List attunes youth to century’s best songs

The yellow brick road will start a new trail in D.C.

“Over the Rainbow” topped an eclectic list of 365 records and cast albums from the past century that America’s schoolkids will learn about through a program unveiled Wednesday by the Recording Industry Assn. of America and the National Endowment of the Arts.

“Songs of the Century” ranking was based on balloting by nearly 1,500 music fans, including politicos, artists, music industry execs, teachers, journalists and students. Armed with a master list of more than 1,100 recordings, voters were instructed to bear in mind historical significance of song, artist and record.

Musical faves

List provides a panoramic snapshot of music favorites according to decade and genre. There are the obvious choices — “This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie at No. 3 — and music that is rarely, if ever, heard in elementary school, such as Miles Davis’ “Bitches Brew,” John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” and Connie Francis’ “Who’s Sorry Now.”

“American music has touched everyone’s lives throughout its short history. It’s the perfect educational tool,” said RIAA prexy-CEO Hilary Rosen. “Our list represents many different genres throughout all parts of the 20th century. And our hope is that each song will help tell a very different story.”

Curriculum for “Songs of the Century” project will be developed by Scholastic Inc. and provided free of charge to 10,000 fifth-grade schoolteachers across the country. AOL Time Warner will stream a list pick each day through its aol@school service.

While the list is far-ranging in styles, it includes a half-dozen songs that schoolchildren sing on a regular basis, such as “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful,” “God Bless America” and “You Are My Sunshine.”

Rosen and NEA prexy chair Bill Ivey announced the education program at a Library of Congress ceremony, where MCA recording artist Trisha Yearwood, the Fred Foss Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Duke Ellington Show Choir performed a sampling of the winning songs. Universal Music Group chairman-CEO Doug Morris also was in attendance.

Taking the No. 2 spot on the list was “White Christmas,” sung by Bing Crosby. Other titles in the top 10 were Aretha Franklin’s version of Otis Redding’s “Respect,” Don McLean’s “American Pie,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” performed by the Andrews Sisters, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ ” performed by the Righteous Brothers, Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer” and the Broadway cast album for “West Side Story.”

Golden history

Students will learn about stars from Hollywood’s golden age, such as Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, as well as the Doors, Led Zeppelin and Kurt Cobain, whose band Nirvana launched the Seattle grunge scene.

The list includes songs with troubled pasts, such as Jefferson Airplane’s drug ode “White Rabbit.”

The RIAA, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, BMI and ASCAP were among those involved in drawing up the master list, in addition to several music experts.

Although it is called “Songs of the Century,” the titles are organized according to the dates of the recordings and filed under the recording artist’s name, not the songwriter’s. “All Along the Watchtower,” for example, the last song on the list, made the grade as a Jimi Hendrix recording rather than as being from the hand of Bob Dylan.