Mix Tape of the Day: February 16, 2015 - President's Day

One of the best things about living in America is that the songs about our leaders can range from honorable and patriotic to scathing and offensive.  And so, here are my favorite songs about our past 44 presidents.

1. Presidents' Song - The Simpsons (1993) We begin with a look at our lesser known presidents, courtesy of the children of Springfield Elementary.

2. George Washington - Brad Neely (2009) Brad Neely delivers an accurate tribute to our first president.

3. James K. Polk - They Might Be Giants (1996) Need a quick history lesson on our rarely discussed 11th president?  They Might Be Giants have got you covered.

4. Gay Bar - Electric Six (2003) This may not be specifically a presidential song, but thanks to the video, it will forever be tied to our best commander-in-chief.

5. Abe Lincoln - Bishop Allen (2006) Here's a more "dignified" look at Lincoln.  Bishop Allen compares him to other political figures taken down in their prime.  (And there is a little crass jab at Reagan as well.)

6. The Ballad of Czolgosz - Assassins (1990) Speaking of, Stephen Sondheim created a musical dedicated to famous assassins and attempted-assassins.  Here is Czolgosz's number, as he prepares to assassinate McKinley.

7. He Was a Friend of Mine - The Byrds (1965) Lastly, here's a more somber and dignified look at the assassination of JFK shortly after his death.

8. Young Americans - David Bowie (1975) David Bowie takes his digs at Nixon after a visit to the U.S. left him less than optimistic.

9. Whip It - Devo (1980) Apparently, this song is intended to be a Jimmy Carter rally song, encouraging the president to fix the country's problems.  With a whip.

10. President Reagan's Birthday Present - The Jazz Butcher (1985) Like Nixon before him, Reagan was a very unpopular president among artists.  Therefore, we get some funky numbers that sound really fun before you remember that they are born out of a disaffected American nation.

11. The President - Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians (1986) Sorry for including another Reagan song, but the man seemed to inspire a lot of music.

12. Imagine This - Wax Audio and George W. Bush (2005) Bush, Jr. had the unfortunate position of being president just as the media sensation of the Internet was gaining strength.  That means we were able to experiences remixes and auto-tunes the likes of which no previous president in history had ever seen.

13. Lump - The Presidents of the United States of America (1995) Remember when all the surviving presidents of the U.S. formed a band?  They produced some pretty awesome music.  Sure, I know you like "Peaches," but "Lump" is my jam.