2. THE CONCERT FOR NEW YORK CITY: The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (2001)
Faster than a Pete Townshend guitar windmill and a Roger Daltrey microphone toss, The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” captured the instant when people felt it was OK to rock again after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. After hours of proper memorials and poignant mourning, The Who suddenly tapped into the rage we all felt and gave us a proper outlet.
Faster than a Pete Townshend guitar windmill and a Roger Daltrey microphone toss, The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” captured the instant when people felt it was OK to rock again after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. After hours of proper memorials and poignant mourning, The Who suddenly tapped into the rage we all felt and gave us a proper outlet.
3. AMERICA: A TRIBUTE TO HEROES: Bruce Springsteen, “My City of Ruins” (2001)
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“My City of Ruins” marks the transition from mourning to action, Bruce Springsteen actually sings, “Come on, rise up ” He was talking about his beloved New Jersey when he wrote the song, but after he sang it on this quickly assembled concert, it became about post-Sept. 11 America. It became the soundtrack for the healing process.
4. LIVE 8: Annie Lennox, “Why” (2005)
The more Annie Lennox stripped “Why” to its core, the stronger the song became. When she performed it alone at Live 8, accompanying herself on the piano as touching images of people who could have been saved by the actions of the day flashed on a screen behind her, Lennox turned the song from existential question about the collapse of a relationship into a demand for an explanation for the people she had met.
5. THE CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH: George Harrison, “My Sweet Lord” (1971)
The Concert for Bangladesh created the idea of Massive Charity Concert and George Harrison’s blissful sing-along, delivered with Eric Clapton on guitar, couldn’t have been a more fitting way to peacefully weld music to an important message.
Click here for video.
“My City of Ruins” marks the transition from mourning to action, Bruce Springsteen actually sings, “Come on, rise up ” He was talking about his beloved New Jersey when he wrote the song, but after he sang it on this quickly assembled concert, it became about post-Sept. 11 America. It became the soundtrack for the healing process.
4. LIVE 8: Annie Lennox, “Why” (2005)
The more Annie Lennox stripped “Why” to its core, the stronger the song became. When she performed it alone at Live 8, accompanying herself on the piano as touching images of people who could have been saved by the actions of the day flashed on a screen behind her, Lennox turned the song from existential question about the collapse of a relationship into a demand for an explanation for the people she had met.
5. THE CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH: George Harrison, “My Sweet Lord” (1971)
The Concert for Bangladesh created the idea of Massive Charity Concert and George Harrison’s blissful sing-along, delivered with Eric Clapton on guitar, couldn’t have been a more fitting way to peacefully weld music to an important message.