White House Christmas playlists: Did Obama and Biden choose those songs?
President Obama's playlist confirms that he 'is the only American president you could reliably trust to DJ a party.' Joe Biden's list is, well, just so Joe Biden.
The Obamas' Christmas caroling did not find a spot on their own holiday playlist.
Yuri Gripas/Reuters
Your home probably does not have room for decorated with 70,000 ornaments, like the White House does. Ditto a 500-pound gingerbread house 鈥� it fits in the Executive Mansion鈥檚 State Dining Room, where it鈥檚 displayed this holiday season, but it鈥檚 a little large for the average American residence.
But if your house can鈥檛 look like 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, it can sound like it. The White House has released President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden鈥檚 . Just select, log in to Spotify, and have yourself a political little Christmas.聽
Barack and Michelle Obama鈥檚 list starts with tradition. The first song is the instrumental version of 鈥淥 Tannenbaum鈥� made famous by the Vince Guaraldi Trio in 鈥淎 Charlie Brown Christmas.鈥�
Then it goes more modern, moving to 鈥淟et it Snow鈥� by Boys II Men, followed by Mariah Carey鈥檚 鈥淎ll I Want for Christmas is You.鈥� Other artists on their list include the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and Whitney Houston. So it鈥檚 heavy on the classic or nearly classic choices in the Christmas oeuvre.
Did the president actually make these picks himself? The White House release says the list was 鈥渃urated by鈥� Obama and his wife. That鈥檚 a vague hipster formulation that covers a lot of circumstances, from 鈥渨aved a hand at a piece of paper shoved under my nose by the chief of staff鈥� to 鈥渟pent hours talking about it over dinner.鈥�
In general, the playlist effort fits in with the White House public relations push to get the First Couple into untraditional and modern media, from interviews with YouTube stars to an upcoming Obama appearance on Jerry Seinfeld鈥檚 web show 鈥淐omedians in Cars Getting Coffee.鈥� And the administration puts a particular emphasis on music 鈥� there鈥檚 now a White House Spotify channel to share playlists generated by other officials, as well as playlists 鈥渃urated around events and issues to engage the public.鈥�
OK, that sounds strained 鈥� where鈥檚 the playlist for the Iranian nuclear deal? However, in general the White House has been successful in using tunes to connect with younger voters and other core Democratic constituencies. Last July, the influential music news and review site Pitchfork rated the songs and artists Obama has recommended or said he likes. Their reviewer approved.
鈥淧resident Barack Obama is the only American president you could reliably trust to DJ a party,鈥� on Pitchfork.
So maybe the Obamas did draw up the list themselves 鈥� almost everybody has favorite holiday tunes, after all. Richard Nixon found time as president to draw up plays for the Redskins. They flopped, but at least he did it himself.
As for Mr. Biden, he definitely had a heavy involvement in the VP holiday song stream, because it is one of the most Joe Biden things ever.
Who would the voluble 鈥淯ncle Joe鈥� of the administration start with? Springsteen, who else? His No. 1 is The Boss鈥檚 鈥淪anta Claus is Coming to Town.鈥�
Then he moves to Neil Diamond鈥檚 鈥淵ou Make it Feel Like Christmas.鈥� Yes, Neil Diamond. And there鈥檚 more! He鈥檚 got Coldplay, Kenny Loggins, U2, Tom Petty, another Springsteen (鈥淢erry Christmas Baby鈥�), and George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers (鈥淒elaware Slide鈥�).
That is a very Blue Hen playlist. U of D forever, Joe. U of D forever.
Come to think of it, Obama and Jerry Seinfeld are supposed to drive around in a classic Corvette on that upcoming web show. As these playlists show, it鈥檚 Biden who鈥檚 really the 'Vette guy. Here鈥檚 hoping he gets a turn behind the wheel, too.