My thoughts about the Traveller RPG playlist for Spotify was to include good (and some bad, but still fun to listen to) music that could be an inspiration for Traveller.

A really good Referee could arrange the list, so that it matches the current game. (E.g. play Vargr Moon when meeting the Vargr, play 1-0-0-1-0 when working with computers and play The Joker when meeting a Space Cowboy. etc…)

I didn’t want to include any theme song from science fiction movies or TV in the list since these shows are not Traveller. The only exception (since I think it is very close to Traveller) is the theme from Firefly by Sonny Rhodes (who look a bit like a Zhodani). But his original version isn’t on Spotify so it is not in the list.

Why are those tracks on the playlist?

1. Oxygène – Part IV (Jean Michel Jarre)
   A nice futuristic track. Oxygen is needed by most sophonts in Traveller. Why not play this when there is a hull breach.
2. Love Missile F1-11 (Sigue Sigue Sputnik)
   It’s one of the bad (or annoying) tracks, but it’s about missiles by a band named Sputnik. We played this a lot in the 80s. At one time we filled a jukebox in a Bayswater pub with coins and only selected this song and “Touch Me” (since you could not select the same song twice in a row).
3. Blinkar Blå (Adolphson & Falk)
   A good futuristic track. I haven’t figured out if this is about a Nuclear Power Plant or about SETI yet.
4. Vargr Moon (The Lord Weird Slough Feg)
   I had to include one of their tracks from their Traveller album.
5. Life on Mars? (David Bowie)
   One of Bowie’s classic space themed songs. Play it when visiting an ice-capped world.
6. Lunar Bay (FGTH)
   A nice one (but not that well known) by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Play it when landing on a moon.
7. Spaceface (Simple Minds)
   I have played lots of music by Simple Minds when playing Traveller. This one can be played when doing a space walk.
8. Satellite Of Love (Eurythmics)
   This version of Lou Reed’s song is the one I think work best as an Inspiration for Traveller.
9. Seconds (Human League)
   A song about an assassination, a not too uncommon theme in Traveller.
10. Planet Earth (Duran Duran)
    A song about a well-known planet… May work better in the Solomani Rim.
11. Space Oddity (David Bowie)
    Another one of his classic space themed songs. Another one to play when doing an EVA.
12. The Only Star in Heaven (FGTH)
    A cool song about a Star by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Space is a place called love.
13. Blue Skinned Beast (Madness)
    Something to play in the StarPort bar. Three cheers to the blue skinned beast hip hip!
14. Declare Guerre Nucleair (The Hives)
    A band that tries to manipulate you must be on the list. Play when using Striker rules.
15. Jet Boy Jet Girl (Chron Gen)
    Space punk to play when in orbit. I’m gonna take you ’round the world. (Ça plane pour moi)
    
16. Sweat In Bullet (Simple Minds)
    Another one to play when using Striker rules. Airmobility, dressability, tranquil.
17. Rocket Man (Elton John)
    When Travelling. Oh no, no, no, I’m a rocket man.
18. 1-0-0-1-0 (Adolphson & Falk)
    About computers. 1-0-0-1-0, vi måste tala samma språk. Adolphson & Falk made an album in English, but the translations of the songs were really bad. 1-0-0-1-0, we have to talk the same language.
19. Out Of Space (The Prodigy)
    This one is for the Scouts. I’m gonna send him to outer space, find another race.
20. In the year 2525 (Zager And Evans)
    In the year 4545, Cleon I rules the Imperium.
21. The Joker (Steve Miller Band)
    This just had to into this list. Some people call me the space cowboy.
22. Starman (David Bowie)
    Another one of Bowie’s songs. There’s a Starman waiting in the sky.
23. Venus (Bananarama)
    A song about a planet? Anyway, I think that this version is the best one. We played this a lot on the jukebox in the cantina at Lv7 in Luleå.
24. Les chants magnétiques, Pt. II (Jean Michel Jarre)
    I have studied astrophysics, and know about the magnetic fields in Space.
25. Loving The Alien (David Bowie)
    Something for the Scouts, or when visiting Zeta 2.
26. Back In Standard Gravity (Liberator)
    To play when you have landed.
27. Dancing With Tears In My Eyes (Ultravox)
    Play when having problems with the ship’s Powerplant.
28. Foundation (Spandau Ballet)
    This song must have been inspired by Asimov. In the Foundation series, Cleon I was the last emperor. In Traveller Cleon I he was the first one (in the Third Imperium).
29. Tout Petit La Planète (Plastic Bertrand)
    Could be played when visiting a small (size < 4) planet. (Or use my house rules for too small planets.)
30. The Robots (Kraftwerk)
    Play when meeting robots.
31. Intergalactic (Beastie Boys)
    Intergalactic, planetary, planetary Intergalactic.
32. Astronaut (Gordon)
    Swedish Ska. From their album “Oh my God, it’s full of Stars”.
33. Spaceship (Miss Li)
    We can build a spaceship and fly away.
34. Planet Claire (The B-52’s)
    Faster than the speed of light.
35. Surfing With The Alien (Joe Satriani)
    Suggested by Jim Kundert.
36. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pink Floyd)
    Jim Kunderts suggested another Pink Floyd song, but I like this one better.
37. Spaceman (Babylon Zoo)
    Or should it be Babylon Zho? Suggested by Jim Kundert.
38. Sailing (Christopher Cross)
    Suggested by Don McKinney, for Classic Traveller
39. Supernova (Mike Oldfield)
    Suggested by Jim Kundert.
40. The Traveller (Joe Satriani)
    Suggested by Andy Slack.
41. For A Million (Alphaville)
    Suggested by Jim Kundert.
42. Navigator (Lesiëm)
    Do you think of the navigators from Dune?
43. Battle Without Honor Or Humanity (Tomoyasu Hotei)
    Suggested by Jim Kundert. Not the Kill Bill version.
44. The Honeythief (Hipsway)
    Suggested by Don McKinney, for MegaTraveller
45. Also sprach Zarathustra (Deodato)
    From Todd Bradley’s playlist. But I preferred this version since it didn’t sound so 2001.
46. I Am A Dalek (The Art Attacks)
    Sorry! I just had to add this.
47. Gamma Ray (Beck)
    From a Super Nova or from a really powerful laser?
48. Stellar (Incubus)
    Meet me in outer space.
49. Hangar 18 (Megadeth)
    Is there a crashed Vegan Scout-ship hidden in Hangar 18?
50. Knights Of Cydonia (Muse)
    If the Face of Mars in Cydonia isn’t just a strangely shaped mountain, then what it is? Adventure!
51. Escape From the Atmosphere (Mannheim Steamroller)
    Suggested by Don McKinney, for dealing with the Zhodani in Mongoose Traveller.
52. Space Truckin’ (Deep Purple)
    Suggested by Bill Clark.
53. I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper (Sarah Brightman)
    Flashing lights in hyper space.
54. Short Change Hero (The Heavy)
    Suggested by Nils.
55. Worst Day Since Yesterday (Flogging Molly)
    Suggested by Nils.
56. 2000 Light Years from Home (The Rolling Stones)
    That will place you somewhere in the Chtierabl Sector.
57. Base in Space (Berka 1337)
    Yeah, we probably had something to do with this.
58. Starbound (Berka 1337)
    What? another one by Berka 1337!
59. Luna (Berka 1337)
    A science fiction love story or maybe an adventure.