< Today in Music History: Shut it Down Prince! | Main | Random Vinyl: 7/4-7/8 >

Friday 9:30 Coffee Break: Countdown to Atlantis Liftoff!

Posted at 9:00 AM on July 8, 2011 by Jill Riley (48 Comments)
Filed under: 9:30 Coffee Break

Space shuttle Atlantis is all fueled up and ready for liftoff this morning for the final flight of the 30-year program, even though the forecast for stormy weather is threatening to delay the launch. So hey, since this will be "all she wrote" for the shuttle program, this morning is a great opportunity to have a 9:30 Coffee Break theme around space exploration. It might be awhile before this topic comes around again. Yes, I'll have the David Bowie cued up.

Songs played:
Donovan "Atlantis"
Nilsson "Spaceman"
Beastie Boys "Intergalactic"
David Bowie "Space Oddity"
Carl Sagan "A Glorious Dawn"

Listen to Midmorning on 91.1 KNOW or online at mprnews.org for live coverage of the launch of the final space shuttle mission. Atlantis is set to blast off at just before 10:30 CT. Hear that launch live plus a discussion of the future of the U-S manned space program.

Comments (48)

Rocket Man - William Shatner version?

Man on The Moon - REM

Posted by Chris | July 8, 2011 9:05 AM

my only request is please no rocket man

Posted by Mike | July 8, 2011 9:05 AM

Spaceman by The Killers!

Posted by Tara Lindahl | July 8, 2011 9:07 AM

Spaceman -- Nilsson

Space Is the Place -- Sun Ra

Everyone's Gone To the Moon -- Jonathan King

I Am the Cosmos -- Chris Bell

Posted by lou | July 8, 2011 9:08 AM

Peter Schilling - Major Tom

Posted by Oj | July 8, 2011 9:08 AM

David Bowie - Space Oddity

Europe - The Final Countdown

Posted by Brandon | July 8, 2011 9:08 AM

Atlantis (Donovan)

Posted by Charlie | July 8, 2011 9:08 AM

Manplanet - Skylab!!!

Posted by jake | July 8, 2011 9:09 AM

The Dukes of Stratosphear (XTC) - Bike ride to the moon

Posted by Mark | July 8, 2011 9:10 AM

just please do not play the final count down

Posted by chris nelson | July 8, 2011 9:10 AM

Please no Rocket Man! :'/

Space Lord - Monster Magnet

Man on the Moon - REM

Posted by Scott | July 8, 2011 9:11 AM

Space Oddity - David Bowie (of course)

Surfing on a Rocket - Air

Life on Mars? - David Bowie

Posted by Lauren Gillman | July 8, 2011 9:11 AM

Anything by Astronaut Wife!

Posted by Chris M | July 8, 2011 9:12 AM

"Venus and Mars" Paul McCartney and Wings....

Posted by Barbara | July 8, 2011 9:15 AM

Bowie in Space by Flight of the Conchords...this would just make my day. :)

Posted by Maggie Eisenbeis | July 8, 2011 9:16 AM

How about a song that was written for the first shuttle mission?

"Countdown" by Rush

Posted by John | July 8, 2011 9:16 AM

Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien‏

Posted by Brandon | July 8, 2011 9:16 AM

Into the Great Wide Open - Tom Petty
Fly Me to the Moon - Sinatra

Posted by cait | July 8, 2011 9:17 AM

"Starman"- David Bowie
"Dig for Fire"- Pixies (just because the video so strongly suggests an astronaut team)
"Next Year"- Foo Fighters (also heavily influenced by the video)
Yes, "Man on the Moon"!
Yes, "Atlantis!"
Yes "The Final Countdown"!

Fantastic coffee break theme!

Posted by Topher Boyd | July 8, 2011 9:17 AM

Blast Off - Weezer

Posted by Joe C. | July 8, 2011 9:17 AM

Blast Off - Weezer
Intergalactic - Beastie Boys

Posted by Joe C. | July 8, 2011 9:20 AM

It's probably not in the Current's library, but there are several great space-y tracks on "Tonight the Stars Revolt" by Powerman 5000...
- "Supernova Goes Pop"
- "Tonight the Stars Revolt"
- "Blast Off to Nowhere"

Or there's always...
"Space Station No. 5" -- Montrose
"Enough Space" -- Foo Fighters
"Space Lord" -- Monster Magnet
"Lost in Space" -- Fountains of Wayne

Posted by (JL) | July 8, 2011 9:20 AM

"Space I'm In" by The Candyskins. Pretty please with asteroids on top?

Posted by cal | July 8, 2011 9:22 AM

Stellar - Incubus

Posted by Joe C. | July 8, 2011 9:23 AM

A more realistic request, I realize, is "Under the Milky Way" by The Church.

"Supernova" by Liz Phair

"Major Tom" by Peter Schilling

You are playing "Space Oddity" by Bowie, right?

Posted by cal | July 8, 2011 9:24 AM

Space Walk by Lemon Jelly (come on, it samples dialogue from the first moon landing)

Posted by Spencer | July 8, 2011 9:25 AM

"Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois" - Sufjan Stevens

Seconding Bowie's "Life on Mars"

er...something by Man or Astroman?

Posted by JA | July 8, 2011 9:25 AM

Carl Sagan- A Glorious Dawn (probably only on youtube)

Posted by Nick Langer | July 8, 2011 9:25 AM

Interplanet Janet - Man or Astroman
8 Miles High - The Byrds
By rocket to the moon - they might be giants

Posted by loran | July 8, 2011 9:25 AM

it also might be awhile until you get and excuse to play Bowie In Space by Flight of the Conchords......just sayin.........

Posted by Mike | July 8, 2011 9:25 AM

"There's So Much Energy in Us" - Cloud Cult

Posted by Kris F | July 8, 2011 9:27 AM

"Atlantis" - Donovan

Posted by Jason | July 8, 2011 9:27 AM

Helium - Aging Astronauts

Posted by Dan F | July 8, 2011 9:27 AM

"Man on the Moon"-- Sugar

Posted by Ben Gettenhoff | July 8, 2011 9:27 AM

Space Race - Billy Preston

Posted by swendogger | July 8, 2011 9:28 AM

Seconding both
Man on the Moon- R.E.M.
Intergalactic- Beastie Boys

A little bit of an obscure suggestion here so I don't expect it to be played but anyone who reads this should check out Bad Astronaut by James Kochalka. Fun tune from my college radio days in the 90's

Posted by matt | July 8, 2011 9:28 AM

'Girl from Mars' - Ash

Posted by cal | July 8, 2011 9:29 AM

"Man on the Moon"-- Sugar

Posted by Ben Gettenhoff | July 8, 2011 9:29 AM

They Might Be Giants were embassadors for the space program in the 90's. You could play something off Apollo 18 such as..
See the Constellation or Spacesuit

Posted by loran | July 8, 2011 9:31 AM

The Sun is a Mass of Incondescent Gas - They Might Be Giants

Posted by doug sandels | July 8, 2011 9:31 AM

Playboy in outer space / Dada / dada

Not sure if there are any playboys on board.. but still, it's a cool song.

Posted by Tad w | July 8, 2011 9:32 AM

Souvlaki Space Station - Slowdive

Ladies and Gentlemen we are Floating in Space - Spiritualized

Spacemaker- AIR

Posted by Shane David Kramer | July 8, 2011 9:32 AM

Rocket Machine - Opal

Posted by Brett | July 8, 2011 9:37 AM