“That clinking, clanking sound
Can make the world go ‘round”
After more than 30 years of operating at the intersection of technology and financial services, I’ve come to realize that what fintech really needs isn’t AI or blockchain, cloud services or mobile apps, but a soundtrack. And like any good entrepreneur who spots a need, I‘m going to try to fill it. Over an indeterminant number of posts delivered at irregular intervals, I intend to suggest songs for inclusion in that soundtrack, songs that in aggregate capture our relationship with money.
There are quite a few songs about money, as you would expect given its importance in our lives. The songs I’ve selected for inclusion aren’t the “best” songs by any means and this isn’t a “top 10” list.
They aren’t grouped together for any reasons, and they are in no special order. But each is good, or interesting, or notable, or enjoyable and in its own way captures some element of our pecuniary experiences. One note: I have favored originals over covers (sorry, Flying Lizards, Cindy Lauper, and the J. Geils Band).
Here are the first 10 essential songs about money that could be added to our fintech soundtrack.
- Money Money – Cabaret
- Money Changes Everything – The Brains
- Can’t Buy Me Love – The Beatles
- Bills – LunchMoney Lewis
- First I Look at the Purse – The Contours
- Money (That’s What I Want) – Barrett Strong
- It’s Money That Matters – Randy Newman
- For the Love of Money – The O’Jays
- Money – Pink Floyd
- She Works Hard for the Money – Donna Summer
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