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It's all about the music: tunes from Apple's keynote presentations

I hope this post gets filed in the "I knew I wasn't the only one!" mental filing cabinets of many. Because if it doesn't, then it makes me the only one who really looks forward to the music Apple uses in its keynotes. Whether it's a song that leads up to Steve Jobs' entrance on stage, or one used in software or hardware demos, there's no denying that music is very much a part of Apple's DNA. Heck, the company's namesake reflects Steve's love for the Beatles.


Apple occasionally invites some of music's biggest names to perform at its events because, as Steve says, "it's all about the music."

And this post is all about the music. It's all about the music that Apple has used in one way, shape, or form at its keynote events. Although by no means a definitive list, it's certainly a fair sample.



1983 - Apple Keynote
Apple Computer - We Are Apple (To the tune of Irene Cara's "What a Feeling")

January 1984 Event (Macintosh Intro)

Apple Computer - We Are Apple (To the tune of Flashdance's "What a Feeling")

March 1998 - Seybold
The Tramps - Disco Inferno
John Williams - Main Title/ Rebel Blockade Runner (Star Wars Theme)

Macworld New York 1998
The Whispers - And the Beat Goes On
The Whispers - Rock Steady

Macworld San Francisco 1999
Diana Krall - The Look of Love
Richerd Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra, op. 30
The Rolling Stones - She's a Rainbow

Macworld New York 1999
Chris Montez - The More I See You

August 1999 Seybold San Francisco
Weird Al Yankovic - Miss American Pie (Cover)
Buddy Holly - It's So Easy

October 1999 Special Event
The Beach Boys - Surfin' USA
The Beach Boys - Kokomo

Macworld San Francisco 2000
Green Day - Time of your life

Macworld New York 2000
Steppenwolf - Born to be Wild
Elvis Presley - Blue Suede Shoes
Dion and the Belmonts - Ruby
Kermit the Frog - It's not easy being green
Cream - White Room

Apple Expo Paris 2000
Jimi Hendrix - Purple Hazes
Steppenwolf - Born to be Wild

Macworld San Francisco 2001
B-52's - Love Shack
The Beatles - Here comes the sun
The Beatles - Let it Be
Sarah McLachlan -Sweet Surrender
Sarah McLachlan - Building a mystery
The Beatles - When I'm 64
The Rolling Stones - Beast of Burden
U2 - The Sweetest Thing
Nat King Cole - L-O-V-E

Macworld Tokyo 2001
BT - Godspeed
Barenaked Ladies - One week
Muse - Sunburn
Money Mark - Push the button
Snake River Conspiracy - How Soon is Now
The Ataris - The Radio Still Sucks

May 2001 Special Event
U2 - Sweetest thing
The Beatles - Here Comes the Sun
The Doors - When the Music's Over
Adiemus - Rain Dance

Macworld New York 2001
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Shop Around
Green Day - Waiting
Frank Sinatra - You Make Me Feel So Young
Cat Stevens - The Wind

October 2001 Special Event
Shonen Knife - Top of the world
Moby - Porcelain
Sarah McLachlan - Building a mystery
Bob Marley - Could You Be Loved
Yo-Yo Ma - Bach: Prelude, Cello Suite No. 1
The Beatles - I Should Have Known Better
Southern All Stars - Big Wave
The Beatles - Carry That Weight
Sarah McLachlan - Building a Mystery
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take 5
The Propellerheads - Take California
Sister Hazel - Beautiful Thing
Smash Mouth - All Star
Seal - Crazy

Macworld New York 2002
Yo-Yo Ma - 18
The Grateful dead - Ripple

Apple Expo Paris 2002
The Beach Boys - California girls
Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way
Sarah McLachlan - Building a mystery
The Beach Boys - Catch a Wave

Seybold San Fransico 2002
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Macworld San Francisco
Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World
Moby - Porcelain
The Ramones - What a Wonderful World

April 2003 Special Event
Barenaked Ladies - If I Had $1,000,000
The Clash - London Calling
Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
Sheryl Crow - Soak Up the Sun
Elvis Presley - Hound Dog
Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
David Bowie - Changes
John Mayer - Your Body is a Wonderland
Wayne Newton - Danke Schoen
Golden Earring - Radar Love
Glenn Gould - Invention
Talking Heads- Take Me to the River
Bobby Darin - Mack the Knife
Ella Fitzgerald - Mack the Knife
Arthur Murray - Mack the Knife
Willie Nelson - One for My Baby
Bette Midler - One for My Baby
Billie Holiday - One for My Baby
Ella Fitzgerald - One for My Baby
Frank Sinatra - One for My Baby
Billy Eckstine - One for My Baby
The Cranberries - Dreams
Eminem - The Real Slim Shady
Bob Dylan - Everything is Broken (alternate mix)
Bob Dylan - Spanish Harlem
Bob Dylan - Tangled Up in Blue
U2 - Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of
Sum 41 - Still Waiting
Eminem - Sing for the Moment
U2 - Beautiful Day
The Jackson Five - I'll be There
The Who - My Generation
Pink - Get the Party Started
Sir Mix a lot - I Like Big Butts

WWDC 2003
-Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice
-Fatboy Slim - Right Here, Right Now

Special Event October 2003
The Black Eyed Peas - Hey Mama
Jet - Are You Gonna be My Girl
Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall
Yo-Yo Ma - Williams
Sarah McLachlan - Adia
Bob Dylan - Hey Mr. Tambourine Man
Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World
Herbert von Karajan - Carmen Overture
The Eagles - Take it Easy
Sarah McLachlan - Building a Mystery
The Grateful Dead - Franklin's Tower
Sarah McLachlan - Fallen
Sarah McLachlan - In the Arms of an Angel

Macworld San Francisco 2004
Dire Straits - Walk of Life
Van Morrison - Domino
The Del Vikings - Come Go With Me
Frank Sinatra - Somewhere Beyond the Sea
The Cure - Friday I'm in Love
Talking Heads - Wild Wild Life
Sheryl Crow - All I Wanna Do
Elvis Presley - Don't Be Cruel

Apple Expo London 2004
Steriogram - Walkie Talkie Man
Jamie Callum - All At Sea
Sarah McLachlan - Building a Mystery
Snow Patrol - Spitting Games
Snow Patrol - Wow
Ray Charles - What I Say
Jerry and the Pacemakers - Fairy Cross the Mersey
David Bowie - Changes
Jimi Hendrix - Hey Joe
Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You
Dick van Dyke - Chim Chim Cher-ee
Vivaldi - "Spring" from the Four Seasons
Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
Ottis Redding - Sitting on the Dock of the Bay
Alicia Keys - Night Time is the Right Time (Ray Charles cover)
Alicia Keys - Fallin'
Buddy Holly - It's So Easy

WWDC 2004
Steriogram - Walkie Talkie Man
Maroon 5 - She will be loved

Apple Expo Paris 2004
Black Eyed Peas - Let's Get it Started

October 2004 Special Music Event
U2 - Vertigo
Green Day - Warning
John Mayer - Daughters
U2 - Original of the Species
U2 - Beautiful Day

Macworld San Francisco 2005
Black Eyed Peas - Let's Get it Started
U2 - The Sweetest Thing
Avril Lavigne - Don't Tell Me
Bow Wow Wow - I Want Candy
Louis Armstrong - Dream a Little Dream
John Mayer - Neon
The Caesars - Jerk It Out
John Mayer - Daughters

WWDC 2005
Elvis Presley - Stop, Look and Listen

September 2005 Special Music Event
Green Day - Warning
Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You
Black Eyed Peas - Let's Get it Started
The Faders - No Sleep Tonight
Bent Fabric - Jukebox

October 2005 Special Music Event
U2 - Original of the Species
Eminem - Lose Yourself
Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice
Madonna - Vogue
Ella Fitzgerald - All Through the Night
Natalie Cole and Diana Krall - Better than Anything
Miles Davis - Blue in Green
Green Day - Warning

Macworld San Francisco 2006
Ritchie Valens - Come On Let's Go
Wynton Marsalis - Sparks
Renato Carosone - Tu Vuo Fa L'americano
White Stripes - Hotel Yorba
Supergrass - Kick in the Teeth
Chemical Brothers - In Dust We Trust

February 2006 Special Event
Green Day - Warning

WWDC 2006
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California

September 2006 Special Event
Corrine Bailey Ray - Put Your Records On
Cut Chemist Feat. Bootie Brown and Ninja - The Audience is Listening Theme Song
Coldplay - God Put a Smile On My Face
Coldplay - Don't Panic
Otis Redding - Sitting on the Dock of the Bay
Pink Floyd - Us and Them
Pink Floyd - Any Colour You Like
Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
John Legend - Save Room
John Legend - Ordinary People

Macworld San Francisco 2007
James Brown - I Feel Good
John Mayer - Daughters
Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
Sheryl Crow - Steve McQueen
Green Day - Holiday
Oh No! Oh My! - Walk in the Park
Beatles - with a little help from my friends
Beatles - Lovely Rita
Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Talking Heads - Take me to the River
John Mayer - Gravity
John Mayer - Waiting on the World to Change

WWDC 2007
U2 - Beautiful Day

Special Event Summer 2007
Green Day - Warning
Aretha Franklin - Respect
Green Day - American Idiot
Plastic Ono Band - Give Peace a Chance
Romantics - What I like about you
Ray Charles - What'd I Say (Parts I & II)
Feist - 1234
Beck - Cellphone's Dead
Beck - Think I'm In Love
Bob Dylan - Tangled Up in Blue
John Lennon - Imagine
Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls
Colbie Caillat - Bubbly
Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
KT Tunstall - Hold On
Paul McCartney - Dance Tonight
KT Tunstall - Suddenly I See
KT Tunstall - Hold On

Macworld San Francisco 2008
Feist - 1234
Yael Naim - New Soul
Randy Newman - A Few Words In Defense of Our Country
Randy Newman - You've Got a Friend In Me

Spring 2008 Special Event
Brendan Benson - What I'm Looking For

WWDC 2008
Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire
Disney - It's a Small World
Chuck Berry - Maybelline

Special Event September 2008
Aretha Franklin - Respect
Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel
Buddy Holly - That'll be the day
Roy Orbison - Pretty Woman
Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire
Little Richard - Long Tall Sally
Beck - Guess I'm Doing Fine
Bob Dylan - Don't Think Twice, It's alright
Donovan - Catch the Wind
Simon and Garfunkel - America
Dean Martin - Ain't That a Kick in the Head
John Mayer - Split Screen Sadness
Chairlift - Bruises
Green Day - American Idiot
Jim Hendrix - Purple Haze
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Around the Bend
Jack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static
Jack Johnson - Better Together

October 2008 Special Event
Coldplay - Life in Technicolor
U2 - City of Blinding Lights

Macworld San Francisco 2009
Coldplay - Life in Technicolor II
Vince Guaraldi Trio - Linus and Lucy
Chris Joss - I Want Freedom
Tony Bennett - The Best is Yet to Come
Tony Bennett - I Left My Heart in San Francisco

WWDC 2009
The Submarines - You, Me and the Bourgeosie
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Around the Bend