Feel you need a little bit of a boost? Our high-flying hits countdown will give you an uplift any day of the week.
Who doesn’t love a soaring tune? Thanks to the Devon Air Ambulance Trust, people in need of urgent medical support can be reached in minutes. To celebrate our Air Ambulances, and the fantastic pilots who fly them, here is a countdown of our top 10 flying-themed songs. Which would you add to the list?
Volunteer with us or tell us or ask us about fundraising – we’d love to hear your ideas.
10. Jet Airliner – Steve Miller Band
Jet Airliner was released in 1977, and is still one of the most popular songs by the Steve Miller Band. This rock song is timeless, and deserves a place on our list.
9. Eight Miles High – The Byrds
Eight Miles High was released in 1966, and was popular in both the UK and the US. The lyrics describe the band’s flight to London, and it is often cited as one of the first psychedelic rock songs.
8. O (Fly On) – Coldplay
O (Fly On) is the final track on Coldplay’s recent album Ghost Stories, released in 2014. The track is actually split into two songs, a piano ballad (Fly On) and an ambient piece (O). This beautiful ballad may not have received the attention it deserved at the time, but it’s being recognised on our list. Even Chris Martin stated that O (Fly On) was his favourite piece of music made by Coldplay.
7. Fly Away – Lenny Kravitz
With its catchy blend of modern rock and funk, Fly Away hit number one in the UK Singles Chart following its release in 1998, and was also successful in the US. Even today, this song doesn’t fail to get your foot tapping.
6. The Zephyr Song – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
The Zephyr Song was released in 2002, reaching a position of 11 in the UK Singles Chart. Over a decade later, it continues to be a popular choice for radio DJs, and represents everything great about the freedom of flying. Besides, how can you skip one of the most famous songs by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers?
5. Learning To Fly – Pink Floyd
Learning To Fly was primarily written by David Gilmour, a licenced pilot, and describes his passion for flying: “there’s no sensation to compare with this”. Despite not appearing in the UK Top 40 Singles Chart after its release in 1987, it is considered to be one of Pink Floyd’s best songs, and shouldn’t be overlooked!
4. I Believe I Can Fly – R. Kelly
I Believe I Can Fly is a truly iconic, inspirational song. It has had huge success across both the UK and the US since its release in 1996, and has been covered numerous times. With powerful lyrics and impressive vocals, it isn’t hard to see why – this will probably remain a classic for years to come.
3. Learn To Fly – Foo Fighters
Although it shares a similar name, Learn To Fly is quite different from Learning To Fly by Pink Floyd. Learn To Fly was released in 1999, and remains one of Foo Fighters’ most popular songs of all time. It’s not hard to see why. Fun fact: in 2015, 1000 musicians joined together to perform the song, in an effort to persuade Foo Fighters to play a concert in the Italian city Cesena.
2. Flying Without Wings – Westlife
Flying Without Wings is a true classic from our beloved boy band Westlife. Released in 1999 (over 15 years ago- can you believe that?), it became an instant hit, and spent 13 weeks in the charts. This was Westlife’s third UK number one single, and remains one of their best-selling songs. Amazingly, according to Wayne Hector, the lyrics were written in only half an hour!
1. Come Fly With Me – Frank Sinatra
First recorded in 1957, Come Fly With Me is now almost 60 years old. It was originally written for Frank Sinatra, but has since been performed by numerous music artists, such as Michael Bublé and Robbie Williams. Regardless of which version you prefer, Come Fly With Me is a true classic, and deserves to be number one our list.
There you have it, those are our top 10 flying-themed songs! Think we’ve missed something out? Let us know! If you love your music, then why not check out our events, for some great music nights and live bands as well as a host of other activities.
