Benjamin Franklin did not just help invent a country. He also invented lightning rods, bifocals, the Franklin stove, swim fins, and what might be the greatest mustache in American history. If the man had lived another hundred years he probably would have invented the electric guitar too.
So what would the most curious mind of the 18th century be listening to if he wandered into modern day Philadelphia with a pair of bifocals and a freshly charged lightning rod? Probably the bands that carry the same restless energy he had. Philly has always had a musical current running through it, from arena rock to soul to modern alternative. Franklin was a tinkerer, an experimenter, and a man who clearly enjoyed making a little noise when the situation called for it.
This WWTL2 playlist imagines Ben Franklin discovering the modern Philadelphia sound. Some songs nod to electricity, invention, and discovery. Others simply capture the rebellious spirit of a man who once flew a kite into a thunderstorm just to see what would happen.
If anyone was going to turn curiosity into rock and roll… it was probably Ben.