Folk Rock Music
The song “In the Year 2525” by Rick Evans begins with the phrase “In the year 2525, If man is still alive, If woman can survive…” and goes on to describe a dystopian future in 1,010 year increments — 3535, 4545, 5555, etc. The song begins in A minor, and modulates up by half-steps through several minor keys. The minor key and pseudo-gypsy harmony foretell mankind’s bleak future. For example in the year 3535 all of our feelings, thoughts and words will be determined by a daily pill. According to Zager and Evans, we are doomed by our own passive dependence on technology.
“In the Year 2525” was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and #1 in the UK for three weeks in 1969. Zager and Evans were unable to follow their monster hit with another chart single. However the song has a legacy of its own. It has been covered at least 60 times in seven different languages. Notable versions include covers by Italo-French singer Dalida and the UK group Visage. It has been used as a theme song for TV series Cleopatra 2525, Millennium, and the animated series Futurama.