Your Icelandic Road Trip Playlist

When traveling around Iceland, you obviously need a soundtrack for your trip. And what better than to listen to Icelandic artists to make it even more authentic and memorable.

Icelandic music was the reason I visited Iceland

Before moving to Iceland I worked at a radiostation and was surrounded by music 24/7. One of the Icelandic artists we played a lot at that time was Ásgeir. I heard him perform live in 2013 and absolutely loved his Icelandic songs. But they were nowhere to be found online. I could not find them on Spotify or any other platform. Luckily nowadays, they are easily accesible for everyone.

I never expected Icelandic music to be such a big cultural thing in Iceland, but it seems like almost everyone is musical in some way or at least music is really embedded in Icelandic culture. So getting to know Icelandic music, also means getting to know their culture.

If you want to check out some live music while in Iceland, I would recommend going toGræni hatturinn !

Icelandic playlist for your road trip

I made a Spotify playlist with all my favorite Icelandic music. There's pop, rock, classical, country, old songs, contemporary songs, English lyrics, Icelandic lyrics; there is something for everyone. Just put it on shuffle and figure out which is your favorite song and / or artist!

Some of my favorite Icelandic artists

There are a lot of favorites, but these are at the top of my list right now:

Ásgeir

My first Icelandic musical love. Always great for road trips. His music is very dreamy and matches the Icelandic landscape perfectly.

Bríet

She just has really beautiful and fun music. The song "Rólegur kúreki" is one of my favorites, but her cover of one of Ásgeir's songs, is also high on my list.

KALEO

If you like country music for your road trips, KALEO is the one you need to listen to. They sing in English, so it is very acessible. But they also made a cover of an old Icelandic song and many Icelanders love this cover more than the original song. It is called "Vor í Vaglaskógi".

FLOTT

I saw this all female band perform last summer at an Icelandic festival in the east and loved their show! Their songs are both great to listen to and have really fun lyrics too. The voice of the lead singer is amazing too!

Valdimar

Amazing voice, amazing songs. I love Valdimar. The drama and emotion in the songs is just really captivating even if you don't understand the lyrics.

Kammerkór Nordurlands

Maybe a choir is not the first music you think about for a road trip, but I like some classical music once in a while. I've seen this choir perform several times (a friend of mine sings in it) and I think they are amazing. So if you want to change it up and listen to something else than pop / rock / folk, just try this!

>> Check out my Icelandic Road Trip Playlist

Some important Icelandic songs

There are a few songs you just need to know when visiting Iceland. So make sure you listen to them while traveling around!

"Ég er kominn heim"

If you ever go to an Icelandic party, this song will be played. But it will be the indication that the party is over and that everyone is going home. People will be singing this song at the top of their lungs, so just be prepared and practice this song in case you end up at an Icelandic party!

"Heyr Himna Smiður"

This hymn was written around 1208 and is the oldest preserved hymn in the Nordic countries. Even though it was written more than 800 years ago, Icelanders can still understand the lyrics and the song is still sung very often. The song got more (international) attention again after the Icelandic band Árstíðir sang it in a subway station and they put the video of it on YouTube. The song was also used in The Handmaid's Tale.

>> Check out my Icelandic Road Trip Playlist

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

If you're coming to Iceland because of the movie "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" you might also like to visit these places: Jaja Ding Dong Húsavík and The Húsavík Eurovision Exhibition.

Björk and Sigur Rós are missing

You might have noticed neither Björk nor Sigur Rós are on the playlist. I know this might sound crazy, but I have never listened to either of them properly, so I wouldn't know which songs to choose... And this is a playlist with my favorite Icelandic artists and songs, so I've not added them. But not mentioning them would be crazy as wel. So please add them to your own Icelandic playlist if you like!

And let me know which songs are your favorites!

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