Turn On the News

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"Turn On the News"
Song by Hüsker Dü
from the album Zen Arcade
ReleasedJuly 1984
RecordedOctober 1983
GenreHardcore punk[1]
Length4:21
LabelSST
Songwriter(s)Grant Hart
Producer(s)
  • Hüsker Dü
  • Spot

"Turn On the News" is a song by American

500 songs that shaped rock and roll".[2][3]

Background and composition

"Turn On the News" was written by Grant Hart and recorded in one take, as were the majority of songs on the album.[4] The song was one of the more conventional rock songs on the experimental Zen Arcade. It begins with a single piano note repeating while segments of random news stories play. The bass drum beat is added, with a distorted guitar starting the three-chord progression. Hart sings about the mass media's penchant for sensationalism and negative news headlines. The rest of the band shouts as he sings the ironic chorus of "Turn on/Turn on/Turn on the news!"[5]

Release and reception

The song was released to critical acclaim. Tom Maginnis of

500 songs that shaped rock and roll."[10]

Other versions

In 1993, "Turn On the News" was covered by Big Trouble House on Du Huskers: The Twin Cities Replays Zen Arcade.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b Klein, Joshua (August 14, 1998). "Hart's at the Heart of Husker DU". Chicago Tribune. p. 2.
  2. ^ "FAQ". The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on March 22, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  3. ^ "500 Songs That Shaped Rock". Infoplease.com. February 11, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  4. Rovi Corporation
    . Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  5. ^
    Rovi Corporation
    . Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  6. ^ Palmer, Robert (September 23, 1984). "New Rock from the Suburbs". The New York Times. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  7. ^ Fricke, David (February 14, 1985). "Hüsker Dü Zen Arcade > Album Review". Rolling Stone. No. 441. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  8. Slant
    . Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  9. ^ Christgau, Robert (February 19, 1985). "The Rise of the Corporate Single". Village Voice. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  10. ^ "500 songs that shaped rock and roll". RockHall.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2006. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  11. Rovi Corporation
    . Retrieved July 16, 2012.