Live Nation may not survive the coronavirus, but live music is not going away, despite what you may have read. It has been common to all civilizations for tens of thousands of years. Recorded music, by comparison, is 143. I made this playlist as a reminder of what we’re missing in this trying moment. But also of the humanity that has been steadily programmed out of pop music since long before the lockdown.
Such a mix could go in a lot of different directions. This one is focused on a certain kind of American and British music from the 1970s. It is meant to be played in order. The last song, Joe Cocker’s version of “Space Captain,” from the album Mad Dogs & Englishmen, is a favorite of mine for many reasons, one of which is the refrain: “We’re just / learning to live together.” Has the human condition ever been summed up better?
Ash Carter is the Features Editor for AIR MAIL