The Political Scene | The New Yorker

From Critics at Large: An American Playlist

July 3, 2026·56 min·4-min readroundtableculture
Podzilla Summary (4 min)
TLDR
This special episode of Critics at Large celebrates America’s 250th anniversary by curating a listener-driven playlist of songs that reflect the nation’s emotional, historical, and cultural complexity. Through music, the hosts and listeners explore America as a place of contradiction—of

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Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Vinson CunninghamNaomi FryAlexandra SchwartzKim WildeDavid ByrneOlivia RodrigoBilly BraggCrosby Stills Nash YoungTom PettySimon GarfunkelJoan BaezRage Against the MachineJohn PrineRoberta FlackThe Isley BrothersBob DylanSam CookeNora BrownJames BrownAaron Copland

Topics

BooksCivil Rights HistoryHip HopIndie MusicMusic IndustryPop CultureRock

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