The list of 10 tracks chosen below from the Voyager’s Golden Record is a representation of various sounds created here on Earth, though specifically human-made. If, for a second, we can pretend to be extra-terrestrials with no knowledge of Earth or it’s beings, these sounds are unimportant, and cannot possibly reflect the deeper cultural significant they each carry. As such, I chose to include tracks that objectively differ from each other simply based on their sounds (instruments/vocals). My second criterion was to include a cultural/geographical representation – though simply for my own satisfaction because again, I’m not sure regional differentiation would mean anything to Earth’s outsiders – and thus, to the best of my ability, tried to incorporate (almost) each continent. I also thought it was valuable to include the greetings, which may not have a musical component, but as far as making sounds, it is equally as meaningless, or meaningful, depending on how you view these sounds as an ET.
- International – Greetings
- Peru – Wedding song (a cappella)
- Navajo, America – Navajo Night Chant (Indigenous)
- Germany – Bach – Brandenburg No 2 (classical composer)
- America – Chuck Berry – Johnny B Goode (rock and roll)
- Senegal – Tchenhoukoumen percussion (percussion)
- Mexico – El Cascabel – Lorenzo Barcelata & the Mari – (multi instrumental)
- China – Flowing Streams (strings)
- India – Jaat Kahan Ho – Surshri (vocals, percussion?)
- Azerbaijan – Ugam (bagpipes)