Discover the best tunes for every playlist
Looking for the ultimate playlist to get you through your next adventure? Look no further! We know that having the perfect playlist can truly transform adventures into extraordinary experiences.
In the words of Theodore Roosevelt; ‘life is a great adventure’ – so, why not embark on a remarkable journey with the best musical companions to motivate you every step of the way? Whether you’re going on an epic hike through rugged terrains or conquering towering mountain peaks, a carefully curated playlist can truly elevate your adventure to new heights.
To help you create the ultimate adventure playlist this summer, we analysed thousands of playlists to reveal the top tracks using Spotify data. From camping to climbing, we will delve into the songs that have been added to various adventure playlists.
Whether it’s iconic, uplifting tunes like ‘Mr Brightside’ by The Killers blasting in the background on a road trip with friends, or pop classics such as ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ by Foster The People to get you through even the highest summits – we’ve got you covered.
So, if you’re ready for an adventure of a lifetime, then lace up your walking boots, grab your camping gear and get ready to embark on an unforgettable rhythm-filled adventure!
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The Best Tracks for Exploring the Outdoors*
*Based on the number of playlist appearances by activity
- Fishing
- Song: When It Rains It Pours – Luke Combs
- Number of playlist appearances: 178
- Average song BPM: 128
- Number of Spotify listeners: 608.3 million
The ultimate outdoor track is ‘When It Rains It Pours’ by Luke Combs which tops the list as the most popular track for fishing and appears in the most playlists of all the adventure songs we analysed. With an average song BPM of 128, the country hit has been played a whopping 608.3 million times on Spotify.
The track did not only reach both the Billboard Country Airplay and the Hot Country Songs chart after its release back in 2017 but it has made 178 fishing playlist appearances on Spotify.
- Camping
- Song: Mr Brightside – The Killers
- Number of playlist appearances: 132
- Average song BPM: 148
- Number of Spotify listeners: 1.8 billion
‘Mr Brightside’ by the American band, The Killers is the most popular camping song, with 132 camping playlist appearances. Not only is it a fast-paced song that will get your heartbeat pumping with an average song BPM of 148, but it has also been named the ‘Song of the Decade’ by many. Since its release in 2003, the tune has maintained lasting popularity.
- Surfing
- Song: Surfin’ U.S.A – Remastered 2001 – The Beach Boys
- Number of playlist appearances: 100
- Average song BPM: 159
- Number of Spotify listeners: 274.1 million
If you’re looking to embrace the thrill of the ocean whilst bopping to the beat of your favourite songs, then surfing is the perfect adrenaline-pumping sport.‘Surfin’ U.S.A’ by The Beach Boys is one of the most popular outdoor songs on Spotify with an impressive 274.1 million streams. Released in 1963, ‘Surfin’ U.S.A’ is one of the oldest songs on our list for experiencing the outdoors. The song also has an average song BPM of 159 – fitting the high-paced activity of surfing.
The Most Versatile Tracks for the Outdoors
- Riptide – Vance Joy
Number of activities: 6
A song by the Australian singer Vance Joy, Riptide makes it to the top of our list as the most versatile track, appearing across seven activities. These activities include camping, hiking and swimming.
Its popularity comes as no surprise as the upbeat indie song has had major commercial success. From the second longest charting single still in the US Billboard Hot 100 to the longest-charting song in ARIA Chart history, this hit remained in the top 100 for 107 weeks, surpassing Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face’.
- Mr Brightside – The Killers
Number of activities: 5
Released in 2004 by The Killers, ‘Mr Brightside’ takes second place as one of the most versatile tracks spanning a range of activities, although it is most popular as a camping song. The song received worldwide recognition and lasting success, with over a whopping 1.8 billion Spotify listeners.
2. Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
Number of activities: 5
Also ranked in second place is the popular rock song ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ by the American band Journey. The hit track appeared across five activities including camping, cycling and hiking. Said to be one of the most successful rock acts of its era, it’s no surprise the song was ranked among the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time according to Rolling Stone magazine. The upbeat tune has continued to experience lasting popularity and currently has nearly 1.6 billion streams on Spotify.
The Most Inspiring Outdoor Activities*
*Based on the number of tracks by activity
- Camping
- Number of tracks: 312,955
- Number of playlists: 999
With a total number of 312,955 tracks across 999 playlists, camping grabs top spot. For nature lovers, camping offers a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the beauty of nature, from the soothing sound of a flowing river to the rustling leaves of the forest.
Not only does camping open up a world of outdoor adventures to explore with the family but it also creates opportunities for quality time, whether it’s telling stories around the campfire or listening to your favourite songs. Some of the top songs for camping include ‘Mr Brightside’ by The Killers and ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
- Fishing
- Number of tracks: 250,904
- Number of playlists: 1,000
Fishing ranks in second place, inspiring around 250,904 tracks across 1,000 playlists, all related to the well-known recreational activity. ‘Fishin’ in the Dark’ by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and ’Huntin’, Fishin’ And Lovin’ Every Day’ by Luke Bryan are top picks when it comes to fishing.
The best part is you can go fishing in various settings, whether lakes, rivers or even oceans.From catching pollocks in Cornwall to spotting haddocks in the Scottish Highlands, the UK has numerous fantastic locations for avid fishing enthusiasts, each with its unique variety of species.
- Cycling
- Number of tracks: 208,414
- Number of playlists: 996
Cycling completes the top three with 208,414 tracks across 996 playlists. One of the top tunes for this activity is ‘Blinding Lights’ by The Weeknd which has an average of 171 song BPM and 88 playlists appearances.
A great sport for adventurers, cycling offers a lot of opportunities to explore new locations. From whizzing through scenic countryside to tackling challenging mountain trails, having the right cycling playlist could be just the right musical companion to get you through.
The Best Genres for the Outdoors
- Country – 43% of top tracks
Country music dominates the outdoor playlists on Spotify. Around 43% of all the songs with at least 50 playlist appearances are country songs. The most popular country song for exploring the outdoors is When It Rains It Pours by Luke Combs.
- Alternative – 19% of top tracks
Alternative music is also a popular choice for outdoor exploration. Almost a fifth of all the tracks with at least 50 playlist appearances are alternative songs, including Mr Brightside by The Killers.
- Rock – 14% of top tracks
It’s no secret that being outdoors can get your heart rate up. With activities like surfing and hiking, many prefer to listen to rock music. The most popular rock song on our list is Hotel California – 2013 Remaster by Eagles, with 104 playlist appearances.
The Most Adrenaline-Pumping Songs
- Hell N Back – Bakar
Average song BPM: 210
‘Hell N Back’ by the British singer, Bakar, grabs first place as the most adrenaline-pumping surfing track with an average song BPM of 210, showing the high-paced nature of the sport.
Said to be a ‘charming retro’ song, the tune hit the charts in 2020 on the US Billboard Alternative charts and has now charted internationally as of 2023. The alternative song has also appeared in 65 surfing playlists.
- Drunk On A Plane – Dierks Bentley
Average song BPM: 206
Country song ‘Drunk on a Plane’ by Dierks Bentley is one of the most heart-pumping songs on our list with an average song BPM of 206. The song not only appears on 67 fishing playlists but the up-tempo hit received a big commercial success upon its release, hitting number one on the Country Airplay chart.
- Wasted On You – Morgan Wallen
Average song BPM: 196
The country song, ‘Wasted on You’ by Morgan Wallen is one of the most adrenaline-inducing songs on our list. With an average song BPM of 196 and appearances on 73 fishing playlists, this song is one of the most inspiring outdoor tracks.
Activities with the Highest Average Song BPM
- Cycling
Overall average song BPM: 128
Cycling grabs first place as the activity that will most likely get your heart rate going. The fast-paced activity received an overall average of 128 song BPM across 100 cycling-inspired tracks.
Not only does cycling take the top spot for activity with the highest average song BPM but it is also one of the most popular activities for the outdoors, with over 208,000 tracks across 996 playlists. Hit tunes such as ‘I’m Good (Blue)’ by David Guetta and ‘Highway to Hell’ by AC/DC are some of the top picks for cycling.
- Surfing
Overall average song BPM: 125
Surfing takes second place with an overall average song BPM of 125. With a relatively high song BPM, there’s no denying that the sport is great for thrill-seekers. This is perhaps why there are almost 168,000 tracks added to an impressive 999 surfing playlists.
‘Brazil’ by Declan McKenna and ‘Santeria’ by Sublime are some of the most popular tracks that feature in surfing playlists.
- Fishing & Swimming
Overall average song BPM: 124
In joint third place are fishing and swimming with an overall average song BPM of 124 respectively. Popular for being a relaxing pastime hobby, fishing is a great outdoor activity in a tranquil environment that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
With an estimated 179,885 swimming-related tracks across these playlists, the well-known sport is particularly popular during the summer months. A few of the most popular tunes for the sport include ‘Can’t Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton)’ by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and ‘One Kiss (with Dua Lipa)’ by Calvin Harris.
The Ultimate Camping Playlist
Looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of life? Camping is a great way to connect with nature. If you plan on creating a must-have playlist for your next camping adventure, then make sure to add Mr Brightside by The Killers to that list.
The iconic single released almost a decade ago, has sold over 3.5 million copies in both the UK and the US. It is also the longest-charting single on the UK Singles Chart Top 100, spending an impressive 363 weeks in the chart.
‘Sweet Home Alabama’ by Lynyrd Skynyrd’ and ‘Hotel California – 2013 Remaster’ by Eagles are also popular camping tracks.
The Ultimate Cycling Playlist
‘Blinding Lights’ by the Canadian singer, the Weeknd takes the top spot as the most popular song for cycling, with 88 playlist appearances. Having topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States for weeks upon its release, it’s no wonder the song takes first place.
Similarly, ‘Thunderstruck’ by AC/DC and ‘I’m Good (Blue)’ by David Guetta also took top spots on the list as some of the most popular cycling songs.
The Ultimate Fishing playlist
If you’re looking to go fishing anytime soon, make sure to add ‘When It Rains It Pours’ by Luke Combs to your fishing playlist. Not only is it the top track on the list with 178 playlist appearances but the country song has also been described as being more “uptempo and lighthearted” by Taste of Country’s Sterling Whitaker. ‘Buy Me a Boat’ by Chris Janson and ‘Wagon Wheel’ by Darius Rucker are also on our list as part of the ultimate fishing playlist.
The Ultimate Hiking Playlist
Looking for top-tier tracks to add to your ultimate hiking playlist? Then ‘Ophelia’ by The Lumineers is a must. Recorded by the American folk rock band, ‘Ophelia’ not only grabs first place as the most popular track for hiking, appearing on 99 Spotify playlists, but the song has garnered over one billion streams on Spotify. In addition, ‘Ends of the Earth’ by Lord Huron and ‘Sleep On The Floor’ by The Lumineers have also gained significant attention regarding the top picks for hiking.
The Ultimate Surfing Playlist
‘Surfin’ U.S.A.’ by the American rock band The Beach Boys grabs first place as the most popular surfing song, with 100 playlist appearances. Released over 60 years ago, the song is still a classic today. Additionally, ‘Brazil’ by Declan McKenna and ‘Santeria’ by Sublime have also made their way to the top as some of the most listened-to surfing songs.
The Ultimate Swimming Playlist
‘Can’t Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton)’ by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis takes first place as the most sought-after track for swimming with 52 playlist appearances. First released in 2011, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 two years later. Not only was it the most-streamed song of 2013 according to Spotify but the song now has over 1.9 billion streams on the platform.
Other top tracks for swimming include, ‘One Kiss (with Dua Lipa)’ by Calvin Harris and ‘See You Again (feat. Kali Uchis)’ by Tyler, The Creator.
The Ultimate Walking Playlist
When it comes to the top pick for walking, ‘Flowers’ by American singer Miley Cyrus tops the list. The hot single appeared across 74 walking playlists. This is unsurprising as despite only being released at the start of this year, the song has received massive success, setting several records.
The hit track broke the record as the fastest song in Spotify history to surpass one billion streams, doing it in just 112 days. The popular tune has also reached number one in 35 countries. ‘Shut Up and Dance’ by Walk the Moon and ‘Walking On Sunshine’ by Katrina & The Waves have also earned top spots on the list.
Methodology
To reveal the top adventure playlists ahead of summer, we used Playlist Miner which showed the top tracks from the most popular public adventure playlists on Spotify.
This is based on search criteria which takes into account specific keywords related to each specific activity. For example, the search terms ‘swimming’ or ‘camping’ generated the top 100 songs that had the most playlist appearances across thousands of playlists related to the activities.
Using this tool, we also identified the top seven outdoor activities inspiring the most playlists. Data collection for this section was completed on 28/06/2023.
We identified the top track for each of the seven outdoor activities, based on the number of adventure appearances.
Similarly, we identified the most versatile outdoor tracks based on the number of adventure playlist appearances across multiple activities.
We created the ultimate outdoor playlist for each of the seven activities, based on the top 10 songs with the most adventure playlist appearances.
To reveal the tracks with the highest average song BPM, we sourced the average song BPM for each song with at least 50 playlist appearances from SongBPM on 31/05/2023.
We sourced the number of listeners for each song from Spotify on 31/05/2023.
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