The 5.9 earthquake that hit Virginia was felt throughout the Northeast, including Manhattan, including here, where it registered as a shimmy a few minutes before two o’clock. Some midtown office workers evacuated, and after standing around for a little while, gallows humor in evidence, returned to their desks. And some of those workers devoted a few minutes to finding the best songs for an earthquake playlist, fully aware that earthquakes are a serious business, and can be massive and tragic, and that this one was neither.
13th Floor Elevators, “Earthquake”: Psychedelic rock from Roky Erickson and his band; here, as elsewhere, earthquakes are romantic metaphors.
Los Lobos, “Shakin’ Shakin’ Shakes”: It’s rockabilly, and the video features Alfred Hitchcock. What more do you want?
Beastie Boys, “Body Movin’”: The Beasties are discussing more general movement of bodies, but it’s hard to resist the video.
Iggy and the Stooges, “Shake Appeal”: One of the best songs about shaking, or appealing.
Zona Visser, “I Shiver, I Shudder, I Shake”: A thematically appropriate number from the South African vocalist.
5.9. Johnnie Johnson, “Fault Line Tremor”: Chuck Berry’s pianist and co-writer put out an excellent solo album, “Johnnie B Bad,” in 1991. This instrumental shakes, rattles, and rolls, but it’s not on YouTube.
