Spotify Wrapped in space: what do the astronauts listen to?

Astronauts on the International Space Station have shared what’s on their playlists while walking in space.

Spotify Wrapped is a viral marketing campaign that music-streaming platform Spotify releases annually to remind users what they listen to the most.

NASA astronaut Nick Hague, a flight engineer on Expedition 72 aboard the International Space Station (ISS) shared some insights on the kind of music astronauts listen to while in space, with the video shared on NASA and Spotify social media accounts.

It turns out that music plays a vital role in astronauts' lives in orbit, with tunes being played constantly. “Music is one of those things that connects us to the planet,” said Hague.

What's the soundtrack for a spacewalk? @NASA's Nick Hague reports from the ISS on how 2024 sounded — in space. #SpotifyWrapped pic.twitter.com/xoYv25AfGK

undefined Spotify (@Spotify) December 9, 2024

“Every Friday night the crew gets together, we turn on music and we stream things that we like. Whether they’re into pop or hard rock, it’s an international mix.”

Astronauts also listen to music inside their spacesuits while outside the ISS. “When I think of spacewalks, I think of classical music, slow, methodical tunes, because that is the way that we conduct spacewalks. Slowly and methodically. Classical music captures the essence of, just floating in space,” adds Hague.

NASA’s podcasts that are worth checking out

This year “NASA’s Curious Universe” podcast was the top-streamed, with “A Year in Mars Dune Alpha” being the most popular episode. NASA’s podcast spent a combined 37 weeks in Spotify’s top charts for science podcasts.

Tradition of music in space

NASA has a long-standing tradition of waking astronauts up with music since the Gemini 6 mission in 1965. Some examples of wake-up songs included "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits, "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay, and "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra.

Apollo 11 astronauts, during their mission to the moon, took cassettes with them and listened to "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra. Sinatra's recording became immortal when Aldrin played it off of his NASA-issued cassette player when he stepped onto the moon's surface shortly after Armstrong.