January 20, 2009. Our 44th Commander in Chief spends his first night in the White House. Flush from victory and aglow with anticipation, he needs a proper musical backdrop to set the mood. Holding a cup of jasmine green tea, President Barack Obama strides across the eagle on the Oval Office rug, gazes pensively out the window, and considers the nation now under his charge. Then he walks over to the presidential stereo system, scans through the Executive iPod, and calls up a playlist specially created for this moment:

Obama’s playlist: “What Barack is Cookin'”

1. “Yes We Can,” Boy George
2. “Can We,” Brandy
3. “Problems,” Sex Pistols
4. “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Billy Joel
5. “It Ain’t My Fault,” Silkk the Shocker
6. “Don’t Blame Me,” The Everly Brothers
7. “Over My Head,” A Flock of Seagulls
8. “In Too Deep,” Genesis
9. “Drowning Man,” The Cure
10. “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself,” Burt Bacharach
11. “Cry Cry Cry,” Johnny Cash
12. “God Give Me Strength,” Burt Bacharach
13. “Free Fallin’,” Tom Petty
14. “Help!” The Beatles