It has been said that every movie worth watching since 1939 contains some reference to The Wizard of Oz. But what about music? This week, Wu-Tanger Ghostface Killah releases his new album, Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry, the cover artwork of which features a yellow brick road extended across hottie-bedecked poppy fields toward Emerald City. And on October 3, in honor of the movie's 70th anniversary, Netflix is streaming Oz free, in a new high-definition version. Last week, to commemorate the same landmark, Jennifer Hudson, Julianne Hough, and ?Uestlove of the Roots performed songs from the movie in New York. Rock and pop have been in love with the classic for years, but there's never been a better time to count down the highlights of Oz-rock history.
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- Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973): A chart-topper for eight weeks, Elton's biggest and best album came wrapped in a triple-gatefold cover just as unforgettable as its songs. On the front, his pink platform shoes took their first step onto the gold-paved street in question.
- Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon (1973): Synchronize it with the movie, and trippy stuff happens! This has been scientifically proven.
- America, "Tin Man" (1974): "No, Oz never did give nothin' to the Tin Man/ That he didn't, didn't already have." Hey Neil Young, try to top that slice of wisdom.
- Kansas, "Dust in the Wind" (1976): If this is Kansas, the wind must be a twister.
- Diana Ross/Michael Jackson, "Ease on Down the Road" (1978): From The Wiz. Who knew New York City had cyclones?
- Lakeside, "Fantastic Voyage" (1981): "Bring Auntie Em and Toto too/ And all the party people to do their do."
- John Cougar Mellencamp, Scarecrow (1985): John-Boy whiles away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers, consultin' with the rain.
- Teena Marie, Emerald City (1986): The wildest album of Lady T's career, with liner notes that rewrite L. Frank Baum's plot somewhat: "Once upon a time there lived a little girl named Pity who decided more than anything in the world she wanted to be green. She embarked on a long journey searching for an emerald stone so precious and so magical that the thought of its mystic powers sent shivers of sheer delight up and down her spine ..."
- Afghan Whigs, "If I Only Had a Heart" (1996): Greg Dulli excuses his sleaziness in life and love by pointing out the organ he all too sadly lacks.
- Guster, "Come Downstairs and Say Hello" (2003): "Dorothy moves/ To click her ruby shoes/ Right in tune/ With Dark Side of the Moon."
- Big & Rich, Horse of a Different Color (2004): Album title comes from the Wizard himself; the song "Real World" points out that "No one's got a name for the scarecrow."
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC.
What were the names of the main characters in the Wizard of Oz. Everyone knows Judy Garland but what were the real names of the Tin man, the Good witch, the Bad witch, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion.