this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2024
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[–] Boozilla 24 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Have a Cigar, Pink Floyd.

Life's Been Good to Me So Far, Joe Walsh.

Lito Shuffle, Boz Scags.

Jukebox Hero, Foreigner.

Piano Man, Billy Joel.

(Yes, I am old.)

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (3 children)

Have a Cigar was the first song I thought of.
"Oh, by the way, which one's Pink?"

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I love that some music industry asshole actually asked them that once, and the quote made it into the song.

[–] mPony 3 points 8 months ago

I love that there's a little guitar break right after that question, almost like a response

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

Not bad, but let me present you with the definitive cover: The Main Squeeze - that solo trounces everything, I'd go as far as, even the original.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

A fun industry fact: Have A Cigar was sung by Roy Harper, as he happened to be in the studio and the members of Floyd thought he could be a good fit. Roy Harper is perhaps more known in the mainstream through the Zeppelin song Hats Off to (Roy) Harper than through his own recordings, though he's still alive and active.

Harper didn't feel like he was appropriately compensated for his work on Have a Cigar, which is ironic considering the overall thematic.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Reel Big Fish - Sell Out

Tool - Hooker With A Penis

[–] morphballganon 12 points 8 months ago

Please play this song on the radio - NoFX

Rockin' the suburbs - Ben Folds

[–] AngryJadeRabbit 11 points 8 months ago

Dinosaurs Will Die - NOFX

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

From most favorite, descending:

  1. Bomb the Music Industry! - Side Projects are Never Successful (punk)

  2. Backini - Radio (hip-hop)

  3. They Might Be Giants - Hey Mr. DJ I Thought You Said We Had a Deal (alt-pop)

  4. Reel Big Fish - Sell Out (ska)

  5. MC Lars - Download This Song (cross-genre)

  6. Billy Joel - The Entertainer (pop)

  7. Barr - The Song is the Single (rock)

  8. They Might Be Giants - Working Undercover for the Man (alt-pop)

  9. Ben Folds - Rockin' the Suburbs (pop)

  10. David Rovics - The Pirate Radio Song (acoustic punk)

Edited to provide links and genres.

[–] grue 5 points 8 months ago (3 children)

MC Lars - Download This Song (cross-genre)

You've reminded me of my answer to this question:

Weird Al - Don't Download This Song

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

They Might Be Giants - Rhythm Section Want Ad

They Might Be Giants - We're the Replacements

They Might Be Giants - the entirety of Venue Songs

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[–] str82L 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Unlimited supply!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

Dinosaurs will die - NOFX

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

Against Me - Unprotected Sex with Multiple Partners

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Is it about the history of rock'n'roll, or something else?

[–] grue 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I have no idea WTF I just read. All I know is that I want to throw an onion at you now.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago
[–] pdxfed 5 points 8 months ago

Interstellar555, the music video movie that accompanies Daft Punk's Discovery album

[–] Hikermick 5 points 8 months ago

Complete Control by The Clash

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago
[–] cybervseas 4 points 8 months ago

Pop 101 by Marianas Trench. Very funny and also true.

[–] ihwip 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This - Eurythmics

[–] sanguinepar 4 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Maggie's Farm by Bob Dylan

Radio Friendly Unit Shifter by Nirvana

All the Best by R.E.M.

Intro by The Prodigy (not a song, technically, but a clear statement of intent from Liam Howlett)

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[–] harlatan 4 points 8 months ago

lost in hollywood by system of acdown

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

I think Hank Williams III with the Grand Ole Opry Ain't so Grand deserves a shout-out. Basically a song about how the institution that chewed up and then expelled his grandfather can eat shit.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

I'd argue that Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb belongs here: AFAIK it's about a band manager injecting the strung out musician with drugs, so he can get up and perform the show that night.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

So many songs by Muse which I find most amusing because they have an anti-corporate message but are made under a giant corporate label.

Specifically what comes to mind when it comes to the music industry itself are Showbiz and Uprising.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Death on two legs, by Queen, is a track of reckoning with their former manager.

Plus it's a pretty little known but great early queen rock song. Freddie's viciousness really spews out from it.

[–] Sam_Bass 4 points 8 months ago

Cover of the rolling stone

[–] SkaraBrae 4 points 8 months ago

Death on Two Legs - Queen

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

Porcupine Tree - The Sound of Muzak has one of my favorite lines ever in any song: “Music of rebellion makes you wanna rage, but it’s made by millionaires who are nearly twice your age.”

[–] force 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I think the most obvious album to point out which is about many things (including the abuse of the music industry) is To Pimp a Butterfly. I'm surprised I haven't seen it here yet. Even the title is very on-the-nose – the "pimp" in reference is both the music industry and (more frequently) the US government/social structures, and the "butterfly" is a fledgling Kendrick/black rappers/black Americans in general (context depending on the exact song). It's meant to be listened in exact order. Many people say it's overrated but I really disagree. It's an amazing narrative and powerful symbolism with good music.

[–] AstridWipenaugh 3 points 8 months ago

There's a song about how it feels when you get your royalty check. I think that's what it's about... Cannibal Corpse - Meat Hook Sodomy.

[–] wjrii 3 points 8 months ago

Good songwriters can do some good stuff when they are writing what they know. Bad singwriters can crawl up their own assholes, though. Some good Americana Alt-Country ones:

Mercury in Retrograde - Sturgill Simpson takes on the realities of "success". Really the whole Sound and Fury album, though; the whole thing is just him raging at the labels and expectations people put on him as "the next Waylon Jennings."

Bible on the Dash: Life for work-a-day touring musicians. Corb Lund and Hayes Carll actually come up with something useful about a hotel Bible.

Robert Earl Keen:

My Home Ain't in the Hall of Fame. Checking out of the Nashville rat race.

What I Really Mean: Wistful realities of road life for someone at a different life phase than the one above.

The Road Goes On & On: a vicious diss track at Toby Keith's expense. REK is like the chill Democrat New-Balance Suburban Dad of brilliant Americana singer-songwriters, so he probably wouldn't speak ill of the dead, but I will. Fuck Toby Keith.

[–] TheSpermWhale 3 points 8 months ago

You can’t really get any more outrageous than Death to all but Metal

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago
[–] OhmsLawn 3 points 8 months ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Barracuda by Heart

[–] Noodle07 3 points 8 months ago

Icon for hire - now you know

Specifically about the girls perspective

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Life's Been Good - Joe Walsh

[–] RBWells 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Drive By Truckers - Gravity's Gone

Elton John someone saved my life tonight song

Gillian Welch - Everything is Free

Oh and somewhat tangential but Hayes Carll I Got a Gig song - "playing for my dinner six nights a week, hurricanes, Easter, and New Years Eve, I got a gig baby!"

[–] Kolossos 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Mr. Recordman by Ugly Kid Joe

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