LeeCo Radio is a set of over 25 Spotify playlists, updated weekly, covering a wide array of genres and time periods. Each playlist is updated via automated tools, based on a curated set of source playlists. Over the past several years, I have fine-tuned the playlist sources, the selection criteria (filters), and the sorting criteria to produce the best possible result for each playlist. Each LeeCo Radio playlist contains 50 tracks, and tracks flagged as having explicit lyrics are omitted.
This page provides links to every LeeCo Radio playlist, as well as a brief description of each one. I initially created each playlist – and the algorithm behind it – to help me find new music or to remind me of old favorite songs I haven’t heard in a long time. I hope you’ll save some of these playlists to your Spotify library and check in on them weekly. Hopefully they will provide a valuable resource to you in your own personal quest to find new music you love or old favorites you’d forgotten.
KEEP IN MIND that all of these playlists are updated / rotated weekly (usually on Fridays,) so if you hear a song you like, be sure to add it to your Liked Songs or save it in a playlist somewhere before it disappears.
The LeeCo Radio Playlists
Click any image or text below to open the target playlist.
LeeCo Radio 0 - Now Playing
Radio Zero contains a collection of songs I'm listening to right now. It is probably one of the most volatile of the LeeCo Radio playlists, because it can change at any time depending on my mood, the time of day, what I feel like listening to right now, etc. UPDATED FREQUENTLY, so save your favorite tracks.
LeeCo Radio 1 - Heavy Rotation
Radio 1 contains songs that I've been listening to a lot lately (i.e., songs I've had in "heavy rotation," to use radio parlance.) It pulls in random tracks from these four sources: (1) My "On Repeat" playlist created by Spotify, (2) My "Repeat Rewind" playlist created by Spotify, (3) My Top Songs of the previous year, (4) My top songs (so far) of the current year.
LeeCo Radio 2 - Featured Artist
Radio 2 focuses on a particular featured artist whose music I want to hear more of. Every fourth or fifth track will come from the featured artist, and the playlist description will always tell you who the featured artist is. Recent featured artists include The Lemon Twigs, The Second Summer, Sitcom Neighbor, Tamar Berk, and The Airport 77s.
LeeCo Radio 3 - C86 and Tape Club
Radio 3 contains a mix of old and new songs from genres like C86, Tape Club, The Elephant Six Collective, and Twee Pop. These genres all share an emphasis on melody, a DIY ethos, lo-fi aesthetics, indie pop sensibilities, and youthful naivety. Fans of jangle pop may also like this mix.
LeeCo Radio 4 - Roots Music
Radio 4 contains a mix of both old and new roots music songs from genres like New Americana, Alt-Country, Soul Blues, Roots Rock, and related genres. Fans of artists like Tyler Childers, Patsy Cline, John Prine, The Highwomen, Turnpike Troubadors, Sturgill Simpson, etc., should enjoy this mix.
LeeCo Radio 5 - A Dream of the 90s
Radio 5 contains a mix of mostly alternative rock and pop tracks that were released during the decade of the 1990s. If you listened to alternative music back then, you should recognize most of the tracks in this playlist. You will also hear an occasional obscure deep cut as well as a few big hits.
LeeCo Radio 6 - The Edge
Very new, eclectic songs released in the past eight weeks by lesser-known artists in genres like indie pop, indie rock, indie surf, bubblegrunge, and more. This playlist provides a great way to learn about up-and-coming artists before they hit the mainstream.
LeeCo Radio 7 - Indie Surf
Radio 7 contains a mix of both old and new songs from the Indie Surf genre by bands like Wavves, Surfer Blood, Real Estate, and Best Coast. The genre often features jangly guitars, dreamy or ethereal vocals, and sometimes a laid-back, sunny vibe. Many indie surf bands also embrace a DIY ethos.
LeeCo Radio 8 - Modern Indie Rock
Radio 8 provides a mix of modern indie rock, including classic tracks and brand new releases. Fans of artists like The Flaming Lips, Neon Trees, Cold War Kids, Beach Fossils, Broken Bells, Foxygen, Wild Nothing, etc., should enjoy this mix.
LeeCo Radio 9 - Music From Down Under
Radio 9 contains a mix of indie rock and pop from Australia and New Zealand. The playlist features both classic tracks and newer music. In my opinion, some of the best indie rock comes from Australia and New Zealand, and this playlist provides a handy way to keep up with it.
LeeCo Radio 10 - A Dream of the 80s
Radio 10 contains a rotating mix of alternative songs released during the decade of the 1980s, from genres like post-punk, new wave, new romantic, synthpop, jangle pop, and more.
LeeCo Radio 11 - Curated Music
Radio 11 contains a mix of mostly new releases selected by a variety of trusted Spotify curators, such as KEXP, WNXP, Tonypop, oppositemarco, Obscure Sound, and many others. I use this playlist to keep up with the latest music recommended by people I trust.
LeeCo Radio 12 - Eclectic Pulse
Radio 12 contains an eclectic mix of songs that fans of a variety of genres are listening to right now, based on Particle Detector data. The music comes from genres like modern jangle pop, alternative rock, garage rock, dream pop, post-rock, and others.
LeeCo Radio 13 - Jangle and Power Pop
Radio 13 contains a mix of both old and new songs in power pop, jangle pop, and related genres. Fans of artists like Badfinger, Raspberries, The Rubinoos, Redd Kross, DM3, The Grays, Gigolo Aunts, The Grip Weeds, etc., should enjoy this mix.
LeeCo Radio 14 - 21st Century Favorites
The Radio 14 playlist includes a rotating mix of songs released after the year 2000 that I personally like and have saved. You'll find songs by well-known artists like The Killers, Foals, Beck, Allah-Las, as well as songs by lesser-known (but great) artists like Bird Streets, ROOKIE, Blondfire, Bleach Lab, Atomic Tom, and others.
LeeCo Radio 15 - Chill Out, Slow Down
Radio 15 contains a mix of lower-energy tracks suitable for relaxation, concentration, and unwinding after a hectic day. This playlist specifically filters out high-energy songs to maintain a consistent listening experience. It includes some songs you've definitely heard before, as well as many you probably haven't, from genres like folk-pop, indie folk, neo mellow, chamber pop, Memphis soul, and others.
LeeCo Radio 16 - End of the Century
Radio 16 contains a mix of mostly alternative, underground music from the last quarter of the 20th century (more or less - roughly 1974 to 1999). It specifically filters out big hits to focus on the more obscure, deep alternative cuts from that era (although if you are a fan of this music, you will definitely hear tracks you know by heart.)
LeeCo Radio 17 - Garage and Action Rock
Radio 17 includes both new and old songs from genres like Action Rock, Trash Rock, and Garage Rock. These genres share a raw, high-energy sound characterized by distorted guitars, simple, aggressive rhythms, and often shouted vocals. These genres embrace a gritty, unpolished aesthetic that harks back to the rebellious spirit of 1960s rock.
LeeCo Radio 18 - Shoegaze and Dreampop
Radio 18 contains a rotating mix of both old and new songs from the Shoegaze and Dreampop genres, ranging from the 1990s up through today. These genres are characterized by their ethereal soundscapes, blending lush, reverb-drenched guitars with soft, often indistinct vocals that meld into the instrumental texture. Both genres emphasize atmosphere over clear lyrical content, creating a dreamy, immersive listening experience that evokes a sense of introspection and emotional depth.
LeeCo Radio 19 - Neo-Psychedelic
LeeCo Radio 19 contains a mix of old and new tracks in genres like Neo-Psychedelic and Psych Gaze. These genres share a common sonic palette characterized by lush, immersive soundscapes, heavy use of reverb and delay effects, and a tendency to blend swirling, dreamlike textures with underlying rock structures. Both genres often aim to evoke an altered state of consciousness through dense, layered production and hypnotic rhythms.
LeeCo Radio 20 - Madchester and Britpop
LeeCo Radio 20 features a rotating mix of both classic and newer tracks from the somewhat-related British genres of Madchester and Britpop. Madchester was a music scene of the late 1980s made famous by bands like The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, The Charlatans, James, and 808 State. Britpop emerged in the early 1990s and featured bands like Blur, Suede, Oasis, Sleeper, and Supergrass. Radio 20 features classic songs by these bands as well as new music reminiscent of these genres.
LeeCo Radio 21 - My Coffee Shop
Radio 21 provides a mix of songs from a wide range of genres that, to me, are suitable as background music at a modern coffee shop. These songs are neither too soft nor too energetic to distract from conversation and concentration. They are pulled from genres as varied as Indie Folk, Chamber Pop, British Soul, Vapor Soul, Latintronica, Dream Pop, and many others.
LeeCo Radio 22 - A Dream of the 60s
The Radio 22 playlist includes a mix of pop and rock music released during the decade of the 1960s. Instead of the psychedelic and hard rock of the late 1960s, this playlist focuses on "sunshine pop", beach pop, etc. Radio 22 includes well-known artists like The Turtles, The Monkees, Jackie Wilson, and The Beach Boys, as well as lesser-known acts from the 60s like The Caravelles, Terry Black, The Yellow Balloon, and Harpers Bizarre.
LeeCo Radio 23 - A Dream of the 70s
LeeCo Radio 23 includes a mix of rock and pop tracks released in the first two-thirds of the 1970s (roughly 1970 through the end of 1977). You'll hear top 40 pop by artists like Elton John, Carpenters, and Chicago, as well as rock music by bands like Heart, Foghat, The Who, and Badfinger. There's also some R&B mixed in by artists like Al Green, Bill Withers, and Sly & The Family Stone.
LeeCo Radio 24 - Chamber Pop
The Radio 24 playlist includes a mix of both old and new songs in genres like Chamber Pop and Baroque Pop. Chamber Pop and Baroque Pop both feature lush, intricate arrangements and a rich use of classical or orchestral instruments, which blend with traditional pop structures to create a sophisticated, melodically complex sound. These genres often evoke a cinematic or theatrical feel, emphasizing elaborate harmonies and a blend of old-world elegance with modern pop sensibilities.
LeeCo Radio 25 - Discovery
Every year, I collect new-to-me songs that I like into a year-specific "Discovery" playlist (e.g., "Songs Discovered in 2024", etc.) Radio 25 randomly samples tracks from all of those Discovery playlists. It allows me to keep up with all the amazing music I've discovered over the past several years. If you like the sorts of things I do, you may enjoy "tuning in" to LeeCo Radio 25.
LeeCo Radio 26 - House, EDM, and Trance
LeeCo Radio 26 includes old and new tracks pulled from several modern genres like House, Electronic Dance Music, and Trance. It also grabs songs from related genres like Brazilian House, New French Touch, Nu Disco, and Tropical House. These styles share common sonic traits that include a steady four-on-the-floor beat, synthesized basslines, and repetitive, rhythmic patterns that build up to crescendos and breakdowns to create dynamic, dance-friendly tracks. These genres often use lush, atmospheric soundscapes and electronic effects to evoke strong emotional responses. This playlist filters out the super-energetic tracks to produce a mix suitable for hanging out at a modern swimming pool, or as background music in a modern restaurant, store, etc.
LeeCo Radio 27 - More Indie
LeeCo Radio 27 is yet-another mix of indie rock and pop from genres like Indie Surf, Surf Punk, Popgaze, and others. It focuses on newer music but sometimes includes older tracks, too.
LeeCo Radio 28 - Modern Music For Me
This playlist includes tracks released in the past five years that appear in various "For You" mixes created for me by Spotify. It's a way for me to listen to music that Spotify thinks I'll like, but filtered so it only contains relatively modern music. If you like the sorts of things I do, you might enjoy this playlist.
