Hipster parent imprinting can now begin at the moment baby pokes its widdle head out, thanks to expectant mommies and daddies knocking together mix CDs and iPod playlists for the delivery process. While one could argue that you should have to give birth on your kitchen table if you really want to hear the Rent soundtrack that badly, hospitals are enabling the self-selected birth-soundtrack trend according to our trend-observant friends at the AP, whether by “piping in music…providing CD players or allowing parents to bring iPod docks and laptops.” And so despite the fact that neither of us have given birth–or can without some serious plumbing work–Maura and I have put together the official, Idolator-branded playlist for before, during, and after any reader’s upcoming delivery, designed to make the experience more…something for mother and infant alike. While our mix doesn’t quite meet all of the AP’s guidelines for the optimal birthing playlist–they recommend eight or more hours worth of music, for instance, just in case the kid’s feeling intractable on the whole “coming out” thing–we think it will nonetheless prove more effective in the maternity ward than a clutch of Baby Einstein CDs or Whitehouse’s Birthdeath Experience on repeat… guaranteed!
1. “Theme to Mr. Belvedere“
2. Misfits - “Mommy Can I Go Out And Kill Tonight”
3. Nomeansno - “Dad” (Transformers remix)
4. Ready For The World - “Oh Sheila”
5. Sid Vicious - “My Way”
6. Rage Against The Machine - “Killing In The Name”
7. Ace Of Base - “All That She Wants”
8. Run-DMC - “Rock Box” (lol “box”)
9. Big Black - “Jordan, Minnesota”
10. Tupac - “Brenda’s Got A Baby”
11. Neutral Milk Hotel - “Song Against Sex”
12. Collective Soul - “Shine”
13. Jump N’ The Saddle - “The Curly Shuffle”
Bonus post-umbilical snip song: Lil Boosie and Weebie - “Wipe Me Down”
The hot new iPod playlist: Music to give birth to [Salt Lake Tribune]
Richard & Linda Thompson: “The End of The Rainbow”
Charles in Charge theme (for the child will definitely be in charge of your days and nights)
The Frantix: “My Dad’s A Fuckin’ Alcoholic”
The Who: “Fiddle About”
my all-time worst drug experience had to do with too much cocaine and my inability to get “The Curly Shuffle” out of my head for ages. I wanted to DIE.
+ Void: Who Are You
I would suspect that this is much, much more popular amongst first time parents. Having hung around in a delivery room for several hours waiting for my son to finally show up, I can say that I wouldn’t have noticed if Raining Blood was playing, let alone whatever “baby appropriate” tracks I could have picked out. Plus, god forbid that something goes wrong, but do you really want to have some hipster-doofus anthem blaring while doctors are running about trying to get on with the life saving?
Anyway, once the boy was finally out, I sang him a couple of Clutch songs which, being a baby, he probably could not have cared less about.
@PengIn: do you really want to have some hipster-doofus anthem blaring while doctors are running about trying to get on with the life saving?
Thanks to Zach Braff and all, I’d be more worried about the doctors running about singing those hipster-doofus anthems while trying to get on, etc.
Yazoo: Move Out
But in all seriousness, I think I want Vince Clarke involved somehow while I’m giving birth. How can you be angry during “Chains of Love”?
How about that Live song where the placenta falls to the floor?
When I had my wisdom teeth out the surgeon suggested I bring headphones to listen to while high on the nitrous.
I chose Miles Davis / In A Silent Way.
Play nothing and sleep as much as you can, espceially dads, because you won’t be getting much rest for the next two years.
Seriously, that playlist is incomplete without Monty Python’s “Every Sperm is Sacred” from “The Meaning of Life.”
The Doors - The End
My kid was plucked out nearly 14 years ago to the Pogues blaring throughout the surgery. She’s even got red hair; I think there’s a connection.
@rocknrollwife: That does seem appropriate - especially the song, “Body of an American” where the chorus drunkenly goes, “I’m a free-born (woman) in the USA!”
@Ned Raggett: That’s why I made sure our doctors all had conservative haircuts and were in no way “quirky”.
Heart Shaped Box?
Morrissey: “Will Never Marry”
The Smiths: “November Spawned a Monster”
I remmber a tale about some NME staffer (or maybe from another rag) insisting the Jasmine Minks be on during the birth of her child. (The type of trivia only a Jasmine Minks zealot would file away.) I always hoped “Cut Me Deep” was playing when it came time for the episiotomy.