Searching for wisdom in old pop songs is no doubt an exercise in folly. Tunes from Good Times, resurrected and dusted off in bleak and uncertain futures, often sound hollow.
(((Be sure and check out the last 5 min even if you skip everything else😎))))
Boy, did these guys miss the mark. What if we could pluck them out of their secure past, and plop them down in the middle of these times. Things get worse everyday. The anxiety level rocks you harder than an old Led Zeppelin lick.
Read The Tempest (1611) by William Shakespeare here.
But, if Shakespeare can sum it up and have it make sense over a few hundred years, surely we can expect the same from many others who tamed the 20th century with peace, love, and great bass lines.
Today Old School is coming to you from a Brave New World. Not necessarily hopeful and sugar coated. The future is still out there, it could go either way. It could be the end of the world as we know it, but how great to be able to dial up REM or Elvis Costello.
Professor Mikey here. Hopeful as Hell, but still holed up in the Old School basement surrounded by the grooves of a remarkable past. A time when all issues could be rocked. For today’s show, we’ve even dipped into some true standard to keep the ship afloat.
🌎🌍🌏BRAVE NEW PLAYLIST
I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire - The Ink Spots
Brave New World - The Steve Miller Band
Lost in a Lost World - The Moody Blues
World of Pain - Cream
Sittin’ on Top of the World - Howlin’ Wolf
Any World That I’m Welcome To - Steely Dan
Man Who Sold the World - Nirvana
Get Me to the World on Time - Electric Prunes
5 O’Clock World - The Vogues
Hand Me Down World - Guess Who
If I Ruled the World - Sammy Davis Jr.
It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s Man’s Man’s World
Computer World - Kraftwerk
When the World is Running Down - The Police
Waiting for the World to End - Elvis Costello
Got the World on a String - Ella Fitzgerald
Special montage NOT TO BE MISSED
10 Alarming Signs Indicating the World Is in Trouble:
1. Record-Breaking Global Temperatures: January 2025 was the warmest January globally, with an average surface air temperature of 13.23°C, which is 0.79°C above the 1991-2020 average for January.
2. Decline in Wildlife Populations: Over the past 50 years, there has been a catastrophic 73% decline in global wildlife populations, indicating severe biodiversity loss.
3. Increased Rainfall Intensity in Urban Areas: Cities like Seattle have experienced a 6% increase in rainfall intensity since 1970, leading to heightened flood risks.
4. Rising Ocean Acidity and Sea Levels: Ocean acidity and sea levels have reached record highs, contributing to the loss of marine life and increased coastal erosion.
5. Accelerated Biodiversity Loss Due to Human Activity: Human activities have led to a 20% reduction in species diversity at impacted sites, with reptiles, amphibians, and mammals being particularly affected. 
6. Threats to Traditional Agricultural Practices: In regions like Romania’s Carpathians, traditional hay meadows, which support rich biodiversity, are disappearing due to modernization and depopulation.
7. Projected Increase in Species Extinction: Studies estimate that an additional 17% of Earth’s species could be lost directly due to climate change.
8. Deregulation Benefiting Fossil Fuel Industries: Policies favoring fossil fuel industries, such as environmental deregulations, are exacerbating climate change impacts.
9. Intensification of Extreme Weather Events: Climate change is making extreme weather events like hurricanes, tornadoes, and heatwaves more common and severe.
10. Increased Heat-Related Mortality Rates: There has been a rise in heat-related deaths, reflecting the direct impact of increasing global temperatures on human health.
Songs That Changed the World
“Strange Fruit” – Billie Holiday (1939) One of the first protest songs, exposing the horrors of lynching.
“Like a Rolling Stone” – Bob Dylan (1965) → Redefined what a pop song could be.
3. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” – The Beatles (1963) Sparked Beatlemania and the British Invasion.
4. “Respect” – Aretha Franklin (1967) → Became an anthem for both feminism and civil rights.
5. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana (1991) → Ushered in the grunge era.
6. “Good Vibrations” – The Beach Boys (1966) → One of the most innovative studio recordings of its time.
7. “Fight the Power” – Public Enemy (1989) → A rallying cry for political activism in hip-hop.
8. “Bohemian Rhapsody” – Queen (1975) → Proved rock opera could be a mainstream hit.
9. “Rapper’s Delight” – Sugarhill Gang (1979) → Introduced rap to a wider audience.
10. “Imagine” – John Lennon (1971) → A universal song of peace and Unity
“The past is a blast.”
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