Barack Obama Pays Tribute to Glen Hansard with 2026 Summer Playlist

Barack Obama has unveiled his annual summer playlist, opening this year’s selections with a tribute to the late Glen Hansard. The former president kicked off the list with Hansard’s “Song of Good Hope,” writing, “It starts with a song Michelle and I love by Glen Hansard, a great musician who passed tragically this week. Our hearts go out to his family.” Elsewhere, Obama’s characteristically wide-ranging picks include contemporary tracks from The Strokes, Doechii and SZA, Noah Kahan, Vince Staples, Tyla and Zara Larsson, and Mumford & Sons and Hozier, alongside classics from David Bowie, The Beatles, Neil Young, Nina Simone, Johnny Cash, Marvin Gaye, A Tribe Called Quest, and Earth, Wind & Fire. He also apparently has Drake, Future, and Molly Santana’s “Ran to Atlanta” in rotation. The playlist arrives shortly after Obama shared his 2026 summer reading list, continuing his beloved and longstanding tradition of recommending books and music to the public. Here are some of the songs I've been listening to this summer. It starts with a song Michelle and I love by Glen Hansard, a great musician who passed tragically this week. Our hearts go out to his family. pic.twitter.com/3A1trYfXfx — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 30, 2026