Music Playlists as Historical Disaster Artifacts: A Content Analysis of Hurricane Evacuation Playlists

Playlists created for use during or in response to a weather disasters present a unique type of artifact. This study regards playlists as artifacts that might offer cultural insight into the lives of those affected by hurricanes – in this case, 2022’s Hurricane Ian. A content analysis was conducted to build a profile of user-created Spotify playlists referencing Hurricane Ian. A discussion includes results of the study as well as a defense for playlists as artifacts of historical events.