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[blackfeet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoB4x0aXfrg) flag song.
[slayer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVmaqj668Fk) dead skin mask
[amazing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyObfT__LnU) stories theme
[little](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUoXtddNPAM) boxes
[dark](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNj2BXW852g) was the night
[Ghost Riders](https://youtu.be/nOWjX4BpC24?si=r7G2CSH1L49DL4L-)
[The Legend of Chavo Guerro](https://youtu.be/Q9YvDfiAXT8?si=T1p9Gi_7ZL8s9gqD)
[City of New Orleans](https://youtu.be/TvMS_ykiLiQ?si=x47w7ODLi3K6rGmT)
[Straight Outta Compton](https://youtu.be/TMZi25Pq3T8?si=lMMjPUzIt8m4G_rg)
[Think](https://youtu.be/Vet6AHmq3_s?si=UpABgB_8SNWFEgvx) by Aretha Franklin specifically this version.
Scott Joplin – Maple Leaf Rag
Aaron Copeland – Rodeo
Aretha Franklin – Chain of Fools
Fountains of Wayne – Halley’s Waitress
Van Halen – Hot for Teacher
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
[Bright Eyes – Another Travelin’ Song](https://youtu.be/RY-8V5KEQ4w)
[The Wesley Willis Fiasco- I Can’t Drive](https://youtu.be/yiAkFL_YaGM)
[Magnetic Fields – Papa Was A Rodeo](https://youtu.be/_m_EzovsmK4)
[Guided by Voices -Dayton, Ohio/19 Something & 5](https://youtu.be/NwIS36TvRUE)
[Butthole Surfers – The Lord Is A Monkey](https://youtu.be/qXWXopgge6k)
[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.
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
Thrill is gone by BB king
Thriller – MJ
Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins
Smells like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
Hurt by Johnny Cash
Violent Femmes – American Music
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.
[Ray Charles – America the Beautiful](https://youtu.be/2FXN1Z6Q004?si=FK5Lqt3mdCY1aOy5)
[James Brown – Living in America](https://youtu.be/c5BL4RNFr58?si=rajmoYQLQGh54EIP)
[Funkadelic – One Nation Under A Groove](https://youtu.be/3WOZwwRH6XU?si=0OigxCChoN8aQvCn)
[Prince – Sign O’ the Time](https://youtu.be/8EdxM72EZ94?si=MwURPSqBSebyLORd)
[Childish Gambino – This is America](https://youtu.be/VYOjWnS4cMY?si=v7qJhbaEH1uMuldW)
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
Just Rooster by Alice In Chains
[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)
Nitro (Youth Energy) – The Offspring
Stinkfist – Tool
What’s My Age Again – Blink 182
7 Words – Deftones
Psychosocial – Slipknot
Dolly Parton, “Coat of Many Colors”
Ritchie Valens, “La Bamba”
Tom Petty, “Free Fallin”
Sinkane, “U’huh”
Aretha Franklin, “Respect”
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.
“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.
America – Simon and Garfunkel
Thunder Road – Springsteen
Swan Swan H – REM
What’s Happening Brother – Marvin Gaye
Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell
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
>you think to be the most “American”
Ok
>Don’t lean on the obvious classics.
But… Those are the most American
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
Take Me Home, Country Roads ~ John Denver
In Color ~ Jamey Johnson
California Girls ~ Beach Boys
Smells Like Teen Spirit ~ Nirvana
Heartland ~ George Strait
Mary jane’s last dance
Fortunate Son, CCR
Lose Yourself, Eminem
ABC, Jackson 5
Freebird, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Surfing USA, Beach Boys