A presidential playlist: Bill Clinton’s top 20 songs of all time

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-difference/presidential-playlist-bill-clinton-top-20-songs-time-234140216.html
A presidential playlist: Bill Clinton’s top 20 songs of all time

By Lyndsey Parker | The Difference – Wed, Oct 12, 2011

Bill Clinton is well-known for being one of the hippest U.S. presidents ever. He made youth-culture/political history during the 1992 presidential election by holding open forums with college kids on MTV and wailing on his saxophone on "The Arsenio Hall Show." His 1993 "Rock and Roll Inaugural Ball," also broadcast on MTV, featured performances by 1990s greats U2, R.E.M., Soul Asylum, and 10,000 Maniacs. He's been known to hang out with David Bowie and Mick Jagger. And both Bill and his wife Hilary have actually won Grammys!

And years after President Clinton left office, he continues to align himself with the music world. Case in point: October 15th's "A Decade Of Difference" event, an allstar Hollywood Bowl concert celebrating 10 years of the William J. Clinton Foundation. Artists scheduled to perform include U2's Bono and The Edge, Lady Gaga, Kenny Chesney, Usher, K'naan, Juanes, and more. Pretty cool.

So this of course begs the question: What sort of music does Bill Clinton listen to in his spare time? What's on his presidential iPod? Perhaps unsurprisingly, given his saxophone-blowing past, his top 20 tunes of all time, listed below, lean towards jazz. He's also into spirit-raising message songs, as evidenced by his Mahalia Jackson, Sarah McLachlan, Elton John, and Mickey Magnum picks. Overall, it is the cool list you'd expect from Bill. The guy knows his music.

Check out Clinton's presidential playlist below, and go to http://news.yahoo.com/decade-difference-concert to find out more about this weekend's "A Decade Of Difference" concert.

Mickey Magnum - "In The Presence Of Jehovah"

Miles Davis - "My Funny Valentine"

Nina Simone - "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free"

John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman - "My One And Only Love"

Zoot Sims - "Summertime"

Mahalia Jackson - "Take My Hand, Precious Lord"

Igor Butman - "Nostalgie"

Judy Collins - "Chelsea Morning"

David Sanborn - "Harlem Nocturne"

Phil Coulter - "The Town I Loved So Well"

Van Morrison - "Brown Eyed Girl"

Carly Simon - "I Get Along Without You Very Well"

Stan Getz with Bahai - "Charlie Byrd"

Simon & Garfunkel - "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

Sarah McLachlan - "Angel"

Elton John - "Philadelphia Freedom"

Willie Nelson - "A Song For You"

Joan Baez - "Winds Of The Old Days"

John Williams - "Concierto de Aranjuez"

Art Tatum - "There Will Never Be Another You"

The President's Own U.S. Marine Band - "Crown Imperial"

North Texas Wind Symphony - "English Folk Song Suite"

[photos: Kevin Mazur/WireImage]