Flying can be a stressful experience for many, and the music you choose to listen to on an airplane can either help ease your nerves or make them worse. Certain songs that reference airplanes, crashes, or unsettling imagery related to flight might not be the best choice when you are thousands of feet above the ground. Here is a list of ten songs that passengers may want to avoid during air travel because of their themes or lyrics connected to airplanes and disasters.
One notable track is “Buddy Holly” by Weezer, from their Blue Album. Although the song itself does not directly mention airplanes or crashes, the historical fact that Buddy Holly died in a plane crash casts a shadow over the tune, making it an uncomfortable listen while flying.
“From a Window Seat” by Dawes is another song that fits this category. It describes a journey and includes lines about flight attendants pointing out exits, which can sound more like a prayer than reassurance. This can amplify anxiety rather than calm it.
Radiohead’s “Lucky” from the album OK Computer features lyrics such as “Pull me out of the aircrash,” which might resonate too strongly with nervous flyers. The song’s tone and words can trigger uneasy feelings about being trapped in an aircraft.
Rilo Kiley’s “Plane Crash in C,” despite being part of an album titled Take Offs and Landings, deals with themes that aren’t comforting for air travelers. Similarly, Bright Eyes’ “At the Bottom of Everything” tells a story about two people on a plane that is crashing, making it an unwise choice for listening at high altitude.
Wilco’s “Dash 7” is an acoustic song that subtly references flying but ends with an ambiguous line about a Dash 7 aircraft pointing downwards. This could be interpreted either as preparing for landing or something far more alarming.
Band of Horses’ “Window Blues” starts with vivid imagery that some listeners might associate with a catastrophic event on a plane. The opening line about things flying out of windows can conjure distressing scenes for passengers.
Damien Jurado’s “Air Show Disaster” metaphorically refers to dramatic events involving planes, which may not be soothing during a flight. The same applies to moe.’s “Plane Crash,” which opens with tense string music and discusses the fear of flying in a way that might increase passenger anxiety.
Finally, Nada Surf’s “Ice On the Wing” is regarded as one of the most nerve-wracking airplane-related songs due to its references to post-9/11 fears and ice forming on wings—one of the common worries during winter flights.
While these songs have artistic merit and resonate with many listeners on the ground, they may not be ideal companions at 30,000 feet. Travelers looking for calming or neutral music during flights might want to steer clear of these tracks to avoid unnecessary stress or discomfort.
