If Marty McFly went back in time thirty years ago today, what song does he play at the dance to blow everyone's mind?

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I'm not sure about the history, but by '76 turntablism would exist I think? And as you say, MCing at least in its Jamaican form.

― Why does the birds always shitting on me? (noodle vague), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:21 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, but a lot of the sampling and sequencing tech used on Public Enemy tracks wouldn't.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:23 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, but if the band at the school prom was The J.B.s he wouldn't need no sampler...it all fits...

― Why does the birds always shitting on me? (noodle vague), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:25 (twenty years ago)

Still Tippin'

"If you're from the future, tell me who's President of the United States in 2006."
"George W. Bush??? The alcoholic??!!??"

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:25 (twenty years ago)

I think the early Sonic Youth one is a keeper. That stuff still sounds amazing even today! I don't really know about the hip hop one......can't really picture Marty McFly doing that. C'mon, it would look/sound ridiculous!!
In the original he started out with a Chuck Berry number, but what I think everybody is forgetting is that he eventually started getting all into it, and then started kicking things over, while playing some Van Halen type of stuff.
So I'd say that he would start out with maybe punkish type of song, but then get all into it and bust out the drumsticks and other various other accessories, and start going into the crazy ass Sonic Youth type of stuff.

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:31 (twenty years ago)

"You want something, kid?"
"Uh, yeah...gimme a latte."
"What?"
"A latte."
"A What?"
"Uh, coffee"

― R.I.P. West Village Bird Shaman ]-`: (ex machina), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:33 (twenty years ago)

"Who's governer of California in 2006?"
"Arnold Shrwazeneger?? The Actor!?!"

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:34 (twenty years ago)

The Sonic Youth version of "I wanna be your dog"

― R.I.P. West Village Bird Shaman ]-`: (ex machina), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:34 (twenty years ago)

Hip hop would seem more natural to most than techno.

― paulhw (paulhw), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:37 (twenty years ago)

"The Sonic Youth version of "I wanna be your dog"

I could see that working!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:47 (twenty years ago)

what about blondie's "rapture"? if we're following the rule that the song is only a few years older than the moment in time we're visiting... i mean, its got all that rap stuff that i hear is a hit with the kids...

― mts (theoreticalgirl), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:50 (twenty years ago)

Early Sonic Youth doesn't have nearly as much cultural resonance as hip-hop, though. Isn't the point that he'd be playing something that is so fucking common in the future that it's amusing for us to imagine what it'd sound like to an audience who'd never experienced it? Whereas I can imagine there are plenty of people in 2006 who don't really hear anything like Confusion is Sex on a regular basis, even if it's somehow more "imaginable" now than it would've been thirty years ago.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:51 (twenty years ago)

if he really wants to blow everyone's mind..

wuthering heights, bitches

― Dr J Bowman (Dr J Bowman), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:54 (twenty years ago)

Easy goes it, fellas.

Now More Than Ever, Humanity Needs My Back To The Future Fan Fiction

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:55 (twenty years ago)

"Who's governer of California in 2006?"
"Arnold Shrwazeneger?? The Actor!?!"
Actually, in 1976, he would be alternately known as a homosexual weightlifter.

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:56 (twenty years ago)

Video Killed the Radio Star

― Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:57 (twenty years ago)

That's why he started off with the Chuck Berry song, which would become pretty common, but when he went into the Van Halen stuff the whole audience just stopped dancing and was all like "what the heck?" So I can't really think of anything else besides "Confusion is Sex" type of stuff that would just make the audience stop and think "what?" The thing is he's going to START OFF with something that would be so common in the future, but then just end up alienating the whole crowd. Even the band stopped playing and started staring at him like he's some kind of weirdo.

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:58 (twenty years ago)

It's entirely possible Fab Five Freddie was emceeing high school proms in 1976, too.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Friday, 24 March 2006 23:58 (twenty years ago)

Arnold was acting here and there right? Maybe not in movies, but has anybody seen that episode of "Streets of San Francisco" where he kills that chick by SHAKING her to death?? Classic!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Saturday, 25 March 2006 00:01 (twenty years ago)

crazy frog

― tummy tucker, Saturday, 25 March 2006 00:04 (twenty years ago)

Where in the world do they show Streets of San Francisco reruns?

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 25 March 2006 00:05 (twenty years ago)

crazy frog
-- tummy tucker (wafflestiee...), March 24th, 2006 7:04 PM. (link)

Maybe if you wanted to turn people away from music altogether. Could you imagine 30 years of silence?

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 25 March 2006 00:06 (twenty years ago)

I had a grandpa who always used to watch that kind of stuff. KDOC!!
Columbo, McCloud. All those types of shows BLASTING LOUD because he refused to believe he was losing his hearing!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Saturday, 25 March 2006 00:10 (twenty years ago)

Welcome to my library of Back to the Future fan fiction

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Saturday, 25 March 2006 00:11 (twenty years ago)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 25 March 2006 01:04 (twenty years ago)

BRO DIDDLEY

― meth lab for doug flutie (sanskrit), Saturday, 25 March 2006 01:06 (twenty years ago)

Some Raymond Scott.

― boney (b0n3y), Saturday, 25 March 2006 01:40 (twenty years ago)

Eve featuring Gwen Stefani - Let Me Blow Your Mind

― pinder (pinder), Saturday, 25 March 2006 01:54 (twenty years ago)

Better: Gwen Stefani, "Hollaback Girl." All he needs is to get the school's drumline on board. "Don't bother watching me for the changes."

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Saturday, 25 March 2006 02:07 (twenty years ago)

"White Lines"

― Erick Dampier is better than Shaq (miloaukerman), Saturday, 25 March 2006 02:20 (twenty years ago)

So he should start off with a lite-funk proto disco thing and start doing some light MC-ing over it. Everyone would be all "hey, this is pretty cool" until he ran out of "hip-hop don't stop" stuff and started doing lines from "Like A Pimp" or "Freek-A-Leek"

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Saturday, 25 March 2006 03:06 (twenty years ago)

CYHSY, obvs

― Col Tom Blue (Col Tom Blue), Saturday, 25 March 2006 03:10 (twenty years ago)

whiney's description sounds pretty plausible!

― dave k, Saturday, 25 March 2006 03:53 (twenty years ago)

Still, Marty McFly rapping?? How dorky is that gonna look?? He goes better with a guitar, I'd say.

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Saturday, 25 March 2006 04:51 (twenty years ago)

POING POING POING won halfway up the thread.

― John Justen (johnjusten), Saturday, 25 March 2006 04:57 (twenty years ago)

Still, Marty McFly rapping?? How dorky is that gonna look?? He goes better with a guitar, I'd say

You don't think they would have cast Nick Cannon if they were making this today?

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Saturday, 25 March 2006 05:08 (twenty years ago)

play in double time and watch me for the changes.

"one, two, three, four...............ma baby don't mess around because she loves me so, and this I know for shuuuuure.........."

play till minds are blown.

― Danny boy, Saturday, 25 March 2006 05:40 (twenty years ago)

No, really. I hope you all clicked on Mike Dixon's link...

"Roll Over Beethoven"
Clara and Calpurnia travel to 1965 to watch the Beatles perform at Shea Stadium. And then, they wind up having the Fab Four as passengers as they accidentally wind up in 1824 Vienna, Austria where they meet Beethoven.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Saturday, 25 March 2006 06:27 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I did click on the link, but I'm just gonna have to go through all that when I have a lot more time on my hands. I had no clue those stories existed!

Well it might be different if somebody else played Marty. I just had Michael J. Fox in mind all the while. But don't tell me there's gonna be a better replacement for Doc Brown!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Saturday, 25 March 2006 06:45 (twenty years ago)

"Man in the Mirror"

― Mervin Heinz, Saturday, 25 March 2006 07:56 (twenty years ago)

closer to god by nine inch nails
or
bombs over baghdad by outcast

― JB Young (JB Young), Saturday, 25 March 2006 08:34 (twenty years ago)

LOSING MY EDGE by The Liquid Crystal Display Soundsystem

― nancyboy (nancyboy), Saturday, 25 March 2006 11:09 (twenty years ago)

To really blow their minds, he could do one of the countless songs where a rapper threatens to "leave you shaking worse than Michael J. Fox."

― ramon fernandez (ramon fernandez), Saturday, 25 March 2006 11:14 (twenty years ago)

"Wuthering Heights" gets my vote for best answer upthread. Especially if he sings it in the original key and octave.

― Myke. (Myke Weiskopf), Saturday, 25 March 2006 12:07 (twenty years ago)

No ne is gonna say "Light of Day"?

― EZ Snappin (EZSnappin), Saturday, 25 March 2006 13:41 (twenty years ago)

Something like "Whip It" would work well.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Saturday, 25 March 2006 16:03 (twenty years ago)

[b]Killing in the name of[/b]. obv.

― rchinn (rchinn), Saturday, 25 March 2006 16:14 (twenty years ago)

I vote for the NIN - Closer is OK but March of the Pigs would work even better--traditional riff but weird arrangement and screaming. Or else some Nirvana, actually. I think after 1976 the only really new thing is screaming--the only thing I can really see stopping people in their tracks is the lead singer for Pantera screaming out lyrics. Most of the things suggested upthread like techno and hip-hop are new but crowds would just react positively and cheer.

― richardk (Richard K), Saturday, 25 March 2006 16:15 (twenty years ago)

Right about now, the funk soul brother.

― Eazy (Eazy), Saturday, 25 March 2006 16:17 (twenty years ago)

Actually if it's 3 years ahead of time..The Wall comes out in 79...Another Brick in the Wall would blow minds, man!!!!!

― richardk (Richard K), Saturday, 25 March 2006 16:22 (twenty years ago)

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something already existing and gaining popularity but which hadn't penetrated small town America yet.

1996? Got to be something from Vision Creation Newsun, then.

― emil.y, Thursday, 14 May 2026 13:49 (one month ago)

Roni Size/Reprazent

― Brenton Wood Conference (Boring, Maryland), Thursday, 14 May 2026 13:57 (one month ago)

Well, bear in mind that, as poster xgurggleglgllg observed early on, the scene has two parts: Johnny B. Goode, which the crowd is feeling... and then the Van Halen shredding, which blows everybody's minds (in a bad way). Chuck Berry's first singles dropped in 1955, and "Johnny B. Goode" is just two years away, so this fits for something "already existing and gaining popularity but which hadn't penetrated small town America yet." Whereas the second part is something that was officially mainstream (but still annoying parents) in Marty's home time of 1985, and which had its fresh-and-new moment about 5-6 years before that.

So for 1996, the first part would be a trend that was bubbling up circa 1995-1996 and breaking through majorly to define the late 90s. The second part would be something that was a hot, mind-blowing new sound circa 2020-2021, and had peaked by 2026, ideally in the same family tree as the previous genre. This makes me think he's doing a Backstreet Boys number that turns into a K-Pop showstopper.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 14 May 2026 14:00 (one month ago)

but isn't part of the point also that Johnny B. Goode wasn't released until 1958? so the answer is "Believe" followed by Marty going way too hard on the autotune and alienating everyone

― rob, Thursday, 14 May 2026 14:00 (one month ago)

Okay, yeah, rob's idea fits all of the criteria and I'm into it.

― emil.y, Thursday, 14 May 2026 14:05 (one month ago)

lol rob

― Serfin' USA (sleeve), Thursday, 14 May 2026 15:56 (one month ago)

Ms. Jackson > Suddenly dropping into a dissonant modern rap verse.

― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Thursday, 14 May 2026 16:02 (one month ago)

sub Q: what song does he play when he puts headphones on his dad to scare the hell out of him?

instead of walkman it'll be iphone, and he carefully places bluetooth earbuds in george's ears.

instead of vader mask, he does full darth maul makeup, keeping with the star wars theme.

but what does he play instead of (uncredited) eddie van halen shredding?

― andrew m., Thursday, 14 May 2026 16:05 (one month ago)

Three 6 Mafia

― The Quaker Gurvitz Army (President Keyes), Thursday, 14 May 2026 16:07 (one month ago)

but what does he play instead of (uncredited) eddie van halen shredding?

sings like the Geese guy

― The Quaker Gurvitz Army (President Keyes), Thursday, 14 May 2026 16:08 (one month ago)

*terrifying*

― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Thursday, 14 May 2026 16:31 (one month ago)

https://i.imgur.com/ICeaoWP.png

― omar little, Thursday, 14 May 2026 16:52 (one month ago)

The second part would be something that was a hot, mind-blowing new sound circa 2020-2021, and had peaked by 2026, ideally in the same family tree as the previous genre.

"I Gotta Feeling" falls apart as Marty McFly starts doing ASMR whispering and close-mic-ed crinkling of bubble wrap.

― Strait of Merzbow (Eazy), Thursday, 14 May 2026 18:15 (one month ago)

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