The Power of a Comfort Playlist
Bring the vibes up through music.
by Sophie Abt ★ March 23rd, 2026
Photo Credit: Yahs Paydar
Do you ever have one of those days where you just feel off? Work piling up, a million things on your mind and you can’t stop thinking. That is where the comfort playlist comes into play.
Music is a bigger part of our lives than you may have realized. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) global study, most people listened to music for an average of 20.7 hours per week in 2023. That is almost an entire day of the week spent listening to songs that can shape our mood, bring back memories or help us feel a little more like ourselves again.
Personally, I am the type of person who has a playlist for everything, whether it's for summer at the beach, house music, dad rock, throwbacks or the really depressing music playlist (we all have that one). Each one evokes a different feeling in me, and that is the beauty of it. Having these songs that I love makes it so much easier to get out of a slump or a bad mood.
So what exactly makes a comfort playlist so powerful?
Music has a special way of connecting to our emotions. A single song can bring you back to many different memories. Here are some of my big ones:
Graduating from high school: “Good Old Days by Macklemore”
Tanning during summer: “Santeria by Sublime”
Costa Rica Vacation: “Dancing Queen by ABBA”
Long car rides with my parents “Scar Tissue by Red Hot Chili Peppers”
Each of these songs (and many more) holds a special memory in my heart, and whenever I listen to them, it brings me right back to that moment. That’s why certain songs can feel calming, nostalgic or even sad, depending on when you first connected with them. It is like a mini time machine for your mood.
What should go on your comfort playlist?
There are no rules to this, which is the beauty of it all. It is all personalized to you. Think about songs that make you feel calm, happy, or remind you of a good time.
Some ideas to start with:
Songs that remind you of home
Throwback songs
Feel-good songs that make you want to dance
Favorite road trip songs
The goal is songs that make you feel like yourself. Add the songs that make you smile, the ones that remind you of good memories, and the ones that you never skip. So when that next bad day rolls around, you can go to that playlist.
Trust me, you will be grateful when you hit play.
Edited by: Ava Robbins