By Chris Snellgrove | Published
A few years ago, I joined and became a Spotify junkie. I once realized I could sing while playing bad hero shooters Overwatch again Marvel Rivalsso did Joever. Although the ability to play new albums was cool, so what indeed what drew me to the streaming service was the playlist. Not the soulless, AI-generated lists they use now, but ones carefully curated by humans. Simply click on the many customized music tours that hold a big plead me, a guy from the first mixtape generation. What cemented my Spotify addiction, however, was the discovery of public playlists from my favorite creators.
These playlists often have many different types. Some of it was a huge list of music that the creator rushed through while writing a comic, movie, or episode. Mine favorite thing, however, is when they release a playlist focused on the character to the public. For example, have you ever wondered what Clark Kent and Lois Lane like to listen to when they’re running on a deadline? James Gunn has you covered. Over the years, listening to these types of playlists has become my favorite way to focus on my entertainment more than ever. So, at the risk of sounding like a shill (seriously, y’all have there is no sense how fast will I sell), here’s my guide to the best playlists on Spotify.
From Lit Hits to the best of Crit
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, no one has embraced Spotify playlists like professional writers. It takes many long hours to bring our favorite stories to life, and they spend a lot of time enjoying their favorite songs. Curious fans will be happy to know that some of their favorite authors have released playlists online, revealing exactly which songs helped them write their latest fiction.
One of the greatest writers to do so is horror legend Stephen King. He cooperated with him Far Out Magazine to release an official playlist of your favorite music on Spotify. It’s surprisingly eclectic, featuring songs from AC/DC, Sam Cooke, Shawn Mullins, and many more. According to the magazine, the master of the macabre has declared this his “ultimate playlist,” so listening to it is a great way to get inside the King’s head. If you want to skip the author’s official playlists, you’ll find dozens of user-generated playlists with music clearly referenced from his books, allowing you to create the most focused reading possible.
The latest author to embrace Spotify is Matt Dinniman, author of the best-selling Dungeon Crawler Carl books. He has several playlists of his own nature, including Day Songs, Night Songs, and a mix of favorite instrumental songs and favorite instrumental songs. What will fans of his LitRPG be the majority What he’s interested in is the official playlist he made for the first Dungeon Crawler Carl book. Although he sadly didn’t release the playlist in subsequent books, he did he did give fans the next best thing. In the DCC books, there are alarms that trigger world famous music whenever they are tripped. Dinniman released an official playlist featuring all of these songs, immersing fans in his hits while redefining (ahem) “trap music.”
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It’s an open secret that music is near and dear to Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley. Always a trendsetter, he was trending Spotify playlists well before Spotify was even a thing. In the early volumes of the Scott Pilgrim comic book, O’Malley often included details about the songs he was listening to while writing and drawing his indie art. Eventually, he took to Spotify and compiled all of these songs and more into a playlist titled “Scott Pilgrim 64.” This set list includes songs from Plumtree (who inspired the title of Scott Pilgrim), Metric (whom Brie Larson famously included Scott Pilgrim vs. The world), and Millennial staples like David Bowie and Tom Petty.
Those who love Scott Pilgrim often love to play. If that includes tabletop games, you might appreciate the fact that it’s the last one Pits & Dragons podcast, Key Role, has many the official playlist on Spotify. Are you a fan who would like to better understand what makes your favorite characters tick? The podcast has an official playlist of characters, campaigns, and DMs. All of this is great if you want to learn more about your favorite heroes, customize your character, or have the right mindset to create your own satisfying campaign.
Flying Over That Hill
While it has a killer, synth-heavy opening theme, Stranger Things it didn’t start out as a series known for its killer music or epic needle drops. That changed around Season 3, when we all enjoyed Dustin’s badass rendition of “The NeverEnding Story.” The next season featured Sadie Sink’s character escaping the Upside Down while listening to Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” Given how popular it was at the time, it may not be surprising to learn that Stranger Things has several official playlists on Spotify, each detailing what certain characters like to listen to when they’re not running from Demogorgons or saving the world from Vecna.
Arguably, no one in this genre loves music more than James Gunn, the director who made the needle drop in the premise of his Guardians of the Galaxy movies. He confirmed that Superman it was musical as well, including the Teddybears’ “Punk Rocker” as a callback to Lois’ self-proclaimed “punk rocker.” If you want to know what else she listens to, you’re in luck: she’s uploaded the official character playlist of Lois, Clark, Lex, and plenty of other characters. If you’re a huge Gunn fan, be sure to check out his other playlists, which include everything from his favorite wedding day songs to various GOTG-style mixtapes. Also, be sure to check out his Wrapped playlist to see just how smart the man who runs the DCU really is!
