The inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will take place this Wednesday, January 20th, and the folks at the Issa Rae-run “audio everywhere company,” Raedio, and lauded hip-hop artist D-Nice (Boogie Down Productions) have curated an official playlist for the proceedings.
The 46-track inauguration playlist features an eclectic mix of music from a broad range of styles and eras. Included on the list are recently-departed artists like singer-songwriter Bill Withers (“Lovely Day”) and rappers MF DOOM (“Coffin Nails”) and Mac Miller (“Blue World”); legends like Bruce Springsteen (“We Take Care of Our Own”), Led Zeppelin (“Fool in the Rain”), The Doobie Brothers (“What a Fool Believes”), Steely Dan (“Do It Again”), and Bob Marley (“Could You Be Loved”); prominent DJs/electronic acts like Major Lazer (“Make It Hot”) and Kaytranada (“What You Need”); contemporary favorites like Tame Impala (“Let It Happen”), Vampire Weekend (“Unbelievers”), Kendrick Lamar (“Now or Never” ft. Mary J. Blige), SZA (“Good Days”), Dua Lipa (“Levitating”) and Beyoncé (“FIND YOUR WAY BACK”); some funk by way of The Brothers Johnson (“I’ll Be Good To You”) and Average White Band (“Pick Up The Pieces”); and a strong mix of soulful tunes from artists new and old like The O’Jays (“Give The People What They Want”), Curtis Mayfield (“Move On Up”), The Impressions (“We’re A Winner”), Stevie Wonder [“Uptight (Everything’s Alright)”], Marvin Gaye (“Got To Give It Up”), The Staple Singers (“We The People”), Jackie Wilson [“(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher”], Jill Scott (“Golden”) and more. The playlist also features a number of beloved hip-hop acts from eras past like A Tribe Called Quest (“Award Tour”), Salt-N-Peppa and En Vogue (“Whatta Man”), N.E.R.D. (“Run to the Sun”) as well as on-the-rise acts like Free Nationals and Chronixx (“Eternal Light”).
The playlist also includes New Radicals‘ “You Get What You Give”, which served as the walk-out music for Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, on the campaign trail. The song was also a favorite of the President-elect’s late son, Beau Biden, who died of cancer in 2015.
As Joe Biden explained in his 2017 memoir, Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose, “During breakfast, Beau would often make me listen to what I thought was his theme song, ‘You Get What You Give’ by the New Radicals. Even though Beau never stopped fighting and his will to live was stronger than most – I think he knew that this day might come. The words to the song are: This whole damn world can fall apart. You’ll be ok, follow your heart.”
Of note, the ’90s alt-rock band will reunite for the first time in more than two decades to perform the song live during the inauguration proceedings.
As Rae’s Raedio co-founder, Benoni Tagoe, noted in a statement about the official inauguration playlist, “As a brand that is founded on the principle of being an audio-everywhere company, we are honored to create the official playlist for the historic inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We know that music has the power to bring people together, and after a year of national challenges and division, we hope this collection serves as an indication of a new beginning, positive change and a reminder that music of all types is a common language.”
Raedio Presents: Biden + Harris Inauguration Official Playlist 2021
The official inauguration playlist is far from the only music-based element of Wednesday’s events. A number of high-profile artists are also scheduled to perform as part of the inaugural festivities. A pre-inauguration event on Sunday night featured performances by Carole King, James Taylor, Fall Out Boy, Ben Harper, and more alongside hosts Keegan-Michael Key and Debra Messing.
On Wednesday, Lady Gaga will sing the national anthem at the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, where Jennifer Lopez is also scheduled to perform. Later on in the evening, a “Celebrating America” virtual concert event will feature performances from Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, and John Legend. The virtual event will be hosted by Tom Hanks and will air on most major television news networks starting at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
We are excited for these amazing speakers and performers to join our “Celebrating America” primetime program at 8:30pm ET/PT for #Inauguration2021!@EvaLongoria@kerrywashington@foofighters@johnlegend@springsteen pic.twitter.com/miKo6kbvE7
— Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) January 15, 2021