Hey, Ariel, what’s on your iPod?
“The president also has an eclectic mix of songs downloaded into his iPod from Mark McKinnon, a biking buddy and his chief media strategist during the 2004 campaign. Among them are ‘Circle Back’ by John Hiatt, ‘(You’re So Square) Baby, I Don’t Care’ by Joni Mitchell and ‘My Sharona,’ the 1979 song by the Knack that Joe Levy, a deputy managing editor at Rolling Stone in charge of music coverage, cheerfully branded ‘suggestive if not outright filthy’ in an interview last week. — The New York Times, April 11
The Times had a big scoop this week with its report on the president’s iPod and what his list of favorite songs might or might not tell us about the 43rd president. (Internet jokesters beat them to it, saying Bush is like an iPod because he is white, has limited capacity, emits strange noises, and resides in the pockets of businessmen.) Inspired by the paper of record’s dogged search for the musical truth, I hacked deep into the source code of iTunes and dug up the iPod playlists of a number of other world leaders and newsmakers.
Ariel Sharon, prime minister of Israel
“I Ain’t Marching Anymore,” Phil Ochs
“Breaking Up Is Hard To Do,” Neil Sedaka
“Give It Away,” Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Stand By Your Man,” Tammy Wynette
“My Way,” Frank Sinatra
“Wonderwall,” Oasis
“My Prerogative,” Britney Spears
“You Will Be Moved,” Prince
“Who Asked You?,” Insane Clown Posse
“Workin’ on a Building,” John Fogerty
Mahmoud Abbas, president, Palestinian Authority
“Don’t Fence Me In,” Cole Porter
“Another Brick in the Wall,” Pink Floyd
“One More Chance,” The Jackson Five
“Why Can’t We Be Friends,” War
“Let’s Talk the Whole Thing Over,” Ricky Nelson
“Overprotected,” Britney Spears
“I Will Survive,” Gloria Gaynor
“Help Me Make It Through the Night,” Kris Kristofferson
“Who’s That Knocking (On My Door)?,” The Genies
“Boom,” System of a Down
Yariv Oppenheimer, secretary-general, Peace Now
“Give It All Away,” Ashlee Simpson
“What You Waiting For?,” Gwen Stefani
“It’s Now or Never,” Elvis Presley
“Got To Give It Up,” Marvin Gaye
“Bring Him Home,” Les Miserables
“We Gotta Get Outta This Place,” The Animals
Eran Sternberg, spokesman, Gaza settlements
“Here To Stay,” Korn
“This Land Is Your Land,” Woody Guthrie
“Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” Green Day
“You Send Me,” Sam Cooke
“Not Coming Home,” Maroon 5
“It’s the End of the World as We Know It,” REM
“Fight the Power,” Public Enemy
“Don’t Push Me,” 50 Cent
George W. Bush (Mideast peace playlist)
“With God on Our Side,” Bob Dylan
“Give Peace a Chance,” John Lennon
“Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Simon and Garfunkel
“I Want To Hold Your Hand,” The Beatles
“Please, Please, Please,” James Brown
“I Walk the Line,” Johnny Cash
“You’ve Got a Friend,” Carole King
“Am I Asking Too Much?,” Dinah Washington
“What’s He Building?,” Tom Waits
“Don’t Push Me,” 50 Cent
“I Should Have Stayed In Bed,” The Bee Gees
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli finance minister
“I Will Always Return,” Bryan Adams
“Anything You Can Do,” Ethel Merman
“Watch Your Back,” Blink-182
“You Can’t Count Me Out,” Travis Tritt
“Redemption Song,” Bob Marley
“Hey! Get Out Of My Way,” The Cardigans
“I Just Can’t Wait To Be King,” The Lion King soundtrack
Shimon Peres, Israeli deputy prime minister
“I Will Always Return,” Bryan Adams
“Anything You Can Do,” Ethel Merman
“Watch Your Back,” Blink-182
“You Can’t Count Me Out,” Travis Tritt
“Redemption Song,” Bob Marley
“Hey! Get Out Of My Way,” The Cardigans
“I Just Can’t Wait To Be King,” The Lion King
John Bolton, nominee, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
“We Are the World,” Michael Jackson, Lionel Ritchie
“Better Off Alone,” Avril Lavigne
“Like Toy Soldiers,” Eminem
“Stop the World I Want To Get Off,” Anthony Newley
“Whatever It Is, I’m Against It,” Groucho Marx
“Walk This Way,” Aerosmith
“Because We Can,” Moulin Rouge
“I Am the Walrus,” The Beatles
Lee Bollinger, president, Columbia University
“Reviewing the Situation,” Oliver! soundtrack
“No One To Blame,” Anita Baker
“See No Evil,” REM
“Kids (What’s the matter with kids today?),”
Bye Bye Birdie soundtrack
“Teach Your Children,” Crosby, Stills and Nash
“We’re Not Sorry,” Urinetown soundtrack
“Til the Money Runs Out,” Tom Waits
“Brother Can You Spare a Dime?,” Yip Harburg
Lawrence Summers, president, Harvard University
“A Hymn to Him (Why can’t a woman be more like a man?),”
My Fair Lady soundtrack
“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” Cyndi Lauper
“Where the Boys Are,” Connie Francis
“I Know What Boys Like,” The Waitresses
“Who’s Sorry Now?,” Connie Francis
“I Should Have Stayed in Bed,” The Bee Gees