Summer Travel Trends and Road Trip Playlists

With the pandemic grounding flights worldwide and international travel stymied by a host of complex, country-specific border restrictions, globetrotters have had to look closer to home for summer adventure. Consequently, they’re hitting the open road in droves and cranking up the music while they’re at it.

According to data collected by Spotify between May 5 and July 30, there was a massive jump in the creation of road-trip playlists between June and July – a 92% increase, predominantly from listeners in the US, but also from the UK, Australia, Canada, and Germany. Moreover, there was a spike in camping-themed playlists as well, with an impressive nearly 140% increase, a clear sign that Spotify’s audience is feeling both the pull of the open road and the appeal of wide-open spaces.

It appears listeners are taking action. In July, streaming in offline mode increased by 24% compared to other months, indicating just how many people were on the move at summer’s peak. Of Spotify’s curated playlists, Classic Road Trip Songs was the clear favorite, with 3,518,918 likes, followed by 70s Road Trip at 2,140,061 likes and Indie Rock Road Trip, boasting 571,192 likes.

On average, user-compiled road-trip playlists tally around five hours, featuring hits like Harry Styles’s “Watermelon Sugar,” Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA,” and OutKast’s “Hey Ya!” These songs prove just as popular as classic-rock sing-alongs such as “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “Life is a Highway,” and “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Additionally, many listeners have included podcasts into their queues, with favorites like Stuff You Should Know, Crime Junkie, My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, and Ted Talks Daily resonating well.

In the realm of camping-themed playlists, they are currently in high rotation in Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, and Germany. Notable tracks include “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, “Fishin’ in the Dark” by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, “Under the Bridge” by Red Hot Chili Peppers, and “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I. Weather-related hits such as ACDC’s “Thunderstruck” and “Rain On Me” by Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande also capture listener attention.

For those opting for staycations, Spotify reports an almost 120% increase in the creation of staycation-themed playlists from June to July. This trend is particularly noticeable in the US, the UK, Brazil, Canada, and Ireland, where listeners assemble seasonally-appropriate tunes like “Island In The Sun” by Weezer, “Summertime Magic” by Childish Gambino, “Kokomo” by the Beach Boys, Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved,” and Don Henley’s “The Boys Of Summer.”

Discover unique playlists that reflect your travel spirit and enhance your summer adventures through GoTravelDaily.