Songs About "People"

If you're a chronic Wax & Tracks visitor with decent long-term memory, you're probably thinking, "Wait a second, didn't he just do a series of posts of songs with people's names in it? Isn't this the same thing?" If that's what you're thinking, first of all, I must thank you for being a chronic Wax & Tracks visitor, and secondly, you are dead wrong. This is a post featuring songs with the actual word "People" in their titles. For those of you to whom this is important, commentary is included with each song. Enjoy it, people!  ~  JH

1)  R.E.M. ft. Kate Pierson  ~  "Shiny Happy People"  (This oddball song falls in the so-bad-it's-actually-kind-of-good department.)

2)  Steve Aoki ft. Rivers Cuomo  ~  "Earthquakey People"  (I didn't know the guy from Weezer could rap…well, it's kinda half-rapping, half-talking, and half-singing – I know, one too many halves. Whatever you call it, Rivers does it well.)

3)  Jemina Pearl ft. Iggy Pop  ~  "I Hate People"  (So do I. Sometimes…)

4)  Common  ~  "The People"  (Not sure what this song's really about, but Common's got a nice flow and he doesn't curse any here, so…yeah.)

5)  Montgomery Gentry  ~  "Some People Change"  (Thankfully, this is true. And it's especially sweet when it's a change for the better.)

6)  Jessica Frech  ~  "People Of Walmart"  (If you've shopped at Walmart lately, you know what to expect to see here…so proceed with caution! And feel free to LOL!)

7)  Portugal. The Man  ~  "People Say"  (This guy's a little left of center in his videos, but he's undeniably a good musician and songwriter.)

8)  The Doors  ~  "People Are Strange"  (They sure are, Jim. See # 6 above.)

9)  Birdy  ~  "People Help The People"  (A beautiful song by a lovely and talented young singer from the UK.)

10)  Jack Johnson  ~  "Good People"  (Excellent question, Jack. Where ARE all the good people these days?)

11)  Depeche Mode  ~  "People Are People"  ('80s flashback time…again! You're welcome!)

12)  Cher Lloyd  ~  "Beautiful People"  (I've never seen Cher Lloyd this subdued before. That's a good thing, actually.)

13)  dc Talk  ~  "Colored People"  (Probably the best song this band ever did. They've all gone their separate ways now – and all successfully – but they left behind some really good music. And some really lame stuff in their early years.)

14)  Pulp  ~  "Common People"  (This is cheeky Brit-pop at its cheekiest and Brit-poppiest.)

15)  Les Misérables Cast  ~  "Do You Hear The People Sing?"  (Die-hard Les Miz fans may disagree, but I thought this was an extremely well-made film all the way around.)

16)  Rod Stewart ft. Jeff Beck  ~  "People Get Ready"  (I'm not the biggest fan of Rod Stewart, but he pretty much kills it on this one. And Jeff Beck is amazing on guitar, as always.)

17)  for KING & COUNTRY  ~  "People Change"  (I've seen this band in concert, and have even shared an elevator with the shaggy-haired lead singer – purely coincidentally – and they are every bit as good live as they are in the studio.)

18)  Ida Maria  ~  "Quite Nice People"  (What a beautifully cynical song this is! She sings quite nicely, too.)

19)  Dawes  ~  "Most People"  (I was not familiar with this band previously, but they have a nice, smooth sound and the catchiness of the song sticks with you long after it's ended.) 

20)  Dr. Dog  ~  "Shadow People"  (This guy's sorta indie rock and sorta Bob Dylan. A strange mix, I know. But the result is a smooth, contemporary sound that's actually quite infectious.)

BONUS TRACK:  Sly And The Family Stone  ~  "Everyday People"  (Thanks for pointing out its glaring omission, Daniel!)