As with any top-whatever list, there are questionable inclusions and glaring omissions. The most noticeable of the former is "Godzilla," by Blue Oyster Cult, which made the list on the strength of the line, "History shows again and again / How nature points up the folly of men." And how does history do this? By unleashing a giant, angry (and no doubt conservative) lizard to destroy Tokyo. Come to think of it, "Godzilla" could just as easily be about global warming. Somebody tell Drudge.
I'm sure there are scores of songs that could easily have made the list, based on the magazine's criteria. There's certainly no excuse for shutting out Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach." She is, after all, keeping the baby. And as far as defending traditional values, why did they omit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band? It's about a kid who defeats the Devil — with a fiddle! Values don't get much more traditional than that.
There's no Ted Nugent on the list, which is quite surprising, since shooting critters (and hunting buddies) appears to be a conservative value. There's also nothing by extreme right-winger Gary Numan. He's got a bunch of paranoid songs about the government that are more conservative than, say, anything by the Clash ("Rock the Casbah" checks in at number 20).
The number one omission, according to the criteria for this list, would have to be "Who Needs the Peace Corps?," by Frank Zappa. Released in 1967, at the height of the flower-power summer of love nonsense, this song is a scathing indictment of all things hippy, making "Won't Get Fooled Again" look tepid in comparison. Of course the song's not actually conservative, per se, but neither are most of the tracks on this list. But hey, however the National Review guys want to rationalize their record collections — and there appears to be an alarming amount of Rush in there — is fine by me. Rock on, my right-wing brothers!
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Sister Ray
The real conservative/libertarian idea is skepticism of the need for government, not just questioning the government's veracity in a particular situation. "That government is best which governs least" is a conservative thought.
Charlie Daniels and Hank Williams Jr. have songs about country boys' self-reliance, if you want to include those artists in the rock genre.
2 - Pete Blackwell
Hey, they got Tammy Wynette in there, so why not!
3 - RogerMDillon
Godzilla was created or awoken, I can't remember, by nuclear testing, but I don't know if that's what BOC was referring to.
Who'll Stop the Rain was about Vietnam. How did they miss that?
"Won't Get Fooled Again" was quoted by Bush when he misquoted the "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice" line. It must have got points for that.
4 - J. P. Spencer
Who's kidding who? The conservatives I know either like standards from the 40's, Toby Keith or misogynistic heavy metal like Motley Crue and Ted Nugent. And that's just in my own family, who are the most vicious bunch of racist Italians you'll ever want to meet. Conservatives usually think that the lamest rock cliches are just the coolest thing in the world. Most of the people on this list are people they blatantly attacked when they were at their peak for their drug use. Republicans just need to get used to the idea that they are dorks without rhythm, and stop name-dropping Ben Folds for street credibility.
NOW who's not getting fooled again?
5 - mediocrates
Ben Folds commented on his live album that 'Brick' wasn't written from any political standpoint, and that he was just trying to capture what it felt like to get an abortion. He and his girlfriend had an abortion when he was in high school (inspiring the song) so clearly he supported it at one time, although I don't know what his feelings about it are now.
6 - Donnieb78
If these are conservative songs, then...
I give you The National Review's Top 25 Conservative Movies:
25. Citizen Kane: Arrogant left-wing media elitist gets his comeuppance
24. Easy Rider: Plucky young entrepreneurs head off on a cross-country celebration of American freedom
23. The Godfather: A legal immigrant teaches his "extended family" the importance of loyalty and trust
22. Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb: Plucky American warrior fights to preserve precious bodily fluids, pays the ultimate price
21. Taxi Driver: Plucky Vietnam vet goes Chuck Norris on a pimp
20. Scarface: A legal immigrant pulls himself up by the bootstraps, succeeds in business and chases the American capitalist dream
19. E.T.: Scary government agencies torment a plucky young boy and his new friend
18. The Fly: A government-funded research boondoggle goes badly awry
17. King Kong: More rude, inhospitable New Yorkers
16. Titanic: Debunks myth of global warming
15. To Kill A Mockingbird: Liberal trial lawyer has a change of heart, goes Chuck Norris on rabid dog
14. Schindler's List: They were "Socialists," right?
13. The Wizard of Oz: Plucky red-state ingenue learns that "big government" doesn't have all the answers.
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: Rugged individualist is trapped in health-care bureaucracy, menaced by domineering, ambiguous female pushing single-payer system
11. You've got Mail: Shows the free market in action, as gutsy multi-national conglomerate crushes frou-frou bookstore catering to New York's liberal elite
10. Animal House: Smarmy liberal elitist academics get their comeuppance
9. Bambi: Responsible hunters exercise Second Amendment, help environment by thinning deer herd
8. Patton: Plucky American warrior bitch-slaps liberal
7. Annie Hall: Mocks Bob Dylan, cocaine abuse, lobsters
6. Casablanca: Plucky cafe owner gets French guy to think like an American
5. Gone With the Wind: Shows the good side of slavery
4. The Searchers: Shows the "tender side" of former Confederate soldier
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark: Plucky maverick academic tangles with crazy foreigners
2. Psycho: Mother's inspiration helps beleaguered small-businessman keep family motel afloat
AND THE NO. 1 CONSERVATIVE FILM:
1. Airplane!: Why Reagan fired all the air-traffic controllers
7 - Pete Blackwell
That's just brilliant. Period.
8 - Pete Blackwell
DonnieB, are you a Blogcritic or a blogger? Your list needs more exposure than just on this comments thread. Post it.
9 - Baronius
I don't think it matters whether the band was conservative, only the lyrics. Most of Ted Nugent's songs were about his wang. He seems very proud of it, which is fine, but it's not necessarily conservative. On the other hand, it is pretty amusing that The Clash got on the list, because they'd hate it.
A lot of Rush songs dealt with the rights of the individual, and opposition to the state. "Free Will", of course. "Red Barchetta" was an anti-environmentalist song at least 20 years ahead of its time. In "2112", an individual fought state censorship. And "Passage to Bangkok" was, um, libertarian?
Every political person I've ever met loves "Won't Get Fooled Again". The lyrics read like a primer to the thought of Edmund Burke. The revolution promises change, but only brings violence.
PS - National Review did a "100 Best Conservative Movies" list in 1994. A lot of John Ford and Frank Capra. My favorite pick was "Ghostbusters", for the nerdy little bureaucrat.
10 - RogerMDillon
Other than the motor law, which we don't know why it was enacted, how is "Red Barchetta" anti-environmentalist? Peart said it was inspired by the article "A Nice Morning Drive" by Richard S. Foster; it's available online.
"Freewill" isn't about the individual vs the state. It's about people believing life's path is pre-ordained and they can't do anything about it.
11 - Matthew T. Sussman
"When a maaaan loves a woman / It's recognized by the state"
12 - Matthew T. Sussman
The Democrats song is, interestingly enough, from the Presidents of the United States of America:
"Goin' to the Congress, gonna talk about impeachment."
13 - nugget
since when was Ben Folds popular with the conservatives?
14 - Brian Gould
And why would ANYONE name drop Ben Fold Five?
I haven't seen the list myself, but is there no John Mellancamp on the list? The majority of what he writes are songs about small town family values. "Jack and Diane", "Small Town", "Pink Houses", etc... Just like putting The Clash on the list, it sure would rub 'ole Johnny Cougar raw to be on that list.
15 - Pete Blackwell
"Small Town" is number 31.
16 - Clavos
I'm a dork without rhythm who loves 40s standards, Big Band, and Swing. Who's Ben Folds? I asked my chauffer (he knows the streets), but he didn't know either.
17 - Atan
Perhaps one should check song by song:
"DER Kommissar" by ATF is a cover of the Austrian original by Falco. The lyrics are a parody on cocaine freaks in fashionable Vienna - both in the German original and the English translation.
Nothing about the East, the Commies or politics at all!
How about the rest of list? May be also as fictitious as this one?
18 - Tom
Care to name a single, right-wing Numan song? He's never sung any, as far as I'm aware.
19 - Pete Blackwell
I never said Gary Numan has "right-wing songs" per se, I said he himself is a far right-winger (unless you're calling Behind the Mucis a liar). He has many paranoid songs that could be twisted into a "conservative" meaning if one so chose. For example:
Here in my car
I feel safest of all
I can lock all my doors
It's the only way to live
A song about the crime brought on by the liberal welfare state. Or something.
20 - Brian
Most conservative song: Alice Cooper's "Dead Babies"
21 - Jeff
The article (and it's follow-up, part two) *are* available on line:
here at
nationalreview.com
and here
22 - Scott Butki
I'm going to write up my own take on this in the next few days..
That second link above has 50 More conservative songs
Sublime, Sex Pistols, Suicidal Tendencies - all conservative? Wow. Who knew?
DonnieB, that list is masterful.
23 - Guppusmaximus
J.P.#4 - Motley Crue was never Heavy Metal.
John Miller needs to get his facts straight! Slayer isn't a Death Metal band and South of Heaven is a Liberal Statement NOT Conservative. Besides "Silent Scream" which is mainly a violent description of the emotions involved in Abortion, the rest of the album goes against mindlessly following religion and explains the evil behind war including the death of youth. I think he should've listened to "The Crooked Cross"
24 - -E
Congrats! This article has been selected as one of this week’s Editors’ Picks.
25 - Pete Blackwell
Danke!