Mars Rover Soundtrack

The Mars rover engineering team works on Mars time. A martian day, also called a "sol", is 40 minutes longer than an Earth day. Each martian morning as the rover wakes up they play a song related to the events of the upcoming sol. Occasionally a second or third song is played during the sol in addition to the wakeup song. This is a tradition from the manned space program. Unfortunately robotic probes are not yet capable of feeling inspiration from music, but Mission Control is.

This page lists all the songs I know about, and the explanations. The frequently-repeated phrase "touch and go" refers to deploying the arm to examine dirt or rocks (touch) followed by driving away (go).

Spirit

The Spirit rover landed on Mars on January 4, 2004, sol 1. Its first morning on Mars was sol 2.

Sol SongPerformernotes
2 Good Morning Good MorningBeatles
3 Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'Rodgers and Hammerstein
4 Hail to the ChiefMormon Tabernacle Choircall from President
5 Satisfaction Rolling Stonesair bags not cooperating
6 Get Up, Stand Up Bob Marleystarting to stand up
7 Da Da Da Casaca
8 Soak Up the Sun Sheryl Crow
9 I Can See Clearly Now Jimmy Clifftaking pictures
10 Unchained Van Halencable cut
Hit the Road Jack Buster Poindexterback up
Turn, Turn, Turn Byrdsstart turn
11 I Get Around Beach Boysturning
Round and Round Ratt
You Spin Me 'Round Thalía
12 Born To Be Wild Steppenwolfegress day
Rawhide Riders in the Skyegress command
Who Let the Dogs Out Baja Menegress confirmation
13 Reach Out Four Topsfirst arm activity
14 You've Got the Magic Touch The Plattersarm touches Mars
15 If You Love Somebody Set Them Free Stinglast engineering activities
Roam B-52sdrive activation
Good Times Roll The Carssuccessful drive
16 After Midnight Eric Claptonshift starts after midnight PST
Trash Day Weird Aldeleting contents of flash
17 We Will Rock You Queenpreparing for RAT of Adirondack
18 Sledgehammer Peter GabrielIntended first RAT application
19 S.O.S. Abbaattempt to regain communications
20 Baby, Talk to Me Bye Bye Birdie musical
21 Satellite The Hooterstelecom requested "a rousing lullaby"
22 We Can Work It Out Beatlesdebugging
23 Start Me Up Rolling Stonesbooting in crippled mode
24 Flash Queen it's a flash problem
25(You're The) Devil In DisguiseElvis
With a Little Help from My FriendsBeatles
26 I Want a New Drug Huey Lewis and The Newstrying another debugging method
27 Anticipation Carly Simondid file deletes help?
28 On the Road Again Willie Nelson"Can't wait to get back on ..."
29 Here Comes the Sun BeatlesSun woke Spirit
30 Lean On Me Club NouveauRAT placement
31 I Wanna Be Sedated Ramonespreparing for brain surgery
32Wipe Out Surfarifile system reformat
We're Not Gonna Take ItTwisted Sister
33Back In the Saddle AgainGene Autryback to normal operations
The Star Spangled BannerBeyoncéflag picture
34 Pounded on a Rock BobsRAT today
Bump 'N' Grind R. Kelly"go" command to RAT
35 Up Around the Bend CCR planned drive around lander
36 Stuck On You Elvis drive didn't work
37 Proud Mary Tina Turnerfirst long drive
38 Runnin' With the DevilVan Halen
39 Hit the Road JackBuster Poindexterlonger drive
40 What a Wonderful WorldLouis Armstrongdrive to Stone Council
41 Open Road Song Eve 6 driving song for a very short drive
42 Lift Up Every Stone John Hiatt observations of rock Mimi
43 Livin' on a Prayer Bon Jovi
44 Way Over Yonder Carole King heading for a distant crater
45 Touch Me in the MorningDiana Rosspre-drive in situ instrument work
46 Wake Up Little SusieEverly Brothers"generic wake-up song"
47 Dig Down Deep Hot Souptrenching complete
48 Working in the Coal MineDevoworking in newly-dug trench
49 Coisinha Do Pai Beth Carvalho
50 Samba De Marte Beth CarvalhoSong about waking up Pathfinder
51 Chariots of Fire Vangelisslow motion rover races
52 Cold as Ice Foreignernorthwest-facing rover woke up cold
53 Dust in the Wind Kansas hoping for dust devils
54 Big Rock in the RoadPete Wernick
55Brush Your Teeth Cathy Fink brushing dust off of three places on a toothlike rock
Knock Three Times Tony Orlando and Dawn
56 Walking On Sunshine Jump 5
57 Rock This Town Stray Cats
58 I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking ForU2no water press conference for Spirit
59 One More Time The Real McCoy
60 Pictures to Prove itThe Mighty Mighty Bosstonescomplex pancam mosaic
61 Motor Away Guided by Voicesheaded for Bonneville
62 My First Trip to MarsAtticus Fault
63 Anticipation Carly Simon almost at Bonneville
64 When I'm Sixty-Four Beatles Sol 64
65 Point of Know ReturnKansas to the edge of the crater
66 Livin' on the Edge Aerosmith
67 Top of the World Carpenterslooking down on a crater
68 Kodachrome Paul Simontaking pictures
69 Watching the Wheels John Lennon
70 none
71 Beep, Beep Louis Primadedicated to telecom et al.
72 Landslide Dixie Chicks
73 Rocky Road to DublinPaddy ReillySt. Patrick's Sol
74 Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?Chicagosome people on Mars time, some on Earth time
75 King Of The Road Roger Miller
76 Just One Look Linda Ronstadt
77 One Step Closer The Doobie Brothersanother rock along the way
78 Smooth Operator Sade
79 Freeze Frame J. Geils Band
80 Open the Door Otis ReddingAPXS door stuck open
81 Boy from New York CityManhattan Transfergrinding "New York"
82 Shifting Sand Caedmon's Calllots of sand formations around
83 No Sleep Till BrooklynBeastie BoysRAT target named Brooklyn
84 Hawaii Five-O (theme song)The Ventures
85 California Sun The Ramonesreturn to Earth time
86 The Andy Griffith Themetarget Missouri
87 Hold Tight Andrews Sisters"wild ride" down crater slope
88 Steppin' Out Joe Jacksoncrew on Earth time can go out Saturday night
89 nonedistracted by Earth time?
90 After Midnight Eric Claptonone week on Earth time
91 Route 66 Chuck Berry
92 I Touch Myself Divinylsrover examined itself with instruments
93 Glorious Day Weezer
94 Kodachrome Paul Simon
95 The Rover Led Zeppelin
96 none
97 Red River Blues Jorma Kaukonen
98 Where Is My Mind The Pixies
99-106 none
107 Hole in My Life Policeat a crater
108 Race Against Myself The Offspring
109 Riding in My Car Woody Guthrie
110 Margaritaville Jimmy Buffet
126 Hot Rod Lincoln Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen123.76 meter drive last Sol -- new record

Opportunity

Opportunity landed on Mars on January 25, 2004 (sol 1).

A livejournal page also has some notes on day by day activities and songs.

Sol SongPerformernotes
2 So Happy Together Turtlestwo rovers on Mars
3 The Spirit Of Radio RushHGA release
4 Another Day in Paradise Phil Collins
5 I'm Still Standing Elton Johnstandup in progress
Stand REM
6 Lookin' Out my Back Door CCR
Release Me Elvisrelease of the robotic arm
7 Born To Run Springsteenpreparing for egress
I'm Free The Who cable cut
Going Mobile The Whoegress
8 Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay Otis Redding
You Ain't Seen Nothing YetBTO
9 I'm Coming Out Diana Ross
10 Pictures of You The Curefirst MI image
11 Is There Something I Should Know?Duran Duran
12 I'm Leaving Here Motorheadfirst drive
12 Ramble On Led Zepplindriving
13 Little Honda Beach Boysdriving
14 Should I Stay or Should I Go The Clashtouch and go day
15 The Flintstones Theme Song, End credits, Version 2 from 1962arrived at "bedrock"
16 Slip Slidin' Away Paul Simonwheels slipping driving uphill
17 Wake Me Up Before You Go Wham!another touch and go
18 Running Down a Dream Tom Petty and the Heartbreakersdriving
19 Here I Go Again Whitesnakerepeat sol 18
20 I Like Dirt Red Hot Chili PeppersPreparing to dig a trench
The Pioneers of MarsLanda and Linsley
21 Send Me on My WayRusted Rootdriving and observing
Desert DriveTangerine Dream
22 Invisible Touch Genesistouch (IDD deploy)
23 Spinning Wheel Blood, Sweat, and Tearsdigging with a wheel
24 Trench Town Rock Bob Marleypost-trench IDD work
25 Fascination Human Leagueclose examination of trench
26 Body Movin Beastie Boysmoving closer to El Capitan
27 Touch and Go Emerson, Lake, and Powellanother touch and go
28 I am a Rock Simon and Garfunkelinspection of El Capitan
29 Riders on the Storm The Doorsrain in Spain
30 Rock'n Me Steve Millerfirst RAT grind
31 Rock around the ClockBill Haley and His Cometsaround the clock measurements
32 Let It Be Beatles
33 Blueberry Hill Fats Dominoblueberry hill
34 Dig In Lennie KravitzRATting again
35 I Can See Clearly NowJimmy Cliff
36 Rock Steady Sting
37 Let's Go The Cars
38 Have You Seen the Rain?CCRwater press conference
39 Bad Moon Rising CCRtransit of Deimos
40 On the Road Again Willie Nelsonspecial request
41 Surfin Safari Beach Boys
42 Break on Through to the Other SideDoorsRAT trouble
43 You Can Look Look (But You Better Not Touch)Bruce Springsteen
44 Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)Janis Joplinre-RAT
X-ray Eyes KISSAPXS
45 Eclipse Pink FloydPhobos transit
Meet Me Halfway Kenny Logginshalf of 90 sols
46 Berry Nice News Raffitarget "Rubel" in depression full of blueberries
Huckling the BerriesCountry Cooking
For the Rubel John Zorn
47 No Particular Place to GoChuck BerryStill in the crater...
That's Amore Dean Martin"when the moon hits your eye..." (transit)
48 Jaws: Main Title and First VictimJohn WilliamsDriving to "shark's tooth"
49 Fins Jimmy Buffetreached shark's tooth
50 The Dentist Bill Cosbydrillng the tooth
51 Song of the South Alabamaexploring south end of crater
52 Rock Lobster B-52sSol 52
53 Ice Cream Man John Brim
54 I Feel the Earth MoveCarole Kingtrenching
55 Climb that Hill Tom Pettyclimbing out of Eagle Crater
56 Fly Like an Eagle Steve Miller Bandtrying to get out of the crater
57 If You Don't Get it the First Time, Back Up and Try It AgainThe J. B.'s & Fred Wesley
58 Come On Home Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross
59 59th Street Bridge SongSimon and Garfunkelwaiting for batteries to recharge; sol 59
60 The Circle of Life Elton JohnLion King themed target names
61 I'm on a Plane Nirvana
62 The Distance Cakelongest drive so far
63 Close to You The Carpenters
64 Stand (in the place where you are)REManomaly
65 Back in the Saddle Gene Autryrecovered from anomaly
66 Bounce Bon JoviaBounce Rock
67 Changes David Bowie9 IDD tool changes today
Beep! Beep! Louis Primareceived a beep after comm. trouble
68 Got To Go Back Van Morrisonbacking up the rover
69 Little Maggie Tom Adamstarget Maggie
70 Truckin' Grateful Dead100 meter drive
Back from Mars Aquaend of Mars time
71 Let the Good Times RollB. B. King
72 The Wanderer Dion and the Belmonts
73 Potholes in My Lawn De La Soul
74 (What a Day for a) DaydreamLovin' Spoonfulsleeping, waiting for busy day uploading
75-76 none?
77 The Ocean Led Zeppelin
78 Wait Until Tomorrow Jimmy Hendrixinstalling new flight software
79 Teenage Lobotomy Ramonesnew flight software
80 Ripple Grateful Deaddug a trench through a wind ripple
81 Go Your Own Way Fleetwood Macautonomous navigation
82 I Would Walk 500 MilesLess Than Jakelong drive to Fram Crater
83 Can't Turn You LooseBlues Brothers
84 Closer to Free Bodeans closer to (at) Fram Crater
85 Take Me Out to the Ball GameJack Norworthbaseball related target names
86-88 none
89 Low Rider War

ATSNN.com has a page discussing the MER songs.

This page by John Carr.

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