# Earliest Song To Mention The Internet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 26, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208 "2015-07-26T03:03:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/21 "2015-07-26T17:05:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Which is absurd, because backslashes almost never show up in Internet addresses, and slashes (which do show up) would never directly precede the dot com. This drives me nuts. I still hear folks on TV and radio refer to the forward slash as a “backslash.” I assume this comes from the old DOS days but I have no idea why it’s still so commonly mangled. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/22 "2015-07-26T19:00:01Z")
The Future Sound of London “ISDN” album (compilation of stuff live streamed, well, over ISDN) was 1994, so maybe that gets some points. I’d not be surprised if the winner was some obscure Goa/Trance/alien-mushrooms-elves-eating-2CB type of outfit from the first years of the 90s. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/23 "2015-07-26T19:09:33Z")
Other possible, digging around-- a techno thing called Info Superhighway by 2 Unlimited from '94? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/24 "2015-07-26T19:15:43Z")
I was going to suggest Unbelievable Truth’s _Landslide_ but on examination, the lyric is “We’re caught **in a net**.” ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/25 "2015-07-26T20:33:43Z")
The [into song](https://youtu.be/A81IwlDeV6c?t=22s) to The Kids’ Guide to the Internet is from 1997. It’s also the greatest song made by human beings. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/26 "2015-07-26T20:46:31Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > I nominate _The Relay_ by the Who…It was part of Townshend’s Lifehouse concept album wherein the populace spends most of its time in “experience suits” in lieu of interacting with reality. Pete returned to his concept of “The Grid” in his 1993 album **Psychoderelict** : > [@](#): > > _You will receive life programs that precisely suit your needs and desires. Our planet is challenged. Decent people need to be protected. So, enjoy the present while we hope for the future. Slip on to the Life Experience Grid today._ ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/27 "2015-07-26T22:27:12Z")
“Deeper Understanding” by Kate Bush, released in 1989, doesn’t specifically mention the internet , but rather a ‘computer program’ that connects her to either a distant other person or a programmed avatar. Either way, it very precisely predicted how dating and sex relationships would become filtered through computers. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/28 "2015-07-26T22:40:44Z")
Others: use of term “internet” (found a good search engine) 1995: Bowie in Algeria Touchshriek Ace of Base (?!) in Strange Ways Momus in Virtual Valerie The Amps in Tipp City Lots of others show up in '96 and '97. I can’t find any credible entries from '94. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/29 "2015-07-26T22:52:11Z")
(I mean, Bowie? Yeah, of course. I can see it (surprised I didn’t remember it). The Amps? Sure. Momus? No surprise, I guess. Ace of Base? … Not usually on my ‘avant garde’ band list) ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/30 "2015-07-26T23:14:30Z")
Another early song that references connected-up computers is Warren Zevon’s Networking from 1989. > **[Warren Zevon - Networking Lyrics | AZLyrics.com](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/warrenzevon/networking.html)** > > Warren Zevon "Networking": There's a way to live that's right for us Like Mayans in Manhattan and Los Angeles I'm scaling up, I... ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/31 "2015-07-26T23:28:13Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > I find it surprising that mid 90’s is the earliest for reference. > > Let’s face it that’s when the world wide web brought it to the modern popularity. However, email, ftp, and usenet groups have been on their for at least 10 years before this. No songs mention this? > > Interesting if there’s any mention of bulletin boards, how I first came across a net like entity, of course some of these, such as compuserve, also tied into usenet and the internet… Were people generally calling it “the internet” back then, though? I first got online in 1989, but we just called it Andrew, because that was the name of Carnegie Mellon’s network and there wasn’t a whole lot we did outside of CMU-related stuff. There just wasn’t much out there other than email (few people had it in those days) and some usenet groups. Anybody know when “internet” came into common usage? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/32 "2015-07-26T23:50:29Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Anybody know when “internet” came into common usage? The term takes off from near zero in [1990](https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=internet&case_insensitive=on&year_start=1980&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=0&share=&direct_url=t4%3B%2Cinternet%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3BInternet%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Binternet%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BINTERNET%3B%2Cc0). Looking at that graph, I’d put 1994 as the year it went common. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/33 "2015-07-26T23:56:14Z")
We called it the Internet when we got on back in 1988. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/34 "2015-07-27T00:49:15Z")
I was in college in the early 90s and for many people The Internet was just E-mail because that’s all they used it for so they would call all of it “e-mail”. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/35 "2015-07-27T03:37:24Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > I was in college in the early 90s and for many people The Internet was just E-mail because that’s all they used it for so they would call all of it “e-mail”. We got on for Usenet newsgroups. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/36 "2015-07-27T05:10:59Z")
I suspect [Surfing on the Web](http://work.deaccession.org/impressions/), written in 1993, was the first song to mention the web. The band was made up of CERN employees, and their picture is supposedly the first one to appear on the web. They don’t use the word “internet” though. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/37 "2015-07-27T11:12:46Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > We got on for Usenet newsgroups. Me too! I spent years on the Straight Dope Usenet group in fact. But most people ignored those. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/38 "2015-07-27T12:23:15Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The term takes off from near zero in [1990](https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=internet&case_insensitive=on&year_start=1980&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=0&share=&direct_url=t4%3B%2Cinternet%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3BInternet%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Binternet%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BINTERNET%3B%2Cc0). Looking at that graph, I’d put 1994 as the year it went common. Oh cool! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/39 "2015-07-27T17:58:08Z")
I’m surprised there are no “chat room” songs. There was a time when everybody who otherwise knew zilch about computers somehow were familiar with at least the term “chat room”. I still hear it from people who are proudly anti-computer. I tried once to explain forums to a Luddite coworker, and the response was, “duhh, is that like a chat room?”:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208/40 "2015-07-27T19:16:00Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > We got on for Usenet newsgroups. There were a ton of novelty songs floating around Usenet and BBS’s, many of which naturally dealt with computers. I’m sure someone could dig out a lot of very early examples of the use of various internet-related terms from archives of those sources, though I’m not sure that kind of song is what the OP is looking for, since I imagine few of those songs were ever actually performed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-song-to-mention-the-internet/726208.md?page=3)