Your summer just got a little groovier.
Today, the White House joined Spotify — and our inaugural playlist was hand-picked by none other than President Obama. When asked to pick a few of his favorite songs for the summer, the President got serious. He grabbed a pen and paper and drafted up not one, but two separate summer playlists: One for the daytime, and one for the evening.
It’s stocked with a selection of the classics — from Nina Simone’s blues sensation “Feelin’ Good” to the Temptations’ “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” — mixed in with more recent tracks from artists like Florence & the Machine and The Lumineers.
Give them both a listen and a subscribe — we think you’re going to love it.
And make sure you follow the White House on Spotify — because we’ve got a lot more to come, from issue-specific playlists to songs selected by other people in the White House.
President Obama’s Summer Playlist: Day
- Ain’t Too Proud to Beg – The Temptations
- Live It Up – Isley Brothers
- Memories Live – Talib Kweli & Hi Tek
- Tombstone Blues – Bob Dylan
- So Much Trouble in the World – Bob Marley
- Paradise – Coldplay
- Tengo Un Trato (Remix) – Mala Rodriguez
- Wang Dang Doodle – Howlin Wolf
- Another Star – Stevie Wonder
- Hot Fun in the Summertime – Sly & the Family Stone
- Boozophilia – Low Cut Connie
- Wherever Is Your Heart – Brandi Carlile
- Good Day – Nappy Roots
- Green Light – John Legend
- Gimme Shelter – Rolling Stones
- Rock Steady – Aretha Franklin
- Down Down the Deep River – Okkervil River
- Pusher Love Girl – Justin Timberlake
- Shake It Out – Florence + The Machine
- La Salsa La Traigo Yo – Sonora Carruseles
President Obama’s Summer Playlist: Night
- My Favorite Things – John Coltrane
- Superpower (feat. Frank Ocean) – Beyoncé
- Moondance – Van Morrison
- Is Your Love Big Enough? – Lianne La Havas
- How Can You Mend a Broken Heart – Al Green
- Red & White & Blue & Gold – Aoife O’Donovan
- Nothing Even Matters – Lauryn Hill
- The Best Is Yet to Come – Frank Sinatra
- You Don’t Know Me – Ray Charles
- I Found My Everything – Mary J Blige
- Help Me – Joni Mitchell
- I’ve Got Dreams to Remember – Otis Redding
- Suzanne – Leonard Cohen
- Feeling Good – Nina Simone
- Stubborn Love – The Lumineers
- Until – Cassandra Wilson
- UMI Says – Mos Def
- The Very Thought of You – Billie Holiday
- Flamenco Sketches – Miles Davis
- Woo – Erykah Badu
Like that? You’ll love our White House In Performance series. Over the course of the past few years, we’ve hosted a series of concerts right here in the White House — welcoming artists from Stevie Wonder to Paul McCartney to Jennifer Hudson.
You can take a look at a selection of videos from these concerts here.