I run an outdoor market here in Denver called Market in the Park-et, and I can’t afford to pay a DJ fairly, so I am also the music selector. But here’s a twist: my playlist that I made for the market is the greatest playlist for markets that’s ever existed in history. I know that sounds like an exaggeration. But more than three people have asked me for a link to the playlist. So it’s gotta be up there.
It’s more difficult than you might think to craft a “cool” playlist for shopping. You need the energy to be high for many hours, but not so much that people break out into a dance party. It is hard to buy t-shirts while dancing! You need to avoid offending the sensibilities of hundreds of patrons from all walks of life. Perhaps most importantly, you need the playlist to be “cool,” because the music scores your entire event, which you also want to be “cool.”
How do you summit this Everest-sized obstacle that I have so effortlessly ascended? I can’t get you all the way there, but I do have some tips that will get you started. Venmo me later.
Tip #1: Use international stuff
Wealthy western record collectors will sometimes spend decades – the golden years of their lives – taking trips to humid, hostile foreign countries, and digging for hours in crouched positions, to find not just the rarest music known on record, but the rarest music that’s accessible to western ears. And then they make compilations of this stuff that you can stream on Spotify.
Adding incredible groovy tracks from faraway places gives your playlist flavor while still remaining accessible. It says: “We’re open to all kinds of experiences here.” And it makes you appear to have deep knowledge, without having to go out and acquire that knowledge. (No one at your event is going to pull an “Oh yeah, you like Elias Rahbani? Name three of their songs”.) Plus, the artist could be swearing up a storm in their native language, and chances are, your guests will have no way of knowing.
Suggested Tracks:
- Emilio Santiago – “Bananeira”
- Mulatu Astatke – “Yègellé Tezeta”
- Orchestra Baobab – “Kelen Ati Leen”
Tip #2: Use covers
“Oh, ‘Seven Nation Army.’ Cool, definitely never heard that one before *rolls eyes really hard*.” I’m sorry, but that’s a direct quote from one of your event guests. Yes, we cling to our comfort zones. But a great playlist takes you out of it. How do we square this circle? With a bigger circle, duh.
Cover versions of our favorite tunes keep us in the familiar while introducing something new and different. We can hum along to that earworm of a melody, but feel like we’re being put onto something fresh. The brief novelty of “Oh, I know this song!” is just enough to perk up the ears without taking them out of the event. And in some cases, a cover version of a song might fit the vibe of your playlist when the original would not.
Suggested Tracks:
- The Dynamics – “Seven Nation Army”
- The Bird & The Bee – “I Can’t Go For That”
- Gloria Taylor – “Jolene”
Tip #3: Use classics
I wouldn’t be an unparalleled master if I didn’t contradict my own rule seconds after writing it. That’s the exact kind of shit that masters do so that the non-believers quit and leave. Still reading? Congrats, Charlie, this whole chocolate factory is about to be yours.
Some patrons will not be down with what I am saying. Their subconscious/body language will tell you: “I’m here to party to the exact same songs they play at JCPenney.”
These people won’t be grabbing their coats due to your obscuro bangers, but a wave of relief will wash over them when you insert a well-loved classic into the mix. And hey, in the age of poptimism, who’s going to complain about a bit of Robyn? Not me.
Suggested Tracks:
- The Guess Who – “Shakin’ All Over” (boomers)
- A Tribe Called Quest – “Steve Biko (Stir It Up)” (gen x)
- Nelly Furtado feat. Timbaland – “Promiscuous Girl” (millennials)
- I don’t know, oh God, death follows nearer by the day (zoomers and below)
Tip #4: Use original sample sources to famous hip-hop tunes
Imagine: you’re at your event and a patron hears a track, tilts their head quizzically, and says, “Wait…is that what Jay-Z used for ‘Show Me What You Got’?” and you say “Mmhmm. Yep.”
Amazing. That is a deep connection. That’s what every event planner dreams about when making their playlist.
The legendary producers of now-famous hip-hop beats weren’t just choosing the bits and pieces of old records that they sampled from at random; more often than not, they loved those records. The original song was pretty hot in its day! With a lot of hard work and sweat equity (read: about 10 minutes on whosampled.com), you can add these nuggets to your arsenal of good tracks and create that deep connection with patrons all night. And maybe, just maybe, discover some nice music, too.
Suggested Tracks:
- Ronnie Foster – “Mystic Brew”
- Just Brothers – “Sliced Tomatoes”
- Syl Johnson – “Different Strokes”
Well, there you have it. With just my suggested tracks alone, your playlist is approaching one hour. Need more? All right, fine…I’ll give you my last tip. My legal team has reminded me many times that I can’t copyright my playlist, and that there is no exception in the law for playlists that are “really really good.” So you can just come to my markets, sit on a park bench shazam-ing every track, and add them all to yours and put your name on it. The next one is this Sunday, May 18. Maybe buy a record from Wax Trax while you’re there?
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