Pop Shots – 9 Songs About Stores & Shopping for Black Friday

Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, with Black Friday coming up at the end of the week I decided to create a playlist of songs about stores, and shopping, that you can use as your soundtrack to witnessing the rampant consumerism of the day.

Note – I said witnessing, because Lord help you if you try to partake in it. I’m pretty sure you qualify for USAA insurance if you took part in the Tickle Me Elmo wars of 1996.

So stay inside, and check out this playlist of commerce-themed songs. Of course, since this is Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

Biz Markie – Albee Square Mall

 

OK kids, let me tell you about how we used to shop back in the day. We had these magical places called malls that housed dozens, and dozens of stores. We’d go in, find everything we needed, and cap things off with an Orange Julius at the food court.

Sure, malls still exist, but they aren’t as prevalent as they once were, so give Biz Markie’s “Albee Square Mall” a spin, and enjoy a nice reminder of the good ol’ days.

Gang Starr w/ G-Dep, & Shiggy Sha – The Mall

 

If you thought there would be only one hip-hop song about malls, you’d be mistaken, as up next we have Gang Starr’s “The Mall,” which features guest verses from G-Dep, and Shiggy Sha. Of course, the verse you’re waiting for it at the end, because nobody, and I mean nobody was as smooth as Guru, may he rest in peace.

X-Ray Spex – Warrior in Woolworths

 

This is the song that inspired this column. I was at a concert at Cafe Nine in New Haven, CT headlined by the pop punk band The Dollyrots, and “Warrior in Woolworths” came on during one of the breaks in-between sets. I could only hear it faintly over the conversations taking place, so I Shazamed it. Once I saw the title I knew I had to do something with it, so here we are.

Thank you X-Ray Spex, and thank you to whoever put this song on at Cafe Nine, for sparking the idea for this crazy playlist.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz – Thrift Shop

 

There’s nothing wrong with picking up some cool, unique gifts at a thrift shop. Macklemore gave us the blueprint, all we have to do it follow it

Barenaked Ladies – Shopping

 

While I still suggest you stay inside on Black Friday, the Barenaked Ladies lyric, “When the going gets rough / Just shop with somebody tough,” is solid advice for anyone who wants to brave the crowded stores in search of a slightly discounted toaster, or whatever else is being offered that’s too enticing to pass up.

Toni Basil – Shoppin’ From A to Z

 

OK, so this song is about grocery shopping, not retail shopping, but how could I resist putting Toni Basil in this playlist?

As an aside, we should all shop like they do in this video.

Jonathan Richman – Rockin’ Shopping Center

 

If you’re going to go to a shopping center, it should probably be a rockin’ one. In fact I will only go to rockin’ shopping centers! Take that, boring department stores!

Johnny Boy – You Are the Generation That Bought More Shoes and You Get What You Deserve

 

Discoveries like this one are one of the main reasons I love making absurd playlists for special occasions. Had I not been looking for songs about shopping I would have never found Johnny Boy’s “You Are the Generation That Bought More Shoes and You Get What You Deserve,” and now I can’t stop listening to it.

I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for their self-titled album from 2006 when going through used CDs!

Robin Sparkles – Let’s Go to the Mall

 

What other song could I possibly chose to close out this commerce-themed playlist?

Long live Robin Sparkles!

That’s all for this edition of Pop Shots, but come back next Monday for more shots on all things pop.