Last Friday, MPR News reported that Jack King, the retired NASA employee who became known as "the voice of Apollo," had died at age 84 in a hospice facility not far from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

King's "10 … 9 … 8 …" countdown sequence for the 1969 launch of the Saturn V rocket that ultimately put astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon was heard by a live, global television audience; the archive audio has been heard by hundreds of millions of people since. (Watch a YouTube compilation of King's countdowns.)

Thinking about Jack King's iconic countdown sequences got us thinking about how many songs include the count-off at the beginning of the finished track.

So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, let's honor Jack King: What songs do you want to hear that feature an audible count-off? Send us your requests.

Songs Played

Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs "Wooly Bully"
The Modern Lovers "Roadrunner"
U2 "Vertigo"
The Beatles "Taxman"
Ramones "Cretin Hop"
Outkast "Hey Ya!"

Do you deserve a Coffee Break? We at The Current's Morning Show think you do, and we want to bring treats from Black: Coffee and Waffle Bar to your workplace. Let us know why you'd like a Coffee Break.

Related

• NASA Mourns Loss of Former Launch Commentator, Jack King (nasa.gov)