From Our Readers: All People Are Created Equal Playlist
This year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has been marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence through a variety of different programs, including our list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places and Preservation Month, which came to a close last week.
As part of that annual celebration, we posed a question to the readers of our weekly newsletter and National Trust staff.
The United States has always had a soundtrack: songs that carry its promises, its contradictions, and its hope. For the 250th, we asked our readers:
"If you could choose one song that captures the bold ideal that “all people are created equal what would you put on the playlist?"
We received a wide array of responses ranging from stalwart patriotic songs (America the Beautiful, God Bless America) to multiple recommendations of songs by the Beatles and Sly and the Family Stone. An overwhelming majority suggested Woody Guthrie’s This Land is Your Land.
Making a good playlist is an art, which means some hard decisions have to be made. Aside from This Land is Your Land which kicks off the playlist, we stepped away from our American standards. We didn’t include duplicate songs—though we’d suggest you listen to Frank Sinatra’s The House I Live In or versions of This Land is Your Land by Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings or Chicano Batman. And we had to pick just one song by Sly and the Family Stone, so we went for the less obvious selection instead of Everyday People, while also opting for Beyoncé's rendition of Blackbird over the Fab Four’s original.
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Other selections that did not make it in—not because we didn’t love them—included songs by James Brown (Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud), Kid Cudi (Pursuit of Happiness), Black Eyed Peas (Where is the Love), Lindsay Muller (We’re All the Same Inside), Nanci Griffith (It’s A Hard Life Wherever You Go), Stevie Wonder (Happy Birthday), and some of the many songs submitted looking for peace in our time.
The result is a playlist that we hope surprises you. From jazz to Broadway, classical to rock, Civil Rights era protest songs to dance bangers, this playlist strives to tell the full American story as we commemorate this historical milestone.
Thanks to Patricia T., Jerri A., Judy K., Landaw, Melvina H., Jeremy R., Elise, Claire D., Rachel M., Mary S., Janet A., Gina H., GW, Carol, Bet S., Jerry Y., Susan M., Lily C., Mary W., James R., Thalia, L. K. , Renee L., Kara W., Heidi R., Margaret M., Carol C., Jan F., Andrew B., Steve B., Donna S., Theresa F., Eve M., Gary H., Dennis D., L. Kester., Beatrice P., M., Sally B., Connie R., Joni M., Maria M., Lesley S., Kathleen Y., Amy S., Thomas M., Jessica B., Elaine H., Lacy W., Karen A., Jennifer W., Tommie C., Tim N., Catherine L., Lorne M., Andrea C., Jonathan S., Susan K., N&M J., Doris., J.N., Tisha B., Francie G., Lawrence P., and National Trust Staff for your submissions.
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