The Pi Playlist (Do It for the Kids)

A delightful coworker, responsible for enriching student minds and belittling mine, wants to teach America's youth about pi, everyone's favorite mathematical constant. And because my colleague is so gosh-darn clever, she wants to do this next Friday, on 3/14 (natch). She recently loomed over me with her wee beady eyes and spiky hair until I agreed to provide a playlist for this exercise.

Care to play along? C'mon, do it for the kids...

The Pi Playlist

1. Pi, Kate Bush
2. The Math, Hilary Duff
3. Three Is a Magic Number, Blind Melon
4. Neverending Math Equation, Modest Mouse
5. American Pie, Don McLean
6. Whipped Cream, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
7. Don’t Lose My Number, Phil Collins
8. The 3 R’s, Jack Johnson
9. Why Do I Keep Counting?, the Killers
10. 3.14, Cowboy Bebop

Comments

[sparky]

Here's a double shot for ya SD.

One - 3 Dog Night.

[Sean Daly]

Nice work, Sparky!

I was gonna give the kids "Murder by Numbers," but I didn't know if that was too severe.

[DG]

1 2 3 - Len Barry
ABC - The Jackson Five
1234 - Feist

[David-b]

Does "100 Bottles of beer on the wall" count?

Any of a number of the Math "School House Rock" songs.
"Two Elementary, My Dear"
"Three is a Magic Number"
"I Got Six"
"Lucky Seven Sampson"
"Figure Eight"
"Naughty Number Nine"
etc.

[Tonianne]

Circle in the Sand - Belinda Carlisle
Circle - Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians
Round Here - Counting Crows
Round and Round - New Order
Unsquare Dance - Dave Brubeck
The Song of the Count - The Count
On and On - Erykah Badu
Safety in Numbers - Joan Osbourne
Number 1 - Goldfrapp
Pulse of a Decimal - 31 Knots
Repetition - Charlie Parker
It's More Fun to Compute - Kraftwerk
Constant Craving - k.d. lang
I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow - Soggy Bottom Boys
Analyse - The Cranberries

[David-b]

One - Eddie from Ohio

[Tonianne]

3 more:

Infinity - The Pogues
14th and Euclid - the Samples
Circular Symmetry - ATB

[Bassnote]

Number One - Chaz Jankel
One - Metallica
3X5 - John Mayer
5 8 6 - New Order
#9 Dream - John Lennon
All Together Now - The Beatles
18 and Life - Skid Row
"40" - U2
Counting Out Time - Genesis
The Final Countdown - Europe
Number Three - They Might Be Giants
I Can Add - They Might Be Giants

[Bassnote]

Three Of A Perfect Pair - King Crimson
14 Years - Guns 'n Roses
Three Times A Lady - Commodores
Four Seven - Jars of Clay
Three Sisters - INXS
In Circles - Benjamin Orr
Circle of Error - Sixpence None The Richer
Here We Go Round In Circles - Billy Preston

[jane]

I second the nomination of "Murder By Numbers" and add

One World (Not Three) -- The Police
My Number -- Tegan and Sara
Could You Be The One -- Hüsker Dü
Four In One -- Thelonious Monk
Love Plus One -- Haircut 100
Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep) -- Rosemary Clooney & Bing Crosby
Seven Year Ache -- Rosanne Cash
'Round Midnight -- Miles Davis
Round, Round -- Belouis Some

[Tonianne]

Stepping away from the computer now...

Proof - Coldplay
Prove It All Night - Bruce Springsteen
Prove My Hypothesis - Death Cab for Cutie
Insane in the Brain - Cypress Hill
Man Smart, Woman Smarter - Grateful Dead

[Sean Daly]

Nice work with the "circle" songs. You're heroes to kids (and pop music critics) everywhere.

[sparky]

Here's one for the FF,

Engine 999 - The Hooters

[Guy]

Math Suks - Jimmy Buffett

Hands-down, the worst Buffet song ever.

[GlennS.]

There's "Numbers" by Soft Cell ... but that's probably not a good one for the kids.

[chaps]

"Black Math" by White Stripes. The kids love it!

[Douglas Arthur]

Sean, dude, this one is a no-brainer, just cue up the soundtrack to Darren Aronofsky's classic 1998 indie film "π". A stark mix of menacing electronica and etheral buzz mixed with cryptic dialogue from the film about a mathematician who may have solved the key to the Universe, and everyone out to get him...or is it all just in his mind? the ending will blow you away.