Canadians make a mixtape for Obama

What better way to start a new relationship than giving your partner a mixtape that expresses who you are and how you feel about them? In that spirit, the Canadian Broadcasting Company is asking Canadians to vote on a playlist of the "top 49 songs from north of the 49th parallel that would best define ...

By , a former associate editor at Foreign Policy.

What better way to start a new relationship than giving your partner a mixtape that expresses who you are and how you feel about them? In that spirit, the Canadian Broadcasting Company is asking Canadians to vote on a playlist of the "top 49 songs from north of the 49th parallel that would best define our country to the incoming U.S. President Barack Obama."

What better way to start a new relationship than giving your partner a mixtape that expresses who you are and how you feel about them? In that spirit, the Canadian Broadcasting Company is asking Canadians to vote on a playlist of the "top 49 songs from north of the 49th parallel that would best define our country to the incoming U.S. President Barack Obama."

The final 100 candidates are here and include hits from Neil Young, The Band, Joni Mitchell, Arcade Fire, and Feist. If nothing else, it’s a reminder that unlike Europe, Steve Walt could never dismiss Canada’s contributions to contemporary pop music.

Canada is set to be the destination of Obama’s first international trip as president. A gesture that Canadians are clearly hoping is a sign that this time around, the relationship between the two countries will be more "Rockin’ in the Free World" and less "You Oughta Know."

Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating

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