Give me 5 songs that you think to be the most “American” for you. Don’t lean on the obvious classics. Go with the ones that do it for you personally.

25 comments

  3. Scott Joplin – Maple Leaf Rag

    Aaron Copeland – Rodeo

    Aretha Franklin – Chain of Fools

    Fountains of Wayne – Halley’s Waitress

    Van Halen – Hot for Teacher

  4. American Pie – Don McLean
    Chicken Fried – Zac Brown Band
    Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn
    Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue – Toby Keith
    Empire State of Mind – JayZ

  6. [Simple Gifts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baNueuDCue0) – Aaron Copland, based on an old folk melody, performed here by Yo Yo Ma and Alison Krauss

    [Ashokan Farewell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZmxZThb084) – Jay Ungar and Molly Mason

    [The Right Stuff Theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkiY1a-ljYE) – Bill Conti

    [When the Ship Comes In](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c9_XkYYjTU) – Bob Dylan

    [Paradise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEy6EuZp9IY) – John Prine

    I should probably add some rock and jazz and more in there that also originate in America, but folk music and Americana really does it for me.

  7. Stars of the Midnight Range – Johnny Bond

    How High The Moon – Benny Goodman

    Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall – The Ink Spots

    House of the Rising Sun – The Animals

    America – Imagine Dragons

  8. Thrill is gone by BB king

    Thriller – MJ

    Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins

    Smells like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

    Hurt by Johnny Cash

  10. I know I’m not answering the question, but I think you might like [“The Story of the United States in 12 Songs”](https://balladofamerica.org/free-pdf/) by Ballad of America. The songs they chose to represent American history are:

    1. Young Ladies in Town (folk)

    2. The Wisconsin Emigrant (folk)

    3. Go Down, Moses (folk)

    4. Worried Man Blues (folk)

    5. The Battleship of Maine (folk)

    6. The Suffrage Flag (folk)

    7. I Don’t Want Your Millions, Mister (folk)

    8. How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live? (folk)

    9. Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) (Woody Guthrie and Martin Hoffman)

    10. If You Miss Me From the Back of the Bus (Charles Neblett)

    11. Little Boxes (Malvina Reynolds)

    12. Changes (Tupac)

    They give little blurbs about their relevance to American history.

  12. Saw someone already mentioned Rodeo/Hoedown by Copland, so:

    [Fast Car by Tracy Chapman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uab6SVuut_A&ab_channel=SensualEmotion) – captures the quiet hope and determination of people aspiring to have a better life. That’s America. The fact that Tracy Chapman herself came up from homelessness adds another dimension to the story too.

    [Battle Born by The Killers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPJQQeeYDYI&ab_channel=TheKillersVEVO)- I believe the band says they wrote this about their home state of Nevada, but I feel like a lot of the lyrics can be applied to post-9/11 America in general- at least my feelings about it. Plus, that soaring guitar riff…unf!

    [Traveling Again (Traveling Pt 1) by Dark Williams](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zbj1lOa5Dw&ab_channel=DarWilliams-Topic) – One of my all-time favorite songs. Has that folksy American sound and paints a picture of an American-style roadtrip in all its lonesome allure.

    [Your Best American Girl by Mitski](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B1cCL5zKZM&ab_channel=LyricalMuse-ic)- This one speaks to me as a fellow Japanese-American girl. I think a lot of us ethnic minorities go through these feelings of questioning our identity and belonging at some point until we (hopefully) realize that “American” is whatever we decide to make it and learn to take pride in our differences. But yeah, dating a white American boy that makes us confront these questions is a rite of passage for a lot of us lol

    [Ol’ Man River from the musical Show Boat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K_qWV4yqQ0&ab_channel=WilliamWarfield-Topic)- This song gives me chills. It speaks to my St. Louis soul. The song and the musical it comes from are such a piece of American history. This is the William Warfield recording, but the Paul Robeson version is also great.

    Love these threads, CupBeEmpty <3

  14. [Stars and Stripes Forever – John Phillip Sousa](https://youtu.be/a-7XWhyvIpE?si=gGhYhgNHbGSA8N5C)

    [Listen to the Music – Doobie Brothers](https://youtu.be/DkytJLoxGmQ?si=5CKYJsqdWTZWbFj-)

    [Fortunate Son – Creedance Clearwater Revival](https://youtu.be/ZWijx_AgPiA?si=J4QTDhwyO8vGw9wX)

    [Come Fly With Me – Frank Sinatra](https://youtu.be/yOzEeJZ92X8?si=ni1XWhtZIWEfh4dV)

    [Rock & Roll Band – Boston](https://youtu.be/6bhFmtwio8Y?si=0GA9ZZlkmHwUv5hi)

  15. Nitro (Youth Energy) – The Offspring
    Stinkfist – Tool
    What’s My Age Again – Blink 182
    7 Words – Deftones
    Psychosocial – Slipknot

  16. Dolly Parton, “Coat of Many Colors”

    Ritchie Valens, “La Bamba”

    Tom Petty, “Free Fallin”

    Sinkane, “U’huh”

    Aretha Franklin, “Respect”

  17. Strike Anywhere – [SST](https://youtu.be/GsvPeTwUAns?si=4jmhPoVGnyI6iIGS)

    Bruce Springsteen – [Badlands](https://youtu.be/o5IZuuzUa04?si=4ATLS-_1AYLMXE8l)

    This Bike is a Pipe Bomb – [Sixteen Tons](https://noidearecords.bandcamp.com/track/sixteen-tons)

    [Pretty Saro](https://mainlynorfolk.info/shirley.collins/songs/prettysaro.html) …I like the Sheila Kay Adams recording but I couldn’t find a good link; it’s a song about an immigrant travelling the country and mourning what was left behind, but most the lover that rejected them because they weren’t a landowner, which is why they came to the New World to seek their fortune.

    Jonathan Coulton – [The Presidents](https://youtu.be/NFqIrw3_3co?si=a1Kohs1ZXl7a0Q4L)

    These are just the first five that spoke to me, not a ranked list. I would’ve done “American Music” by The Violent Femmes but that’s a little too on-the-nose.

  18. “Living in America” by James Brown. I still contend this should be the national anthem. It’s already played at every 4th of July Celebration and you can’t *not* dance to it.

    “Peace Sells” by Megadeth. ‘Nuff said. 🤘

    “Regulate” by Warren G. Describes a very uniquely American experience in a very American musical style.

    “I believe you” by the Carpenters on the Made In America album. Anything from the album is the best of Americana, but this song is just my favorite.

    “Johnny B Goode” by Chuck Berry feels pretty obvious to me.

  19. America – Simon and Garfunkel

    Thunder Road – Springsteen

    Swan Swan H – REM

    What’s Happening Brother – Marvin Gaye

    Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell

  20. Fleet Foxes’ entire discography.

    Since you asked for five specific songs, I’ll just list a few of my favorites that I feel especially evoke a feeling of Americana.

    * Blue Ridge Mountains

    * Sunblind

    * Going-to-the-Sun Road

    * Ragged Wood

    * If You Need to, Keep Time on Me

  21. >you think to be the most “American”

    Ok

    >Don’t lean on the obvious classics.

    But… Those are the most American

  22. I went with ones that to me evoke some feeling of America or the American Experience.

    Hurt – the Johnny Cash version.

    Jack & Diane – John Mellancamp

    Take me home (country roads) – John Denver

    Love shack- b52s

    Freedom of speech – Above the Law

    ETA one more.
    Dixie Storms – Lone Justice

  23. Take Me Home, Country Roads ~ John Denver

    In Color ~ Jamey Johnson

    California Girls ~ Beach Boys

    Smells Like Teen Spirit ~ Nirvana

    Heartland ~ George Strait

  25. Fortunate Son, CCR

    Lose Yourself, Eminem

    ABC, Jackson 5

    Freebird, Lynyrd Skynyrd

    Surfing USA, Beach Boys

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