The Ultimate Desert Southwest Road Trip Playlist

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There’s nothing quite like driving through the deserts of the American Southwest. The scorching sun above dusty fields of cacti, tumbleweeds blowing past as you make your way through the iconic American landscape. It’s like a scene from a movie, and one that can only be made better with the perfect soundtrack. I’ve got you covered there with the perfect Desert Southwest road trip playlist.

This is the ultimate Desert Southwest playlist to accompany you on your next road trip through Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and beyond.

This travel-themed playlist series was designed to both add another layer of interest to your trips as well as to give you a way to relive your experiences once you’re home. Whenever you’re missing the desert, or even if you’ve never been and just want to mentally transport yourself, throw on this playlist for instant desert vibes.

Catch the full Desert Southwest Road Trip playlist at the bottom of this article. Follow it on Spotify to have it saved to your Playlists for easy access. Be sure to check out The Awayist on Spotify for more travel-themed playlists as well.

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The Inspiration

Something about riding through the deserts of the Southwest instantly makes you feel like you’re starring in your own Western film. This playlist was designed to be the soundtrack to your movie. From classic Spaghetti Western sounds to modern Desert and Indie Rock, this playlist is the perfect backdrop for your American Southwest adventure.

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Start Planning Your Desert Southwest Road Trip

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Featured Artists

There are usually a few musicians or groups that I build a playlist around to create a cohesive feel. These are some of the key players that influenced the sound of this Desert Southwest playlist.

Rome (Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi)

My household is a big fan of anything Danger Mouse does. For this project, he teamed up with composer Daniele Luppi to create a Spaghetti Western-inspired album, and it’s pretty epic. The venture is titled Rome, and not only does it feature musicians who recorded Spaghetti Western soundtracks, but it also brings in vocals from Jack White and Norah Jones on songs like “Two Against One” and “Black”. The whole album is incredible, and it’s featured heavily throughout this playlist. You’ll find several other songs by Danger Mouse or Daniele Luppi on here as well.

Beirut

I always try to work local artists into my travel-themed playlists, and this New Mexico native band was a no-brainer. While it’s clear that Beirut’s tunes have many worldly influences, it’s easy to feel the mark of the band’s home state on their sound. “The Gulag Orkestar” could be the soundtrack to any Western movie standoff. Moreover, if you want to hear the desert sun wrapped up in a song, listen to “Gallipoli”.

Mattiel

What’s a desert playlist without a little Rock? Mattiel’s particular brand of rock really hits the spot. A little bit indie, a little bit desert rock, and the slightest bit of honky-tonk all come together to form the perfect Southwest sound.

Standout Songs

There are SO MANY good songs on this playlist, so it’s hard to pick just a few to highlight. I certainly didn’t leave off Desert classics like “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals or “Riders of the Storm” by The Doors, but there are countless others that really make this playlist special. Here are just a few to get excited about.

Redeemer – Karen O, Danger Mouse

I told you Danger Mouse would have several more appearances throughout this playlist, and here’s just one of them. This time he teamed up with powerhouse vocalist Karen O of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs. With lyrics like, “You’re not coming for me, I’m coming for you,” this song was just begging to be added to a Desert Southwest playlist.

Bang, Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) – Nancy Sinatra

Classic. So good. No further explanation needed.

History Song – The Good, The Bad, and The Queen

I’m not sure if Damon Albarn was actually influenced by the Spaghetti Western classic when he named this band, but I’m going to go with it. Whenever I hear this song, I can picture driving through the dusty desert – elusive mirages on the hot pavement and tumbleweeds blowing past.

The Switch and The Spur – The Raconteurs

The Raconteurs are one of my favorite bands in general. This particular track is a fantastic example of the desert exemplified through song.

Something You Can’t See – Desert Sessions

Okay, so I originally only came across this group because it has the word “desert” in it, but it turned out to be a perfect addition to this playlist. Desert Sessions is a musical collective made up of numerous musicians from the Desert Rock scene. This song is one of my favorites rounding out the psychedelic rock sound that every desert playlist needs.

All the Spaghetti Western classics

Songs from films like A Fistful of Dollars and The Good, The Band, and The Ugly, as well as countless others that were influenced by the genre, are spattered throughout the playlist. These are really what sets this playlist apart and make it feel uniquely like a soundtrack to the American Southwest.

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While the bones of the playlist will always stay the same, I’m consistently searching for new songs to add to the mix. Have anything you would add to this playlist? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to check them out!

Follow this playlist on Spotify to have it saved to your Playlists for easy access. Be sure to check out The Awayist on Spotify for more travel-themed playlists as well.

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