The (Improved!) Playlist Guide
An updated resource (and a personality quiz!) to help you find your way around New Bands for Old Heads playlists + posts.
Not sure which playlist to start with? I made a playlist personality quiz1. It’s stupid. It’s fun. It’s free.
If you’re new, it’ll help orient you with a few playlists picked out just for you.
Navigate:
Genres + Eras | “Best Of”s | Mixtapes | Community Playlists
Most playlists available on: 🍎Apple, ☁️SoundCloud, 💿Qobuz,
🌊Tidal, ▶️YouTube. Find those links in the directory.
The directory also includes every single band I’ve ever recommended in the newsletter. It’s pretty sweet.
Ok, on to the playlists —
Genres + Eras
⭐ = core playlist
⭐ ‘70s Soul + R&B - playlist
⭐ ’80s Synth - playlist
⭐ ‘90s Alt - playlist
⭐ Classic Rock - playlist
Egg Punk - playlist
Hip-Hop - playlist
Pop - playlist
Yé-yé - post
“Best Of”s:
Yearly
2026 - Best Tracks
20253 - Best Tracks | Midyear | EOY 1 | EOY 2 | EOY 3 | EOY 4
2024 - Best Tracks | Midyear | EOY 1 | EOY 2 | EOY 3 | EOY 4
2023 - Best Tracks
2022 - Best Tracks
Monthly
Mixtapes:
Mostly “If You Like [X], Then You’ll Like [Y]” posts + companion playlists.
🎤 = guest playlist
If You Like [X] Then You’ll Like [Y]: The OG - post | playlist
Female-Fronted Bands - playlist
Motorik Beats - playlist
Community Playlists:
Known Unknowns - Community-generated playlists featuring your favorite unknown & underrated artists.
Directory-only extras:
The Disco
Discord Community Music Recs
The best way to support New Bands for Old Heads is to become a paid subscriber. If this newsletter ever turned you on to a band you wouldn’t have found otherwise, please consider upgrading. Support your friendly local (human!) music curator, and help keep the playlists bountiful across all platforms. Learn more here.
Prefer to subscribe without supporting Substack directly? It’s $5 cheaper.
Invite a friend, get free access!
Existing subscribers, the quiz is in your inbox. DM me if you don’t have it.
See also: Post-Punk Party Hour (a mix of new and old post-punk that you’ve likely never heard before)
Extras only in the Directory:
Reader Favorites: First Half of 2025 + All of 2025
Gabbie’s Favorite Tracks of 2025
Missed in 2025
Love the personality quiz!!! What’s the model? Simple ad hoc logic branches, fancy discriminant function analysis or something else?
Do you have any folk music playlists? I've been playing 60s and 70s folk for a class and would love to recommend some newer songs.