Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk attached one of his electric Tesla Roadster’s to the rocket – and chose a David Bowie soundtrack to be played over the radio.
The rocket, named Falcon Heavy, had no human passengers on board. Yet in keeping with the David Bowie theme, Musk decided to send up a crash test dummy dubbed ‘Starman’ with the vehicle.
Reports say the selected soundtrack included the late musician’s classic hits Space Oddity and Life on Mars – but what other space-themed songs could’ve been chosen for the journey? Here’s a few he could’ve chosen.
The Police – Walking on the Moon
Released almost 40 years ago in 1979, Walking on the Moon was written by the band’s lead vocalist and bassist Sting. It went on to become the band’s second number one hit in the UK.
Europe – The Final Countdown
Swedish band Europe released this track in 1986 and it has been played non-stop in sporting venues since. The song itself is about a flight to Venus where there is no coming back from.
Katy Perry featuring Kanye West – E.T.
This tune from Katy Perry and Kanye West, which peaked at number three in the UK chart, is about a woman who falls in love with an alien from another galaxy and tells the story of how she wishes to travel to his planet.
Frank Sinatra – Fly Me to the Moon
Fly Me to the Moon is perhaps Frank Sinatra’s biggest hit and although it’s not strictly about going to space, old blue eyes sings about how his love for a woman is otherworldly and how he needs to see what life is like on Jupiter and Mars.
Elton John – Rocket Man
How could we not include one of Elton John’s most infamous songs? Elton sings about an astronaut who is lonely whilst floating in outer space away from his loved ones.
Blink-182 – Aliens Exist
Taken straight from Blink-182’s smash album Eenema of the State, Aliens Exist is an exquisite dose of punk rock music that was incredibly popular during the early 2000’s. The song is about a boy meeting an alien in his bathroom and was penned by former member Tom Delonge who has since gone on his own mission to discover whether aliens really exist.
Chris De Burgh – A Spaceman Came Travelling
While this song did not receive the acclaim Chris De Burgh was hoping for in 1975, it has since gone on the become a popular Christmas song despite not actually being about Christmas.
Coldplay – Moving to Mars
All four members of Coldplay wrote this song which was meant to be released on their fifth studio album Mylo Xyloto, but was pushed back and was released on their EP Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall which was exclusive to iTunes.
The Killers – Spaceman
Released in 2008 this single by The Killers is about a man being ripped from his bed by aliens as he is abducted and undergoes tests on the spaceship. Despite being told that it was all a dream by those he tells he knows it’s real yet no one believes him.
Beastie Boys – Intergalactic
This was the Beastie Boys’ biggest hit in the UK after reaching number five in the chart in the summer of 1998. The song earned the influential hip-hop group a Grammy in 1999 for Best Rap Performance by a duo or Group.
Which songs would you have selected for your playlist to outer space? Email [email protected].
Interested in technology? Find out more about the Driverless Cars on the Adrian Flux Driverless Cars Blog.
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