The Futurist Playlist: 20 Best Songs Ever

Jed Diamond, Ph.D. has been a health-care professional for the last 45 years.He is the author of 9 books, including Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places,Male Menopause, The Irritable Male Syndrome, and Mr. Mean: Saving YourRelationship from the Irritable Male Syndrome. He offers counseling to men,women, and couples in his office in California or by phone with people throughoutthe U.S. and around the world. To receive a Free E-book on Mens Health and afree subscription to Jeds e-newsletter go to www.MenAlive.com. If you enjoy myarticles, please subscribe. I write to everyone who joins my Scribd team.

The Futurist Playlist: 20 Best Songs Ever

Posted by Cynthia Wagner on Sat, 11/27/2010 - 2:36pm

Music can express ideas and feelings both through the rhythms, melodies, and harmoniesthat evoke passions and through the words that distill complex thought into poetry.

The future has been the subject of awe, fear, hope, cynicism, and inspiration, reflecting

our changing relationship with what may be ahead.
http://www.menalive.com/mrmean.htmhttp://www.menalive.com/mrmean.htmhttp://www.menalive.com/mrmean.htmhttp://www.menalive.com/mrmean.htmhttp://www.menalive.com/http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/03A_Change_Is_Gonna_Come_SamCookePortraitOfALegend.jpghttp://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/02TheTimesTheyAreA-Changin_BobDylansGreatestHits.jpghttp://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/01Also_Sprach_Zarathustra_CompeteMovieSoundtracks_Vol6_ScienceFictionMovies.jpghttp://www.menalive.com/mrmean.htmhttp://www.menalive.com/mrmean.htmhttp://www.menalive.com/


2/12

So here I humbly submit the Futurist Playlist, a collection of 20 tunes (available for

download from Amazon.com), and a few thoughts on why these songs were selected.

View the Futurist Playlist at Amazon.com, Permalink: http://amzn.com/l/RAFLG976G73DS

01 Also Sprach Zarathustra (aka, the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey)

Composed by Richard Strauss in 1896, this theme gave the idea of the future a sense ofgrandeur in the 1968 Stanley Kubrickfilm, 2001: A Space Odyssey. At the dawn of the

space age, it was time for humanity to look back upon its history and ahead to its

potential with equal parts of humility and hope.

02 The Times They Are a-Changin (written and performed byBob Dylan)

Bob Dylans 1964 release gave voice to the civil rights and war protest movements of the

early 1960s, inspiring all who questioned authority and defied the status quo. The drivingforce for the changes Dylan described was the younger generation, and the song advises

the adults not to stand in their way:

Your old road is

Rapidly agin'Please get out of the new one

If you can't lend your handFor the times they are a-changin'.
http://amzn.com/l/RAFLG976G73DShttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001I7QVDE/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00136NUWK/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/02TheTimesTheyAreA-Changin_BobDylansGreatestHits.jpghttp://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/01Also_Sprach_Zarathustra_CompeteMovieSoundtracks_Vol6_ScienceFictionMovies.jpghttp://amzn.com/l/RAFLG976G73DShttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001I7QVDE/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00136NUWK/ref=docs-os-doi_0


3/12

03 A Change Is Gonna Come (written and performedby Sam Cooke)

More specifically focused on the changes in race relations, Sam Cookes 1963 piece is

more personal than Dylans.

It's been a long

Long time comin'

But I know a change gonna come

Oh yes it will

But compare Cookes mournful optimism with the self-actualizing anger in Curtis

MayfieldsFuture Shock.

04 Future Shock(written and performed by Curtis Mayfield)

(Warning, some language may be deemed objectionable by some listeners.)

In 1973, an addition to concerns about civil rights and war came from the future shockof environmental degradation. Curtis Mayfield urged us not to dance but to take active

control:

We got to stop all menFrom messing up the land

When won't we understand

This is our last and only chance
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016CNWRO/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S3D6KA/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/04Future_Shock_CurtisMayfieldFutureShockRemastered.jpghttp://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/03A_Change_Is_Gonna_Come_SamCookePortraitOfALegend.jpghttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016CNWRO/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S3D6KA/ref=docs-os-doi_0


4/12

05 In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)

(written by Rick Evans and performed by Denny Zager and Rick Evans)

Written in 1964 but not released until 1968, this song judges the very long-term prospects

for humankind, as technological tampering begins to assert itself in the cultural

landscape. In the year 6565, they warn:

You'll pick your son, pick your daughter too

From the bottom of a long glass tube

06 Imagine (written and performed by John Lennon)

Throughout history, culture feels the pulse of trends and countertrends, so this playlistreflects both pessimism and optimism. Of the latter sentiment, perhaps the most inspiring

example I can imagine is John Lennon'sImagine, from 1971:

Imagine all the peopleSharing all the world
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00137TMKI/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043RKGEG/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/06Imagine_John_Lennon_2010Remaster.jpghttp://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/05in_the_year_2525_RadioHitsOfThe60s.jpghttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00137TMKI/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043RKGEG/ref=docs-os-doi_0


5/12

07 Space Oddity (written and performed by DavidBowie)

We return to the theme of space exploration as the emblematic destination of the human

future. David Bowies recording coincided with the U.S. lunar landing in 1969, but gave

it a personal touch with Major Tom." Bowie also gave a wink to the celebrity culturesurrounding the astronauts of the era:

This is Ground Control to Major Tom

You've really made the gradeAnd the papers want to know whose shirts you wear

For better or worse, the future now belonged to popular culture; compare the de-glamorization of the astronaut life in Elton Johns follow-up to Bowie,Rocket Man.

08 Rocket Man (written by Elton John and BernieTaupin, performed by Elton John)

Though I tend to think this song is more about drug use than anything else (Zero hour

nine a.m., and I'm gonna be high as a kite by then), the song was allegedly inspired by

Bernie Taupins sighting of a shooting star. However, the 1971 song illustrates howquickly the futures heroes became mundane to the general public:

And all this science I don't understandIt's just my job five days a week
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002U1BHHM/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WTUVUI/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/08Rocket_Man_EltonJohnGreatestHits1970-2002.jpghttp://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/07Space_Oddity_SpaceOdditiy40thAnniversaryEdition2009Remaster.jpghttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002U1BHHM/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WTUVUI/ref=docs-os-doi_0


6/12

09 Tomorrow(from the musicalAnnie, music byCharles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin; performed by Andrea McArdle)

An anthem for the hopelessly hopeful, the congenitally uncynical, this scrappy little bit of

American inspiration from 1977 was an oasis in the encroaching deserts of globalizing

competition.

Just thinkin about

Tomorrow

Clears away the cobwebs,And the sorrow

Til theres none!

10 In the Future (written by Ron Mael and performedby Sparks)

For, despite Little Orphan Annies cheerful confidence in Tomorrow, society was

growing increasingly skeptical of what futurists had been perceived as promising. In this1975 song, one can almost hear the writer adding, Yeah, right after:

The sweep and the grandeur

The scope and the laughter

The future, the futureThe future's got it covered

With what will be discovered
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00137VK8A/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00137VK8A/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001J1A6BM/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/10In_the_Future_Indiscreet.jpghttp://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/09Tomorrow_From_Annie_GreatestHitsOfBroadway.jpghttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00137VK8A/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001J1A6BM/ref=docs-os-doi_0


7/12

11 Road to Nowhere (written by David Byrne, performed by

Talking Heads)

A decade later, the cynicism was considerably more overt:

They can tell you what to do

But they'll make a fool of you We're on a road to nowhere

12 The Futures So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades(written by Pat MacDonald, performed by Timbuk 3)

Like many people hearing this song, I mistook its upbeat flavor for a bright outlookexpressed by a young scientist. Superficial research (i.e., Wikipedia) reveals the writers

view of a more-sinister future during the height of the Cold War: the brightness of

nuclear holocaust being the inducement for wearing shades.

Well I'm heavenly blessed and worldly wise

I'm a peeping-tom techie with x-ray eyes
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00124AW7Y/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TNCVL8/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/12TheFuturesSoBrightIGottaWearShades_GreetingsFromTimbuk3.jpghttp://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/11Road_to_Nowhere_BestOfTalkingHeads.jpghttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00124AW7Y/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TNCVL8/ref=docs-os-doi_0


8/12

13 Dont Worry, Be Happy (written and performed by Bobby

McFerrin)

Another tick of the countertrend metronome back toward optimism--or numbingcomplacency, some may argue. The 1988 song is said (by Wikipedia) to have been

inspired by late Indian sage Meher Baba, and its laid-back, breezy Caribbean vibe offers

a soothing balm against the stresses of the time.

In every life we have some trouble

But when you worry you make it double

14 Year 3000(written by James Bourne and performed by

Busted)

By 2002, pop culture seems to have shrugged off the futurists promises but embraced

the fantasy and fun of such films asBack to the Future, which inspired these lyrics.

I took a trip to the year 3000This song had gone multi-platinum

Everybody bought our seventh album

It had outsold Michael Jackson

A few years later, popular boy band the Jonas Brothers covered Year 3000, substituting

Kelly Clarkson (ofAmerican Idol) for the Michael Jackson reference in the lyric.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TE1BE6/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W0AZUI/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W0AZUI/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/14Year_3000_Busted.jpghttp://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/13Dont_Worry_Be_Happy_SimplePleasures.jpghttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TE1BE6/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W0AZUI/ref=docs-os-doi_0


9/12

15 The Futurist (written by Robert Downey Jr. and Mark

Hudson and performed by Robert Downey Jr.)

Okay, this is just my opinion, but I suspect Robert Downey Jr. titled this song and hisalbum The Futuristto get my attention. :) It worked. I just dont see what the song really

has to do with the future. But he has a lot of fans, and I hope our including The Futurist

on the Futurist Playlist will get their attention. After all, the future is now about socialnetworking, right?

That said, I will give RDJ credit for keeping a personal perspective on the future, as the

song is about commitment and fidelity:

It'll be like lovers

For the rest of our lives

No run aroundThink twice... Twice

16 Falling (written by Martin Hansen, Magnus Kaxe,

and Fred Alexander; performed by Clay Aiken)

This 2008 pop-rock song (egregiously overlooked by radio) explores an aspect offuturism that is not often considered, which is the uncertainty and confusion of living intimes of rapid change. Unlike Dylans The Times They Are A-Changin, the narrative

here is a more specifically personal one, but it is no less poignant and urgent:

And I'm falling, I am falling

From the world I used to know

Been trying to hold on
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043ZF5CQ/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018AT1H4/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/16Falling_OnMyWayHere.jpghttp://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/15TheFuturist_.jpghttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043ZF5CQ/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018AT1H4/ref=docs-os-doi_0


10/12

To something for so longNow this never-ending dream won't let go

17 100 Years (written and performed by John Ondrasik,

Five for Fighting)

Here is a reflection on a personal future and the expression of awareness for how short

our time really is (though not using the brevity of life as an excuse for self-indulgence).

Half time goes by

Suddenly you're wiseAnother blink of an eye

67 is gone

18 Kids of the Future (performed by the Jonas

Brothers; originally Kids in America, written by Ricky Wilde and Marty Wilde)

This 2007 remake produced for the film Meet the Robinsons embraces the exuberantspirit of youth, perhaps an Annie for the twenty-first century:

There's no time for looking downYou will not believe where we're going now
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00136NFYI/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013AISX2/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/18Kids_Of_The_Future_JonasBrothers.jpghttp://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/17100Years_TheBattleForEverything.jpghttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00136NFYI/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013AISX2/ref=docs-os-doi_0


11/12

19 One Child At a Time (written and performed byNnenna Freelon)

The Nnenna Freelon song that inspired the Futurist Playlist in the first place, the witty

Future News Blues (1992), is unfortunately not available as an mp3 download. But I

recalled from my interview with her at the time that a sense of the future was very muchembedded in her writing. As a mother and an educator, Nnenna knows how much the

future matters.

These ideas are even more vivid in the earnest One Child At a Time, written in 2000,

urging all of us to take responsibility for the future:

We all have a part to play

Teacher, friend, or mentor

Well make it a brighter dayWith children at the center

20 Over the Rainbow (written by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, performed by Eva Cassidy)

Theres so much I love about this particular version of the song made famous by Judy

Garland for the 1939 film, Wizard of Oz. This 1998 arrangement illustrates that what is

old can be made new again with a new voice, newly inspired. Tragically, Eva Cassidy

died of cancer before this recording was released to British radio and became a mega-hit.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UBMHVY/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046BA1W6/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/20Over_The_Rainbow_Songbird.jpghttp://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/hosaa/hosaasblog/19One_Child_At_A_Time_Soulcall.jpghttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UBMHVY/ref=docs-os-doi_0http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046BA1W6/ref=docs-os-doi_0


12/12

The lyrics, of course, speak to the daydream that inspires us to pursue a better world,

even if the journey ultimately brings us back home again, as it did in the movie:

Somewhere over the rainbow

Skies are blue

And the dreams that you dare to dreamReally do come true

Our musical journey to the future takes us through fear, anger, inspiration, cynicism,idealism, and courage. The essential truth is this: There is always hope.

View the Futurist Playlist at Amazon.com.

Lyrics quoted and album art posted for illustrative purposes only; ownership belongs to

the respective copyright holders.

The Futurist Playlist was compiled by Cynthia G. Wagner, with the input of@WorldFutureSoc Twitter followers: Richard Yonck,Anthony Michel,andJohn

Cashman. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not

necessarily reflect those of the World Future Society or, to be honest, those of most real

music experts. *g*

Bookmark/Search this post with:

ShareThis

Cynthia Wagner's blog

The World Future Society is a nonprofit educational and scientific organization inBethesda, Maryland, U.S., founded in 1966. The Society investigates how social,

economic and technological developments are shaping the future. It helps individuals,

organizations, and communities observe, understand and respond to social changeappropriately and investigates the benign effects of applying anticipatory thinking to

society. We have partners around the globe.
http://amzn.com/l/RAFLG976G73DShttp://amzn.com/l/RAFLG976G73DShttp://twitter.com/#!/WorldFutureSochttp://twitter.com/#!/ryonckhttp://twitter.com/#!/ryonckhttp://twitter.com/#!/ryonckhttp://twitter.com/#!/apmichelhttp://twitter.com/#!/apmichelhttp://twitter.com/#!/apmichelhttp://twitter.com/#!/jfcashmanhttp://twitter.com/#!/jfcashmanhttp://twitter.com/#!/jfcashmanhttp://sharethis.com/post?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wfs.org%2Fcontent%2Ffuturist-playlist&title=The+Futurist+Playlisthttp://www.wfs.org/blogs/cynthia-wagnerhttp://www.wfs.org/faq#Partnershipshttp://amzn.com/l/RAFLG976G73DShttp://twitter.com/#!/WorldFutureSochttp://twitter.com/#!/ryonckhttp://twitter.com/#!/apmichelhttp://twitter.com/#!/jfcashmanhttp://twitter.com/#!/jfcashmanhttp://sharethis.com/post?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wfs.org%2Fcontent%2Ffuturist-playlist&title=The+Futurist+Playlisthttp://www.wfs.org/blogs/cynthia-wagnerhttp://www.wfs.org/faq#Partnerships

the futurist playlist: 20 best songs ever

Documents