Wednesday OT 2: The Wrath of the DNC Roll Call (or why your state or territory sucks)

This was what the younger generations call an 'epic troll', yes? Not directed at the individual states and territories and DC, but at the RNC, who can't seem to avoid a cease and desist every other week. If you recall, there was no music played during the joyless RNC roll call. No set curated by DJ Cassidy (or DJ Drumpf either), no soul, no rhythm, no vision, no hope, no fun. Just OBEY.

I do realize that modern DJing requires zero turntables, but that also means there's not a lot of interesting visuals associated with it. Press a button, tweak a knob, wave your hands in the air, yell at the crowd to get up and dance. No parking on the dance floor.

Some of the selections are obvious; "Born in the USA" - NJ, "1999" - Minnesota, Sweet Home Alabama. Others less so. Jen Psaki and Michael Steele talked to Cassidy on MSNBC and it sounds like it was collaborative. He suggested songs, reps from the states had input (If you want an odd image in your head, picture Michael Steele talking about his DJ days, focusing on House with a smattering of 60s R&B. This, I spare you by watching and reporting on it here). After songs were approved, I imagine they needed to be cleared by the artist or their estate. In other words, it was thought out. It wasn't slapped together in an hour. There's a connection to each state and territory and DC, explained here.

DNC Roll Call Playlist 

1. Alabama - Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
2. Alaska - Feel It Still - Portugal. The Man
3. Arizona - Edge of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks
4. Arkansas - Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac
5. California - The Next Episode - Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg, California Love - 2Pac and Dr. Dre, Alright - Kendrick Lamar and Not Like Us - Kendrick Lamar
6. Colorado - September - Earth, Wind & Fire
7. Connecticut - Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder
8. Democrats Abroad - Love Train - The O'Jays
9. Washington D.C. - Let me Clear my Throat - DJ Kool
10. Delaware - Higher Love - Whitney Houston and Kygo
11. Florida - Won't Back Down - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
12. Georgia - Turn Down for What - Lil' Jon
13. Guam - Espresso - Sabrina Carpenter
14. Hawaii - 24K Magic - Bruno Mars
15. Idaho - Private Idaho - The B-52s
16. Illinois - Sirius - Alan Parsons Project
17. Indiana - Don't Stop til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
18. Iowa - Celebration - Kool & the Gang
19. Kansas - Carry on Wayward Son - Kansas
20. Kentucky - First Class - Jack Harlow
21. Louisiana - All I Do Is Win - DJ Khaled
22. Maine - Shut Up and Dance - Walk the Moon
23. Maryland - Respect - Aretha Franklin
24. Massachusetts - I'm Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphys
25. Michigan - Lose Yourself - Eminem
26. Minnesota - Kiss and 1999 - Prince
27. Mississippi - Twistin' the Night Away - Sam Cooke
28. Missouri - Good Luck, Babe - Chappell Roan
29. Montana - American Woman - Lenny Kravitz
30. Nebraska - Firework - Katy Perry
31. Nevada - Mr. Brightside - The Killers
32. New Hampshire - Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
33. New Jersey - Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen
34. New Mexico - Confident - Demi Lovato
35. New York - Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z and Alicia Keys
36. North Carolina - Raise Up - Petey Pablo
37. North Dakota - Fight Song - Rachel Platten
38. Northern Mariana Islands - Ain't No Mountain High Enough
39. Ohio - Green Light - John Legend
40. Oklahoma - Ain't Goin Down (Til The Sun Comes Up) - Garth Brooks
41. Oregon - Float On - Modest Mouse
42. Pennsylvania - Motownphilly - Boyz II Men and Black & Yellow - Wiz Khalifa
43. Puerto Rico - Despacito - Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee
44. Rhode Island - Shake it Off - Taylor Swift
45. South Carolina - Get On Up - James Brown
46. South Dakota - What I Like About You - The Romantics
47. Tennessee - 9 to 5 - Dolly Parton
48. Texas - TEXAS HOLD 'EM - Beyonce
49. Utah - Animal - Neon Trees
50. Vermont - Stick Season - Noah Kahan
51. U.S. Virgin Islands - VI to the Bone - Mic Love
52. Virginia - The Way I Are - Timbaland
53. Washington - Can't Hold Us - Macklemore
54. West Virginia - Take Me Home (Country Roads) - John Denver
55. Wisconsin - Jump Around - House of Pain
56. Wyoming - I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

So pick your state and tell me what might have better suited. Or if you're reluctant to divulge your location, pick one that stands out for its weirdness.

The song repping Illinois was "Sirius" by the Alan Parsons Project. That's the instrumental which leads into "The Eye in the Sky" and the band's from the UK. People who lived in Chicago in the 90s and sports fans in general might remember the lyrics for it from certain United Center events of that period: "And now... the starting lineup... for YOUR... Chicago Bulls... " and usually finished a few measures into "Eye in the Sky". DNC speaker Steve Kerr is mentioned in the lyrics too. Coincidentally.