Music has a magical way of transporting us or taking us back to a specific place in time. “Wake Me Up” by Avici seems to be playing every time I drive to the mountains, and just have to smile knowing the lyrics so perfectly match the mood of impending adventure. Inspired by specific destinations or the world in general, plenty of music videos take that even further, adding storytelling elements and images to emotionally charged beats. With some of the best tunes to tickle your wanderlust, you might just want to make this your new plane, train or automobile playlist.
“Upside Down & Inside Out” - OK GO
Coming from the viral sensation that performed spunky moves on treadmills, OK GO had another first, the first music video to be filmed in-flight at zero gravity. Shooting allegedly took 50 takes on a Russian S7 Airline to get their flips and summersaults just right and it wasn’t all fun and games with lots of outtakes. But if that doesn’t make you want to take to the skies (or space!) I don’t know what will.
“Hymn for the Weekend” - Coldplay
Global inspiration and a guest appearance by Queen Bey? We’re into it. Shot on the streets of Mumbai, India’s most populous city, the colorful powder the children cover Martin and the rest of the band with is often associated with Holi, a Hindu religious festival that takes place in the spring. It’s one of those beauty in the chaos moments.
“ Free” - Rudimental
Featuring the soulful Emeli Sande on vocals, the band Rudimental has become known for their famous and flashy music videos. They've adventured across the globe – break dancing in the Philippines, rode BMX bikes in LA, and tamed tigers in Thailand. But “Free” happens to be our favorite with wingsuit flying across the Alps. Sign us up.
"Toes” – Zach Brown Band
Basically the anthem of summer, ZBB’s upbeat country tune will inspire you to hit the beach – stat. While the video was actually shot right here in the US of A at Lake Lanier in Georgia and referencing a trip to Mexico, by our calculations, it could just as well be depicting any Caribbean island. As they say, “life is good today” -- we’d tend to agree as long as there’s an umbrella drink nearby.
“Wildest Dreams” – Taylor Swift
Tay Tay takes to Africa in a dreamy safari scene that’ll leave you picturing chasing the Big Five (and hunky men along the way). Filmed in Northeastern Botswana at the Kalahari Desert, Taylor is seen walking across the Makgadikgadi salt pan, part of the dusty savanna landscape. At the end of the video, a message states that all proceeds from the piece will be donated to wildlife conservation efforts through the African Parks Foundation. As if we needed another reason to love T. Swift.
“Wide Open Spaces” – Dixie Chicks
How I typically describe my restlessness, the Dixie Chicks just get me. In fact, they might just be my spirit animal. The upbeat bluegrass anthem was set against a backdrop of wildflowers in the Rocky Mountains, showing an appreciation for nature and landscapes you’d only find out West.
“Life is a Highway” – Tom Cochrane
The ultimate road trip song, who hasn’t belted out “Life is a Highway” at the top of their lungs while flooring the gas petal? Many of the shots in the video are familiar locations along the Dinosaur Trail in Alberta, including Cochrane playing guitar amid the hoodoos. Canada in a vintage car, anyone?