Barack ’n’ Roll: The Obamas’ Best Musical Moments
Not since the early ’90s, when Bill Clinton played saxophone on The Arsenio Hall Show and inspired R.E.M. and 10,000 Maniacs to perform at MTV’s Inaugural Ball, have we had such a rockin’ president as Barack Obama. And his first lady rocked pretty hard too! Whether you loved or loathed the couple’s politics, you couldn’t help but bob your head, pump your fist, or crack a smile when FLOTUS rode shotgun with James Corden or POTUS serenaded the nation with some sweet Al Green — proof that music truly unites us all.
Related: The 20 Greatest Presidential Inauguration Performances of All Time
So here, as a pre-inauguration swan song of sorts, we give you the Obamas’ most awesome musical moments of the past eight years.
13. A President Pays Tribute to Prince
When the Obamas celebrated Halloween at the White House last year, one little Prince received a special treat when an impressed Barack suddenly broke into a bit of “Purple Rain.” Let’s go crazy and watch this cuteness again and again.
12. The President Praises Finland’s Heavy Metal Scene
When greeting leaders from five Nordic nations for a 2016 summit at the White House, Barack gave shout-outs to ABBA, Avicii, and Spotify… but the coolest moment of his speech came when he said, “I do want to point out that Finland has perhaps the most heavy metal bands in the world per capita, and also ranks high on good governance. I don’t know if there’s any correlation there.” If only he’d mentioned Finland’s finest musical export, Hanoi Rocks, this speech would have truly had us banging our heads.
11. Michelle Brings Girl Power — and Boyz II Men Nostalgia — to SXSW
Only FLOTUS could convince a packed ballroom of music-biz revelers to wake up at 8 a.m. (an absolutely ungodly hour by South by Southwest standards) to attend her 2016 morning keynote address. The fabulous first lady — accompanied by Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott, Sophia Bush, and Diane Warren (#squadgoals) — was in Austin, Texas, to promote her “Let Girls Learn” initiative and its Warren-penned all-star theme song, “This Is for My Girls” (featuring Missy Elliott, Janelle Monaé, Kelly Rowland, Kelly Clarkson, Zendaya, and others). Michelle’s SXSW discussion touched on many serious topics, but there were moments of levity — like when she gushed about her love for Stevie Wonder, or when she sentimentally sang the title line of Boyz II Men’s “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” when asked about her husband’s presidency coming to an end.
10. The Obamas Get Their Own Music & Arts Festival
No, it wasn’t called “Obamachella” or “Obamapalooza.” Modeled after SXSW, South by South Lawn took place at the White House last October to “bring together creators, innovators, and organizers who work day in and day out to improve the lives of their fellow Americans and people around the world.” Performers included the Lumineers, the Dap-Kings, and Gallant. We wish this could be an annual fest!
9. So Michelle Obama Thinks She Can Dance
To promote her fitness-minded “Let’s Move!” campaign, the first lady not only demonstrated “The Evolution of Mom Dancing” with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show — twice! — but boogied with So You Think You Can Dance all-stars at the White House Easter Egg Roll last year. Michelle’s got some moves! (Bonus clip: Here’s Barack doing some dad-dancing to “Hotline Bling.”)
8. Barack Obama, Jimmy Fallon & the Roots Slow-Jam the News
You know, lyrics about student loan rates never sounded so cool. Barack first slow-jammed with Fallon back in 2012, then gave an encore performance in 2016 and still sounded supersmoove.
7. Malia Obama Has a Supersweet 18
The younger first daughter, who was born on the 4th of July, must have been the envy of her peers when invited performers Kendrick Lamar and Janelle Monae, along with America’s coolest dad, sang “Happy Birthday” to her at the White House’s Independence Day celebration last year. Nothing could kill the vibe that day.
6. Barack Rocks the White House at Ray Charles Tribute
At PBS’s 2016 special tribute to Ray Charles, POTUS called the late R&B/blues legend “one of the most brilliant and influential musicians of our times” before joining Usher, Sam Moore, Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, Demi Lovato, Andra Day, Anthony Hamilton, Leon Bridges, Yolanda Adams, the Band Perry, and others for a rousing call-and-response singalong of “What’d I Say.” We say this was awesome!
5. A President Joins Forces With a King
At Buddy Guy’s urging, President Obama belted a bit of “Sweet Home Chicago” at 2012’s White House Blues Festival with B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Gary Clark Jr., and other rock ‘n’ blues A-listers. Pretty sweet, indeed.
4. You Can Call Him Al
The country swooned when the prez crooned the good reverend Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” during a 2012 fundraising event at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. “Don’t worry, Rev — I cannot sing like you, but I just wanted to show my appreciation,” Barack said good-naturedly. POTUS may not have Green-level pipes, but clearly this guy really loves to sing.
3. The President Sings “Amazing Grace,” and It’s Amazing
President Obama certainly delivered a moving eulogy at the 2015 funeral for the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, a Democratic member of the South Carolina Senate who was gunned down by Dylann Roof at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. But it was his surprise a cappella rendition of the traditional hymn, with mourners joining in, that really celebrated Pinckney’s amazing, tragically truncated life.
2. Barack Obama Is the President of Playlists
When POTUS joined Spotify in 2012, he celebrated with a second-term playlist featuring everyone from Raphael Saadiq to Arcade Fire. But his summertime playlists really proved he’s a man of great (and sometimes surprising!) musical taste. A few of his more unexpected selections have included Talib Kweli & Hi Tek, Nappy Roots, Okkervil River, Lianne La Havas, Mos Def, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Leonard Cohen, and Courtney Barnett. More playlists followed, and Spotify even offered Barack a post-White House job as “President of Playlists.” Obama is certainly qualified for that gig, but we actually hope he gets his own 24-hour Sirius XM channel after his presidency ends.
1. FLOTUS Gets Her Freak On in ‘Carpool Karaoke’
Madonna, Mariah, Gaga, Britney, Sia, J.Lo, J.Hud, and even Adele have sat in James Corden’s passenger seat, but the grandest “Carpool Karaoke” diva of all has to be Michelle Obama. Seeing the first lady make Lemonade jokes while belting some Beyoncé, pay tribute to her all-time fave Stevie Wonder, and rap Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On” — with the actual Missy riding in the backseat? That’s television history, right there. Someone hand this woman an Emmy, stat.
Follow Lyndsey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Amazon, Tumblr, Spotify
