I was about to add a new track to my playlist containing the best songs Mankind ever produced (a humble selection by yours truly) and realized I am at 577 tracks. Five hundred and seventy-seven. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Do I even know this many songs? Wait, these tunes are only my favorite ones, not even the ones I dig.
I have a feeling my life will be different after this realization. Do you know those moments when someone asks you “so, what music do you listen to?” and you don’t really have any band names or genres you can come up with? “I must be a very banal audiophile.” Yeah, no.
Go ahead and explore the playlist I would send out on an unmanned probe to outer space, shuffle mode on. There are some seriously good tracks in there.
I have a lot which I’d add, but I filtered the list down with two criteria:
1. Which bands are missing?
2. Which omissions make me want to chug a liter of espresso and scream into the air vents at my neighbors?
Thus, please accept my top additions without spending all day on second-guessing them:
10. “Freak On A Leash” – Korn (because how else can the aliens put together a proper weight-lifting playlist)
9. “Clocks” – Coldplay (because Coldplay is eternal)
8. “Valerie” – Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse (for alien karaoke nights)
7. “You Can’t Hurry Love” – The Supremes (because they forever reign supreme)
6. “Reptilia” – The Strokes (because the aliens might be reptilian humanoids)
5. “Knights of Cydonia” – Muse (in case the aliens really like scifi-western crossovers)
4. “What’s New Pussycat” – Tom Jones (just kidding)
4. “Sexual Healing” – Marvin Gaye (to show the aliens how to get it on)
3. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana (NIRVANA THO)
2. “Don’t Stop Me now” – Queen (because how was Queen skipped in favor of Queens of the Stone Age)
1. “Black Dog” – Led Zeppelin (because the aliens need to know that Stairway is #overhyped)
0. “All Star” – Smash Mouth (because when you say “some”, I shout “-BODY ONCE TOLD ME”)
Of course I take the recommendations of someone with the expertise on Alien Life Forms such as the leader of The Tide Pool Creatures very seriously.
Black Dog has to go in there, a metaphor for an ailment that affects a sizeable part of humanity.
Do bear in mind, though, that this playlist was compiled mostly for earthly consumption. So do not hesitate.