#1 "The Monkees," 1966; group formed in 1965 (Los Angeles)
Perfomed by Micky Dolenz (lead vocal); Tommy Boyce (backing vocal); Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee and Louie Shelton (guitars); Larry Taylor (bass); Billy Lewis (drums); and Gene Ested (percussion).
Written by Tommy Boyce and Boby Hart
THE MONKEES GREATEST HITS RHINO R2 72190 ©1995

The Monkees were a group formed by recording industry executives to capitalize upon the success of the Beatles in the American market through the media of television. (Note the similar misspellings in the groups' names.) The members of the Monkees were chosen for their looks, not their musical talent and studio musicians were used to record all of their music until a media fiasco in 1967 when Michael Nesmith admitted that the band did not play their own music because record company executives would not allow them to do so. This song, their theme, encapsulates much of the band's commercial image.

#2 "White Christmas," 1942
Written by Irving Berlin
Performed by Bing (Harry Lillis) Crosby (1904-1977) with the Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter's Orchestra
Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits (1925&emdash;1954) Rhino R2 70637 ©1989

Until supplanted by Elton John's tribute to Princess Diana in late 1997, this recording was the best selling single of all time with over 30 million copies sold. It remains the most popular Christmas song and could well regain the title as it is likely to continue selling over the next century, while the Elton John tribute is too topical to have continuing appeal.

#3 "Show Business," 1991
by S. Anslem, D. Murphy, L. Dechalus, J. Kirkland, Jonathan "Q-tip" Davis, "Ali" Muhammad, and Malik "Phife" Taylor
Performed by A Tribe Called Quest, formed in NYC, 1988
The Low End Theory Zomba Recording Corp. 1418--2-J ©1991

Rap's impulse for social protest in several cases has been directed inward at the music industry itself. Formed in 1988, A Tribe Called Quest made inroads in the alternative rap scene by combining jazz samples and rap structures. Jazz bassist Ron Carter performed on their second album, The Low End Theory (#45). They paved the way for later "jazz rap" groups such as Digable Planets and Us3.

#4 "Money for Nothing," 1988
Written by Mark Knopfler
Performed by Dire Straits, formed in 1977 (London, England)
Brothers in Arms Warner Bros. 9 25264-2 ©1988

A Dylanesque songwriter, Mark Knopfler led Dire Straits to international success in the early 1980s with story songs and a touch of ironic humor as in this song, "Money for Nothing" which mocks the fame and fortune of music stardom. The text of this song bothers me a bit with its reference to "That Little Faggot." I'm not positive to what Dire Straits is referring to here, but I wonder if it is an allusion to the cross-dressing punk artist, Boy George of Culture Club (formed 1981) which was one of the great commercial success stories of the mid-1980s. The reference to MTV reflects the huge impact this new forum had upon the industry.

#5 "Da Da Da I Don't Love You You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha," 1982
Written by Remmler/Kralle
Performed by Trio
Da Da Da Mercury 314 563 205-2

This song may be one of the greatest ironies of the music industry. Written as a spoof of the "pop" in popular music, using simplistic lyrics, nonsense syllables, an exaggerated pedestrian bass line, "Da Da Da" was a bitter interrogation of the vacuous nature of 1980s pop. Not also how the entirety of the lyrics are contained in the title (catchy, huh?). Written by a German band mocking American music (hence the predominant use of English as the "international language of pop), "Da Da Da" became a (non-ironic) international hit despite itself. (Its success even prompted the record company to change the name of the album from Trio and Error to Da Da Da.) It soon became a "commercial" song, literally, as it was featured in Volkswagen commercials. It boils down to a love song about not loving.

#6 "Puttin' It Together," 1984/85
Composed by Stephen Sondheim from Sunday in the Park with George
Arranged by Barbra Streisand and Peter Matz
Performed by Barbra Streisand (b. 1942 in New York)
The Broadway Album Columbia CK 40092 ©1985

The top-selling female artist in history, Barbra Streisand here adapts a song by Stephen Sondheim from his 1984 Broadway musical Sunday in the Park with George to show how profit and art often conflict.

#7 "It's Jiggaboo Time," 1992
The Pharcyde
Bizarre Ride II: the Pharcyde Delicious Vinyl 92222-2 ©1992

This brief Pharcyde skit depicts the rap ensemble "working" on a video. It addresses the need to fulfill the commercial image perpetuated by the success of Ganstra Rap. Here the group is required to look and act "black" for its audience--i.e., to fulfill middle-class white expectations of the ghetto for financial gain.

#8 "Paint a Vulgar Picture," 1987
Performed by The Smiths, formed 1982 (Manchester, England)
Written by Morrissey (b. 1959)
"Strangeways, Here We Come" Sire 25649-1 ©1987

Here Morissey turns his lyrical angst towards the industry that also serves as his opportunity.

#9 "Please Play This Song on the Radio"
by NoFX
Two Heebs and a Bean

The lyrics of this song are a wonderful play on the hypocrisy of art and money. A punk band, NoFX here appears to be aiming for a crossover pop market with melodic guitar riffs, catchy lyrics, and a flashy instrumental solo. However, if you listen closely to the lyrics (in particular the reference to the "f-word"), you'll see the humorous trap they have set for radio DJs.

#10 "How to Kill a Radio Consultant," 1991
by Chuck D (Carlton Ridenhour, b. 1960)
Performed by Public Enemy, formed 1982
Apocalypsse 9a… The Enemy Strikes Black Columbia 47374 ©1991

Perhaps the most politically significant rap group to date, Public Enemy's hard, intense sound and vocal style has influenced a new generation of rap. PE's songs are characterized by lead rapper Chuck D's socially charged rhymes delivered in a booming, authoritarian voice, and his sidkick/jester Flavor Flav, who breaks in with taunts and questions. Chuck D has become increasingly critical of the record industry. This cut from 1991 addresses the problem of radio censorship with DJs and stations refusing to air more controversial or political rap -- thus destroying the sales and therefore artistic viability of social critique in rap.

#11 "Piano Piece" Op. 33a 1929
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951, b. in Vienna, Austria)
Arnold Schoenberg: The Piano Music Deutsche Grammophon 423 249-2 ©1975

An example of the 12-tone music that Adorno advocates as an answer to the regression of listening and dominance of the culture industry. Adorno claimed that 12-tone music would resist commodification and force listeners to hear for themselves.

#12 "Philomel," 1964 [excerpt]
Milton Babbitt (b. 1916)
Perfomed by Bethany Beardslee
Philomel New World Records 80466-2 ©1977

Babbit wrote the controversial article "The Composer as Specialist" that was printed in the NY Times under the headline "Who Cares If You Listen." This work captures the experimental and intellectual energies of post-war European and American music that has polarized the commercial audience into a small group of elite devotees and a large group whose collective response could be characterized, "Who Cares If You Compose."