Futurists have worried about the rise of the machines at least as far back as the Greeks. The story of Icarus isn’t just one of hubris, but specifically hubris in the form of man defying nature via a machine. And then there’s Talos, the giant, bronze robo-man that circled Crete three times per day, protecting the island from marauders.

Those writers may have been a little premature with their prognostications, but we might live to see machines finally hit the tipping point. The combination of robotics and artificial intelligence is awfully powerful, and while I doubt we’ll see some sort of Terminator-like Armageddon, the impacts on global economies might be dramatic. If you think the chasm between the haves and the have nots is big now, imagine how big it’s going to be when all of the have nots’ jobs are automated.

Well that’s a depressing thought. Let’s cheer ourselves up with a little music while we still can:

“When the Machines Rock,” Gary Numan & Tubeway Army.

“Saviour Machine,” David Bowie.

“People Are Strange Machines,” Buzzcocks.

“Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine,” The Supremes.

“Man and Machines,” Pete Townshend.

“Never the Machine Forever,” Soundgarden.

“Silver Machine,” Hawkwind.

“Bone Machine,” Pixies.

There you have it: Eight songs to welcome our inevitable replacements. What did I miss while I was standing on the unemployment line? I’m listening.