List: Musical journeys: Around the world in 8 songs

Throughout the decades, meaningful places have been immortalized in song by musicians. Now anyone, from the armchair traveler to the inveterate wanderer, can experience them through the medium of music. Here are 8 tracks to start you on a musical journey around the world, but there are many more out there to discover!

1. The Girl from Ipanema - Tom Jobim and Joao Gilberto
It's virtually impossible to visit Rio de Janeiro without hearing about the famous Ipanema Beach and, of course, the nearby cafe where Antonio Carlos Jobim was inspired to pen the lyrics to this bossa nova classic back in the 60s. Decades later, it's still an enduring classic that perfectly captures the essence of the laid back beach culture of Brazil.

2. Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles
Again, any visit to Liverpool will be overshadowed by Beatles-mania, and a variety of tours will include a stop to Strawberry Fields, the children's home near where John Lennon grew up. This song has also inspired the name of the Lennon memorial in New York City's Central Park.

3. California - Phantom Planet
If you can forgive it for being a television theme (to teen drama series "the O.C.,") this song will make you wish you too were driving along the Pacific coast on Route 101, with the convertible top down and the wind in your hair.

4. Omaha - Counting Crows
Yes, it's "somewhere in Middle America," (the capital of Nebraska in case you were wondering,) and the melancholy yet soulful tune is honest and unassuming, just like many towns and people in the Midwest.

5. El Camino (Qosqo) - Libido
Libido is one of Peru's most popular rock groups, and this song pays homage to the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco (Qosqo in the local Quechua language.) The fusion of traditional instruments along with guitar riffs is haunting yet inspirational, much like a visit to the nearby Machu Picchu.

6. Rotterdam - The Beautiful South
Not all trips are memorable or awe-inspiring. The lyrics of this refrain may ring true with many a burned-out European backpacker near the end of their continental wanderings: "This could be Rotterdam or anywhere/Liverpool or Rome." No offense to the denizens of this Dutch port.

7. Kilimanjaro - Juluka
This mid-80s single by a multiracial South African duo's chorus proclaims: "I'm sittin' on the top of Kilimanjaro/I cast away all my sorrows." These words may inspire you to follow suit and live the same uplifting experience one day!

8. Istanbul (Not Constantinople) - They Might be Giants
An irreverent yet catchy tune with a bit of a history lesson thrown in, best enjoyed with a square or two of Turkish Delight (with or without a moonlit night.)