-

[sasquatch22]

-

[airdrum]

Ah well this is a fun topic, I actually have a pretty regimented philosophy on pre-hike music. For me, I have had some unpleasant experiences with having song lyrics stuck in my head on hikes. Especially if it's a long 10+ miler, having that song lyric in my head can drive me nuts. Worse, whenever I hear the song again I associate the scenery of the hike - meaning I get bummed I am not hiking at the time!

I make sure to listen to instrumental music on the way to the TH, it helps get any lyrics stuck in my head out! I have 3 CDs of all instrumental music that I pop into my changer for hike times.

Everyone has their own picky music taste so I'm sure 100% of people will despise the music I post below but in any case I think it's fun and I hope others post some music too, I'm always looking for ideas.

While still in the metro area I'll listen to more technical music, where I can concentrate on the talent of the musicians or dynamic nature of the composition, it helps me get my mind off of more stressful things. Jazz is the usual fare:
http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Every ... orld/r5zbF

http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/The+F ... cle/2gt3IW

When I get out of the urban area, it simply depends on the mood I sense from the environment

- For awesome scenery i.e. road to Johnston Ridge Observatory in the Mount or the road to Paradise in Mt. Rainier NP
http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Cotes ... iges/7oxrN

- For nasty road conditions, I need scary music that makes me feel doom is coming, it keeps me alert
http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Malaguena/2wCBBM

http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/10+Pr ... ny+/2EUFlb

- If it's driving through the woods at night, a suspenseful "what's around that next dark bend..." atmosphere to keep me looking forwards for deer or other obstacles.
http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Gone/2A20Ok

- One exception to all this is for some reason I always listen to piano only music when I am driving near the ocean, such as along hwy 101
http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/No+Ca ... re+/2TOUJY

- On the way home I'll pick something more upbeat and cheerful, lyrics allowed. I need something to keep me awake and singing as I usually feel physically beat.
http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Oh+MJ/kqPVa

And now for torture - here are some of the songs I have had stuck in my head while hiking and therefore remind me of the hike:
Mirror Lake Snowshoe: http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/12+Da ... mas/1UDChB
Mt. Adams Summit, UGH: http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/5+Years+Time/2gfEM4
And now the worst - one year I was packing up my stuff for a hike from the Thomas Lake trailhead and a couple young dudes pulled in BLASTING this song. They kept it blasting as they packed right next to me for several minutes. Sadly, I got the catchy chorus of this model of modern pop-hiphop-metal stuck in my head, ARGH! http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Earthquake/F6cjP

[mattisnotfrench]

Mix tapes and whatever cassettes we have in the car (we still run on cassette!). Lately it's been almost entirely mix tapes. Great stuff, those are...

[sasquatch22]

.

[mattisnotfrench]

re: mattisnotfrench - regarding the second part of your post... that's French, right?

Yeah. My signature is basically asking people to go hiking with me in French. I am a French teacher by day and hiker by...well, by weekend.

[cfm]

I just unearthed my James Laid CD from 1993. I forgot how good it was, and now keep listening while driving alone on long drives.

Here's a bit of track from my favorite song about possible Armageddon.

[sasquatch22]

.

[Excursionista]

Well, seems like this topic has come to a dead end...

About time someone mentioned the Dead.

My tastes run hippie-ish, with a healthy heap of just about everything else except hip-hop, pop, and modern country (pop with telecasters). Most often, I listen to my iPod on random, which, I've found, opens up all sorts of cool experiences and synchronicities.

I have had some great times listening to particular albums:

On a road-trip to Crater Lake this summer, my friend and I couldn't get enough of Eddie Vedder's "Into the Wild" soundtrack. It fit the mood perfectly.

In Spring, while driving back from Catherine Creek in a mix of rain and sun, I listened to the acoustic set from Phish's 2009 Halloween festival. Every lyric and every note somehow matched every turn of the road, the weather, the landscape, and my mood. It would've been eerie except I've come to expect that from Phish.

A few years ago, while driving back from the Wallowas, my friend took a wrong turn and we came out of the mountains on top of a huge ridge. We listened to Wilco's live 2-disc set "Kicking Television" all the way down and all the way through the Powder River Highway at sunset to Baker City. Perfect...

And to get back to the Dead, I recently downloaded the Dead’s 2004 show at Columbia Meadows (yep, I was there) and I’ve been playing the heck out of it. It’s really mellow and it’s a great background to the long drive up and down the Cooper Spur road.

I've had many more amazing experiences with music and hiking over the years, but those are the first that spring to mind. I've found that being very open and receptive to whatever comes is a key lesson of hiking, and it extends to music as well. A good vibe on the drive to the trailhead helps defeat the “annoying song that you can’t get out of your head while hiking” syndrome, and a good vibe on the way back helps seal the deal.

[Christopher_Hunt]

hehehe Yeah... usually I will listen to the Dead, or anything with Jerry.... or, often I will listen to talk radio... I hardly get to do that any more.... Especially if my favorite.... oh boy, this is a controversial one... my favorite, Rush, is on....

[Crusak]

While driving solo I listen to a fairly narrow spectrum of music: 80's to 90's metal (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, and similar bands), alternative, alternative metal, and a little bit of pseudo-Gothic metal (like Iced Earth and Symphony X). I also like many of the contemporary rock/metal/alternative bands, like Evans Blue, Submersed, Crossfade, Sevendust, Apocalyptica (gothic?), Seasons After, Digital Summer, Three Days Grace... Not a lot of mellow tunes in my collection.

I don't torture my passengers with that stuff if they're not into it, hahaha. I'll play anything on the radio except Country and Rap.