It's officially a time-honored tradition in the musical community: When Barack Obama puts you on his annual playlist, you have permission to go publicly ballistic.

When the former U.S. president put Lizzo's "Juice" on there: "I'm not OK!" the flutist and rapper hollered on Twitter, in all caps, with several exclamation marks. When he slotted in Jazmine Sullivan's "Pick Up Your Feelings," the singer posted an overcome-with-emotion emoji and a momentous, "Y'all."

Whether you love Obama's tastes — which lean toward R&B, soul, indie, and rap, often with a topical bent — or find them "cheugy," it's all part of the fun. Because no matter where your politics lie, it's not every day a president checks out your artistic creation and enjoys it enough to tell the world about it.

The music and audio industries have made Obama's support of the musical community a mutual interchange. The 44th president of the United States has won two GRAMMYs, both for Best Spoken Word Album — one for his reading of his first book, Dreams From My Father (1995), at the 48th GRAMMY Awards, and another for his second, The Audacity of Hope (2006), at the 50th GRAMMY Awards. At the 64th GRAMMY Awards, taking place Sunday, April 3, in Las Vegas, Obama is currently nominated in the Best Spoken Word Album category, his third nomination in the category, for the audiobook version of his 2020 memoir, A Promised Land.

Granted, the former president is not a professional musician — although he can sing a mean "Amazing Grace." But his GRAMMY wins put him in good company with GRAMMY-winning acts he's publicly supported, from Jay-Z to Stevie Wonder and Esperanza Spalding. 

Plus, his GRAMMY wins serve as a reminder of his wildly diverse musical legacy — from his series of playlists to breaking into song during public addresses to his support of musicians while in the Oval Office.

Throughout his presidency and into his post-presidency, Obama has shared what he's been listening to — revealing some seriously eclectic tastes for a public servant. In 2015, when the White House joined Spotify, Obama displayed his love for the classics, including Howlin' Wolf ("Wang Dang Doodle"), Bob Dylan ("Tombstone Blues"), and Sly and the Family Stone ("Hot Fun in the Summertime").

But the playlist featured more than just well-worn selections from the mid-20th century: It contained the indie rock band Okkervil River ("Down Down the Deep River"), a glossy Coldplay hit ("Paradise"), and Philly rockers Low Cut Connie ("Boozophilia"). For a smaller or mid-tier band, one could hardly ask for a more high-profile endorsement; for a stadium act like Coldplay, it certainly didn't hurt.

During his time in the White House, Obama had a penchant for breaking out snippets of songs for effect. In 2012, he sang the opening line from Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

And three years later — during the eulogy for Rev. Clementa Pinckneu, who was killed in a shooting at a Charleston church that took the lives of nine members of a Bible study group —  Obama took a risk. 

"This whole week, I've been reflecting on this idea of grace," he said, before gliding into the timeless "Amazing Grace." The risk paid off, and added poignancy and power to the sorrowful occasion. It also made headlines and went viral. 

"According to the Christian tradition, grace is not earned. Grace is not merited. It's not something we deserve," Obama, a devout Christian himself, said during his speech. "Rather, grace is the free and benevolent favor of God."

If you need more proof that Obama was among the most musical presidents, just look at his guests. From Beyoncé performing the National Anthem during his 2013 inauguration and Janelle Monae at his Fourth of July party to presenting Diana Ross with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, he not only kept the lines of communication open with the musical community, he honored its leading lights whenever possible.

Most recently, Obama and his old pal Bruce Springsteen embarked on a multimedia project, Renegades. Encompassing a podcast and a book, it details their conversations about a more unified America. Now, with Obama's current GRAMMY nomination in the bag, it's anyone's guess how he will continue on this post-presidential path — but it'll most likely be with a story to tell and a song to sing.

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