Who are the good guys? They’re pretty easy to spot in books and movies, where ambiguity is a device rather than a sad reality.

In everyday life, though, spotting heroes is more challenging. Sometimes bad guys strap on white hats and declare themselves heroes, for example. Other times we mistake dangerous or challenging jobs for heroism, which it can sometimes be, but blanket statements are rarely accurate. Most often we bandy around the word “hero” as a synonym for “one whom I admire,” i.e., “David Bowie is my hero” or some such.

Inevitably, though, I think real heroes are as easy to spot as their fictional counterparts. They’re the folks who put themselves in harm’s way to help a stranger, whether that means running into a burning building or picking up a picket sign. The guy in the ill-fitting white hat who’s telling you he’s a hero because he’ll fuck over those other people on your behalf? He’s no hero. He’s a con man, a coward, and an asshole.

Anyway, hero songs:

“Celluloid Heroes,” The Kinks.

“Disposable Heroes,” Metallica.

“Headless Heroes,” Eugene McDaniels.

“Hero,” Ministry.

“The Hero,” Queen.

“Hero,” Sturgill Simpson.

“My Hero, Zero,” Lemonheads.

“Nobody’s Hero,” Rush.

There’s eight tracks from my personal playlist about heroes, but you can be heroes, too. Do we need another hero? I don’t know, but tell me what I missed anyway. I’m listening.