The importance of a holiday playlist has been drummed into us from an early age; remember all the advice in TV Hits about making compilation tapes before heading off on your holidays?
Nothing's changed apart from the medium - these days we've swapped our beloved tapes for Spotify and iTunes - but the idea that you can have a futureproof soundtrack to the best week of the year remains. We've asked around the office, and we reckon that these are the ultimate holiday tunes.
Best for: Waiting in the airport
You're tired, you're frazzled, and you can't bear the thought of any more funky house. Not that you should be listening to that anyway, but you know what we mean. These are the most relaxing songs on our books that'll leave you mooching around Duty Free in a state of semi-bliss.
St Vincent: Surgeon
Flash and The Pan: Waiting for a Train
Metric: London Halflife
Portishead: Deep Water
Goldfrapp: Time Out from the World
The Maaccabees: Toothpaste Kisses
Nouvelle Vague: Friday Night, Saturday Morning
Beck: Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime
LCD Soundsystem: Too Much Love
Radiohead: True Love Waits
DJ Shadow: Midnight in a Perfect World
Best for: Taking off
Whether or not you love that kick in the back as the plane leaves the ground, there's no denying that take-off signifies the start of your holiday. So, even if you're feeling a bit nervous about speeding around in a glorified tin can, these songs will give you that pre-holiday glow:
Two Door Cinema Club: Something Good Can Work
Katy Perry: International Smile
Will Smith: Summertime (Hands up who thought we'd leave this out? No way!)
Todd Terje: Delorean Dynamite
Bobby Brown: Every Little Step
Lily Allen: URL Badman
Strike: U Sure Do
Far East Movement: Like A G6
Madeon: The City
The Chainsmokers: #SELFIE
Justice: Audio, Video, Disco
Best for: Beach life
It's time to play it cool. You don't want something that you can't fall asleep to, but it needn't be so slow that you start thinking about gloomy things. We reckon we've struck the right balance with this lot:
Lana Del Ray: Blue Jeans (RAC remix)
Bertie Blackman: Black Cats (Shazam remix)
All Saints: Pure Shores
Muscles: Sweaty
Annie: Anniemal
Young and Company: I Like What You're Doing To Me
Holy Ghost: Hold On
Blur: Tracy Jacks
Junkie XL: Zerotonine
The Smiths: London
Best for: The morning after
If you've woken up with someone rather nice-looking, pop this on. Alternatively, if you've come to on the floor surrounded by bottles and three underdressed friends, this will also do nicely and reduce that post-drinking anxiety as you shuffle around and attempt to find all your belongings.
James Chadwick: The Wooden Floor
The Auteurs: After Murder Park
The Wave Pictures: I Love You Like a Madman
Pulp: David's Last Summer
Manic Street Preachers: All Surface, No Feeling
Pet Shop Boys: Being Boring
Junior Boys: In the Morning
The Divine Comedy: Down in the Street Below
Peter and Kerry: One Thing
Fleetwood Mac: Landslide
The Flaming Lips: Race For The Prize
Sarah Nixey: Love and Exile
Uffie: First Love
Hooverphonic: Mad About You