From songs that make you feel like you’re running away from problems at 155 bpm to songs that make you want to get down in Club Penguin’s dance club, here are some oddly specific Spotify playlists you didn’t know you needed in your life.
There are certain songs that just get a certain feeling or vibe. With millions of songs available at our fingertips, it can be difficult to find the right tracks to match a specific vibe you’re looking for. But out in the vast space of music like Spotify, there are playlists that hit vibe or feeling that you didn’t know was possible. There are also places like the Facebook group Oddly Specific Playlists Facebook Group, which is filled with people from around the world who share unique taste in music recommendations every day without the fear of being judged
From playlists that match a certain theme like Songs that would play in a heist movie after somebody’s like ‘I know a guy…’ to ones that match more nuanced feelings like homesick for a place that doesn’t exist, discover new music with these 15 oddly specific Spotify playlists you didn’t know existed. Who knows, these playlists might even help you find your new favorite band or, at a deeper level, validate a feeling you didn’t even know you felt.
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1. Songs that would play in a heist movie after somebody’s like “I know a guy…”
Looking to get your Danny Ocean on while you plan the slickest heist the Vegas Strip has seen? We know a playlist. Wrangle up your team of specialists to the funky beats of Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker) by Parliament or the legendary riffs of Jimi Hendrix on All Along the Watchtower.
Grab your electronics specialist to Zig Zag Wanderer by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band; your con man to They Say I’m Different by Betty Davis; your getaway driver to Pump It by the Black Eyed Peas; and your explosives expert to Sabotage by the Beastie Boys.
Top playlist picks: Cissy Strut by The Meters, Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz, Bigger by Propellerheads, Dirt Off Your Shoulder by Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, and Suitwalk by John Swihart.
2. Oldies to listen to on low volume at night because you have insomnia
Searching for a vintage feel at two in the morning? This playlist is your lullaby. Time-travel to a simpler time with a classic like Moon River by Henry Mancini (and sung by Audrey Hepburn herself!). Or slow dance yourself to sleep with You Belong To Me by Jo Stafford. There’s something for everyone on this midnight playlist.
Top playlist picks: Midnight, The Stars And You by Ray Noble & His Orchestra, It’s Been a Long, Long Time by Harry James, I’m In The Mood For Love by Julie London, Nevertheless (I’m In Love With You) by The Mills Brothers, and I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire by The Ink Spots.
3. running away from my problems at 155 bpm
There are just some things in life that could be dealt with at another time (preferably never). In the meantime, skedaddle to the sound of Elton John’s Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) while you fly over hurdles to Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now. This is the perfect playlist that you can play to charge up your jogs or get those weekend chores over and done with.
Top playlist picks: Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) by Elton John, Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen, Back on the Chain Gang by Pretenders, Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen and Do Yourself A Favor by Prince.
4. You’re a radio at night in a horror movie which just starts playing for no absolute reason
Imagine a movie’s protagonist tiptoeing around an empty house. They can feel that something’s wrong but they just can’t put their finger on it. Then, out of nowhere, the radio begins to play the music that’s too light for the mood. The protagonist gets even more suspicious. Who turned the radio on? Does it matter? This antagonist has some good taste in music.
The music is innocent but the setting somehow makes it creepy. A masked killer chasing a teary-eyed protagonist to the sound of Mr. Sandman by The Chordettes makes for a hair-raising scene.
Top playlist picks: Twilight Time by The Platters, Funnel Of Love by Wanda Jackson, Danke Schoen by Wayne Newton, You’re Gonna Miss Me by Connie Francis, and Tainted Love by Hannah Peel
5. Getting Down In Club Penguin’s Dance Club
Leave your Puffles at home because it’s time to tear the dance floor up with this packed playlist. Invite your most sabaw friends, turn out the lights, and have a virtual dance party you won’t forget to the beats of One More Time by Daft Punk and Lady Gaga’s seminal Just Dance.
Top playlist picks: Just Dance by Lady Gaga, One More Time by Daft Punk, Wannabe by Spice Girls, American Boy by Estelle and Kanye West, and If U Seek Amy by Britney Spears
6. Songs for the mountain man who’s seen some shit in his years and now lives as a drifter in the woods
What better playlist to listen to during isolation? Imagine living the simple life, tucked away in a small log cabin somewhere in the mountains. It’s been years since you began your exile in the woods, but you’re getting by well enough. Let White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes while you go about your daily activities around the quiet forest you call home. Wind down by the fire after a long day with Big Black Car by Gregory Alan Isakov. It isn’t loneliness—it’s solitude.
Top playlist picks: White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes, Big Black Car by Gregory Alan Isakov, Ophelia by The Lumineers, Ruins by First Aid Kit, and Rocky Mountain High by John Denver.
7. Pushing 90 on the highway driving up the coast with the sun setting over the ocean to your left
The perfect playlist for cruising along an open road (that’s probably not EDSA) under the orange-colored sky. Pop on this playlist, step on the gas, and let the world disappear; you’re flying now. Live in the moment with Jelani Aryeh’s Stella Brown or let the white lines ahead hypnotize you to the bass lines of Fever Pitch by Rainbow Kitten Surprise.
Top playlist picks: Arabella by Arctic Monkeys, Vienna by Billy Joel, Start A Riot by BANNERS, Sweet Disaster by DREAMERS, and Shampoo Bottles by Peach Pit.
8. Swingin’ in a hammock while you’re in love
Last night, you just went on your first date with your crush and it went just like how you wanted it to be. After a few good morning messages, you’re both off doing your own things for the day. What your crush doesn’t know is that your cheeks are sore from smiling too much. Life’s good. Lie down and rock yourself to a nap to Wildflowers & Wine by Marcus King. Savor just how well life is going at the moment with This Feeling by Alabama Shakes. It’s going to be a wonderful weekend.
Top playlist picks: Cigarettes and Coffee by Otis Redding, In Spite of Ourselves (feat. Iris DeMent) by John Prine, Do Friends Fall in Love? by Rachael & Vilray, Just The Two of Us by Kauai45 and Sweet Cocoa, A Sunday Kind Of Love by Etta James.
9. Songs that sound like they’re just having a conversation with each other.
Grab a partner and enjoy the beauty of banter with this playlist full of songs that are begging to be duetted to. This is the perfect playlist to jam along to while working on a pair project with your best friend or lounging around the house with your siblings. Take turns singing along to the upbeat Wild Blue Yonder by The Amazing Devil or the simple and acoustic Anyone Else But You by The Moldy Peaches.
Top playlist picks: You Don’t Know Me (feat. Regina Spektor) by Ben Folds, Anyone Else But You by The Moldy Peaches, Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men, Wild Blue Yonder by The Amazing Devil, and Sometimes Always by The Jesus and Mary Chain.
10. I fell down in the shower bc I was dancing
Break out your weirdest and more awkward dance moves with this playlist—no one’s watching anyway. Just try not to slip while you’re doing it. And if you find a moment alone at home and you just want to randomly dance and let loose, Animal by Neon Trees or Like That (feat. Gucci Mane) by Doja Cat are some of the perfect solo dance party songs.
Top playlist picks: Animal by Neon Trees, Like That (feat. Gucci Mane) by Doja Cat, Sober by Childish Gambino, Tongue Tied by Grouplove, and Sundress by A$AP Rocky.
11. THROW A TABLE AT SOMEONE
It’s your 5th email and your client still isn’t getting it? Or the WiFi’s slowing down just when you’re about to press submit on an important document? This playlist understands you. Flip the table, smash the router, throw your phone, and F*** some S*** UP all in the name of letting off some steam. Let everyone know that you’re not to be messed with for at least a few hours.
STFU! by Rina Sawayama matches the sound of hell being raised while hot girl bummer by blackbear takes the explicit words right out of your mouth.
Top playlist picks: STFU! by Rina Sawayama, hot girl bummer by blackbear, Gives You Hell by The All-American Rejects, Picture To Burn by Taylor Swift, and Grey Magic by $uicideboy$ and Ramirez.
12. Songs you’d hear in a 2010s commercial targeting Millennials
Introducing a cool new device to express yourself. Feel the sound. Experience the beat. We assure you, we’re a cool and hip company that likes to get down with the kids. Memes, right? And look! Our products even come in different colors so you can be unique just like everyone else. See if you recognize any of the music from this playlist, curated to help totally fresh and innovative brands reach out to the cool younger members of their target market—you.
Top playlist picks: Party People by Vince Staples, Everything at Once by Lenka, Gold on the Ceiling by The Black Keys, Disparate Youth by Santigold, and Love Invaders by Fatima Yamaha.
13. Songs that explicitly mention peanut butter
No matter if you’re hip-hop icon Kendrick Lamar or English alternative band Glass Animals, there’s one piece of food that you can never be too famous to enjoy—peanut butter. This playlist lives up to being odd and specific while also including sounds from a variety of genres. For a silly listen and lighthearted game of Where’s the peanut butter reference?, check this playlist out.
Top playlist picks: Gooey by Glass Animals, Perfect Time by Roddy Ricch, Redbone by Childish Gambino, Big Shot (with Travis Scott) by Kendrick Lamar, and Sucker for Pain (with Logic & Ty Dolla $ign feat. X Ambassadors) by Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, and Imagine Dragons.
14. Oddly specific song titles
Song titles usually go unnoticed but when artists put effort into the song name you can’t help but notice it and say: “What must that song sound like?” Usually the more specific a song title, the more specific emotion the artist is trying to convey. These include I Left My Towel at My Friend’s House and Then They Moved, Pt. 1 by Mom Jeans. about that unique melancholy of a friendship fading because of long distances. There’s also Hot Mulligan’s Please Don’t Cry, You Have Swag about being there for your closest friend to cheer them up.
But then there are also titles that have little to do with the song themselves or are left to your interpretation. These include All My Favorite Bands Use Long Song Titles So I Will Too by Anthony Amorim and the instrumental Most Really Pretty Girls Have Pretty Ugly Feet by HNNY. Browse the playlist and see which song title grabs your attention the most; you might discover a new favorite track.
Top playlist picks: If I’m Leaving, Then I’m Taking the Krabby Patty Secret Formula With Me by The Losing Score, two queens in a king sized bed by girl in red, Death Of A Strawberry by Dance Gavin Dance, I Think You Were in My Profile Picture Once by Modern Baseball, and I’m Sorry I Hit You with My Flip Flop by Mustard Service.
15. homesick for a place that doesn’t exist
It’s a quiet afternoon at home. You’ve got some free time on your hands. You look out the window for a few moments to rest your eyes from staring at your phone and laptop for so long. Suddenly, you feel a pang of some kind of longing. You aren’t exactly sad but there’s a sense of incompleteness that lingers around you.
The Portuguese have a term saudade that means a form of melancholic yearning. For what exactly? Let Haunt You (feat. chloe moriondo) by X Lovers and august by Taylor Swift ferry your feelings to a more conclusive place—wherever that may be.
Top playlist picks: Haunt You (feat. chloe moriondo) by X Lovers, august by Taylor Swift, Runaway by AURORA, and If the World Was Ending – feat. Julia Michaels by JP Saxe
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