The best songs to listen to high are ones with space, texture and slow builds: think Pink Floyd’s “Echoes,” Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” Tame Impala’s “Let It Happen” and Massive Attack’s “Teardrop.” Below is a playlist sorted by mood, built from 15 years of reader picks on this site, plus what the research says about why music sounds different on cannabis.
Music and cannabis have gone together for as long as either has had a scene, from jazz clubs in the 1930s to reggae, psychedelic rock and hip-hop, where one of the most direct examples is Kid Cudi’s “Marijuana,” whose 2011 video was shot by Shia LaBeouf. This page pulls together three old Weed Street Journal posts: our “Ten Awesome Songs” list, a reader column on The Secret Machines and a Valentine’s Day stoner love song. We kept the picks that hold up and added the classics.
Why Music Sounds Different When You’re High
Most people who use cannabis say music feels richer, more absorbing and more emotional. The science is still thin, but a few studies help explain it. Whether cannabis makes people more creative is a separate question; see what studies show about weed and creativity.
- Sound feels more vivid. In a 2018 brain-imaging study in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 16 cannabis users listened to music after inhaling cannabis with or without CBD, or a placebo. Both types of cannabis made sounds seem more vivid and raised people’s desire to listen to music.
- But the brain’s reward response was dampened. The same study found that cannabis without CBD actually reduced activity in auditory cortex and in reward and emotion areas, including the ventral striatum and amygdala, while people listened. Cannabis that also contained CBD did not differ from placebo on those brain measures. In other words, the feeling of “this sounds amazing” may not match a simple boost in the brain’s pleasure response. It was a small, single study, so treat it as a clue rather than an answer.
- Time stretches. A Yale study published in Psychopharmacology in 2013 found that THC made people overestimate how much time had passed, as if the internal clock sped up. The effect was blunted in frequent users. A stretched sense of time may be one reason a long song feels like a journey and small details stand out.
- Attention narrows. Many people find it easier to get absorbed in one stream of sound while high, which suits instrumental and ambient music.
For more on what THC does in the brain, see how THC affects the brain.
The Playlist: Best Songs to Listen to High, by Mood
Zone out: long, spacious and instrumental
| Song | Artist | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Echoes | Pink Floyd | More than 20 minutes of slow-building sound design |
| Your Hand in Mine | Explosions in the Sky | A long, rising guitar piece from our original list |
| Teardrop | Massive Attack | Heartbeat rhythm, harpsichord and Elizabeth Fraser’s voice |
| La Femme d’Argent | Air | Warm French electronic drift |
| Kiara | Bonobo | Layered, looping downtempo |
| Maria También | Khruangbin | Hypnotic surf-funk groove |
Mind-expanding: psychedelic and layered
| Song | Artist | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Weird Fishes/Arpeggi | Radiohead | Interlocking guitars that build to a release; on our 2011 list |
| Let It Happen | Tame Impala | Nearly eight minutes of shifting synth-psych |
| My Girls | Animal Collective | Pulsing synths and stacked vocals |
| Empire Ants | Gorillaz | Starts mellow, then the build lands hard |
| Nowhere Again | The Secret Machines | From Now Here Is Nowhere, an album one of our early columnists called his “comfortable fallback” |
| Silvia | Miike Snow | Big, swelling electronic pop for eyes-closed listening |
Full albums worth a start-to-finish listen
- Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon. The classic. Some fans sync it with The Wizard of Oz, the so-called “Dark Side of the Rainbow”; the band has said the overlap is a coincidence.
- The Secret Machines, Now Here Is Nowhere. Heavy, droning space rock that works best played loud and in order.
- Radiohead, In Rainbows. Warm and detailed, good on headphones.
- Tame Impala, Currents. Polished psychedelic pop with plenty of production detail to catch.
Classic cannabis anthems
| Song | Artist |
|---|---|
| Kaya | Bob Marley and the Wailers |
| Legalize It | Peter Tosh |
| Sweet Leaf | Black Sabbath |
| Hits from the Bong | Cypress Hill |
| Smoke Two Joints | Sublime (originally by The Toyes) |
| The Next Episode | Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg |
| Mary Jane’s Last Dance | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers |
| Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die | Willie Nelson |
Chill and feel-good
- Kid Cudi, “Pursuit of Happiness”, a late-night favorite.
- Kacey Musgraves, “Slow Burn”, unhurried and easy.
- Fleetwood Mac, “Dreams”, the gentle groove that keeps finding new fans.
- John Frusciante, “Carvel”, a long intro worth the wait, from our 2011 list.
- Julian Casablancas, “11th Dimension”, upbeat synth-rock from the Strokes singer.
For two: a stoner love song
For Valentine’s Day in 2011 we posted “Bowl for Two” by The Expendables, a laid-back Santa Cruz reggae-rock band. It is still the obvious pick for a shared session.
Tips for a Better Listening Session
- Use headphones or decent speakers. Layered music loses most of its detail on a phone speaker.
- Play albums, not shuffle. Records like Dark Side of the Moon are built to flow.
- Go easy on the dose. A low to moderate amount tends to make music more engaging; too much can make it overwhelming or bring on anxiety. Our dosage guide covers starting amounts.
- Pick strains you know. Many people prefer a mellow, familiar strain for listening; browse our strain guides.
- Protect your hearing. Being high can make loud music feel less loud than it is. Keep volume at a level you could talk over.
Best Songs to Listen to High FAQ
What is the best album to listen to high?
Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon is the classic pick. Radiohead’s In Rainbows and Tame Impala’s Currents are strong modern choices.
Why does music sound better when you’re high?
Research suggests cannabis makes sound seem more vivid, increases the desire to listen and alters time perception. One brain-imaging study found it actually dampened reward-area responses, so the full explanation is not settled.
What genre of music is best when high?
Psychedelic rock, ambient, downtempo electronic and reggae are the most popular, because they favor texture, repetition and slow builds.
What is a good stoner love song?
“Bowl for Two” by The Expendables is a fan favorite. Kacey Musgraves’ “Slow Burn” also works for a mellow night in.
Does CBD change how music feels?
In the 2018 study, cannabis containing CBD did not dampen the brain’s music response the way THC-only cannabis did. It was one small study, so this is not settled.
For adults 21+ in legal states. General information, not medical advice.
