Welcome, fellow dreamers! Song Detectives is back with another list — one that we know will help you achieve your daydreaming goals. There are many musical paths up the mountain to daydreaming bliss, and depending on how your personal journey is unfolding, you may be seeking something more meditative, more rhythmic … some people can’t conceive of daydreaming to music with lyrics, whereas others enjoy letting the lyrical concepts wash over them and steer their brain waves. Let us know if you like our list of songs for daydreaming in the comments below!
Table of contents
- Songs and Albums for Daydreaming Success
- Songs About Daydreaming
- “Daydream Believer” – The Monkees
- “Strawberry Fields Forever” – The Beatles
- “California Dreamin'” – The Mamas & The Papas
- “Orinoco Flow” – Enya
- “Astral Weeks” – Van Morrison
- “Your Wildest Dreams” – The Moody Blues
- “Daydreaming” – Radiohead
- “Lucid Dreams” – Juice WRLD
- “Solsbury Hill” – Peter Gabriel
- “Dreams” – Fleetwood Mac
- “Stairway to Heaven” – Led Zeppelin
- “Space Oddity” – David Bowie
- “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
- “Under the Milky Way” – The Church
- “Just Like Heaven” – The Cure
- “Where Is My Mind?” – The Pixies
- “Bittersweet Symphony” – The Verve
- “Fade Into You” – Mazzy Star
- “Across the Universe” – The Beatles
- “Imagine” – John Lennon
To quote Lucas from Empire Records “Who knows where thoughts come from? They just appear.” and we couldn’t agree more, but for daydreams. You need bass, she needs a piano, I like a full drum kit, all these things are subject to change based on a bazillion variables. The point is, You never know what sweet musical track might usher you into your next epic daydream.
Don’t bore us get to the chorus. First we’ll help you explore how you might create a list of songs for daydreaming using your favorite music streaming services, and then after that, we’ll hit you with a list of songs that are both “about” daydreaming, many of which are also good “for” daydreaming. Regardless of which path up the mountain you traverse, you’ll probably want to grab your headphones, find a comfy spot, and prepare to bliss out.
Songs and Albums for Daydreaming Success
If you don’t have a long list of favorite albums that help you chill out and daydream (or maybe you’ve been hitting that list hard lately, we get it) and you need something fresh, remember, your favorite streaming service is a good way to discover new music.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SEED!
Garbage in garbage out is how the saying goes. You have to pick the perfect seed song or seed album to get your radio station / playlist to grow. We don’t want to injure any birds, but metaphorically speaking we’re going to hit two of them at a time by recommending albums that, on their own, could lull you into a daydream, but also double as fantastic seed songs/album fodder. Choose your own adventure style.
Let Your Favorite Streaming Service Do the Work
PRO TIP: Nothing will harsh your daydream mellow like an ad from a freemium streaming service. You might need to top up and get that monthly subscription for maximum chill.
Let’s Get Lo (Lofi Hip-Hop that is)
Here are three lofi hip-hop albums on Spotify that will do the trick.
- Eric Godlow’s album Remedy is a great way to kick off your daydream, but it’s only gunna get you 9 songs and 30 minutes of heaven. Sooo, we suggest you take track 8 “Peace” and create a station based on that.
- Tundra Beats is another well known music producer with beats for days. And he’s got plenty in the lofi hip-hop style to suit your daydream — one collection we can recommend Good Vibes and it certainly delivers.
- Last on this lofi list (but certainly not least) is by .clouds and the collection is called twilight walks. This might be more of a duskdreaming album than daydreaming? Whatevs, play it while the sun goes down and let your mind float on.
Don’t forget about jazz / fusion
With everyone on Earth talking about artificial intelligence, we can’t help but reach for music with a little more humanity. Something organic. And what’s more human than a group of people in a room playing music together? Here are 3 jazz/fusion records to get your purely grass-fed, slow grown, organic daydreams sprouting and into the sunlight. Since we did Spotify links last time, we’re hitting you with the Apple Music links below:
- Medeski Martin & Wood, and if you don’t know where to start, we’re gunna tell you — this album right here, Last Chance to Dance Trance
- Charles Mingus, master of his craft, lord of the legato, this record from 1959 is where it’s at, Ah Um
- More art-fusion than jazz, and admittedly a little off the beaten path is Tortoise’s 1998 release TNT. But hey you’re here because you’re looking for something new, right? If you can dig this, there are many other records by this band that you’ll enjoy.
Songs About Daydreaming
The list below are songs that are either directly or indirectly related to daydreaming. And wouldn’t you know it, when an artist writes a song about daydreaming, the song itself tends to lend itself to a good daydream. Coincidence? Prolly not.
“Daydream Believer” – The Monkees
Starting off strong, we have the ultimate anthem for all daydreamers. You’ll feel like the king or queen of daydreams with this classic track playing in the background.
“Strawberry Fields Forever” – The Beatles
The Beatles take us on a psychedelic trip to a place where nothing is real, except the ever-present daydreams. Oh, what a ride!
“California Dreamin'” – The Mamas & The Papas
Dreaming of warmer weather? This tune will transport you straight to a sunny Californian day, even if you’re currently shivering in the cold.
“Orinoco Flow” – Enya
No list of songs for daydreaming would be complete without Enya’s ethereal voice lulling you into a dreamlike state. Just try not to get too lost in this one.
“Astral Weeks” – Van Morrison
Let Van Morrison guide you through the mystical astral plane with this poetic masterpiece. You might never want to come back!
“Your Wildest Dreams” – The Moody Blues
This sweet, nostalgic tune will have you reminiscing about past loves and daydreaming of what might’ve been.
“Daydreaming” – Radiohead
Delve into the melancholic beauty of Radiohead’s “Daydreaming.” It’s perfect for those days when you just want to escape the world.
“Lucid Dreams” – Juice WRLD
Here’s a modern daydreamer’s delight! Juice WRLD’s hit track serves up a catchy melody that’s perfect for drifting off into your own lucid dreams.
“Solsbury Hill” – Peter Gabriel
Climb the ethereal Solsbury Hill with Peter Gabriel and soar high above the clouds as you bask in the glory of your daydreams.
“Dreams” – Fleetwood Mac
Ah, Fleetwood Mac. They just get us, don’t they? This timeless classic will have you swaying in tune with your dreams.
“Stairway to Heaven” – Led Zeppelin
Transport yourself to the heavens with this iconic song. Daydreaming has never been so epic!
“Space Oddity” – David Bowie
Feel like exploring the cosmos? Let the Starman himself take you on an interstellar adventure.
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
This soothing rendition of a classic tune will make your heart swell with happiness, as you float off to a magical world of daydreams.
“Under the Milky Way” – The Church
Get ready to stargaze with this dreamy track that’ll make you feel like you’re lost in the vast expanse of the universe.
“Just Like Heaven” – The Cure
The Cure serves up a healthy dose of nostalgia with this love-filled track, perfect for daydreaming about that special someone.
“Where Is My Mind?” – The Pixies
This existential anthem will have you pondering the depths of your mind as you drift away into a daydream. Who knows what you’ll discover?
“Bittersweet Symphony” – The Verve
Embrace the beautiful chaos of life with this powerful track. It’s perfect for those days when you want to lose yourself in introspective daydreams.
“Fade Into You” – Mazzy Star
With its hypnotic melody and haunting vocals, this song will have you daydreaming about love, loss, and everything in between
“Across the Universe” – The Beatles
The Fab Four make another appearance on our list, this time taking you on a cosmic journey across the universe. Prepare for lift-off!
“Imagine” – John Lennon
We couldn’t finish our list of top songs for daydreaming without including this iconic track. Let John Lennon’s vision of a peaceful world inspire your own dreams for a better tomorrow.
