We’ve all been there before.
You’re intent on studying the entire night away, but three hours suddenly pass before you realize your notes have been shoved to the side of the desk and you’re updated on everyone’s social lives through Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. Or maybe you’re going out and can’t find the right songs on your iTunes to really get you in the mood. Maybe you just need some good, new music to run to, or a playlist to get you through a 10-hour road trip. You’ve tried Pandora, but you hate all the commercial breaks. Making playlists on Spotify is too time consuming. And your own music selection just doesn’t quite make the cut.
Cue 8tracks.
It takes the best of many worlds, beginning by making a seamless playlist for you like Pandora, but without commercial breaks. And, the best part is that these playlists are crafted by users on the website, reminiscent of the classic mixtapes we used to burn for friends. From acoustic covers to quirky mash-ups, classic hits to obscure songs you can’t get out of your head, 8tracks allows you to “favorite” individual tracks and playlists, compiling lists and suggestions on your profile so you can discover more music just the way you like it.
Need some help getting started? Here’s a list of random playlists I’ve found to fit just about any certain mood or moment.
PLAYLIST TO STUDY TO
Lost in Music – Lizette Lara
It’s a perfect mix of instrumental music guaranteed to help you focus on dreaded assignments or papers, or just to keep your mind thought-free. I’ve been listening to this playlist ever since I started writing this article, and so far so good!
PLAYLIST FOR CATCHY COUNTRY HITS
It’s Gonna Be a Long Hot Summer, We Should Be Together – Laurenchels
My music taste is never concentrated on one area, but lately I’ve been into country songs with enough beat and kick to make you want to sing and fly down an old, dirt road. I thought it would be hard to find a playlist that matched my desire for country pop, but 8tracks pulled it off. I found every country song I had been singing in my head, as well as a few I’d never heard of, but purchased immediately. Laurenchels did a great job putting together a playlist that guarantees a good, country listening time.
PLAYLIST TO FIND THE SONGS FROM A TELEVISION SHOW
Best of Gossip Girl – ma95
Hits like Glee and Smash have made music an important part of television shows. While the actors and actresses themselves may not sing, the background music playing through scene changes can set the mood, as well as make you wonder about a song title or artist name. Grey’s Anatomy is a prime example of this, relying on breathy and often haunting acoustic numbers to detail the lives of the nurses and doctors at Seattle Grace Hospital. Another is Gossip Girl. After watching the past couple seasons of the Upper East Side drama this summer, I realized I had been curious about a song in just about every episode. This beautiful 8tracks playlist provided me with several answers that I needed, as well as a few gems I turn on repeat to this day.
PLAYLIST FOR A GIRL’S NIGHT OUT
We Girls Rage Twice as Hard – JTCB
For a good night out with your girls, getting ready is always a long and tedious process. But with the right playlist, it becomes a lot more fun (and distracts you from debating your outfit choice 27 times). This playlist is a good combination of hits you want to sing along to with your girls into the hairbrush, and songs that instill some serious girl power. By the time you all pile into the car to jet off to your destination, the fun will have already begun.
PLAYLIST FOR A LAZY RAINY DAY
Entourage of Escape – sainthood
Rainy days are often code for lying around, watching Law & Order marathons, ordering in and enjoying the dreary weather in between constant naps. This playlist definitely has the rainy day vibe, but adds an extra pep in its step, keeping you more awake than something completely acoustic and slow.
PLAYLIST FOR A KILLER WORKOUT
This Didn’t Happen Overnight – BECKEE
If I’m being honest, workout playlists are always the hardest to create. You need a hard pumping beat, something fast and loud, and songs that keep your mind off the fact that you’re on a treadmill and your lungs and legs are burning. Enter the amazing workout playlists on 8tracks, full of inspiring mash-ups, dubstep tunes, and other catchy songs to help you finish those last miles. This playlist in particular has gotten me through a few of my longer workouts (and that’s an accomplishment, as I am hardly ever motivated to hit the track or lift weights). Though I may have looked silly mouthing the words, at least I was knocking off some serious calories.
PLAYLIST FOR THE SONGS YOU CAN’T NOT SING
The Songs You Love to Hate – daydreambeliever28
You know those songs that come on the radio, or you hear on an old ‘Now That’s What I Call Music’ CD? The ones that no matter how bad the lyrics are, or how obnoxious the bubblegum beat is, you can’t get out of your head for 48 hours? These are those songs. Good for some ‘90s reminiscing, as well as today’s classic “Call Me Maybe” — my ultimate guilty pleasure.
At the end of the day, 8tracks has a playlist, song, and mood for everyone. So open up the website, pick the artist, genre, or type of music you’re looking for, and watch the possibilities unfold.
What’s your favorite 8tracks playlist? Tell us about it in the comments below!