If Marty McFly went back in time thirty years ago today, what song does he play at the dance to blow everyone's mind?

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"You want something, kid?"
"Uh, yeah...gimme a latte."
"What?"
"A latte."
"A What?"
"Uh, coffee"

― R.I.P. West Village Bird Shaman ]-`: (ex machina), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:33 (eighteen years ago) link

"Who's governer of California in 2006?"
"Arnold Shrwazeneger?? The Actor!?!"

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:34 (eighteen years ago) link

The Sonic Youth version of "I wanna be your dog"

― R.I.P. West Village Bird Shaman ]-`: (ex machina), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:34 (eighteen years ago) link

Hip hop would seem more natural to most than techno.

― paulhw (paulhw), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:37 (eighteen years ago) link

"The Sonic Youth version of "I wanna be your dog"

I could see that working!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:47 (eighteen years ago) link

what about blondie's "rapture"? if we're following the rule that the song is only a few years older than the moment in time we're visiting... i mean, its got all that rap stuff that i hear is a hit with the kids...

― mts (theoreticalgirl), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:50 (eighteen years ago) link

Early Sonic Youth doesn't have nearly as much cultural resonance as hip-hop, though. Isn't the point that he'd be playing something that is so fucking common in the future that it's amusing for us to imagine what it'd sound like to an audience who'd never experienced it? Whereas I can imagine there are plenty of people in 2006 who don't really hear anything like Confusion is Sex on a regular basis, even if it's somehow more "imaginable" now than it would've been thirty years ago.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:51 (eighteen years ago) link

if he really wants to blow everyone's mind..

wuthering heights, bitches

― Dr J Bowman (Dr J Bowman), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:54 (eighteen years ago) link

Easy goes it, fellas.

Now More Than Ever, Humanity Needs My Back To The Future Fan Fiction

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:55 (eighteen years ago) link

"Who's governer of California in 2006?"
"Arnold Shrwazeneger?? The Actor!?!"
Actually, in 1976, he would be alternately known as a homosexual weightlifter.

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:56 (eighteen years ago) link

Video Killed the Radio Star

― Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:57 (eighteen years ago) link

That's why he started off with the Chuck Berry song, which would become pretty common, but when he went into the Van Halen stuff the whole audience just stopped dancing and was all like "what the heck?" So I can't really think of anything else besides "Confusion is Sex" type of stuff that would just make the audience stop and think "what?" The thing is he's going to START OFF with something that would be so common in the future, but then just end up alienating the whole crowd. Even the band stopped playing and started staring at him like he's some kind of weirdo.

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:58 (eighteen years ago) link

It's entirely possible Fab Five Freddie was emceeing high school proms in 1976, too.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:58 (eighteen years ago) link

Arnold was acting here and there right? Maybe not in movies, but has anybody seen that episode of "Streets of San Francisco" where he kills that chick by SHAKING her to death?? Classic!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Saturday, 25 March 2006 00:01 (eighteen years ago) link

crazy frog

― tummy tucker, Saturday, 25 March 2006 00:04 (eighteen years ago) link

Where in the world do they show Streets of San Francisco reruns?

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 25 March 2006 00:05 (eighteen years ago) link

crazy frog
-- tummy tucker (wafflestiee...), March 24th, 2006 7:04 PM. (link)

Maybe if you wanted to turn people away from music altogether. Could you imagine 30 years of silence?

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 25 March 2006 00:06 (eighteen years ago) link

I had a grandpa who always used to watch that kind of stuff. KDOC!!
Columbo, McCloud. All those types of shows BLASTING LOUD because he refused to believe he was losing his hearing!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Saturday, 25 March 2006 00:10 (eighteen years ago) link

Welcome to my library of Back to the Future fan fiction

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Saturday, 25 March 2006 00:11 (eighteen years ago) link

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 25 March 2006 01:04 (eighteen years ago) link

BRO DIDDLEY

― meth lab for doug flutie (sanskrit), Saturday, 25 March 2006 01:06 (eighteen years ago) link

Some Raymond Scott.

― boney (b0n3y), Saturday, 25 March 2006 01:40 (eighteen years ago) link

Eve featuring Gwen Stefani - Let Me Blow Your Mind

― pinder (pinder), Saturday, 25 March 2006 01:54 (eighteen years ago) link

Better: Gwen Stefani, "Hollaback Girl." All he needs is to get the school's drumline on board. "Don't bother watching me for the changes."

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Saturday, 25 March 2006 02:07 (eighteen years ago) link

"White Lines"

― Erick Dampier is better than Shaq (miloaukerman), Saturday, 25 March 2006 02:20 (eighteen years ago) link

So he should start off with a lite-funk proto disco thing and start doing some light MC-ing over it. Everyone would be all "hey, this is pretty cool" until he ran out of "hip-hop don't stop" stuff and started doing lines from "Like A Pimp" or "Freek-A-Leek"

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Saturday, 25 March 2006 03:06 (eighteen years ago) link

CYHSY, obvs

― Col Tom Blue (Col Tom Blue), Saturday, 25 March 2006 03:10 (eighteen years ago) link

whiney's description sounds pretty plausible!

― dave k, Saturday, 25 March 2006 03:53 (eighteen years ago) link

Still, Marty McFly rapping?? How dorky is that gonna look?? He goes better with a guitar, I'd say.

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Saturday, 25 March 2006 04:51 (eighteen years ago) link

POING POING POING won halfway up the thread.

― John Justen (johnjusten), Saturday, 25 March 2006 04:57 (eighteen years ago) link

Still, Marty McFly rapping?? How dorky is that gonna look?? He goes better with a guitar, I'd say

You don't think they would have cast Nick Cannon if they were making this today?

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Saturday, 25 March 2006 05:08 (eighteen years ago) link

play in double time and watch me for the changes.

"one, two, three, four...............ma baby don't mess around because she loves me so, and this I know for shuuuuure.........."

play till minds are blown.

― Danny boy, Saturday, 25 March 2006 05:40 (eighteen years ago) link

No, really. I hope you all clicked on Mike Dixon's link...

"Roll Over Beethoven"
Clara and Calpurnia travel to 1965 to watch the Beatles perform at Shea Stadium. And then, they wind up having the Fab Four as passengers as they accidentally wind up in 1824 Vienna, Austria where they meet Beethoven.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Saturday, 25 March 2006 06:27 (eighteen years ago) link

Yeah, I did click on the link, but I'm just gonna have to go through all that when I have a lot more time on my hands. I had no clue those stories existed!

Well it might be different if somebody else played Marty. I just had Michael J. Fox in mind all the while. But don't tell me there's gonna be a better replacement for Doc Brown!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Saturday, 25 March 2006 06:45 (eighteen years ago) link

"Man in the Mirror"

― Mervin Heinz, Saturday, 25 March 2006 07:56 (eighteen years ago) link

closer to god by nine inch nails
or
bombs over baghdad by outcast

― JB Young (JB Young), Saturday, 25 March 2006 08:34 (eighteen years ago) link

LOSING MY EDGE by The Liquid Crystal Display Soundsystem

― nancyboy (nancyboy), Saturday, 25 March 2006 11:09 (eighteen years ago) link

To really blow their minds, he could do one of the countless songs where a rapper threatens to "leave you shaking worse than Michael J. Fox."

― ramon fernandez (ramon fernandez), Saturday, 25 March 2006 11:14 (eighteen years ago) link

"Wuthering Heights" gets my vote for best answer upthread. Especially if he sings it in the original key and octave.

― Myke. (Myke Weiskopf), Saturday, 25 March 2006 12:07 (eighteen years ago) link

No ne is gonna say "Light of Day"?

― EZ Snappin (EZSnappin), Saturday, 25 March 2006 13:41 (eighteen years ago) link

Something like "Whip It" would work well.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Saturday, 25 March 2006 16:03 (eighteen years ago) link

[b]Killing in the name of[/b]. obv.

― rchinn (rchinn), Saturday, 25 March 2006 16:14 (eighteen years ago) link

I vote for the NIN - Closer is OK but March of the Pigs would work even better--traditional riff but weird arrangement and screaming. Or else some Nirvana, actually. I think after 1976 the only really new thing is screaming--the only thing I can really see stopping people in their tracks is the lead singer for Pantera screaming out lyrics. Most of the things suggested upthread like techno and hip-hop are new but crowds would just react positively and cheer.

― richardk (Richard K), Saturday, 25 March 2006 16:15 (eighteen years ago) link

Right about now, the funk soul brother.

― Eazy (Eazy), Saturday, 25 March 2006 16:17 (eighteen years ago) link

Actually if it's 3 years ahead of time..The Wall comes out in 79...Another Brick in the Wall would blow minds, man!!!!!

― richardk (Richard K), Saturday, 25 March 2006 16:22 (eighteen years ago) link

I think this nails it - the timeline is right, the progression of the scene is right, the idea of the hip band being able to play it is right...this is exactly what it should be. Not sure about Freek-A-Leek, mind you. How about "Wait"? Love to hear that over a Kurtis Blow beat...

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Saturday, 25 March 2006 16:30 (eighteen years ago) link

Hongroe

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 25 March 2006 16:35 (eighteen years ago) link

March of the Pigs would work even better--traditional riff but weird arrangement and screaming.

"Ok guys, play some double-time in 7/8 with every fourth bar in 4/4, watch me for the changes."

― Jordan (Jordan), Saturday, 25 March 2006 17:33 (eighteen years ago) link

Husker Du : "First of the Last Calls"

― kingfish ubermensch dishwasher sundae (kingfish 2.0), Saturday, 25 March 2006 17:43 (eighteen years ago) link

The Knack - My Sharona

He's playing to a bunch of square middle-class high-school kids so anything too alien e.g. hip-hop is just gonna get him kicked off the stage and beaten up by the football team. My Sharona works in that it feeds off (or in the context of this discussion, anticipates) punk and disco, and condenses them into a safe pop song for cheerleaders everywhere. Also, it's simple and repetitive so would have been easy to pick up by the band.

― Ben Dot (1977), Saturday, 25 March 2006 17:55 (eighteen years ago) link

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Voodoo Ray? A bit late maybe, having been released in 89.

― chap, Monday, 20 February 2017 09:57 (seven years ago) link

Though recorded June 88.

― chap, Monday, 20 February 2017 09:58 (seven years ago) link

actually, in the movie, he plays jonnhy b good 3 years before it's released.
so we're looking for something from 1990 !

― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 20 February 2017 10:12 (seven years ago) link

snap : the powa !

― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 20 February 2017 10:15 (seven years ago) link

Killer - Adamski

91, but whatevs.

― chap, Monday, 20 February 2017 10:32 (seven years ago) link

I'm not sure some of these would be especially out-there to people who were used to some of the more epic synthpop of the mid-80s. Like at this stage he'd be playing some house music and people would be into it but they really wouldn't be expecting a veer into, say, 'Original Nuttah' by Shy FX. Or any jungle really.

― Matt DC, Monday, 20 February 2017 11:18 (seven years ago) link

Actually that's probably the metal guitar solo bit rather than the Chuck Berry bit.

― Matt DC, Monday, 20 February 2017 11:20 (seven years ago) link

oh I've got one : "Smells like teen spirit" ! "91, the year punk broke" !
for mainstream kids from 87, that would be a big wtf, I guess.
and exactly like in the movie, I could see the actor smashing everything at the end of the performance in front of the audience in awe and struck by feedback.
on the other hand, that wouldn't sound much like the future in a "this will change everything" way...

― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 20 February 2017 12:16 (seven years ago) link

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