Every apocalypse movie has a soundtrack, and every apocalypse survivor will have exactly the music they downloaded before the internet went down, which is the part the movies skip. So this post comes in two halves: ten playlists for the moods you will actually have at the end of the world, and the practical business of keeping any of them playing once your streaming subscription is a fond memory.
Keeping the music alive
Streaming services do not work without servers, and servers do not work without power and people. If you want music after the collapse, you need files you own, on devices you can charge.
- Download, don’t stream. Most streaming apps let you save songs for offline listening, but those downloads usually check in with the service every few weeks and stop playing if they can’t. Music files you have bought or ripped yourself (MP3, FLAC) will play forever.
- Pick a dedicated player. An old phone in airplane mode or a cheap MP3 player sips power compared to anything with a screen that is constantly searching for a signal.
- Plan your power. A small folding solar panel and a power bank will keep a phone or player going indefinitely in decent weather. A hand-crank emergency radio covers the gloomy days and doubles as your source of news, if anyone is still broadcasting.
- Keep a backup. A second copy of your library on a microSD card weighs nothing and survives being dropped in a river better than your phone does.
The playlists
1. Survival Mode. For running, climbing, barricading and anything else that needs your heart rate up.
- “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor (the band name alone earns it a spot)
- “Lose Yourself” by Eminem
- “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons
- “Stronger” by Kanye West
2. Zen Vibes. For the moments when panic is the most dangerous thing in the room.
- “Weightless” by Marconi Union
- “Clair de Lune” by Claude Debussy
- “Spiegel im Spiegel” by Arvo Pärt
- “Breathe” by Télépopmusik
3. Road Trip Anthems. For the long drive to wherever the rumors say is safe, assuming you found fuel.
- “Life Is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane
- “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf
- “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson
- “Take It Easy” by Eagles
4. Motivational Mayhem. For days when getting out of the sleeping bag is the whole battle.
- “Eye of the Needle” by Sia
- “Hall of Fame” by The Script
- “We Will Rock You” by Queen
- “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake
5. Chill Shelter Grooves. For the rare evening when the door is barred and nobody is on watch duty but someone else.
- “Island in the Sun” by Weezer
- “Teardrop” by Massive Attack
- “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley & The Wailers
- “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
6. Night Watch. For staying awake on a dark perimeter. Keep the volume low and one earbud out, because the point of a watch is hearing things.
- “Midnight City” by M83
- “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones
- “Blue Monday” by New Order
- “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics
7. Apocalypse Acoustics. Stripped-down songs for sitting by the fire and thinking about what you lost.
- “Hurt” by Johnny Cash
- “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel
- “Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones
- “Angie” by The Rolling Stones
8. Hopeful Harmonies. For reminding yourself what you are surviving for.
- “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
- “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles
- “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers
- “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
9. Dystopian Disco. Because a dance party in a ruined mall is a perfectly reasonable response to the end of the world.
- “Dancing Queen” by ABBA
- “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson
- “Last Dance” by Donna Summer
- “Electric Avenue” by Eddy Grant
10. Emotional Odyssey. For the bad nights, which there will be.
- “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi
- “Fix You” by Coldplay
- “Mad World” by Tears for Fears
- “All I Want” by Kodaline
Bonus: the songs that are actually about the apocalypse
Musicians have been rehearsing the end of the world for decades. If you want a playlist that is on-theme rather than merely on-mood, start here:
- “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” by R.E.M.
- “London Calling” by The Clash
- “Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones
- “99 Luftballons” by Nena
- “Princes of the Universe” by Queen, written for Highlander, for anyone who intends to outlive everyone else
What is on your end-of-the-world playlist? Tell us in the comments, and tell us which single album you would save if you could only keep one.