A guy at work said that he made a playlist of music to accompany shooting off fireworks at his house on a lake. I imported a few classical pieces that are good pyrotechnic music (Beethoven's 9th, Holst's Jupiter from The Planets, Rhapsody in Blue, 1812 Overture) into GarageBand and edited them down to just the most famous theme from each. I also added some Sousa marches, rock, country and folk numbers, choral music, etc. I may run the iPod into the Motion Sound KP200-S and let 'er rip.

Here's the list. The last dozen or so are for the actual fireworks. a lot of the odd stuff is from eMusic.com. I particularly like the Dixieland version of The Washington Post March, Gene Autry's Yankee Doodle Dandy, and The Sing-Along Gang (sounds like some really peppy 50's studio vocalists with a polka band) and, of course, the Ray Charles America.

Yeah, I know Born in the USA isn't particularly patriotic and really paints a pretty dark picture of post-Vietnam America, but it's such an iconic sound and gets used with fireworks displays.

I also like to think Lee Greenwood is singing "I'm glad to be Anna Merkin."

Additions?

Washington Post March The Kings Of Dixieland
American Girl Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Living In America James Brown
The Yankee Doodle Boy Geo. M. Cohan Tonight
Glory Days Bruce Springsteen
The Fightin' Side of Me Merle Haggard
American Land Bruce Springsteen
Philadelphia Freedom Elton John
Yankee Doodle/ You're A Grand Old Flag The Sing-A-Long Gang
R. O. C. K. In The U. S. A John Cougar Mellencamp
This Land Is Your Land The Weavers
Living In the U.S.A. Steve Miller Band
In America The Charlie Daniels Band
God Bless America Kate Smith
Centerfield John Fogerty
Washington Post March Wurlitzer Carousel Band Organ
Born In The U.S.A Bruce Springsteen
Armed Forces Medley US Air Force Academy Band
Yankee Doodle Dandy Gene Autry
Battle Hymn of the Republic Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Pink Houses John Cougar Mellencamp
This Is My Country USAF The Singing Sergeants
America the Beautiful US Army Band
Star Spangled Banner The Charlie Daniels Band
Semper Fidelis John Philip Sousa
God Bless The U.S.A. Lee Greenwood
The Thunderer Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
This Land is Your Land Woody Guthrie
The Stars and Stripes Forever John Philip Sousa
Rhapsody in Blue (edit)
America Ray Charles
Beethoven #9 (edit)
Back In The USA Linda Ronstadt
Jupiter (edit) Holst- The Planets
America Neil Diamond
1812 Overture (edit)

A couple of Paul Simon Tunes
American Tune & America

American Tune presents an even darker, bleaker vision than Born in the USA. But it's not as though folks are going to be analyzing the lyrics or anything. Came on the first record album I ever bought, Here Comes Rhymin' Simon (along with McCartney's Red Rose Speedway and Chicago VI).

Thanks. I'm sure I have both tunes on the computer already.