Reports are that 38 million viewers tuned in to watch Barack Obama give his acceptance speech last night at Denver's Invesco Field at Mile High.  Those who did saw that, among other things, the Obama camp has (mostly) good taste in music.

In between speeches, throughout the first three days of the Democratic Convention (at the Pepsi Center) one could hear songs like Earth Wind & Fire's "Shining Star," "Fantasy," and "That's the Way of the World" played by the "house band," a live performance of "Born in the U.S.A." by Melissa Etheridge and recordings of songs like The Staples Singers' "I'll Take You There," John Mellencamp's "R-O-C-K in the USA" and Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and "Think."

Last night's live performances began with a full-throated "Star Spangled Banner" by Jennifer Hudson.  John Legend sang "Yes We Can" around a rap by Wil-i-Am and the Agape Choir, but unfortunately, the choir was almost inaudible (on C-Span anyway).  Whatever sound glitches were fixed by the time Sheryl Crow did her up-beat and optimistic 3-song set: "A Change Will Do You Good," "Out of Our Heads" and "Everyday Is a Winding Road" which she combined with Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now."  Stevie Wonder, along with Take 6, sang "Fear Can't Put Dreams to Sleep."  Then Wonder rocked the house - or, shall I say, stadium - with "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" which the Obama camp has been using as on their theme songs.  The final and most emotional vocal performance of the night was Michael McDonald who sang "America, the Beautiful" from deeper than his soul - more like from the sole of his feet.