The only thing surprising about this post is that it’s taken this long to write it. Here are the qualities I was looking for in my SHTF song selections:
- Doomsday awesomeness – the better the TEOTWAWKI, the higher the ranking.
- Musical diversity – the list should represent a variety of musical styles.
- Artistic aptitude – the song has to be decent within its own genre.
Apocalyptic doomsday track time. Each hyperlinked song title will take you to YouTube for that particular song unless I’ve otherwise already embedded the video. Are YOU ready? Here we go.
Number Ten – Lawyers, Guns and Money
This is SHTF blog, clearly Warren Zevon’s classic Lawyers, Guns and Money will make the list. It’s the only song I know of that contains the line “the shit has hit the fan.” Send lawyers, guns and money.
Number Nine – Doomsday
Enter the only heavy metal TEOTWAWKI track, this one by Atreyu. Hardcore metal fans will hate me for not including other songs, but there are soooo many heavy TEOTWAWKI tracks. “Seems like Doomsday has come early this year” people. That’s right, SHTF head-banging homies, hit “play” on this one … get ready … wait for it …. and ..… HEAD BANG!
Number Eight – Eve of Destruction
Was Atreyu a little too heavy? Barry McGuire is much more chill without sacrificing any of the gloom. I love ’60s music.
Number Seven – When the Shit Goes Down
Cypress Hill is insane in the brain, insane in the membrane. “When the shit goes down you’d better be ready.” This track is a prepper rap dream.
Number Six – Until the End of The World
U2 is speaking about you in this song, yes – YOU! This song is about all of us survival samurai. “We ate the food, we drank the wine / Everybody having a good time / Except you / You were talking about the end of the world.”
Number Five – Bad Moon Rising
Creedence Clearwater Revival sings “I hear hurricanes ablowing. I know the end is coming soon. I fear rivers over flowing. I hear the voice of rage and ruin.”
Number Four – The End
The Doors, this song messed with my head back in college, sitting in my dark dorm room, headphones on, under the influence of …… coffee.
The song still moves me. Here it is with Apocalypse Now.
Number Three – What a Wonderful World
You think I’m throwing this in for fun? No, when the collapse goes down you’ll want a song like this, Louis Armstrong at his best. When life is at its worst, this song will help you find the beauty in life itself. Play this one at my funeral, right before The End.
Number Two – It’s The End of The World As We Know It
This song is about well-prepared TEOTWAWKI doomers, all their preps in place, waiting for the day they can turn on their EMP-protected HAM radios. “It’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.”
Number One – Red Sector A
YES! Rush – most people either love them or hate them. They’re the first band I ever saw in concert, and they’re on this list for a reason, their music is unlike any other. Whenever I hear Red Sector A I feel like oiling my rifles and checking my bug-out-bag. This song has survival substance. Watch and listen …
– Ranger Man
BTW: Here is an abstract honorable mention.
Idioteque – Who in the hell knows WHAT this Radiohead song is about. It could be interpreted a million different ways, which = artistic quality. The video is crazy creepy. The band (beyond just this song) is very talented. Toss in lines like who’s in a bunker / ice age coming / we’re not scaremongering, and bam – honorable mention!
17 comments
What, you didn’t put in Hank Williams, Junior’s ” A Country Boy Can Survive”? “A WIDE Variety of Musical Styles” you said. “Artistic Aptitude” you said (Okay, he ain’t his Daddy). And NO Johnny Cash!? Man, when you are Bugging Out into the Backwoods of America, and Your “Long-Haired Hippie-Type Pinko” music comes drifting through the countryside, I sure hope you know how to dodge 30-30 rounds!
RUSH!!! An excellent choice. Well done! You may close your comments section now. There is no need for more debate.
What about the Circle Jerks classic punk track (You Gotta Duck) When The S**T Hits The Fan taken from the Repo Man soundtrack…just look at the lyrics.
I agree with Les. Can’t believe you forgot ole’ Hank.
If it’s a government/authority SHTF situation “Uprising” by Muse would be a good one.
I agree on Hank as well and what about “Silent Running” by Mike & The Mechanics? The line: “Teach the children quietly, for someday sons and daughters will rise up and fight where we stood still..” gives me goosebumps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep7W89I_V_g
Isn’t it interesting how the “artists” seem to have more insight into the state of our world than the average Joe, and *we* listen to their music, read their books … whatever …, but often fail to heed the messages they’re sending us? It’s just so bizarre to me.
Yep, “Red Sector A” is a great choice, this tune allways reminded me of the holocaust….
the circle jerks – when the shit hits the fan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIlIL5pPFmY
this version is slower and easier to understand. sorry if you thought the other one was a mess, but i gotta rep my punk rock steez.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRK2J0ymZGc
also i just saw ssf beat me to the punch.
I was thinking of a couple of other worthy tunes myself. Megadeth’s “Symphony of Destruction” and Timbuk 3’s “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.”. If you listen to the lyrics of both songs closely, you’ll understand why I would add them to the list.
I’m wondering if there will be a movie list in the near future???
Also Megadeth: Set the world afire, Washington is next, And last but not least Blessed be the dead…oh and Endgame! Basically Megadeth is the SHTF band!!! But Rush is great choice for number 1 spot!
I forgot to mention “Who Made Who” by AC/DC, but only because it’s from a pretty good SHTF movie….”Maximum Overdrive”
Cool list but what about Country Boy Can Survive , or Mike and the Mechanics , silent Running? Thats a pretty good list but I think you should do more research, you missed some smokin ass survival songs! I think Metallica would have a couple of qualifiers and maybe Charlie Daniels too. This needs a good follow up article ,waht about reader contributions for a TOP 100 Survival songs and then you can send it to MTV or VH-1 for a show! Yea, thats da ticket….
Man, I totally forgot a line in a G’n’R song. The song is “Dead Horse” I don’t think it was released, but it was on one of their albums (can’t remember which). The line “when the shit hit the fan, it was all I could stand, yeah, I’m a frequent flyer” The song has very little to do at all with the contest of the blog post, but I thought I’d through the line in there, cause G’n’R was awesome back in the day.
Big oops. I had the right words and group, but the wrong song title. The song is titles “Bad Apples,” although, looking at the actual lyrics, both songs do make some sense in thinking about where this world is headed and how the times are changing, drastically.
Honestly, hands down this one should be number one (or atleast in my list =P)
Even the video is a bit disturbing since it does kinda give an image of what is yet to come.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Euj9f3gdyM
btw love your blog, you got any YT channel?