From “London Calling”‘s cold-war nuclear apocalypse to “NWO”‘s new world order

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I’m teaching a music & society class this semester, and it’s focused on punk, hip hop, and disco. 

I’ve put together a set of songs (loosely within those genres and their progeny) that focus on the last decades of the cold war. The playlist starts with The Clash’s “London Calling” and Time Zone’s “World Destruction.” These are both songs about nuclear destruction, mutually assured. The playlist then follows this theme of cold-war-related nuclear apocalypse up to Ministry’s George HW Bush sampling “NWO,” which is about the post-cold war “new world order.”

I thought I’d share this playlist with everyone, well, because I like it and it’s interesting. And, if you have any suggestions to add to the playlist, I’d love to hear them.

1. The Clash, “London Calling”



2. Time Zone, “World Destruction”



3. Dead Kennedys, “Kinky Sex Makes the World Go Round”



4. Fishbone, “Party at Ground Zero”



5. B-52s, “Channel Z” [they get in this list on name alone!]



6. Frankie Goes to Hollywood, “Two Tribes”



7. Stetsasonic, A.F.R.I.C.A. [less nuclear apocalypse, but poco war in Africa as effect of cold war]




8. Kate Bush, “Breathing”



9. The Smiths, “Ask”


10. UB40, “The Earth Dies Screaming”



11. Ministry, “New World Order”



12. L7, “Wargasm”