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Wednesday, August 21, 2024

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.

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