Of course, there’s art to in-store playlists, but there’s also science to the phycodelic rock.
One of the oddest trends to emerge from TikTok has been the rise of luxury music curators. Big-name brands have begun to pay hefty fees to consultants who promise to carefully curate a selection of beats, bangers, and B-sides that match or elevate the store’s image.
Doling out high prices for playlists might seem far-fetched, but there’s real evidence music affects shopping behavior. Using the same principles developed by kinesiologists who found that listening to certain kinds of music can enhance runners’ pace and stamina, consumer behavior researchers have found that the tempo and feel of in-store music can affect purchase volume, return frequency, and consumer satisfaction.
While every shopper has unique tastes, research reveals that slower songs encourage customers to linger in the store, upbeat songs boost moods and lead to greater spending, and Nickleback songs . . . just suck.
So, if you’re preparing for an influx of clientele for 4/20, it could pay to adjust your radio. Ideally, you want to play songs that are mid-tempo, non-inflammatory, and happy. The perfect playlist should draw from a range of genres and feature songs that make you unconsciously tap your foot.
You don’t need a magazine article to suggest obvious cannabis-themed songs. So here are some slightly overlooked tunes to boost your research-driven 4/20 playlist.
The kings of alt-country penned this pop ode to teenage days more than 20 years ago, but it’s only gotten better with age. The subtle cannabis reference in the chorus (“I miss the innocence I’ve known/ playin’ KISS covers beautiful and stoned”) takes a backseat to the easygoing beat and sepia-toned vibe. It’s a crowd pleaser among crowd pleasers, a perfect bit of pleasing background sound.
What’s a 4/20 playlist without a hit of reggae? While artists like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh are clear standard bearers, Snoop’s short-lived safari into the genre generated some stellar tracks. “Smoke the Weed” is an easily accessible earworm that shies away from the religious ideology of Rastafarianism and focuses on a message we can all support: staying away from schwag. Well, it’s really about supporting young people, but decoding the metaphor isn’t as much fun as singing along to its infectious chorus: “Smoke the weed / Don’t smoke the seed.” (Featuring Collie Buddz.)
Another toe tapper that’s stickier than the finest of the icky, this classic rock song doesn’t need a magazine to certify its 4/20 bona fides. But it’s so good, we’re doing it anyway. Not only is “The Joker” the kind of song that never goes out of style, it’s one of the rare pro-cannabis anthems nobody has a problem with. The plight of the “midnight toker” has been featured in countless movies and TV shows and even fueled a Levi’s commercial in 1990—17 years after it was released—that caused it to return to the Billboard charts.
An instant sing-a-long from rock and roll royalty, the trick that this song pulls off lies in its deceptive simplicity. Made from three chords and relying on a basic ABAB rhyme scheme, the song feels both obvious and profound. When Petty intones, “Let me get to the point/ let’s roll another joint,” it’s impossible not to feel a twinge of longing for the wide-ranging, stoned conversations that keep close friends close.
Declaring, “I fly like paper, get high like planes,” Sri Lankan singer/rapper MIA introduced herself to the macho world of gangsta rap with a bullet (or four). But despite her bravado, this piece of pop perfection feels less like a document of her exploits of illegal badassery and more like a party song for stoners. It doesn’t hurt that it rose to fame as the theme to the greatest cannabis action comedy ever made: Pineapple Express.
A deep cut from a decade ago, this song by Riff Raff collaborator and part-time model Lil Debbie is the greatest piece of art ever dedicated to that most luxurious of positions: the hired joint roller. It’s also the kind of song that gets trapped in the brain on repeat. Give the beat 10 seconds, and you’ll be hooked. It’s instant summer fun without any fancy metaphors or symbolism, just a joyous celebration of the good life.
It seems like there’s a Beatles song for every occasion. And while the Fab Four were pillars of the mind-expanding 60s drug scene, their music often treated the subject metaphorically (“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”) or obliquely (“Got to Get You Into My Life”). On this track, however, the lads from Liverpool come right out with it. It’s a classic that makes clear the group values the camaraderie and compassion of an old-fashioned smoke sesh. “Oh, I get high with a little help from my friends.”
This jazzy standard by New Orleans trumpeter and barbecue master Kermit Ruffins is a brassy ode to keeping one’s stash on the down low. Ruffins, who also had a prominent role in HBO’s “Treme,” sings with genuine soul about a subject close to his heart. Since joining the legendary Rebirth Brass Band in 1982, he’s been an outspoken proponent of cannabis. “Hide the Reefer” stands as a spooky reminder that the counterculture still has work to do.
A joyous account of love laced with winks to cannabis, this 2011 banger from pop rapper Wiz Khalifa lifts spirits and rolls out the good times. A finely crafted ditty, it’s impossible to tell if the famously pro-pot artist is singing about a woman, a friend, or his stash. Boosted by a peppy synth line, “Roll Up” makes everyone wish we had someone who would promise us “whenever you call, I roll up.”
A dose of funk that goes down easy, this joint is expertly recorded with crispy percussion, groovy bass guitar, and a horn line in perfect harmony. The superfly sound of Mayfield’s falsetto ratchets this song’s charm up to 11, reminding newcomers and old heads alike that one of the draws of cannabis is the sheer charisma of its most ardent consumers.
