Ask Lemmy

"Bury me in analog" by Mischief Brew, even though it now feels slightly darker after Erik Petersen's death.

"Please play this song on the radio" by NOFX

"Sell out" by Reel Big Fish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcV9zyx-HHE

Write Your Own Songs - Willie Nelson

No love for Motorhead?

(We Are) The Roadcrew

Guns n Roses - Get in the Ring

Stone Temple Pilots - Adhesive

Hiroshima by Ben Folds

Welcome to the Machine by Pink Floyd is right up there.

There's a good Russian song "The main problem of music in Russia" by Zakhar May
Too Long To Learn Russian: The main problem of music in Russia is that you're listening shit!

Mr. Recordman by Ugly Kid Joe

Joe Budden - Love, I’m Good

First verse

Life's Been Good - Joe Walsh

Drive By Truckers - Gravity's Gone

Elton John someone saved my life tonight song

Gillian Welch - Everything is Free

Oh and somewhat tangential but Hayes Carll I Got a Gig song - "playing for my dinner six nights a week, hurricanes, Easter, and New Years Eve, I got a gig baby!"

Radio is a sound salvation, Radio is cleaning up the nation

Death on two legs, by Queen, is a track of reckoning with their former manager.

Plus it's a pretty little known but great early queen rock song. Freddie's viciousness really spews out from it.

Jamey Johnson - Between Jennings and Jones

Well, some record executives found me one night I was singin' half-lit, they said it sounded just right (right) Put my name on an album but they shelved all my songs

Teya & Salena represented Austria in Eurovision last year with "Who the Hell is Edgar?", it was written from the perspective of wanting to be taken seriously in the industry, veiled through a fun song about being possessed by the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe, though the bridge gets quite blatant and singles out Spotify for not paying its artists properly. It was one of the favourites in the Eurovision community last year and I think it would've done better had the Finland vs. Sweden rivalry not happened.

I think the most obvious album to point out which is about many things (including the abuse of the music industry) is To Pimp a Butterfly. I'm surprised I haven't seen it here yet. Even the title is very on-the-nose – the "pimp" in reference is both the music industry and (more frequently) the US government/social structures, and the "butterfly" is a fledgling Kendrick/black rappers/black Americans in general (context depending on the exact song). It's meant to be listened in exact order. Many people say it's overrated but I really disagree. It's an amazing narrative and powerful symbolism with good music.

Maggie's Farm by Bob Dylan

Radio Friendly Unit Shifter by Nirvana

All the Best by R.E.M.

Intro by The Prodigy (not a song, technically, but a clear statement of intent from Liam Howlett)

I'd argue that Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb belongs here: AFAIK it's about a band manager injecting the strung out musician with drugs, so he can get up and perform the show that night.

Gillian Welsh - Everything is Free.

Great song about the difficulties of making a living off music now that everything is available for nothing. Father John Misty recorded a version when he was invited to the Spotify Sessions, which was a nice little fuck you to the people inviting him.

I think Hank Williams III with the Grand Ole Opry Ain't so Grand deserves a shout-out. Basically a song about how the institution that chewed up and then expelled his grandfather can eat shit.

Icon for hire - now you know

Specifically about the girls perspective

lost in hollywood by system of acdown

You can’t really get any more outrageous than Death to all but Metal

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This - Eurythmics

Complete Control by The Clash

Against Me - Unprotected Sex with Multiple Partners

Show Business - A Tribe Called Quest

Comfort Eagle by Cake

EMI, Sex Pistols

Barracuda by Heart

DJ Shadow Why Hip-Hop Sucks In '96

Death on Two Legs - Queen

Cover of the rolling stone