“When the World Ends” by Dave Matthews Band (the Remix that was featured on the Matrix 2 soundtrack is a good version in my opinion and I’m not a DMB fan).
And come on… The End is a GREAT final song to play as it strikes midnight- you just have to find some good live versions of the song!
Wow. Didn’t expect there’d be so many.
Loved the Yankovic one. Absolutely hilarious. Nena and Zager and Evans were really good suggestions too. Need to listen to the other suggestions still.
Thanks for the tips. Keep 'em coming.
Again on the depressing side, but Jefferson Airplane’s The House At Pooneil Corners is mighty fine.
And, because of its use in Dr Strangelove, We’ll Meet Again by Vera Lynn is a suitable candidate.
If you like oldies, there’s always “the Merry Minuet.”
http://www.frivolity.com/teatime/Songs_and_Poems/merry_minuet.html
Then there’s King Crimson’s “Epitaph”
Tom Waits – Earth Died Screaming
When the Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash.
1983… (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)/Moon, Turn the Tides… Gently Gently Away by Jimi Hendrix
Say whaaaaa? I’ve never heard that idea before.
Speaking of Talking Heads…
(Nothing But) Flowers
Sufjan Stevens–They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!!
Regina Spektor–On The Radio
I don’t really think the DJ was asleep.
1999 by Prince
More apocalyptic on a personal level, but this might be the most depressing song ever:
One more by Dylan: A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall. The original version is not really party music, but you can go for the Rolling Thunder version, as released in theBootleg Series, Vol. 5.
Red Skies at Night, The Fixx
Everyday Is Like Sunday, Morrissey
(It may just be about a resort town during the off-season, but it has definite shades of “On the Beach.”)
King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man”
And while we’re at it, his So Long Mom, I’m Off to Drop the Bomb. is a good one.
Credence’s Bad Moon Rising might be good also, talking about more natural disasters.
Someone already said “Waiting for the End of the World” by Elvis Costello, but it bears repeating. Elvis also did the remarkable “Hurry Down Doomsday (the Bugs Are Taking Over)”
Also “Here Comes the Flood” by Peter Gabriel.
And my old friend Charlie M says the Beatles’ “Revolution #9” and “Helter Skelter” are about the end of the world. Sir Paul denies it, but he also claims to be not dead.
The Clash-Atom Tan
“the House at Pooneil Corners” - Jefferson Airplane (nuclear war song.)
“Miami 2017 (I’ve Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” - Billy Joel.
The Bryan Ferry coverhas a bit of a bounce to it.
Arguably “Red Rain” by Peter Gabriel, although who knows what it’s really about.
Rags of Flowers by John and Mary. A nice uptempo song about the Day After.