DJ by Destination

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

With summer in full swing it's primetime for vacations and gatherings with friends and family. Whether you're traveling by plane, train or automobile, you'll need some inspiring tunes to change your attitude as you switch latitudes.

Let your destination dictate song choices

• Is the coast your destination? Check out some recommended tunes from my beach playlist below.
• Are you hopping a plane to London? Don't forget to add Elton John and Beatles favorites to your list! National Geographic also has a great London playlist that you can download on iTunes.
• Alternately, if you're heading to the states from Europe, a few fun American favorites like "American Pie" by Don McLean and "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynard Skynard or "Why Georgia" by John Mayer and "Omaha" by the Counting Crows are a couple songs to add to the mix.

You can bet that while everyone else on my plane to London

was sleeping I was rocking out to some Beatles tunes!

Photo Source: Eco Worldly

Calculate the length of your trip to make sure you aren't hitting repeat.

• Are you taking a transatlantic trip? If so, you'll need a much longer list than if you were taking a couple hour jaunt to the beach. Be sure to make your list much longer than the length of the trip as you may skip over songs en route. Don't just rely on the radio -- I was once on a 14-hour roadtrip to Florida for Spring Break and the antenna snapped off two hours into the trip! Be prepared with plenty of tracks to fill the time it takes to get to your destination.

Being tuneless for any stretch of a roadtrip is no way to start the fun.

Photo Source: I've Been There

Consider your travel companions when making making selections.

• If you're planning to play the songs that others will be listening to, consider their styles in music too. Grandma probably isn't going to enjoy listening to rap music. But if it's you and a car full of girls, don't hesitate to crank 80s favorites like "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

Traveling Tunes

There aren't any rules, so please feel free to add your own favorite roadtrip songs by adding them to the end of this post! My playlists are just a reflection of my own taste and preference in music, so these songs are just a jump off for you to create a playlist with your own favorite songs and bands. Still need more inspiration? Check out more themed lists voted as bests by NPR listeners.

Beach Trip Tunes

"Tequila Sunrise" by the Eagles

"If You Like Pina Coladas" by Jimmy Buffet

"Sail Away" by OAR

"Two Pina Coladas" by Garth Brooks

"Summertime" by Kenny Chesney

"Summer Girls" by LFO

"Cheeseburger in Paradise" by Jimmy Buffett

"Sitting on the dock of the bay" by Hootie and the Blowfish

"I Shot the Sheriff" by Bob Marley

"No Shoes, No Shirts, No Problems" by Kenny Chesney

Songs for All Destinations

"So Alive" by Ryan Adams

"Beautiful Day" by U2

"Holiday in Spain" by Counting Crows

"Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman

"Hotel California" by Eagles

"Break Away" by Kelly Clarkson

"Anywhere You Go" by Gin Blossoms

"If I had a million dollars" by Barenaked Ladies

"Picture" by Filter

"Across the Universe" by the Beatles

"Here Is Gone" by Goo Goo Dolls

"Holiday" by Green Day

"Sweetness" by Jimmy Eat World

"Satellite" by Dave Matthews Band

"Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol

"Trains" by Ryan Adams

"Viva la Vie" by Coldplay

"Clocks" by Coldplay

"City of Blinding Lights" by U2

"It's My Life" by Bon Jovi

"It's All Been Done" by Barenaked Ladies

"Here's to the Night" by Eve

"Learn to Fly" by Foo Fighters