In the days and weeks following the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, many Americans turned to music to soothe, pacify, heal, rouse and distract. It was a time when people were faced with unprecedented surges of emotion and looked, in part, to songwriters to help make sense of the changing landscape. Two landmark events -- The Concert for New York City and America: A Tribute to Heroes -- were organized after the attacks, spurring artists to write inspired new material and re-appropriate classic rock tracks to fit the current milieu.
Compared to more concrete measures, the role of music in the aftermath of 9/11 may seem trite, but these two benefits helped rally a city and a country to put aside differences -- temporarily, at least -- and focus on rebuilding something as important as any physical structure: the national psyche. Here are 10 unforgettable moments from those two programs.
AMERICA: A TRIBUTE TO HEROES