Barack Obama shares playlist of songs that inspired him during presidency

Barack Obama included Beyonce, The Beatles and Bob Dylan on a playlist of songs that inspired him during his presidency (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Tue, 17 Nov, 2020 - 05:55

Keiran Southern, PA Los Angeles Correspondent

Barack Obama included Beyonce, The Beatles and Bob Dylan on a playlist of songs that inspired him during his presidency.

Mr Obama, 59, has released the memoir A Promised Land, which reflects on his time in office.

To mark the book’s release, Mr Obama shared a list of 20 tracks that inspired him while he was president.

Beyonce’s 2008 song Halo makes the cut, as does Dylan’s The Times They Are a-Changin’ and The Beatles’ Michelle, a nod to Mr Obama’s wife.

Soul singer and civil rights activist Aretha Franklin was included for The Weight, Bruce Springsteen made it with The Rising and Eminem was also on the list with Lose Yourself.

Beyonce’s husband Jay-Z inspired Mr Obama with the track My 1st Song while Fleetwood Mac’s Rhiannon is another favourite. Frank Sinatra’s Luck Be A Lady is included, while the final song on the list is U2’s Beautiful Day.

Other artists on the list include Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan and BB King.

Writing on Instagram, Mr Obama explained some of his choices and said: “Music has always played an important role throughout my life—and that was especially true during my presidency.

“While reviewing my notes ahead of debates, I’d listen to Jay-Z’s My 1st Song or Frank Sinatra’s Luck Be a Lady. Throughout our time in the White House, Michelle and I invited artists like Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan to conduct afternoon workshops with young people before performing an evening show in the East Room.

“And there were all sorts of performances I’ll always remember—like Beyonce performing At Last for our first dance at our inauguration, Paul McCartney serenading Michelle in the East Room with Michelle and Bob Dylan flashing me a grin before vanishing after his performance of Times They Are a-Changin.

“So in honour of my book coming out tomorrow, I thought I’d put together a playlist with some of those songs. Hope you enjoy it.”

Mr Obama is known for his varied musical tastes. Each year he shares a summer playlist which usually showcases his interest in everything from classic jazz to modern hip-hop.

A Promised Land Playlist

Aretha Franklin — The Weight

BB King — The Thrill is Gone

Beyoncé — Halo

Beyoncé — At Last

Bob Dylan — The Times They Are a-Changin'

Brooks & Dunn — Only in America

Bruce Springsteen — The Rising

Eminem — Lose Yourself

Frank Sinatra — Luck Be A Lady

Gloria Estefan — Always Tomorrow

Fleetwood Mac — Rhiannon