Filed under: Cult of Mac, Other Events, WWDC, Apple History
It's all about the music: tunes from Apple's keynote presentations
I hope this post gets filed in the "I knew I wasn't the only one!" mental filing cabinets of many. Because if it doesn't, then it makes me the only one who really looks forward to the music Apple uses in its keynotes. Whether it's a song that leads up to Steve Jobs' entrance on stage, or one used in software or hardware demos, there's no denying that music is very much a part of Apple's DNA. Heck, the company's namesake reflects Steve's love for the Beatles.
And this post is all about the music. It's all about the music that Apple has used in one way, shape, or form at its keynote events. Although by no means a definitive list, it's certainly a fair sample.
1983 - Apple Keynote
Apple Computer - We Are Apple (To the tune of Irene Cara's "What a Feeling")
January 1984 Event (Macintosh Intro)
Apple Computer - We Are Apple (To the tune of Flashdance's "What a Feeling")
March 1998 - Seybold
The Tramps - Disco Inferno
John Williams - Main Title/ Rebel Blockade Runner (Star Wars Theme)
Macworld New York 1998
The Whispers - And the Beat Goes On
The Whispers - Rock Steady
Macworld San Francisco 1999
Diana Krall - The Look of Love
Richerd Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra, op. 30
The Rolling Stones - She's a Rainbow
Macworld New York 1999
Chris Montez - The More I See You
August 1999 Seybold San Francisco
Weird Al Yankovic - Miss American Pie (Cover)
Buddy Holly - It's So Easy
October 1999 Special Event
The Beach Boys - Surfin' USA
The Beach Boys - Kokomo
Macworld San Francisco 2000
Green Day - Time of your life
Macworld New York 2000
Steppenwolf - Born to be Wild
Elvis Presley - Blue Suede Shoes
Dion and the Belmonts - Ruby
Kermit the Frog - It's not easy being green
Cream - White Room
Apple Expo Paris 2000
Jimi Hendrix - Purple Hazes
Steppenwolf - Born to be Wild
Macworld San Francisco 2001
B-52's - Love Shack
The Beatles - Here comes the sun
The Beatles - Let it Be
Sarah McLachlan -Sweet Surrender
Sarah McLachlan - Building a mystery
The Beatles - When I'm 64
The Rolling Stones - Beast of Burden
U2 - The Sweetest Thing
Nat King Cole - L-O-V-E
Macworld Tokyo 2001
BT - Godspeed
Barenaked Ladies - One week
Muse - Sunburn
Money Mark - Push the button
Snake River Conspiracy - How Soon is Now
The Ataris - The Radio Still Sucks
May 2001 Special Event
U2 - Sweetest thing
The Beatles - Here Comes the Sun
The Doors - When the Music's Over
Adiemus - Rain Dance
Macworld New York 2001
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Shop Around
Green Day - Waiting
Frank Sinatra - You Make Me Feel So Young
Cat Stevens - The Wind
October 2001 Special Event
Shonen Knife - Top of the world
Moby - Porcelain
Sarah McLachlan - Building a mystery
Bob Marley - Could You Be Loved
Yo-Yo Ma - Bach: Prelude, Cello Suite No. 1
The Beatles - I Should Have Known Better
Southern All Stars - Big Wave
The Beatles - Carry That Weight
Sarah McLachlan - Building a Mystery
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take 5
The Propellerheads - Take California
Sister Hazel - Beautiful Thing
Smash Mouth - All Star
Seal - Crazy
Macworld New York 2002
Yo-Yo Ma - 18
The Grateful dead - Ripple
Apple Expo Paris 2002
The Beach Boys - California girls
Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way
Sarah McLachlan - Building a mystery
The Beach Boys - Catch a Wave
Seybold San Fransico 2002
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Macworld San Francisco
Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World
Moby - Porcelain
The Ramones - What a Wonderful World
April 2003 Special Event
Barenaked Ladies - If I Had $1,000,000
The Clash - London Calling
Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
Sheryl Crow - Soak Up the Sun
Elvis Presley - Hound Dog
Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
David Bowie - Changes
John Mayer - Your Body is a Wonderland
Wayne Newton - Danke Schoen
Golden Earring - Radar Love
Glenn Gould - Invention
Talking Heads- Take Me to the River
Bobby Darin - Mack the Knife
Ella Fitzgerald - Mack the Knife
Arthur Murray - Mack the Knife
Willie Nelson - One for My Baby
Bette Midler - One for My Baby
Billie Holiday - One for My Baby
Ella Fitzgerald - One for My Baby
Frank Sinatra - One for My Baby
Billy Eckstine - One for My Baby
The Cranberries - Dreams
Eminem - The Real Slim Shady
Bob Dylan - Everything is Broken (alternate mix)
Bob Dylan - Spanish Harlem
Bob Dylan - Tangled Up in Blue
U2 - Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of
Sum 41 - Still Waiting
Eminem - Sing for the Moment
U2 - Beautiful Day
The Jackson Five - I'll be There
The Who - My Generation
Pink - Get the Party Started
Sir Mix a lot - I Like Big Butts
WWDC 2003
-Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice
-Fatboy Slim - Right Here, Right Now
Special Event October 2003
The Black Eyed Peas - Hey Mama
Jet - Are You Gonna be My Girl
Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall
Yo-Yo Ma - Williams
Sarah McLachlan - Adia
Bob Dylan - Hey Mr. Tambourine Man
Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World
Herbert von Karajan - Carmen Overture
The Eagles - Take it Easy
Sarah McLachlan - Building a Mystery
The Grateful Dead - Franklin's Tower
Sarah McLachlan - Fallen
Sarah McLachlan - In the Arms of an Angel
Macworld San Francisco 2004
Dire Straits - Walk of Life
Van Morrison - Domino
The Del Vikings - Come Go With Me
Frank Sinatra - Somewhere Beyond the Sea
The Cure - Friday I'm in Love
Talking Heads - Wild Wild Life
Sheryl Crow - All I Wanna Do
Elvis Presley - Don't Be Cruel
Apple Expo London 2004
Steriogram - Walkie Talkie Man
Jamie Callum - All At Sea
Sarah McLachlan - Building a Mystery
Snow Patrol - Spitting Games
Snow Patrol - Wow
Ray Charles - What I Say
Jerry and the Pacemakers - Fairy Cross the Mersey
David Bowie - Changes
Jimi Hendrix - Hey Joe
Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You
Dick van Dyke - Chim Chim Cher-ee
Vivaldi - "Spring" from the Four Seasons
Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
Ottis Redding - Sitting on the Dock of the Bay
Alicia Keys - Night Time is the Right Time (Ray Charles cover)
Alicia Keys - Fallin'
Buddy Holly - It's So Easy
WWDC 2004
Steriogram - Walkie Talkie Man
Maroon 5 - She will be loved
Apple Expo Paris 2004
Black Eyed Peas - Let's Get it Started
October 2004 Special Music Event
U2 - Vertigo
Green Day - Warning
John Mayer - Daughters
U2 - Original of the Species
U2 - Beautiful Day
Macworld San Francisco 2005
Black Eyed Peas - Let's Get it Started
U2 - The Sweetest Thing
Avril Lavigne - Don't Tell Me
Bow Wow Wow - I Want Candy
Louis Armstrong - Dream a Little Dream
John Mayer - Neon
The Caesars - Jerk It Out
John Mayer - Daughters
WWDC 2005
Elvis Presley - Stop, Look and Listen
September 2005 Special Music Event
Green Day - Warning
Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You
Black Eyed Peas - Let's Get it Started
The Faders - No Sleep Tonight
Bent Fabric - Jukebox
October 2005 Special Music Event
U2 - Original of the Species
Eminem - Lose Yourself
Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice
Madonna - Vogue
Ella Fitzgerald - All Through the Night
Natalie Cole and Diana Krall - Better than Anything
Miles Davis - Blue in Green
Green Day - Warning
Macworld San Francisco 2006
Ritchie Valens - Come On Let's Go
Wynton Marsalis - Sparks
Renato Carosone - Tu Vuo Fa L'americano
White Stripes - Hotel Yorba
Supergrass - Kick in the Teeth
Chemical Brothers - In Dust We Trust
February 2006 Special Event
Green Day - Warning
WWDC 2006
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
September 2006 Special Event
Corrine Bailey Ray - Put Your Records On
Cut Chemist Feat. Bootie Brown and Ninja - The Audience is Listening Theme Song
Coldplay - God Put a Smile On My Face
Coldplay - Don't Panic
Otis Redding - Sitting on the Dock of the Bay
Pink Floyd - Us and Them
Pink Floyd - Any Colour You Like
Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
John Legend - Save Room
John Legend - Ordinary People
Macworld San Francisco 2007
James Brown - I Feel Good
John Mayer - Daughters
Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
Sheryl Crow - Steve McQueen
Green Day - Holiday
Oh No! Oh My! - Walk in the Park
Beatles - with a little help from my friends
Beatles - Lovely Rita
Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Talking Heads - Take me to the River
John Mayer - Gravity
John Mayer - Waiting on the World to Change
WWDC 2007
U2 - Beautiful Day
Special Event Summer 2007
Green Day - Warning
Aretha Franklin - Respect
Green Day - American Idiot
Plastic Ono Band - Give Peace a Chance
Romantics - What I like about you
Ray Charles - What'd I Say (Parts I & II)
Feist - 1234
Beck - Cellphone's Dead
Beck - Think I'm In Love
Bob Dylan - Tangled Up in Blue
John Lennon - Imagine
Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls
Colbie Caillat - Bubbly
Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
KT Tunstall - Hold On
Paul McCartney - Dance Tonight
KT Tunstall - Suddenly I See
KT Tunstall - Hold On
Macworld San Francisco 2008
Feist - 1234
Yael Naim - New Soul
Randy Newman - A Few Words In Defense of Our Country
Randy Newman - You've Got a Friend In Me
Spring 2008 Special Event
Brendan Benson - What I'm Looking For
WWDC 2008
Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire
Disney - It's a Small World
Chuck Berry - Maybelline
Special Event September 2008
Aretha Franklin - Respect
Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel
Buddy Holly - That'll be the day
Roy Orbison - Pretty Woman
Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire
Little Richard - Long Tall Sally
Beck - Guess I'm Doing Fine
Bob Dylan - Don't Think Twice, It's alright
Donovan - Catch the Wind
Simon and Garfunkel - America
Dean Martin - Ain't That a Kick in the Head
John Mayer - Split Screen Sadness
Chairlift - Bruises
Green Day - American Idiot
Jim Hendrix - Purple Haze
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Around the Bend
Jack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static
Jack Johnson - Better Together
October 2008 Special Event
Coldplay - Life in Technicolor
U2 - City of Blinding Lights
Macworld San Francisco 2009
Coldplay - Life in Technicolor II
Vince Guaraldi Trio - Linus and Lucy
Chris Joss - I Want Freedom
Tony Bennett - The Best is Yet to Come
Tony Bennett - I Left My Heart in San Francisco
WWDC 2009
The Submarines - You, Me and the Bourgeosie
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Around the Bend
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Greg said 8:39AM on 6-18-2009
Great list, thanks. The songs that Jack Johnson played in '08 were actually three (first two back to back) and are named:
- Sleep Through the Static (although the first words are "trouble travels fast", that's not the name of the song)
- All At Once
- Better Together
Cheers,
Greg
Reply
Daniel Beckham said 8:38AM on 6-18-2009
Where are the iTunes links? Surely you guys have an affiliate account.
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beaugiles said 8:43AM on 6-18-2009
Awesome - thanks for these! :) Might even create an iMix if I get some spare time, unless anyone else wants to do it?
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Caz said 4:39PM on 6-22-2009
Yes!
Please do so…
Tom Waterhouse said 8:47AM on 6-18-2009
For some strange reason I found that really interesting!
Without counting, I reckon U2 cropped up the most?
Reply
judas said 9:48AM on 6-18-2009
This is the count...the rest have 1 song:
Artist # of Songs
U2 12
Green Day 11
Bob Dylan 11
Sarah McLachlan 10
John Mayer 8
The Beatles 8
Elvis Presley 5
Coldplay 4
Black Eyed Peas 4
The Beach Boys 4
Alicia Keys 4
Buddy Holly 3
Beck 3
Talking Heads 3
Frank Sinatra 3
Louis Armstrong 3
David Bowie 3
Sheryl Crow 3
Jimi Hendrix 3
Eminem 3
Ella Fitzgerald 3
KT Tunstall 3
The Rolling Stones 3
Fatboy Slim 3
Yo-Yo Ma 3
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour 2
Red Hot Chili Peppers 2
Randy Newman 2
Barenaked Ladies 2
Steppenwolf 2
Apple Computer 2
The Whispers 2
Feist 2
Ray Charles 2
Aretha Franklin 2
Snow Patrol 2
Jack Johnson 2
Steriogram 2
Jerry Lee Lewis 2
The Grateful dead 2
John Legend 2
Tony Bennett 2
Moby 2
Pink Floyd 2
Jamma said 12:02PM on 6-18-2009
More coldplay than hendrix?? disappointing
Christopher Koles said 8:50AM on 6-18-2009
Look, as a Dave Matthews Band fan, I understand there are a lot of anti-DMB people out there, but I know some of his songs were used, at least in the OS 3.0 preview event. Let's give the band some credit, ok?
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AGS said 11:09AM on 6-18-2009
actually DMB is so god awfull that even by mentioning their name you have tarnished apples good name!!
im just kidding, I love gravedigger
Mafh said 11:49AM on 6-28-2009
Dave Matthews is ROOX!
macgrrl said 8:59AM on 6-18-2009
For the Apple Expo London 2004, the song "Fairy Cross the Mersey" should be "Ferry Cross the Mersey" and the artist is "Gerry and the Pacemakers"
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Cameron said 9:14AM on 6-18-2009
For Apple's Macintosh event in 1984, how can you NOT mention the Theme from Chariots of Fire, which was played during the introduction to the Macintosh at Steve Job's insistence. He actually wanted to have the Mac play the music, but even though they were able to get it working on a Fat Mac, Steve thought the quality wasn't good enough, so they used a CD in the real introduction. I don't think there's been a more memorable hardware intro, ever.
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Taylor said 9:16AM on 6-18-2009
Apart from the already-mentioned Clint Eastwood, Gorillaz' Feel Good Inc has been quite often used since its release while the audience waits for the keynote to start.
It's one of those signs that the regulars get used to to know that the keynote's coming soon.
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Mindless Johnny said 9:22AM on 6-18-2009
August 1999 Seybold San Francisco
Weird Al Yankovic - Miss American Pie (Cover)
I thought Don McLean did Miss American Pie, was this the Weird Al parody to the original, or did he actually redo the song? Just curious
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rollog60 said 9:38AM on 6-18-2009
Shonen Life = Shonen Knife
Dire Straights = Dire Straits
Colbie Colliat = Colbie Caillat
and FWIW "What A Feeling" was actually sung by Irene Cara, although I'm sure I don't know who did the supremely cheesy "We Are Apple", which is a slightly different tune although plainly, ah, inspired by "What a Feeling". But I'm nitpicking now.
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James Donevan said 9:46AM on 6-18-2009
Apple Expo London 2004 ???
No such event. Apple Expo was the trademarked name of the annual Paris based Apple shows (held In September) which were intended for the entire European market. A small UK company did promote minor Mac oriented events in this time frame but they never had any Apple keynotes, indeed Apple often did not even participate.
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shaunisadirty said 9:50AM on 6-18-2009
Does it include douchebags talking and the words "gorgeous" and "beautiful" repeated over and over again by Steve?
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John Pastor said 10:23AM on 6-18-2009
WWDC 2005 -
Stop, Look and Listen should be Rubberneckin', a remix by Paul Oakenfold.
WWDC 2003 -
The song played at the beginning of the keynote is called "Real Good" and it's by Double Six. Not available on iTunes, I had to buy the CD off eBay.
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Dave Hill said 11:13AM on 6-18-2009
Somebody needs to make this into a Spotify playlist.
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Johnny Dangerously said 11:22AM on 6-18-2009
I don't know why I remember these things, but Phil Schiller used the video of Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" to show off the video quality of MPEG-4 versus MPEG-2, or was it AAC versus MP3? I don't remember when it was, though.
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