RIP Tom Lehrer

Tom Lehrer was pre-Xennial, but I discovered him through modern streaming algorithms. My wife’s parents had him in their record collection, so she’d been listening to him since she was a kid. Even though Lehrer recorded before Xennials were born, his social/political satire is sharp and relatable to modern ears, and his straight comedy is still funny. His influence is in a lot of later musical comedy (from Weird Al to Bo Burnham) and nerdier music (TMBG). A few years ago, he released all his music into the public domain and made it all available on his website (https://tomlehrersongs.com). It’s worth a listen if you haven’t heard him before.