Road Trip Playlists

The Perfect Spotify Playlist for Your Next Road Trip

If you want to add an extra bit of interest to your next road trip, a themed playlist is an amazing way to do it! These playlists were designed to put your adventure over the top by creating the perfect soundtrack for your travels. Each playlist is inspired by a specific city or location and aims to add an immersive layer to your trip. You’ll find these playlists filled with local artists – big and small – and songs that match the local vibe, all culminating to create a sound that is unique to the location.

One of the magical things about music is its ability to transport us. It’s irrevocably tied to our memories, able to instantly take us back to a specific age, moment, or place. Not only will these playlists add a special touch to your road trip, but they’ll also provide you with a way to relive your experiences once you’re home. Whenever that feeling of wanderlust hits, just press play on your travel playlist and be swept back to your favorite places on Earth.

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The perfect playlist for your trip to Big Sur or the California Coast. The vibe is Retro Pop mixed with Blues Roots, Soft Indie, and a little bit of Feel Good Summer. Inspired by the Big Little Lies soundtrack and featuring artists such as Michael Kiwanuka, Leon Bridges, Alabama Shakes, and more.

Genres: Retro Pop, Blues Roots, Soft Indie
Featured Artists: Michael Kiwanuka, Leon Bridges, Alabama Shakes, Mik Cool, Fleetwood Mac, & more.

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Inspired by the NYC streets of Brooklyn and beyond, this playlist is filled with local artists and songs celebrating The City of Dreams. The vibe is as eclectic as the city itself, ranging from Hip Hop to Indie Rock. Featuring artists like The Strokes, Santigold, Barrie, & more.

Genres: Alt-Rock, R&B, Indie, Hip-Hop
Featured Artists: The Strokes, Barrie, Vampire Weekend, Santigold, Kid Cudi, Lil’ Nas X, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Alicia Keys, & more.

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The perfect playlist for your road trip along the coast. Inspired by the beauty of the ocean waves and seafaring life to create a vibe of Calm Instrumentals and Moody Indie. Featuring artists like Agnes Obel, Billie Eilish, The Shins, Yann Tiersen, & more.

Genres: Calm Instrumental, Classical
Featured Artists: Agnes Obel, Yann Tiersen, Patrick Watson, Austin Farwell, Joep Beving, Nils Frahm, & more.

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Inspired by Spaghetti Westerns, Desert Rock, and Modern Psychedelic Rock, this is the perfect playlist for your road trip through Arizona, New Mexico, and beyond. Featuring artists like Beirut, Danger Mouse, Mystic Braves, Alessandro Alessandroni, and more.

Genres: Spaghetti Western, Alt-Rock, Modern Psychedelia, Rock
Featured Artists: Beirut, Danger Mouse, Mystic Braves, Alessandro Alessandroni, Desert Sessions, The Animals, The Doors, & more.

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For the love of Bridgerton and Jane Austen. Equal parts Cottagecore and Regencycore, this is the perfect feel-good classical soundtrack for tea time in the garden. Featuring artists like Steve Horner, Kris Bowers, and Isobel Waller-Bridge.

Genres: Classical, Regencycore, Cottagecore
Featured Artists: Steve Horner, Kris Bowers, Isobel Waller-Bridge, Max Richter, Johan Sebastian Back, & more.

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Inspired by the sidewalk cafes of Paris. Grab a croissant and settle in with jazzy, French tunes by the likes of Brigitte Bardot, Jill Barber, Django Reinhardt, and more.

Genres: French Vocal, Jazz
Featured Artists: Brigitte Bardot, Jill Barber, Zaz, Chet Baker, Django Reinhardt, Eartha Kitt, Édith Piaf, Françoise Hardy, & more.

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Synthwave, Dream Pop, and Electropop genres combine to create a vibe inspired by LA nightlife and neo-noir films like Drive. Featuring artists like Billie Eilish, Cannons, The Marías, Massive Attack, and more.

Genres: Dream Pop, Synthwave, Electropop
Featured Artists: Billie Eilish, Cannons, St. Vincent, Suki Waterhouse, The Marías, Massive Attack, & more.

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French pop and indie songs create the classic "je ne se quoi" cool Parisian vibe. Featuring artists like Emma Peters, Juniore, Alice et Moi, Jacqueline Hardy, La Femme, and more.

Genres: French Pop, French Indie
Featured Artists: Emma Peters, Juniore, Alice et Moi, spill tab, Jacqueline Taieb, Videoclub, La Femme, & more.

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The perfect playlist for a road trip to Portland, Oregon. Inspired by Portland's iconic hipster culture to create a vibe that's Indie and Alternative with a dash of Modern Psychedelia. Featuring artists like The Shins, STRFKR, Tame Impala, BØRNS, and more.

Genre: Indie, Alternative, Modern Psychedelia
Featured Artists: The Shins, STRFKR, Tame Impala, BØRNS, Phoenix, MGMT, Cage the Elephant, & more.

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Indie Folk tunes to accompany you on your road trip through the mountains of Colorado, Montana, Tennessee, and beyond. Artists include Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, The Lumineers, Band of Horses, and more.

Genre: Indie Folk
Featured Artists: Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, The Lumineers, Band of Horses, Haley Hendrickx, Lord Huron, Mumford and Sons, & more.

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The perfect playlist for your road trip to Music City itself, Nashville, TN. Inspired by the golden age of country and honky tonk that gave Nashville a place in music history. Featuring Nashville's most iconic stars like Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton, country music pioneers like Patsy Cline, and Nashville-influenced musicians like Jack White.

Genre: Golden Age Country, Honky Tonk, Alt-Rock
Featured Artists: Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Jack White, Nathaniel Rateliffe, Lillie Mae, Dolly Parton, Andrew Bird, Hank Williams, & more.

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Inspired by the historic city of Boston, the seafaring culture along the coast, and the iconic autumn scenery that's synonymous with New England. The vibe is Indie-Alt, '60s Rock, Bedroom Pop, and Sea Shanty. Featuring artists like Vampire Weekend, Frances Forever, Dropkick Murphys, The Zombies, & more.

Genre: Indie, 1960s Rock, Bedroom Pop, Sea Shanty
Featured Artists: Vampire Weekend, Frances Forever, Dropkick Murphys, The Zombies, Barrie, & more.

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Inspired by the 1950s Golden Age and Mad Men eras of Manhattan. This collection of swing and jazz music features artists like Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Artie Shaw, and more.

Genre: Swing, Jazz, 1950s
Featured Artists: Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin, Doris Day, Peggy Lee, Artie Shaw, Etta James, Chet Baker, & more.

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The perfect playlist for your road trip through the Pacific Northwest. Inspired by the misty grey skies and casual vibe so iconically associated with the region to create a vibe that's chill, atmospheric, and low-fi. Featuring artists like Bon Iver, Beach House, The Shins, and more.

Genre: Chill, Atmospheric Indie, Low-Fi
Featured Artists: Bon Iver, Beach House, Vancouver Sleep Clinic, The Shins, Sufjan Stevens, Novo Amor, & more.

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Inspired by San Francisco's Summer of Love to create a Psychedelic Rock vibe. Featuring 1960s icons like Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and The Zombies as well as modern artists like Tame Impala and The Claypool Lennon Delirium.

Genre: 1960s Rock, Modern Psychedelia
Featured Artists: Jefferson Airplane, The Zombies, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Sweetwater, Tame Impala, Mystic Braves & more.

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The perfect playlist for a road trip to Seattle, Washington. Inspired by the grunge music that put Seattle on the map. Featuring early-90s artists like Nirvana, Garbage, and The Smashing Pumpkins as well as modern artists like Courtney Barnett, Arctic Monkeys, and The White Stripes.

Genre: Grunge, Alt-Rock
Featured Artists: Nirvana, Garbage, The Smashing Pumpkins, Courtney Barnett, Arctic Monkeys, The White Stripes, & more.

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This is the perfect playlist to accompany your adventures to Earth's most otherwordly places. Inspired by everywhere from Death Valley, to Utah, to Wadi Rum, and all the slightly alien landscapes in between. The vibe is otherworldly with artists such as Broken Bells, Beach House, and Tame Impala.

Genre: Otherworldly, Modern Psychedelia
Featured Artists: Broken Bells, Beach House, Tame Impala, The Vines, Ratatat, Radiohead, Gorillaz, Arcade Fire, Air, & more.

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The perfect soundtrack to Southern California. This playlist was inspired by the sunny, west coast vibes of SoCal to create a playlist that ranges from Indie to Ska. Featuring artists such as She & Him, BØRNS, The Beach Boys, Sublime, and more.

Genre: Indie, Pop, Surf Rock, Ska
Featured Artists: She & Him, The Beach Boys, Sublime, BØRNS, Kate Nash, Coconut Records, Barrie, Weezer, & more.

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The perfect playlist for your road trip through the Deep South states of South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana and beyond. Inspired by the South's musical heritage and a little of that Southern Charm to create a vibe that incorporates Soul, New Retro, Country, and Folk. Featuring artists like Leon Bridges, Ray Charles, She & Him, Irma Thomas, Patsy Cline, and more.

Genre: Soul, New Retro, Country, Folk
Featured Artists: Leon Bridges, Ray Charles, She & Him, Irma Thomas, Patsy Cline, Andrew Bird, Nina Simone, Alabama Shakes, & more.

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The perfect playlist for your road trip to Texas. Inspired by Austin with its country roots & hipster vibe, the sound is Indie and Alternative Rock influenced by that cowboy grit you find in Texas. Featuring artists like Spoon as well as The Raconteurs, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, & The Black Keys.

Genre: Alternative & Indie Rock
Featured Artists: Spoon, The Raconteurs, The Black Keys, Fleetwood Mac, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Beck, Cage the Elephant, Mattiel, & more.

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Seasonal Playlists

Calm Christmas Spotify playlist featuring Christmas instrumentals and soft indie

Genres: Instrumental Christmas, Soft Indie Christmas
Featured Artists: She & Him, Henry Smith, David Schultz, Michael Bublé, Stephan Moccio, & more.

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Genre: Classic Holiday
Featured Artists: Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Stevie Wonder, Michael Bublé, Frank Sinatra, She & Him, Bing Crosby, & more.

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Genre: Christmas Cocktail Jazz
Featured Artists: Vince Guaraldi Trio, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Haley Reinhart, & more.

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The perfect playlist for your fall road trip or Halloween festivities. Featuring Dead Man's Bones, Billie Eilish, Eels, and some Nightmare Before Christmas for good measure.

Genre: Indie, Alternative, Macabre
Featured Artists: Dead Man’s Bones, Billie Eilish, Eels, Danny Elfman, Modest Mouse, Fleetwood Mac, Tegan and Sara, Lana Del Rey, & more.

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featured road trip guides.

Maine coast
trail ridge road
Minnesota north shore
oregon coast
valley of fire

Playlist Guides