Heist Music: Songs For Various Scheming And Plotting
An 80-song playlist for putting together one last job.
When I asked my Instagram followers for playlist ideas, believe it or not, multiple people asked for “heist” music. One follower (and friend of mine [Hi, Courtney!]) asked for a “plotting and scheming” playlist, a pair of verbs that I believe sit nicely together under the “heist” umbrella.
So, welcome to this week’s playlist: Music for Heists.
You’re not going to believe this, but I’d already been sitting on a rough heist playlist for a few years. It was just a place where I’d dump my favorite songs that contained many of the identifying features of heist music. If you watch enough movies, you start to learn what those are:
Bongos
Bass
Flutes
And sometimes: Wah-wah 70s funk guitar.
To me, “heist” music is “spy” music with, like, 10 percent more whimsy.
A few things to expect on this playlist:
French and Italian film scores
Ethiopian jazz/Tizita music
Japanese jazz fusion
Afrofusion bangers
Horns! While not a staple sound of heist music, I do feel good horns give heist music a certain fun color.
Again, whimsy is important here. I want you to listen to this playlist with confidence. Whatever shenanigans you’re getting into, I want you to feel like you’re definitely going to get away with it. What you’re doing feels risky, but you’ll be driving into the sunset without the cops on your tail.
"Joris of Lumina" - C.C.P.P. (1975)
Spotify | Apple | YouTube Music | TIDAL
A groove-and-a-half!
"One Girl Revolution" - Superchick (2001)
Spotify | Apple | YouTube Music | TIDAL
To my fellow m*llenials: Yes, one of the girl boss songs from Legally Blonde is technically a heist song. (Also, the bass is great!)
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