For my 2026 summer playlist, I had originally planned to do songs from the 1960’s, but then Jeannie came up with the idea to have seventy-six songs to celebrate America’s 250-year anniversary, with themes having to do with America and places in America. I found that idea more interesting, or at least more timely for this year, so I decided to help her by suggesting some songs. She got to 76 pretty fast, but there were a dozen or so songs I really wanted to include, so I made my own playlist, presented here. It’s actually a couple over the limit, but at this point I don’t want to cut any more songs.
Her rules are different than mine and don’t prohibit repeating an artist, so there are multiple songs by Billy Joel, Steely Dan, John Denver, David Lee Roth, and a few others. One could probably make a playlist of nothing but Billy Joel songs. Also no attempt is made to present the songs in chronological order.
76 For America 250
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3cDYwwmh7snPQnRayfwrVN
America – The Muppets
America – Simon and Garfunkel
American Pie – Don McLean
Wakko’s America – Animaniacs
Take Me Home Country Roads- John Denver
Take It Easy – Jackson Browne
American Girl – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Theme from New York, New York – Frank Sinatra
Miami 2017 – Billy Joel
New York State of Mind – Billy Joel
Woodstock – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
American Woman – Lenny Kravitz
American Girls – Triumph
Breakfast in America – Supertramp
Yankee Rose – David Lee Roth
America the Beautiful – Ray Charles
Star Spangled Banner – Jimi Hendrix
Rocky Mountain High – John Denver
Lights – Journey
Californication – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Going to California – Led Zeppelin
California Girls – David Lee Roth
San Francisco – Scott McKenzie
California Dreamin’ – The Mamas & the Papas
Rock & Roll Band – Boston
Philadelphia Freedom – Elton John
Ladies Night in Buffalo – David Lee Roth
Jersey Girl – Tom Waits
Ohio – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
My City Was Gone – The Pretenders
My Tennessee Mountain Home – Dolly Parton
Matthew – John Denver
Private Idaho – The B-52’s
Montana – Frank Zappa
Beautiful Texas – Willie Nelson
Alaska – U.K.
Hawaii Five-O – The Ventures
The Load-Out – Jackson Browne
Truckin’ – The Grateful Dead
My Old School – Steely Dan
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Gordon Lightfoot
Leaving Las Vegas – Sheryl Crow
This Land is Your Land – Woody Guthrie
Pink Houses – John Cougar
Young Americans – David Bowie
America – Yes
America – The Nice
South California Purples – Chicago
L.A. Woman – The Doors
Los Angelenos – Billy Joel
Hotel California – The Eagles
Key Largo – Bertie Higgins
Pearl of the Quarter – Steely Dan
New York Groove – Ace Frehley
Manhattan – Ella Fitzgerald
Englishman in New York – Sting
Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City No More – Steely Dan
Sweet Home Chicago – The Blues Brothers
Oklahoma – (Oklahoma! original cast recording)
Ventura Highway – America
Highway 61 Revisited – Bob Dylan
(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 – Nat King Cole
Last Train to Clarksville – The Monkees
The Night They Drove old Dixie Down – The Band
Georgia on My Mind – Ray Charles
The Devil Went Down to Georgia – Charlie Daniels Band
Stars Fell on Alabama – Billy Holiday
Alabama Song – The Doors
Kentucky Woman – Deep Purple
Mississippi – Cheryl Crow
Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again – Bob Dylan
Graceland – Simon
We’re an American Band – Grand Funk Railroad
Fourth of July – Soundgarden
American Woman – The Guess Who
This Is Not America – David Bowie/Pat Metheny
The Heart of Rock and Roll – Huey Lewis and the News
Amerika – Joco Pastorius
…
Here’s a link to Jeannie’s America 250 playlist. As you can see, the songs overlap by about eight percent. I was gratified she included some of my more out-there suggestions such as Montana by Frank Zappa and Alaska by U.K. There’s a dozen or so songs that made her list by not mine.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nI7O7LH3Av6b8B0iDKN9A
Under the Bridge – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Take It Easy – The Eagles
Midnight Train to Georgia – Gladys Knight & the Pips
Why Georgia – John Meyer
Nebraska – Bruce Springsteen
Mary Queen of Arkansas – Bruce Springsteen
Stop in Nevada – Billy Joel
Rocky Raccoon – The Beatles
Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey – The Beatles
Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn
Sweet Rhode Island Red – Ike & Tina Turner
Deacon Blues – Steely Dan
Do You Know the Way to San Jose? – Dion Warwick
Song of Wyoming – John Denver
Empire State of Mind – Alicia Keys
San Francisco Days – Chris Isaak
…
Lizzy was home when we were first brainstorming songs, and she made a playlist of her own and called it The Better America 250. Funny how everyone has their own take on the idea. There’s some overlap with our lists, and some music I don’t know particularly well, but it’s a good fun vibe good to explore. There’s a good handful of songs I like and wish I had more space to include on my list.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6xkLrhTfnf5kwzPvxPGUd5
Stick Season – Noah Kahan
Dying in L.A. – Panic! at the Disco
New York – Ed Sheerhan
Empire State of Mind – Jay-Z, Alicia Keys
Fairy Tale of New York – The Pogues
Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen
Mississippi Queen – Mountain
The Schuyler Sisters – (Hamilton original cast)
Homesick – Noah Kahan
Allentown – Billy Joel
I’m Shipping Up to Boston – Dropkick Murphys