Your St. Patrick’s Day Playlist Isn’t Complete Without These Picks

By JC Villamere. 17 Mar 2022 6:36 AM

It’s time to freshen up your playlist in time for March 17 with these choice jigs and reels.

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Niall Horan
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One Direction was one-fifth Irish, thanks to Horan, from Mullingar, Ireland. So why not add 2017’s “Slow Hands” and 2016’s “This Town” to your playlist for some fresh Irish content? And if you’re looking for more straight-up Irish boy-band pop, add in some Boyzone and Westlife.
'Galway Girl'
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"She played the fiddle in an Irish band / But she fell in love with an English man" go the lyrics of this Ed Sheeran hit. He announced this new song on St. Patrick's Day of 2017, and it hit #1 on the Irish charts.
'The Auld Triangle'
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There are loads of versions of this Irish folk song but we recommend the one from the soundtrack of the Coen brothers' 2013 movie "Inside Llewyn Davis". The Punch Brothers perform it a cappella with Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons and Justin Timberlake, who sings the bass part in an Irish accent. It's the walk-on song for the Dublin Bohemian Football Club.
Sinead O'Connor
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This. Woman. Is. A. Legend. Shelf her 1990 hit "Nothing Compares 2 U" in favour of one of her many songs about Ireland. Try "Famine", "Irish Ways & Irish Laws", "Oro Se do Bheatha Bhaile", or "This is a Rebel Song". Want some more alt-rock by Irish artists? Add Hozier's "Take Me To Church".
'The Ballad of Ronnie Drew'
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This song was written in honour of Ronnie Drew, the singer for The Dubliners, who passed away weeks after the song's 2008 release. It song features a host of Irish superstars, including Bob Geldof, Ronan Keating, Shane MacGowan, The Edge, Andrea Corr, and Sinéad O'Connor.
The Dubliners
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You can’t have an homage to the frontman of the Dubliners on your playlist without a few songs from the Dubliners themselves. They’re one of the most influential Irish acts of the 20th century. The folk band, founded in Dublin in 1962, was instrumental in popularizing Irish folk music. Your playlist needs their versions of the folk songs "Molly Malone" and "The Irish Rover", plus their hit "Seven Drunken Nights".
'Where The Streets Have No Name'
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You knew this was coming. You knew there would be some serious U2 action on this list. Bono wrote this song because of those cases where you can tell how rich people are — and what religion they practise — based on what street they live on. So if you take away the street names, you can take away those biases and see people as individuals. Why not add "Beautiful Day" or "With or Without You" or just the whole 'Joshua Tree' album to your playlist while you're at it?
'Zombie'
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This Cranberries song was written by lead singer Dolores O’Riordan in response to the 1993 IRA bombing in Warrington, Cheshire, England. The 1994 hit reached a new audience when it was featured in ‘The Departed’, which won the Best Picture Oscar in 2006.
'Riverdance'
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Here's the song to spin when you want folks to pack up and leave the party. Bill Whelan's 1994 hit is so painfully overplayed that St. Pat could've used it to drive the snakes out of Ireland. The traditional-style composition holds the record for the most weeks at #1 on the Irish Singles Chart. With 18 weeks on top, it bests its closest competitor by three weeks: "Despacito" held onto the #1 spot for 15 weeks.
'Danny Boy'
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Unfortunately, it's not St. Patrick's Day unless "Danny Boy" is played. Hey, we don't make the rules, we just follow them. This melancholy ballad is over 100 years old, and we're recommending the 2005 version by Celtic Woman (although we were this close to recommending the Elvis Presley version). This song is a funeral fave if ever there was one. It was played at the funerals of John F. Kennedy, Princess Diana, and Elvis.
'Whiskey In The Jar'
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You'll get full points for the Thin Lizzy version of this traditional Irish song because Thin Lizzy's from Dublin. You'll get half points for the Metallica version, but you can up your Irish cred by adding Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town" to your playlist because even though the song came out in 1976, it's still a total bop.
‘Teenage Kicks’
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This 1978 debut single from the Northern Irish punk rock band the Undertones should be on all your playlists. Workout playlist? Yes. Chillax tracks? Yes. Christmas jams? Yes. It should replace “Amhrán na bhFiann” as the Irish national anthem. It was influential DJ John Peel’s favourite song. He cried the first time he heard it. He played it twice in a row on his BBC Radio 1 show. His gravestone is engraved with the opening lyrics. It’s two minutes and 27 seconds of grace. Bask in its glory. Bask, child, bask!

Your St. Patrick’s Day Playlist Isn’t Complete Without These Picks

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