Airplane Mixtape

September 24, 2012 8:45 AM

Help me with an airplane-themed playlist, with songs from the past decade and with lyrics mentioning “plane” / “flight” / “pilot” or any other airplane-related words.

Example songs:

Maritime - Be Unhappy
Jack's Mannequin - Bruised

Mellow / sadder songs preferred, but happy rock / pop-punk songs okay too.

Any genre, but no Country music! And no covers please (I don't ever want to hear “Leaving on a Jet Plane” again)!
 

posted by querty to media & arts (51 answers total)

The Only Living Boy in New York, by Simon & Garfunkel
posted by Nickel Pickle at 8:49 AM on September 24, 2012

Liz Phair - Stratford-on-Guy
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
posted by kitty teeth at 8:49 AM on September 24, 2012

Aeroplane Blues
S&M airlines
posted by Cuspidx at 8:55 AM on September 24, 2012

Bright Eyes - At the Bottom of Everything

Begins with a frightening, plane-related story, then moves into a song which is quite folksy
posted by taltalim at 8:56 AM on September 24, 2012

They are older than 10 years, but the Indigo Girls' Airplane (seek out the original - it is better) and Wesley Willis' Northwest Airlines are both great.
posted by AgentRocket at 8:59 AM on September 24, 2012

Slightly out of your date range (1999) but Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:02 AM on September 24, 2012

Elton John - Rocket Man
posted by Thorzdad at 9:02 AM on September 24, 2012

Bishop Allen - Flight 180
posted by 2or3things at 9:03 AM on September 24, 2012

Neko Case - Lady Pilot
Hinterland - Aeroplanes
posted by jbickers at 9:04 AM on September 24, 2012

Ben Folds - Lullaby
posted by treehorn+bunny at 9:07 AM on September 24, 2012

er, sorry, that's also 1999 but hopefully close enough for you. Love that song.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 9:09 AM on September 24, 2012

Elton John - Daniel
Rush - Fly by night
Steve Miller Band - Fly like an eagle
Frank Sinatra - Come Fly with Me
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 9:11 AM on September 24, 2012

How about Jason Mraz's song Plane?
posted by PussKillian at 9:12 AM on September 24, 2012

Oh crap, I missed the part where you said "songs from the past decade". My bad.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 9:12 AM on September 24, 2012

The link on "song" was supposed to go to the lyrics - whoops. But the link on "Plane" will take you to a youtube video.
posted by PussKillian at 9:12 AM on September 24, 2012

Radiohead - Lucky
posted by mannequito at 9:13 AM on September 24, 2012

Shawn Colvin - Another Plane Went Down
posted by timetoevolve at 9:14 AM on September 24, 2012

Window Seat - Erykah Badu (video is NSFW)
posted by fuse theorem at 9:15 AM on September 24, 2012

I know it isn't ACTUALLY a reference to planes (OK. I THINK I know this.), but Paper Planes by M.I.A. is good fun.
posted by 3fluffies at 9:22 AM on September 24, 2012

This performance of Early Morning Rain by Gordon Lightfoot looks hipsterish enough to make you beleve it could have been recorded within the last decade.
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:22 AM on September 24, 2012

Frank Ocean - Pilot Jones
posted by jingzuo at 9:22 AM on September 24, 2012

Wilco - Dash 7 (though it's from the 90s).
posted by ghharr at 9:24 AM on September 24, 2012

Mark Farina's Air Farina album is air travel themed. I like Dream Machine
posted by par court at 9:24 AM on September 24, 2012 [1 favorite]

Jonathan Coulton - SkyMall ? It's about a common aspect of flying...
posted by Janta at 9:26 AM on September 24, 2012

Not your approved genres, but what about B.o.B.'s Airplanes?
posted by dd42 at 9:31 AM on September 24, 2012

Hey Rosetta - Another Pilot
posted by treehorn+bunny at 9:31 AM on September 24, 2012

Dubious and from 1995, but the Chilis' Aeroplane got stuck in my head the second I read your question.
posted by Beardman at 9:32 AM on September 24, 2012

Not from the past decade, but in case you expand your list: Joni Mitchell's This Flight Tonight.
posted by Specklet at 9:35 AM on September 24, 2012

Recycled Air, The Postal Service
posted by gyusan at 9:36 AM on September 24, 2012

Aeroplanes Wounded My Pride by Sir Paul de Boe: mellow, intelligent, I love it.
posted by ceiba at 9:38 AM on September 24, 2012

Destroyer - "It's Gonna Take an Airplane" (2004) is, I think, mellow, sad, happy, and poppy.
posted by mean square error at 9:45 AM on September 24, 2012 [1 favorite]

Ca Plane Pour Moi.
Older than 10 years, but the can you really have a collection of airplane songs without it? I don't think so.
posted by apparently at 9:54 AM on September 24, 2012

Billy Bragg & Wilco's Airline to Heaven (1999 though)
posted by jabes at 10:22 AM on September 24, 2012

Also R.E.M.'s Alligator Aviator Autopilot Antimatter (2011).
posted by jabes at 10:27 AM on September 24, 2012

Heres a mellow pop-punk song: Ataris' Takeoffs and landings
posted by dd42 at 10:32 AM on September 24, 2012

Sparks, "Aeroflot".

It is not within the last decade but IT IS A SONG ABOUT FLYING ON AEROFLOT.
posted by beaucoupkevin at 10:34 AM on September 24, 2012

[folks, OP has stated their guidelines and is not anon, make an effort please?]
posted by jessamyn at 10:52 AM on September 24, 2012

Flight Attendant by Josh Rouse (airplane bit comes at the end)
Pretty Girl at the Airport by the Avett Brothers
posted by smirkette at 11:09 AM on September 24, 2012

One of my absolute favorite bands, Pinataland, has a few:
"Devil's Airship" from Songs for the Forgotten Future, Vol 1 (2003), which refers to the great airship scare of 1896, as well as "Velocity" from the same, which is about a descending astronaut in a kind of relationship metaphor. "Flying Down to Moscow" about the German student who landed a private plane in Red Square during the late Soviet days.

From Songs for the Forgotten Future Vol. 2 (2009?) there's "The Settlers," about the settlement of Mars.

One of the members of that band has a solo project called Tyranny of Dave, and his album Vacations (mid 2000s) has "Travelin'" which features some airplane travel.

---
Rilo Kiley: "Plane Crash in C" and "Variations on a Theme (Plane Crash in C)" from their album "Take Offs and Landings." (2001)
posted by Sunburnt at 11:20 AM on September 24, 2012

Jetstream by New Order (with Ana Matronic of the Scissor Sisters).
posted by immlass at 11:30 AM on September 24, 2012

From The Air: Laurie Anderson

lyric excerpt:

Good evening. This is your Captain.
We are about to attempt a crash landing.
Please extinguish all cigarettes.
Place your tray tables in their
upright, locked position.
Your Captain says: Put your head on your knees.
Your Captain says: Put your head in your hands.
Put your hands on your hips. Heh heh.
posted by lhude sing cuccu at 11:59 AM on September 24, 2012

Air Traffic Control - Jets to Brazil
posted by Syllables at 12:10 PM on September 24, 2012

John Mayer's Split Screen Sadness. Sad and beautiful.
posted by yawper at 1:10 PM on September 24, 2012 [1 favorite]

They Might Be Giants -- Wearing A Raincoat
posted by kagredon at 1:14 PM on September 24, 2012

Brain Eno's 1/1 off the album "Music for Airports." No mention of airplanes, but it is PERFECT for an airport.
posted by Grandysaur at 1:38 PM on September 24, 2012

Mayan Pilot - Splashdown
posted by trillian at 2:39 PM on September 24, 2012

Rilo Kiley's Wires and Waves should work too.
posted by JannaK at 2:59 PM on September 24, 2012

• Joan Armatrading - Drop the Pilot
• INXS Johnson's Aeroplane.

Oops sorry, missed the time limit before linking these two great tunes.
posted by dirm at 7:08 PM on September 24, 2012

Andrew Bird - Fiery Crash
Jets to Brazil - Air Traffic Control
posted by barnacles at 8:02 PM on September 24, 2012

From '98, but A320 by Foo Fighters is a gem that was overlooked by virtue of being on the Godzilla soundtrack, and probably being too long for a single. Mellow, rockin' bridge, epic orchestral climax.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 9:22 PM on September 24, 2012

The Auteurs - Light Aircraft On Fire
posted by permafrost at 3:39 AM on September 25, 2012