Listening to music on a flight is an odd experience. It’s obviously the best choice for entertainment, especially if you don’t have a screen or a tray-table big enough for your laptop. But, the claustrophobic din of the engines and passengers doesn’t really disappear even when the music is playing. Noise-cancelling headphones are alright, but sometimes they make my head feel like it’s going to explode. Not to mention, the longer your flight is, the more daunting the number of songs you’ll have to sit through to pass the time.
However, there is a strange phenomenon I have observed that, in order to count down the hours, passengers don’t tend to listen to their entire library for the whole journey. Instead, they fixate on a single song that gets repeated over and over again while they shoot through the clouds. It’s happened to me on almost every flight I’ve been on, and it’s happened to a lot of my friends too. That’s what this playlist is. A playlist of songs that have been put on repeat while on an aeroplane. Enjoy!
Here is the link to the Spotify playlist, and as usual, I will link all the Youtube videos too. Just make sure to download them before you have to put your aeroplane mode on.
To start this playlist is what I think to be an underrated classic. This song is totally reminiscent of its era and genre, but it never gets as much love as its counterparts. You might know the Turtles as the band who put out ‘happy together’. Well, Elenore is the angsty teenage cousin of that song, literally. It was written to be a satire of their hit. It’s a 60s piece that only got to number 1 in New Zealand, possibly because of this very pessimism. However, Elenore is so much more mature than happy together. It’s a little sad while also juxtaposing the tears with sweet lyrics and smiles in the form of a melody that’s to die for. As far as repeat listening goes, I think this song really fits the odd emotions that being on a plane and travelling to a new place draws up. It’s not as comforting as some of the other songs on this list, but it’s definitely as catchy.
2. Born of Frustration – James
I’ve had a soft spot for James for a long time, so I knew I could listen to this song on repeat for a while before I ever employed it on a plane trip. It’s a stadium filler, for sure. My dad showed me Born of Frustration and told me that he used to listen to it when he was at University and was feeling at a loss for the human condition. I can see why, because the poetic lyrics are hugely existential, and the music supports this mystique with ease. I also love a song that doesn’t really follow the standard structure, and while this song does to an extent, by the last minute it’s come out of its cocoon as a majestic butterfly. Like most of the other songs on this list, despite its almost orchestral number of instruments, it’s very soothing. Not as much in its sounds and melodies, but in its story and premise. The world is a complicated place sometimes, but if you can sum up your feelings to it in a 4.5 minute long ode to the search for meaning, then how bad can it really be?
The dark subject matter of this song does drip slightly into the infectious melody, but not nearly enough to make it unenjoyable to listen to. In Lost, Frank Ocean takes his girlfriend’s experiences with drug smuggling at his instruction and makes it into art. Perfectly representing its title, with minimal threads and thoughtful additions, the song is lonely and adrift in its own excellence. The reverb on the vocals in the chorus is incredible, and you feel it in your throat and chest. Gentle flourishes of strings give it a very soundtrack feel, and of course, Frank Ocean’s vocals are so capable and comforting. This is needed, as by the bridge the song is so good at its pathos that it does start to get a little heavy. However, it also has an epic feeling of space, perfect for any manic pixie dream-girl wannabes who are taking solo trips to find themselves. It’s also super cool if you’re going to one of the destinations mentioned in the song.
‘Miami, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Spain. Lost. Los Angeles, India, lost on a train. Lost.’
This is singlehandedly the coolest song BTS have ever produced, so of course it has to be Kim Taehyung taking control. If you’re vehemently opposed to listening to KPOP just give this one a try, it’s a standout song in its own right and definitely doesn’t warrant being lumped into that often unrightfully hated umbrella genre. This song is not fast or sugar-coated. It’s assertive, poised, and knows exactly what it’s doing. The lasting bass carries you exactly where you need to be to appreciate the main part of the song, the vocals. Complemented with a simple metronome and a few chords here and there, the melody is masterful in its calm and stoic command. Despite being plain on the surface, through expert touches here and there it builds perfectly to its more raw and real conclusion. There’s no way you can appreciate the whole thing the first time around, it has to be played on repeat to best take your hand and pull you through to landing.
5. Killshot (Slowed + Reverb) – Magdalena Bay
Deep as the ocean and alluringly sexy, Killshot is American singer Magdalena Bay’s break-out piece. Synth has long been known for its ability to enrapture listeners with otherworldly sounds fit for a club lounge on a space station, and it is employed in abundance here. It’s an auditory experience, to say the least, and supremely catchy. It somehow manages to perfectly balance being powerful and empowering, while also being a bad gal’s lullaby that could send you into a dream-filled sleep. It’s poisonous in the most delicious way. There are two versions of this song, the normal one and the slowed one. For airplane music, opt for the slowed one to be swallowed up by a heart-stopping 84 BPM. This song and its simple melody are hypnotising, and you’ll be entranced to listen again and again, imagining yourself as a goddess bathing in pure gold before being wrapped in silk sheets. Or perhaps, more fittingly, an assassin taking a night off to date her newest target.
If you’re a chilled-out electric guitar and funky bass kind of gal, this is the song for you. The intro to this song is so intriguing, and each and every sound is certainly sharp enough to pierce the white noise of being on a plane. Despite being released in 1982, this song was made for modern headphones. The audio is almost 3D, to the extent that on your first listen you can’t help but let it wash over you like a tidal wave. The Who have iconic control of their instruments, and I really don’t think Eminence Front receives the love it deserves for combing their talents and techniques into one track, and still managing to remain humble and focused. On repeat though, it’s really easy to get used to this song, and the 5-minute runtime means your flight will disappear behind you as you imagine driving through downtown LA in your convertible at sunset in the mid-80s.
7. Cheri Cheri Lady – Modern Talking
Ok, so this song is perhaps a little more full-on than some others on this list, but somehow the addition of panpipes to the steady bass drum makes it so addictive. If you like it, once you’re into Cheri Cheri Lady you won’t want to stop listening. It also goes way too fast to really savour it, so repeat listening is a must. For some reason, the tune and the way everything is executed conjures up images of the Twin Peaks lounge in my head, and I’m not entirely sure why. The lyrics and vocals do take a little bit of a backseat, until the chorus that is, where all the component parts come together in a careful cacophony of echoing harmonies and sublime backing vocals. I found this song on a plane to Rome, and it still remains in my repeat playlist on Spotify every week.
Toned down and peeled back, British soul singer Dusty Springfield’s silky smooth vocals will take you on a trip far different to your flight, if you aren’t soothed to sleep first. I guess in some way this song could be classed as easy listening, but I think that’s only because it’s so suave, cosmopolitan, and inviting that it’s impossible for it not to have universal appeal. The jazz piano and sparkling tambourine might appear bland, but they carry the song perfectly until the simple but expert brass sections come in. This song makes you feel like you’re in first class, sipping on some tipple surrounded by friendly acquaintances. Or perhaps, at a jazz bar in central London in the 1950s with a cocktail in one hand and a Sobranie in the other. Put it on replay because it’s way too short, and thank me later.
This is a sample of the equally wonderful song ‘The Lamp is Low’ by Laurindo Almeida, originally based on a 1930s track of the same name sung by Mildred Bailey. It’s just a simple guitar melody laid over computer-generated beats, but there’s something wrapped up in this song that can only be appreciated on an airplane. The low tempo is tranquil and deep, beckoning you to fall into a meditation backed by looped listening. Lo-fi is wonderful for flights as the perfect soundtrack to the clouds racing by outside the porthole, and this song really takes the cake. Sit back, relax, put Aruarian dance on repeat and think of all the wonderful things you’re going to do in your destination. As an aside, pretty much the entire departure album is just made to be put on replay. Do I even need to mention Shiki No Uta again?
Listen, this one is a little bit more sickly than the other BTS song above, but it’s still so pleasing to listen to. The length and complexity of the melodies really require you to listen more than once just to become familiar with the song anyway. You can taste the sweetness of the lyrics, and it’s the perfect BPM to quell any anxieties you have about flying. As far as repeat listening goes, Serendipity offers so much more than many other songs in its 4 minutes. Again, the soft and basic beat takes allows the gorgeous vocals to shine, but it’s just enough to feel like your plane seat is actually comfortable and you have infinite legroom. I always imagine myself as a prima ballerina dancing to this song, and that’s proved to be a great way to pass the time.
11. Time of the Season – The Zombies
‘What’s your name? Who’s your daddy? Is he rich like me?’
Another hit from the 60s, time of the season had a part in defining the permissive nature of new musical genres in the UK. And thank god The Zombies put it out because this song is a delight to listen to. It’s no wonder so many bad girls came out of the 60s when they had songs like this to listen to. Dubbed psychedelic pop, Time of the Season entrances you from the very first bass notes. The drums melt into the melody, and before you know it you’re hearing the Zombies iconic harmonies. With a smug smile and all the cocky class and charm of its era, this song is so fun to listen to on repeat. It is a tad drawn out, and the ending gets a little too jumpy to be sonically pleasurable, especially compared to the other songs on this list, but it’s worth it to get to the beginning again.
12. Growing Up Beside You – Paolo Nutini
This is such an easy song to finish this playlist because if the other songs don’t soothe you enough to relax into them for your flight, this one definitely will. I don’t have to say much about Paolo Nutini, because it’s common knowledge that he’s a master of his craft. This song is the third track on his second album ‘Sunny Side Up’, which I will definitely be doing a post dedicated to at some point. It’s really airy and light, with the Nutini classic of acoustic guitar and simple drums. Yet, it somehow manages to conjure up emotions that I’ve only felt in the deepest recesses of my memory. Fitting, as the whole song is about nostalgia. It’s great for repeat listening, mostly because once is never enough for this song. But, it never gets overbearing and is paced exquisitely. Perfect for landing in a new place with memories of what you’ve left and anticipation for what life will now bring, or returning flights back to your loved ones and a changed place with unchanged familiarity. This song is home.
ELLE VA 