The best songs about planes and flying

6 December 2019, 16:23

Radio X takes a look at some of the greatest ever songs about flying, planes and travelling at the speed of sound.

1. Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly

   "I'm looking for the sky to save me, looking for a sign of life…" One of Big Dave's best videos, in which he plays not just the captain of a jet, but a number of other wacky characters too. The rest of the Foos join in.

   

   Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly (Official Music Video)

2. Coldplay - Speed Of Sound

   "And birds go flying at the speed of sound…" Has Chris Martin ever achieved Mach 1? It's entirely possible, he's quite a live-wire.

   

   Coldplay - Speed Of Sound (Official Video)

3. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Aeroplane

   Suitably funksome offering from 1995's One Hot Minute.

   

   Red Hot Chili Peppers - Aeroplane [Official Music Video]

4. Oasis - Supersonic

   For Liam to actually travel at supersonic speed, he'd need to get a shift on and move at 768 miles per hour. "I'm feeling supersonic, give me gin and tonic," sings Mr Gallagher. The trolley service will be with you in a moment!

   

   Coldplay - Speed Of Sound (Official Video)

5. White Lies - Death

   A tad morbid, you say? Nah, if you study the lyrics you'll actually find that Harry McVeigh is what we call a "nervous flyer": "If we suddenly fall, should I scream out?" And, in fact, White Lies were originally known as Fear Of Flying.

   

   White Lies - Death (Official Video)

6. Editors - The Racing Rats

   Tom Smith tells a tale a song about flying into an airport and seeing the tiny wee people below him on the ground.

   

   Editors - The Racing Rats

7. M.I.A. - Paper Planes

   Not actually about planes per se, but hey, it's got "planes" in the title and it's an awesome track, so let's have it.

   

   M.I.A. - Paper Planes (Official Music Video)

8. Fatboy Slim - Sunset (Bird Of Prey)

   Norman Cook samples Jim Morrison of The Doors for this blissed out track from 2000. Lots of Cold War-era plane imagery in the video, too.

   

   Fatboy Slim - Sunset (Bird of Prey)