Abstract

Rockin' Rush: Radio pirate

As Rush Limbaugh's three-hour show continues, he routinely pumps up the show with snippets of music from past and present rock artists: Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Jimi Hendrix, Blur, etc. His aim, presumably, is to inject hipness into his conservatism. That he gets away with it so readily is proof of how depoliticized rock music has become. And neither does it seem to be a problem that Limbaugh, that fierce champion of property rights, has apparently expropriated Hynde's music as his theme song in violation of copyright law. He's a radio pirate. Recalling the days when he was first firing up his show, Limbaugh noted that he tried a number of rock songs for his theme music. A few callers griped that a "conservative guy" should not be identified with a rock-and-roll sound. To "tweak" these fans, Limbaugh searched for "the hardest-pounding bass line" he could find and selected "My City Was Gone."