MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION (STAR CHILD) 

by Parliament

This whole album is rooted in extraterrestrial exploration, futuristic/sci-fi concepts and psychedelic sound. “Mothership Connection” is intergalactic worldbuilding at its finest.

I THOUGHT I WAS AN ALIEN 

by Soko

This sweet song is about feeling like an alien in a social situation and finding solidarity with someone else who feels the same way you do. Maybe itʼs romantic, maybe itʼs platonic, and maybe itʼs neither and is just a moment of connection — two aliens among a group of humans who find solace with each other.

KELLY WATCH THE STARS

by Air

This song stands out because of the dreamy atmosphere it sets with its use of synthesizers, vocoded vocals and other electronic elements. The lyrics to the song are just the title repeated over and over, but it’s hard not to create a story in your head and immerse yourself in it, where you are observing the night sky from Earth or floating through space past stars and planets.

ALIEN OBSERVER

by Grouper

Grouper (aka Liz Harris) creates an incredibly complex, vivid, and liminal spacescape to communicate feelings of alienation and isolation. In this song, Harris works to establish a peace with coldness, quiet, darkness and air running out — and the overarching idea of flying away from a world that you don’t belong in — when it’s anything but peaceful.

A SPACE BOY DREAM

by Belle and Sebastian

Through spoken word, Stuart Murdoch narrates an innocent story about a boy being scared to fly to Mars. It’s a cutely naive story, but it ends up sounding scattered and edgy with its instrumental backing, which relies on a punchy electronic bassline, jazzy piano and simple drum rhythm. To me, it helps paint the cosmic dream as being a bit distressing for a young boy.

LUCKY STARS

by HAIM

In this song, Danielle Haim spiritually reflects on her relationships as results of cosmic fate, with the moon, stars and constellations bringing her and others together. There’s a loud gratitude in this song, with Danielle Haim marveling in the beauty and power of the universe, and in the love she has for those who have come into her life.

SATELLITE BUSINESS 2.0

by Sampha and Little Simz

This song is less existential and more technological in its spacey theme, with complex production, an upbeat tempo, and glitchy electronic sounds. The song feels feverishly adventurous, unbounded and endlessly kinetic, like space exploration.

SPACEBOY

by The Smashing Pumpkins

Billy Corgan wrote this song about his little brother Jesse, who has several physical and mental disabilities. The song explores the idea of being treated differently, as if you come from space. Billy frequently speaks directly to Jesse (the titular spaceboy) within the song, as he relates to Jesseʼs feelings of isolation and feels like an outcast himself.

MERCURIAL WORLD

by Magdalena Bay

Magdalena Bay is iconically spacey, digital and imaginative — their music exists within a fantasy world with angels, vampires, zombies, falling skies and burning stars. This title track from the groupʼs 2021 album describes that fantastical and extraterrestrial world, where planetary storms and stars are all around.

SPACE IS THE PLACE

by Sun Ra

I donʼt know if it would be possible to make a list of space-themed songs without including Sun Ra. He was an avant-garde jazz musician and self-proclaimed alien from the planet Saturn, brought to Earth to preach peace. There’s so much more to say about Sun Ra and his alien identity, space travel and cosmic music, but you’ll just have to read and listen more for yourself.