Were you not invited to NASA’s party? Don’t worry, we’ve still got the perfect tunes for your celebration of the 45th anniversary of the first moonwalk. Armstrong and the other two Apollo 11 astronauts, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, changed the course of history by participating in the first mission that was able to take humans to another world. You probably weren’t even born on June 20, 1969, so you couldn’t celebrate the moonlanding with the rest of the earth. Don’t be sad because you can do it now! Here are some songs for the best Apollo 11 themed party you’ve ever thrown.
Chris Hadfield – “Space Oddity”
Can you imagine a better song to launch this list? This one was written in 1969 by David Bowie, and this version was performed by astronaut Chris Hadfield inside the International Space Station as the first music video recorded in space!
Elton John – “Rocket Man”
Have you ever wondered how many people are in space right now? The answer is six, and you can check that out here. Some of them, like @Astro_Alex and @Astro_Reid, spend all day taking pictures and posting them on Twitter. It seems like life in space isn’t very different from life on earth after all. We are sure, though, that every single day they wake up, they listen to this Elton John classic.
The Drums – “Me and the Moon”
Can you believe that as of today, only 12 people have walked on the moon? The last man on it was Eugene Cernan during the Apollo 17 mission… in 1972. Luckily, we can still go there in song.
Disclosure – “Apollo”
Apollo 17 was the last mission of the Apollo lunar landing program. Seems like awhile ago, doesn’t it? If it were today, maybe they would be listening to this song while riding a spaceship all the way to the moon.
Daft Punk – “Contact”
Maybe this one would be the perfect soundtrack for that journey instead. The voice you hear in the beginning is actually Cernan’s during the Apollo 17 mission, which makes it all the more perfect.
David Bowie – “Life on Mars?”
The next step in space exploration is to take humans to Mars. Honestly, we expect life there to be a whole lot like David Bowie, and if it isn’t, we won’t hide our disappointment.
Arcade Fire – “Laika”
Interestingly, the first animal to orbit the earth was a dog named Laika. Like Alex in this song, Laika never came back.
Crystal Fighters – “Wave”
Laika and Alexander (our older brother), left for the greatest journey of their lives, something similar to what you’ll feel like while listening to this tune.
Sufjan Stevens – “Get Real Get Right”
This is a close description of what might happen if you lost your mind and started yelling about the end of the world. We’re just assuming here, but that’s probably what it felt like 45 years ago when humans took their first walk on the moon.
The Prodigy – “Out of Space”
You can’t walk on the moon, but you can dance like you’re about to — and this track will help you.
Rufus Wainwright – “Across the Universe”
Need to cool down your brain after all that fake moon walking? Just listen to this one.
