This take has taken a lot of heat on the internet but I stand by it:
I believe elder millennials are uniquely suited to make the best playlists of our time.
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This isn’t really a flex. I think it’s simply a result of the fact that we have been raised on the shortcomings of every technology that claimed to be able to connect us through the perfect mix of songs all of our lives.
Junior high was the Sisyphean tedium of cassette tapes. High school was the countless tech failings of CD burning. College was Napster and LimeWire corrupting every yearned-for download. Then into our 20s with all of the trappings of iPods and mp3 players.
We both understand the limits of analog brevity and the abyss of digital infinity (damn that sentence is trying hard, eh?).
That said, I want to share a few tips on how I approach putting a playlist together. Let’s get into it:
Step One:
Define your audience and your intention.
Whether you realize it or not, every playlist has a thesis statement:
“Upon completion of these songs I hope to convince you that:
my deep, unspoken love for you is completely two-sided and we should run off together.”
Sufjan Stevens is pretty great.”
I am definitely your coolest coworker and we should say we’re going to make plans to hang out outside of work but never follow through.”
Every song should be carefully curated to support your argument. While that might sound a little pretentious, think of it like this: these songs do something special for you, something magical, and you want to share that feeling - that secret magic with someone special to you. That’s still pretentious, but it makes me feel better about it.
Step Two:
Determine your duration and sequencing.
Growing up through mixed CDs I firmly believe that 74 minutes* is the perfect duration for a playlist. Long enough for two half hour drives, plus a long sit in a parking space somewhere to do things you do in a parked car like make out, or think about how cool Sufjan Stevens is, or consider getting drinks with your coworker sometime, etc.
Sequencing is the sticky widget - the order in which songs are played has a huge impact on how they are received - but the first four songs (the lead-off tracks) are really the most important. It’s what’s going to build the momentum to get through the rest.
That said - almost every single playlist I make is intended to be shuffled. My opinion is that I’m trying to set a mood so every song should work next to every other song - plus it takes a little pressure off.
*Exception: If your playlist is for working out or introducing someone to an artist, it can be much longer than 74 minutes, but you shouldn’t have the expectation that anyone is going to listen to all that shit, just saying.
Step Three:
Track selection.
Ok this is completely a matter of personal taste but here are some “guiding principles:”
If you are trying to woo someone, between 2-3 tracks should be songs that you know they already know. You are inviting them to explore your half of the Venn Diagram and you need to build some trust first.
No more than two tracks by the same artists (exception for artist-intros and workout mixes). After two tracks you are basically just making an EP. Branch out.
You should be able to actually listen to every song you put on without skips.* This may seem obvious, but I encourage you to go listen to a playlist you’ve made and see if it actually holds up.
*Exception: Some songs may be so emotionally triggering that they cause you to break down every listen (Thumbs by Lucy Dacus for me for example). You should really consider if you want to put these on there.
Step Four:
Delivery.
This is an overlooked but important step. I’m a big fan of instructions. It lets the listener know that you were really thinking of them while you were building this list. It says “I listened to every song on here and thought about you listening to it, and really tried to make that the best experience possible”
Should this be shuffled or listened straight through? Is this background music for cooking dinner? Is this for the drive home from Nashville after your band broke up and you were stranded in the middle of the country trying to figure your life out for a summer (that one might be a little personal)?
In Conclusion:
Have fun and go deep. Playlists have become a geography I can look over as I get older and take me right back to where I was when I made them: bookmarks in your story that you can share, shuffle and repeat.
Oh and of course I had to make a playlist of the songs I was listening to when I wrote this. Here you go: