Imagine you’ve been hired by Elon Musk to create a golden record type project for a space probe leaving Earth today.

Select 3 examples of music, sound or noise that you would include. Include links (if possible) of your choices.

Write a 30 word description for each example. Then write a 60 word rationale of why you think these 3 selections should be included on a golden record project. Really consider why you think these are particularly powerful examples deserving of an extra-terrestrial audience.

  1. The Beatles – Here comes the sun

Apparently this song was already considered to be on the Voyager, but at the time The Beatles record company didn’t was to give the rights to Carl Sagan for him to put in on the record. So that brings up the question, what would their thoughts be on releasing this song now? or would they still deny access to putting this song on the new golden record?

2. Van Halen  – Eruption

Though I am not a guitar expert by any means, I know Eddie van Halen’s Eruption solo was a monumental piece of work in that time. That solo was revolutionary to how we view the electric guitar and rock music today, and it was performed just under 10 years after the Voyager left the Earth.

3. Dominic Fike – Politics and Violence

This song represents the new music of today. Dominic Fike’s new album What Could Possibly Go Wrong? released July 31, 2020, only 2 months ago. His alternative hip hop genre shows just how much further, or maybe, in a different direction we’ve taken to making and listening to music today.

These pieces I believe all contrast massively in musical style and genre, giving new perspectives to the evolution of music. The music on Carl Sagans Golden Record includes tons of classical, blues, jazz and music from other countries, all of which are mostly older than the Voyager itself.  So I think the three pieces I picked well portray the passage of time in our musical history. If I had more choices, or if I was asked what songs I would put on the record in general I would totally add more 2000s songs, detail more on the evolution of hip hop, and the evolution of punk rock/rock.