What was the first song played in space?
The concept of outer space is one of those ideas that either fascinates or terrifies. The thought of billions of unknown galaxies or the possibility of alien life can be mind-blowing—or deeply unsettling. It’s a subject that has captivated countless songwriters over the years, inspired by the sheer thrill and mystery of exploring the unknown.
Anyone brave enough to venture into that vast void is made of sterner stuff than most of us. But it raises an interesting question: how do you make the endless expanse of space feel even remotely homely? How do you cope without the entertainment we rely on daily—our favourite movies, TV shows, and music? It seems a lonely and quiet existence. However, when it comes to music, astronauts found a way to bring their favourite tunes quite literally out of this world.
Being the first song ever played in space is a pretty cool accolade by any standards for a musician, but unfortunately, for any of the world’s best pop and rockstars, none of them can take that heady title. In reality, the answer to this seminal piece of history takes an unexpected but fittingly festive feel.
This is because the first ever song played in space was, in fact, ‘Jingle Bells’, the commandeered Christmas tune originally written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857.
It gained this other-worldly status on December 16th, 1965, when American astronauts Wally Schirra and Thomas P Stafford, aboard NASA’s Gemini 6A flight, pulled a festive prank on their base at Mission Control by claiming they could sense something in the ether before proceeding to play the song.
But was it really the first song played in space?
Yes, there is a twist in this seemingly innocuous tale. Who knew there could be such a thing as space beef? That is because some claims exist that cast doubt on this festive first, and instead, the Ukrainians are vying for the crown.
Indeed, some three years prior to the jingle bell jaunt, Ukrainian cosmonaut Pavlo Popovych performed a native folk song titled ‘Watching The Sky and Thinking a Thought’ while aboard the Vostok 4 flight on August 12th, 1962, making him not only the first of his countrymen to travel into space but also the first to perform a song out there.
So, where has the confusion taken place? Well, there is one very niche distinction – Popovych performed his song by singing it, whereas ‘Jingle Bells’ was performed by Schirra and Stafford via harmonica and bells, technically making it the first song to be played by an instrument in space. Turns out the space race was even more petty than we thought.
The question remains: Are you on Team Ukraine or Team USA? They both have solid claims to the title, but it really boils down to whether you consider the voice to be a proper instrument. We fear that’s opening a whole new can of worms. Let’s just say both songs can share the win – but maybe it’s one for the aliens to decide…
