▶ Watch Video: The Essential American Songbook: Defining America through its music
“When we try to think about what does it mean to be American, this almost impossible question, one of the ways we might try and answer that is through music,” said Nate Sloan, a professor of musicology at USC’s Thornton School of Music. “What are the sounds that defined the American experience at different points in time?”
Case in point: Ray Charles singing “America the Beautiful”:
Or “We Shall Overcome,” performed by Mahalia Jackson:
Asked what makes a quintessential American song, Sloan replied, “It has to be something that people can sing along to. I think an American song needs to be communal.”
Here is Bob Dylan, and a crowd, singing “Blowin’ In The Wind” at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963:
“And beyond that, I think an American song can take a lot of different forms,” Sloan said. “I think it can be something that comments on society and our nation in some way.”
Bruce Springsteen sings “Born In The U.S.A.”
“Or, it can simply be a song that has stood the test of time,” he said, like Hawaiian artist Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwoʻole’s rendition of “Over the Rainbow.”
Sloan said, “What’s so unique about our country is the plurality of cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds we have here.”
It’s reflected in composer George Gershwin’s beguiling mixture of classical and jazz in “Rhapsody in Blue.”
And when we asked our “Sunday Morning” jury about their other favorite songs, there was pretty much something for everyone. Among the top favorites: “Respect,” sung by Aretha Franklin.
But if there is a #1, it’s this Woody Guthrie tune: “This Land Is Your Land.” “It’s such a powerful homage to this country,” said Sloan. “It’s not overly nationalistic. It doesn’t take sides. It’s a message we can all relate to. This land is our land.”
The list is full of contrasts. Billie Holiday’s devastating song about lynching, “Strange Fruit” …
… isn’t far from the Beach Boys classic “God Only Knows.”
The songs on this list are kind of all over the place; Sloan agrees that, in itself, is very American: “We’re a diverse country, and we’re a young country. This list is almost like the wild, wild west of music. Anything goes! The sort of chaos of that is actually a beautiful representation of America itself.”
Our 250 “Essential Songs” are online here. [Visit Spotify to hear them all.] Here is just a sample:
We’ve also asked a few artists to perform their favorites for us. To begin, Jon Batiste plays “Georgia On My Mind.”
Songbook: Jon Batiste sings “Georgia On My Mind”
03:41
Sara Bareilles performs “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”:
Songbook: Sara Bareilles sings “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”
03:26
James Taylor sings “Moon River.”
Songbook: James Taylor sings “Moon River”
03:12
For more info:
- Nate Sloan, associate professor of musicology, Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California
- “Switched On Pop: How Popular Music Works, and Why it Matters” by Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding (Oxford University Press), in Hardcover and eBook formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
- “Switched On Pop” (Podcast)
Story produced by Reid Orvedahl. Editor: Lauren Barnello.
“Sunday Morning” Essential American Songbook credits: Produced by Emily Lazar, Mark Hudspeth, Liza Monasebian, Young Kim and Robert Marston. Graphic design by Andro Buenta. Design and development by Grace Manthey. Editing and project leadership by Jamie Reysen and John Kelly. Executive Producer, “Sunday Morning”: Rand Morrison.