The best dinner party playlist

Music is one of the most important parts of any party, don’t you think? It helps you feel relaxed as the host, helps guests feel more comfortable, even if only subconsciously, it’s a great conversation starter, and in my opinion, there’s no better combination than drinking (if that’s something you’re into) and listening to good music. In crafting a playlist for hosting friends and family for dinner and drinks, I like it to be mostly old sounds for their more transformative quality (or even new stuff that has an old sound to it), mostly upbeat but smooth as opposed to gimmicky, and with a good range in style and genre. It also needs to be able to hold its own as the backdrop, but also not be too distracting. And it has to be decently long! Because the best dinner parties last for hours, even on school nights :)

My go-to Dinner Party Playlist contains everything from Bob Dylan to Leon Bridges to Regina Spektor to Bo Diddley. And it’s such a fun collection for setting the scene.

Do you play music when you have people over? Jon’s sister Ashley plays old music on a record player when we go there for dinner and I’ve always loved that, too. What is your go-to?
 

PS: for other good playlists, click on the "currently listening" link below