Without getting too politically charged, we decided to have a little fun with our Election Day playlist and instill some much-needed humor, sarcasm, and reflection into it.
Our Election Day playlist touches on politics, past presidents, persuasion, money and power, lies, the craziness of it all, and some good ol’ American struggles.
For warm-ups I want to highlight three songs for use. Two songs are similar but will appeal to two different audiences—Bruce Hornsby and the Range’s “The Way It Is” and “Changes” by 2Pac, who samples “The Way It Is.” If neither of them are your cup of tea, then check out the House of Cards theme song. At just under 2 minutes and being purely instrumental, it would work perfectly as you review your ride description with your class.
“Mr. President” by LL Cool J and Wyclef Jean is a new find for me and I strongly suggest you give this one a listen before dismissing it. LL takes a non-accusatory look at the reality of Bush’s eight years as president, asking for the truth on where the country stands. His lyrics touch upon the war, the poor, health care, terrorism, and immigration, which will really set the stage for your ride.
And while we’re on the topic of the Bush years, you can use ”Iraqi Oil Production” by Frenz Hessing, who samples sound-bites of George W for a nice, easy flat to ride to.
Speaking of sound-bites or short bits to play in between some hard work, we have a few of those stuffed in here too. Check out “Vote, Baby Vote” by Deee-Lite and “National Voting Age is Lowered to 18.”
If you want to address the intertwined aspects of money* and power, then we’ve got enough here to create an entire playlist dedicated to this theme alone. Let’s first start with “Money, Power, and Respect” by The Lox, Lil Kim, and DMX. Enough said. There’s “Moneygrabber” by Fitz and the Tantrums. Related to power, we listed “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Fight the Power, Pts. 1 & 2,” by the Isley Brothers, and a ’90s favorite, “The Power” by Snap. Then there’s “Dirty Cash” by The Adventures of Stevie V, a throwback to the late ’80s, because let’s be real, money talks and I’m willing to bet 99% of politicians are in bed with big business. A few others of note: “American Money” by BØRNS, “Money and the Power” by Kid Ink, and an all-time classic, “Money” by Pink Floyd.
And speaking of throwbacks, let’s go back to 1800 for a song with some climbing power. We’ve included “The Election of 1800” from the Broadway play Hamilton, winner of 11 Tony awards. Surprisingly, this was by far my riders’ favorite song of the profile. Who would have thought a musical would take that honor?
Some songs don’t need to function on a grand scale. It could be a simple play on words or the title that allowed them to make the cut for our Election Day playlist. In those cases, they pack a punch of energy, which is what you need to get your class amped. Check out “Deceptacon” by Le Tigre as an example. (Boy, I must be jaded by politicians!)
There are a handful of songs listed that probably won’t work for a cycle class but were included due to their politically charged theme. An example of this is Gil Scott-Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not be Televised.” We included these as possible set-up/pack-up songs to set the tone for the day’s ride.
We also have our President’s Day playlist that is chockful of some fun songs like “Solid As Barack” by Ashford & Simpson, “Young Americans” by Bowie and “Elected” by Alice Cooper.
…And now for that reflection aspect, because after this ride your class is going to need something positive to hold on to. Why not end class with “What’s Going On?” by Marvin Gaye, “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke, or “Imagine” by John Lennon.
Now go vote!
*If you’re looking for more on this theme, check out our Tax Day playlist
Did this today and it was a HIT. Hamilton brought heaps of smiles, and the genuine vote theme got so many people inspired to create change and take action. I made the final song a HILL and used Tupac’s CHANGES and inspired everyone to ride that hill for not only their own blood/sweat/tears, but to Rise up, stand up, and use their voice, their vote for their future. And it was a really great way to send them into their day. THANKSSSSS. PS loved the LLCoolJ song. adding it to my rotation!
So happy you liked the profile! I actually made a switch this year and changed the second to last song to “High Hopes” by Panic at the Disco.
I rarely use the same profile & playlist when I teach back to back classes, however I did with this one. The timing was perfect and I got a few compliments on the music. Thanks for the great service you provide to indoor cycling instructors.
You’re very welcome, James!
I would be fired for playing those…. sorry!
the good news is we have a large variety to cater to a wide range of studios/instructors. Every class, every club/studio, every rider is a little different.
Jennifer-great music suggestions for Election Day theme. Thank you! This website is invaluable.
Nothing new, these are recycled from 2016!
Hi Ed,
FYI, there actually are a few new songs on this playlist. More importantly, we have brand new members all the time—many don’t know about our past playlists or profiles so we need to let them know. Even longtime members forget, or don’t know how to access them, so that’s why we repost them every year, especially for seasonal events and holidays that repeat every year. Been doing that since 2011!
We have several hundred playlists to manage. When possible we’ll try to add to them if there are new songs (but in this case, election/voting songs aren’t that common).
Hope that explains why we “recycle” our seasonal playlists and profiles.
I tried the profile as presented and the class LOVED it. Thank you
Love it! I teach a Tuesday morning class, so I do an election playlist every year and got some great ideas from this list. I usually do a rather tongue in cheek, playful spin on election day, but this year I want to give them a little TLC, so I have a very positive, patriotic theme. Born in the USA, Freedom (Williams), The Election of 1800, America (Diamond), This is the Day (The The), We Didn’t Start the Fire, Philadelphia Freedom, R.O.C.K. in the USA, Don’t Stop Believin’, Roar (Perry), This Land Is Your Land (Guthrie).
OH – and the profile starts with a flat, then the rest of the class is one big hill, because that’s what this election cycle has felt like.
it certainly has been a big hill, hasn’t it? For everyone! Great idea to create your profile around that!
A new song to add to the list is Local Natives’ Fountain Of Youth. It’s about promoting change and listening to our youth, and includes the lyrics “I have waited so long, Mrs. President.”
I also plan to use last weeks great song by Billy Gillman from the VOICE. FIGHT SONG.
🙂