Music History

Weekly Survey: What one album would you give to aliens to explain rock?

Nearly seventy years after its birth, there’s are infinite flavours of rock music, but we still know it when we hear it. But what if you encounter someone who has never heard it before? How would you introduce that person to the entire concept of rock?

Here’s the thought experiment: Aliens make First Contact and want to know everything about us. The United Nations has tasked you to determine what one album would best explain rock to our new extraterrestrial friends. What would that album be?

A simple question with a devilishly difficult answer. Do you go with Carl Sagan’s choice for Voyager’s Golden Record and choose Chuck Berry or do you opt for some Beatles? Would Led Zeppelin be a better idea? Or should it be something more contemporary, an album that tells our new alien overlords something about the current zeitgeist?

Think about it. Leave a comment below.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 42343 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross