On the first Saturday of each May, horse and hat enthusiasts gather to watch the two most exciting minutes in the world of horse racing: the Kentucky Derby.
And though some 150,000 people trek to Churchill Downs each year to witness the race firsthand, another 15 million tune in from home. For those throwing watch parties for this historic 150th Run for the Roses, a proper Derby Party needs fresh mint juleps and Benedictine finger sandwiches, someone to handle the betting pool, and a playlist of horse racing-adjacent tunes to keep guests in high spirits.
Music Times has you covered! Our editors curated a 20-song Derby Day Playlist with enough horsepower to keep your watch party trotting along from the starting gate to the finish line.
It starts strong with Patti Smith's "Horses" and a metal reimagining of Rossini's "William Tell Overture," a classic long associated with horseracing because of its distinct galloping cadence. There are nostalgic on-theme tracks like Booker T. and the MCs' "One Mint Julep" and Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally;" upbeat tunes like Echo and the Bunnymen's "Bring on the Dancing Horses" and the Toby Keith and Willie Nelson duet "Beer for My Horses" for shooting back Buds and bourbon; and some down-in-the-mud dance tunes, like Ginuwine's "Pony" and Big & Rich's "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)," for if your colts and fillys get a little rowdy.
Cheers to a lively Derby Day!
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