My Ultimate Travel Playlist

Anyone who’s ever done a road trip with friends, or sang along to ‘Holiday Road’ in National Lampoons Vacation knows that music and travel go together like ‘desert’ and ‘island’. From deep fist pull-downs to Bon Jovi while cruising Route 66 to chilling at Cafe Del Mar in Ibiza, everyone has one great travel memory that’s associated with a song or album and it’s often enough of an emotional connection that will cause you to jump straight on iTunes as soon as you get home to download that very song you haven’t stopped humming for days. And it always seems to be the case that others will be humming that very song that you are – like last summer it was ‘We No Speak Americano’ – everywhere I went it seemed someone was experiencing a spiritual connection with this song and during a trip to the Greek Islands with my girlfriends, we soon did too. I didn’t love the song before the trip, but now when I hear it it takes me back to Ios where we danced, drank and partied our stresses away to this very song, and I couldn’t love it more. For me it evoked such a carefree and fun vibe – and the fact that everywhere we went people knew the words and danced with complete strangers to it firmly cemented it as our ‘song of the trip’. But were these new found friendships being formed because of the alcohol or the music? The Jagerbombs surely didn’t have that much effect on people right?!

It’s long been known that the link between music and emotions is strong, so it’s only natural that we associate certain songs to trips when the trips themselves evoke the kinds of feelings we may usually attribute to listening to our favourite album or a night out at a gig. There’s even a name given to this association called the ‘Darling They Are Playing Our Song’ theory, which is so powerful it can take you back to the very moment you heard the song  like you were living it all over again. So, if you happened to be travelling at the time this association can reinforce those happy memories and take you right back to that dance floor in Cancun in a heartbeat. Pretty amazing stuff.

I’m currently reading ‘Musicophilia’ by Oliver Sacks and it’s got me thinking of all the songs that mean ‘travel’ to me and which inspire all of the emotions that goes with it – freedom,  happiness, love and optimism. Some songs have a personal meaning to me or my friends, and some are classics that I already love but am mentally noting for any future cross-country road trips, or full Moon parties in Thailand.

So here it is, my ‘Ultimate Travel Playlist’!

1. ‘Land Down Under’ by Men at Work – Being an Aussie, this song is ingrained in me, and having been away from home for so long I always get a sense of patriotism whenever I hear it.
2. ‘Pack Up’ by Eliza Doolittle – Makes me want to just get on a plane and head straight for the beach!
3. ‘Are you Gonna Go My Way?’ by Lenny Kravitz – Such a cool driving song, best listened to when a friend is driving and you’re free to air drum and air guitar simultaneously.
4. ‘We No Speak Americano’ by Yolanda Be Cool – If you were on a dance floor anywhere last year then you know what I’m talking about. Awesome summer party tune.
5. ‘Drinking In LA’ by Bran Van 3000 – Such a cool song, reminds me of long bus trips across Europe and falling asleep listening to my iPod, awaiting my next destination.
6. ‘Empire State Of Mind’ by Jay Z and Alicia Keys – Great party tune, makes you feel on top of the world, not just if you happen to be in the Big Apple!
7. ‘Glorious’ by Natalie Imbruglia – A song about having a blast in London – I listen to it when I’m having a ‘I love London so much’ day.
8. ‘Livin On A Prayer’ by Bon Jovi – Who doesn’t get the urge to belt this one out when the cover band starts with the guitar intro? When I get the chance to drive Route 66 one day, this will be on my playlist.
9. ‘Begin’ by Ben Lee – This song reminds me of flying solo in New York a few years ago, and incidentally was written by an Aussie artist Ben Lee who wrote the song about being alone the city.
10. ‘Watch the Sun Come Up’ by Example – Chilled out super-catchy dance tune about falling in love in Ibiza – will make you want to chase the summer forever!

So, what’s on your ultimate travel playlist?

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