Thanks so much to everyone who wrote in response to my post yesterday. Beyond its power to mirror and memorialize, challenge and celebrate, music can really be such a great uniter.

Many asked about a playlist, so here you go:

Tina Turner: Better Be Good to Me, 1984, Private Dancer album
The Turtles: Happy Together, 1967, released as a single
The Righteous Brothers, You’ve Lost That Lovin Feeling, 1965, You’ve Lost That Lovin Feeling album
*you must watch the video. No one sings like that anymore.
Looking Glass, Brandy, 1972, Looking Glass album
The Supremes, Come See About Me, 1964, Where Did Our Love Go
The Supremes, You Can’t Hurry Love, 1966, The Supremes A’ Go-Go
The Supremes, Back In My Arms Again, 1965, More Hits by The Supremes
The Supremes, Reflections, 1966, Greatest Hits
Sam Cooke, Bring It On Home to Me, 1962, The Best of Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke, Wonderful World, 1959
Sam Cooke, A Change Is Gonna Come, 1964
The Association, Windy, 1967, Insight Out album
Lou Reed, Walk On the Wild Side, 1972, Transformer
Linda Ronstadt/The Stone Poneys, Different Drum, 1967, Evergreen vol 2
Linda Ronstadt, When Will I Be Loved, 1974, Heart Like a Wheel
Barry McGuire, Eve of Destruction, 1965, Eve of Destruction album
*listen to this and tell me we’ve learned anything. Fuck.
The Byrds, Turn! Turn! Turn!, 1965, album of the same name as song
The Samples, Weight of the World, 1994, Autopilot
Judy Collins, Both Sides Now, 1967, Wildflowers
*yes, I love Joni’s version too, but for me Judy’s is the creme!
Janis Joplin, Piece of My Heart, 1968, Cheap Thrills
Taylor Swift, Vigilante Shit, 2022, Midnights
John Denver, Thank God I’m a Country Boy, 1974, Back Home Again
Simon & Garfunkel, all songs from The Concert in The Park (1981) except Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (hate that version). Especially The Boxer (originally released 1970), America (orig rel 1968), and The Sound of Silence (1964)
Kenny Rogers, The Gambler, 1978, The Best Country Album In The World...Ever!
Queen, ‘39, Hammer to Fall, Another One Bites the Dust, Fat Bottomed Girls, and on and on and on, 70s/80s
Peter, Paul and Mary, Leaving on a Jet Plane, 1967, Album 1700