THE SONG: Schools Out.

WHO: Alice Cooper.

WHO: Alice Cooper’s signature song is the quintessential mantra for teens looking to shake things up at home, school, and in their social circles. All the essential ingredients are here; tons of built up angs in the lyricst, ass kicking power chords to keep the feeling alive, and a stadium sized sing a long hook so that everyone gets the point loud and clear. It gets no better than this.

THE SONG: Anarchy in The UK.

WHO: The Sex Pistols.

WHY: Like a comet that streaks across the night sky captivating those lucky enought to witness it, so were the Sex Pistols to the multitudes of disillusioned youth in the streets of London in the mid- 1970’s. These punk pioneers are arguably the most influential punk group ever and “Anarchy” did more to convert kids to the FTW lifestyle than probably any recorded song in history. This is a must play for your next coup d’etat.

THE SONG: Fight The Power (Part 1 & 2).

WHO: The Isley Brothers

WHY: Most people don’t associate the Isley Brothers with shaking the tabe but the “Fight The Power (Parts 1 & 2)” was them at their militant best. Released in 1975, and later interpolated by Public Enemy, “Fight” addresses themes of social justice while sticking a big middle finger up at the “Man”. Countless Black and Brown youth adopted this jam as a theme song during the fight for Civil Rights. With the current social and political climate as is, songs like this may be making a comeback. I’m all for it.

THE SONG: I Fought the Law.

WHO: The Clash.

WHY: Pretty self-explanatory. Originally sung by Sonny Curtis, I fought the law has been covered by so many bands that it’s hard to keep track of who’s is the better version. Because there’s plenty. It was a toss up between the Bobby Fuller Four version and the Clash’s for me. Went with the latter on the basis of Topper Headon’s more expressive drumming.

THE SONG: Wannabe.

WHO: Spice Girls.

WHY: So I’m going to go out on a limb here. Even though I’m no fan of the music, I’ll give this a vote on the strength of lyrics And overall cultural impact. You can easily make the case that this song is the most subversive of the lot considering the subliminal (and not so subliminal) messaging implanted into impressionable minds.

WORDS: Greg Cee; brice.