The Fine Art of a Playlist
If you ask people what they love, it’s very likely that music is one of the things they say. So it’s fair to say that just about everybody has mp3 player, whether it’s one of Apple’s iPods (raises hand. I luv my nano), a Zune, or another fledgling player. I cant help but wonder “how many people use playlists, and of those, how many plan the contents of the playlist strategically?”.
Every player lets you select music by artist or genre. When I talk about playlists, I’m referring to “a themed or purpose-driven, manually selected set of songs”. For example, I like to run around Green Lake in the afternoons after work. One revolution is 2.8 miles, which takes me about 33-35 minutes, depending upon the day. I have constructed a playlist called “Running”, which contains particular songs in a specific order. What determines my order? Motivation. It’s specifically tailored to my sticking points. I know that at mile 1, I have different emotional needs than at mile 2. I’ve included my “Running” playlist to demonstrate.
- Morning Exercise by The Heavenly States
- Bad Reputation by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
- Slave to the Grind by Skid Row
- Monkey Business by Skid Row
- Lost in the Light by The Heavenly States
- The Middle by Jimmy Eat World
- Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet
- Middle of the Road by The Pretenders
- Cold Hard Bitch by Jet
- Go Faster by The Black Crowes
- Take It Off by The Donnas
- Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis
- Workin’ for a Livin’ by Huey Lewis and the News
- Mistaken by Save Ferris
- Dakota by Stereophonics
As of now, the total time for this list is 53.3 minutes. It’s always good to have a few extra songs in case you exceed your normal routine. This list is purpose-driven. Another way to create a list is to organize around a theme. I have a list called “Happy” that is designed to put me in a good mood. There are many other themes you could use like creativity, productivity, nostalgia, and relaxed – the possibilities are vast. I’m also including my Happy playlist.
- Ain’t That a Kick in the Head by Dean Martin
- Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson
- Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness
- Kodachrome by Paul Simon
- Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours by Stevie Wonder
- Such Great Heights by The Postal Service
- A Wink and a Smile by Harry Connick Jr.
- You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon
- (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher by Jackie Wilson
How do you organize your playlists? Share one of your playlists in the comments.