Feeling patriotic this Memorial Day? That's not surprising, since Memorial Day was first created to honor the lost lives of soldiers who fought for our country. And music is a great way to remember those who have made sacrifices for the greater good. This Memorial Day playlist is filled with essential music that captures the spirit of the holiday.Ìý
1. The Star-Spangled Banner
The United States National Anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, is the most recognized American patriotic and traditional song. It's played at government events and ceremonies, as well as opening ceremonies for American sports and other events.
2. The Stars and Stripes Forever
What could be more appropriate for a Memorial Day song than John Philip Sousa's stirring march, The Stars and Stripes Forever? He wrote over 100 marches, but The Stars and Stripes Forever is the most widely acclaimed since it premiered in 1897, when it became the official march for the United States of America.
3. Wild Blue Yonder
The US Air Force marching song was originally titled, Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder. However, it was officially changed in 1947, when the Air Force split from the Army Air Corps to form its own military branch. The original melody and first verse were written by Robert MacArthur Crawford in 1939.
4. Marines' Hymn
The Marines' Hymn was originally the march section of a comic opera, Genevieve de Brabant, by Jacques Offenbach, which was first performed in 1859. It became the official US Marines' Hymn in 1929 and is the oldest official US military song.
5. The Army Goes Rolling Along
The United States Army had a difficult time finding the right official song and settled on The Army Goes Rolling Along in 1956. Often called The Army Song, it was originally titled as the US Field Artillery March and then As the Caissons Go Rolling Along before its final title.Ìý
6. Anchors Aweigh
The United States Navy's fight song of the US Naval Academy has never been made the official marching song for the Navy. Charles A. Zimmermann composed the song in 1906, and Alfred Hart Miles wrote the lyrics.
7. Semper Paratus
The official US Coast Guard song, Semper Paratus, is Latin for Always Ready. US Coast Guard Captain Francis Saltus Van Boskerck composed the song in 1927, and it was officially accepted in 1928.
Related: Why We Celebrate Memorial Day
8. Armed Forces Medley
You may prefer listening to all of the US military songs. In 2016, the National Symphony Orchestra gave a National Memorial Day Concert. The symphony performed the Armed Forces Medley, a compilation of each of the US military branches' march songs for a truly patriotic rendition.
9. God Bless America
Even Irving Berlin got in on the patriotic songwriting, repurposing an old piece into this famous patriotic anthem, which  "an expression of gratitude for what this country has done for its citizens, of what home really means."
10. America the Beautiful
America the Beautiful was originally a , who was inspired by the views from atop Colorado's Pike's Peak. The poem was so popular that it was later set to music.Ìý
11. This Land Is Your Land
Woody Guthrie was tired of hearing God Bless America everywhere because he thought it was too sappy and patriotic. So he wrote This Land Is Your Land as social commentary, highlighting those in America who struggled while still celebrating the beauty of the country.
12. The Battle Hymn of the Republic
Poet Juliet Ward Howe visited Washington, D.C. in 1861 and heard union troops singing a march called John Brown's Body, which was about a famous abolitionist. A preacher friend encouraged her to write new lyrics to the tune, and the result was The Battle Hymn of the Republic.Ìý
13. My Country 'Tis of Thee
You probably already know that My Country 'Tis of Thee has the same tune as England's God Save the King/Queen, but it may come as a surprise that it wasn't written in response to that being an English celebration of royalty following the American Revolution. Rather, by a seminary student named Samuel Francis Smith in 1832. Smith was tasked with translating the lyrics to some German tunes, including one called God Save Our Native Land. Instead of translating, he wrote his own lyrics to this now-famous American song.Ìý
14. You're a Grand Old Flag
George Cohan's famous patriotic song was written after an encounter with a Battle of Gettysburg veteran. that the man said to him, "She's a grand old rag," and the rest is slightly edited history.Ìý
15. God Bless the USA
Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA was first written and performed in 1983 and has become an American mainstay. Greenwood was inspired by Elvis Presley's American Trilogy recording.
16. Yankee Doodle Dandy
This American Song was sung before the Seven Years' War (1756-1763 war between Britain and France), and the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). It is also Connecticut's state anthem.
17. Over There
George M. Cohan's 1917 song, Over There, was a popular song during both World Wars.
18. Memorial Day Song
Coffey Anderson performs the Memorial Day Song in gratitude for those who died for America's freedom.
19. Ballad of the Green Berets
Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler, who was a Green Beret medic, wrote Ballad of the Green Berets while recovering from injuries sustained during his active duty in Vietnam. It was one of the only songs recorded during the Vietnam War to paint the military in a positive light.
20. American Soldier by Toby Keith
Toby Keith was inspired to write American Soldier as a tribute to all the members of the US military he encountered on USO tours.Ìý
21. Some Gave All
Billy Ray Cyrus's Some Gave All is a popular song among American patriots. It was on Cyrus's debut album of the same name.
22. Die Tryin'
Die Tryin'Â by Chase Rice is a country song that can serve as a military tribute to all who serve.Ìý
23. More Than a Name on a Wall
The harmony of The Statler Brothers in their song, More than a Name on a Wall, is iconic. The song pays tribute to the fallen soldiers who are memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall.
24. A Soldier's Memoir
Mitch Rossell pays tribute to soldiers with the song, A Soldier's Memoir.
25. Still a Soldier
Trace Adkins performs Still a Soldier. It was released in 2017 and shows Adkins's admiration for those who serve.
26. One More Soldier
Eddie Money performed One More Soldier at Brazos Nights in Waco. He wrote the song as a tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and the proceeds from the song supported the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
27. If You're Reading This
Tim McGraw's If You're Reading This pays emotional tribute to fallen soldiers and the families they leave behind. He was inspired to write the song after reading about the effects war has that reach far beyond those who fight.
28. Arlington
Trace Adkins's Arlington is a tribute to those US military heroes buried in the Arlington National Cemetery. The cemetery is located in Arlington County, Virginia, and it lies across from Washington, DC, on the other side of the Potomac River.
29. Soldier's Last Letter
Merle Haggard's song, Soldier's Last Letter, is a tribute to soldiers and is often found on Memorial Day playlists. Haggard never served himself but was known to pay tribute to those who did in many of his songs.
30. American Boy
Eddie Rabbit's song American Boy describes a typical patriotic American young man.
31. American Made
The Oak Ridge Boys' American Made is a fun song about an American love story.
32. Only in America
Brooks & Dunn offer you Only in America as an excellent song for your patriotic Memorial Day playlist.
33. Color Me America
Dolly Parton's Color Me America expresses how she feels about being an American.
34. America
Neil Diamond's America is dedicated to his grandmother, who, over 100 years ago, was a 12-year-old child who came to America with her parents.
35. American Honey
Lady Antebellum's song, American Honey, is a good song for your Memorial Day playlist. It's actually about a whiskey called American Honey.
36. R.O.C.K. in the USA
You'll find R.O.C.K. in the USA is a great traveling song to play when driving to a Memorial Day event. John Cougar Mellencamp wrote the song as a tribute to 60s rock.
37. Living in America
James Brown delivers a great song for any American with Living in America. Brown released the song in 1985, and it was featured in Rocky IV.Ìý
38. Home
Dierks Bentley provokes sentimental images of America in his song, Home.
39. Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly
Aaron Tippin describes what it means to be an American with the commitment of giving back to the country with his song, Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly.
Load Up Your Playlist
If Memorial Day has you feeling patriotic, this playlist will inspire. From American classics to country and rock anthems, this playlist is the perfect salute to the red, white, and blue.
