My Favorite Music Streaming Channels

Bonjour!

I love music. Mes Parents got me hooked on music from a tender age, whether it was jamming to oldies and classic rock with my mother in the car on the way to school or playing Guess the Classical Composer with my father after dinner (I’d get an M&M for each correct answer!).

A Lifelong Love of Music

My family’s shared love of music, from Broadway musicals to ballets and symphonies to Christmas music to, yes, a Backstreet Boys concert (my parents are saints) brought us together and enriched our lives. I hope to do the same for my child. If the Backstreet Boys are still touring (le wink).

During the pandemic, I leaned heavily into the music I already know and love as a sort of aural comfort food. Dance hits from the Nineties (ah, middle and high school) and alternative and indie rock from the Aughts (wherefore, college and law school?) were on heavy rotation.

I steeped in the nostalgia of it all. And really wished I still had all of my old CDs (le sigh). (But I still have some old mixes in a CD case!)

But I still felt disconnected. I recently realized I hadn’t listened to much or really any new music at all. As we come out of the pandemic and I settle into new motherhood, I’m finally ready for something new – new books, shows, and music.

First order of business: I queued up the Today’s Hits channel on my Pandora music steaming subscription. Not all total garbage; musical gems include Post Malone (!), Ed Sheeran (!!), and Taylor Swift (!!!). I may be cool after all.

My Favorite Pandora Music Channels

I’ve had a Pandora account for over ten years. You can have a free account (with occasional ads) or a paid account (with no ads and more content like podcasts, which I don’t use). Below I share some of my tried-and-true streaming channels over the years and some new favorites.

🌴 Chill Out Radio

When I need to channel yoga vibes feel like I’m on the beach. I used this channel when I taught yoga classes and it’s still a go-to for early mornings, working at my desk, and any time I need to relax.

See also: Tropical Lounge Radio, Yoga Workout Radio

👨‍🎤 ATB Radio

For major Nineties nostalgia, I turn to house and trance. ATB is a German DJ I learned about in middle school from my German friend, Christiane. This channel is a great mix of old European DJs and newer house/techno hits.

Sidebar: Now EDM (electronic dance music) is all the rage, but I can proudly say that I loved dance and techno music waaaaayyyy back in the day.

See also: Trance Radio, Trip Hop Radio, Groove Armada Radio

👢 60s French Pop Radio

I love France and la culture française. The French pop hits from the Sixties are the tops. Pure auditory bliss from the hip and mod, especially French-language covers of “So Happy Together” (“Si Heureux Tous les Deux”), “These Boots are Made for Walkin’” (“Ces Bottes Sont Fait Pour Marcher”), and “Paint It Black” (“Marie Doucer/Marie Coler”).

See also: Sophie-Ellis Bextor Radio, Kate Ryan Radio

🪩 Sylvester Radio

One of my favorite songs is “Do You Wanna Funk” by Sylvester, that fabulous disco hit featured in one of my favorite movies, Trading Places (1983). This channel always gets me going and makes me smile with fun and funky tunes from the Seventies, Eighties, and beyond.

See also: Disco Radio, 90s Dance Radio, Jamiroquai Radio

New Favorite Pandora Channels

🎸 60s, 70s, and 80s Hits Radio

How did I not know this channel existed?! It’s and incredible mix that takes me right back to childhood, riding in the car, every middle- and high-school dance.

😁 Happy Kids Radio

Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be searching for music channels for children. But now that I have Le Bébé, I can’t wait to introduce him to all kinds of music. This channel has a decent mix of pop and silly songs that are not “kid songs” (à la Raffi or The Wiggles).

What is your favorite kind of music? Turn it up!

Merci for reading and please subscribe and share!

À votre santé,

Katie