Without music, I’d go insane.
I just can’t fathom going on my daily walks to the train and having to listen to cars whizzing by and pigeons feasting on leftover bread crumbs over actual tunes downloaded to my iPod (yes, I still have a working one). And whenever I sit around with my friends or go for a random drive, we always end up sharing new songs we’ve recently heard and putting each other onto fresh artists we may have never known about beforehand.
Now that Apple Music is one of the many apps users can connect to within ChatGPT, I decided to test its playlist-generating abilities. For this stress test, I gave it three situational prompts to challenge the AI to match my mood.
Here's what happened.
‘90s hip-hop vibes for an underground hangout
My friend group is varied — their music tastes are just as diverse.
One of those groups is a bunch of guys who have no desire to listen to today’s brand of rap/hip-hop. That’s because all they need in their lives are classic boom bap tunes that originated in and were inspired by the golden era of that genre, the ‘90s.
With Apple Music in tow, I prompted ChatGPT with this request: Build a playlist of 10 songs for 90s hip-hop fans who only want to hear from obscure underground rap artists. The chatbot tapped into Apple Music to present me with a list of songs that I’m sure would make ‘90s babies break their necks while furiously bobbing their heads to. ChatGPT deemed its picks as songs that barely grazed the surface outside indie circuits, college radio, or Fondle ’Em Records-era circles:
- Company Flow — “The Fire in Which You Burn”
- Juggaknots — “You Gotta Do One of These”
- Mic Geronimo — “S**t’s Real”
- Natural Elements — “First of All”
- Prince Paul feat. Kool Keith — “Weapon World”
- Pete Rock, InI — “Fakin Jax”
- Raw Produce — “Weight of the World”
- Arsonists, Q-Unique, Jise — “Language Arts”
- Non Phixion feat. Necro — “Black Helicopters”
- Godfather Don — “Status (Solo OG Home Demo)”
ChatGPT also noted that this playlist perfectly encapsulates the late-90s indie explosion — Rawkus, Fondle ’Em, Stretch & Bobbito-era NYC, where lyrical density and dusty beats mattered more than radio spins.
Jazz tunes for a moody evening stroll
For my second playlist request, I decided to go a completely different route with my setup: Build a playlist of 10 atmospheric jazz songs that are perfect for walking through the city streets at night.
Before ChatGPT supplied me with its choice of songs, it generated a pretty apt interpretation of the playlist I requested: This one’s built for empty sidewalks, neon reflections, and that slightly surreal “city never sleeps” feeling—slow tempos, space between notes, and just enough melancholy. And it leans into modal, ambient, and spiritual jazz, where the mood carries more weight than the melody—perfect for walking with no destination.
These are the 10 songs that the Apple Music ChatGPT app highlighted:
- Bill Evans — “Peace Piece”
- Miles Davis — “Blue in Green”
- Ornette Coleman — “Lonely Woman”
- Miles Davis — “In a Silent Way”
- Bill Evans Trio — “Nardis”
- McCoy Tyner — “Search for Peace”
- Wayne Shorter — “Infant Eyes”
- Modern Jazz Quartet — “Django”
- Pharoah Sanders — “The Creator Has a Master Plan”
- John Coltrane — “Naima”
Hype-inducing metal for a wrestling fan's road trip
For my final playlist prompt, I wanted to evoke the spirit of excited wrestling fans driving to a major wrestling show while screaming their heads off in unison to heavy metal tracks: Build a playlist of 10 metal songs that are perfect to listen to during a road trip to a major wrestling event.
ChatGPT knew exactly where I was trying to go musically when it acknowledged my playlist request as the type of songs that could double as a wrestler’s entrance music.
The songs that the Apple Music app presented me with included a mix of recognizable groove metal, nu-metal, and classic metal tracks that I was pleased to see:
- Pantera — “Walk”
- Slipknot — “Duality”
- Slipknot — “Before I Forget”
- System Of A Down — “Chop Suey!”
- Disturbed — “Indestructible”
- Iron Maiden — “The Trooper”
- Metallica — “Enter Sandman”
- Drowning Pool — “Bodies”
- Disturbed — “Down With the Sickness”
- Motörhead — “Ace of Spades”
Final thoughts
Out of all the apps inside ChatGPT, Apple Music was the one I was most excited to try — and it didn’t disappoint.
Basic prompts like “top songs right now” or “best tracks from this artist” felt too generic. They worked, but the results weren’t anything special. What actually surprised me was how much better the playlists got when I was more specific.
Once I started describing the exact vibe — whether it was a laid-back hangout or something more upbeat — the results jumped from decent to genuinely great.
At this point, it’s something I’d actually use every day. It’s an easy way to build playlists that feel more tailored without spending time digging through songs myself. It's especially great for last-minute plans, road trips or hitting the gym.
And I’m not done testing these apps yet — more to come. Let me know in the comments what apps are your favorite.
