Want to spark your day? Try listening to these songs to boost your productivity.
Want to get motivated?
Music can help you get more work done, but you have to know which songs are the most inspiring. Jump onto iTunes or Google Music (or whichever service you use) and grab these songs, create a playlist, and get through your day a little faster.
1. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) by Arcade Fire
If you haven't discovered the wonderful gift to music lovers known as Arcade Fire, you're missing out. The song Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) is a good place to start because it has the driving staccato beat the band invented and builds up to a crescendo of lush orchestrations. Just about any Arcade Fire song can be motivating.
2. The Wire by HAIM
Three sisters singing retro 80s rock (think Hall & Oats without the big hair) is hard to beat. This song is just goofy enough to motivate you to get through those real estate contracts or finish up an expense report. The chorus has plenty of hand claps and a fantastic bass part.
3. Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
It's cheesy and ridiculous...and it works. The chugga-chugga-chugga guitar intro, the themes about taking chances and getting back up to speed, the retro chord progression--they are all designed to spur you to achieve more. It's like a soundtrack for an accounting program or finishing up that employee scheduling task.
4. Beautiful Day by U2
There's nothing quite like a U2 song to inspire you, regardless of your view on how theydropped their new album onto iPhones everywhere without any prior notice. Crank up the song Beautiful Day right after you slurp down some coffee. Now choose to finish that business report, pronto!
5. Anyway You Want It by Journey
Might as well go completely old school with this classic hair-metal song that starts with the same cheesy guitar work of Eye of the Tiger. There's something inspiring about listening to classic rock songs, mostly because you can tune them out so easily and focus on the project at hand.
6. The House That Heaven Built by Japandroids
Inspiration is a key ingredient to productivity. This anthem-like punk rock song will pump you up. The singer pretty much screams every line, and the guitars and drums never let up. Can punk rock help you get more work done? Sure thing.
7. Smug by Polica
Synth-rock makes a great backdrop for trying to finish up a few e-mails or create a new marketing plan. This fantastic song by the Minneapolis band is so lush, especially when listening on a good pair of headphones, you might get that extra spark you need to finish your work.
8. Broke by Kye Kye
Speaking of synth-rock, this song has a swirling synth part and some subtle "drops" that pause right before a big uplifting moment in the music. Use those to your advantage. Each time the band does a drop, convince yourself you need to check off another item on your task list.
9. Atomos VII by A Winged Victory for the Sullen
The most productivity-enhancing songs are not always the big hits with the fast guitar solos. This slow-moving orchestral dirge would fit perfectly into a David Fincher movie but it's so subtle and elongated you can re-focus your attention on work and wait for the stringed parts to congeal.
10. More Than a Feeling by Boston
Let's end on a high note. "I turned on some music to start my day..." is how this classic rock ballad starts out, right before the guitar distortion take over. Get your foot tapping after the first of many guitar solos, push harder to crank out more work, and revel in the greatness.
LAST UPDATED: OCT 8, 2014
JOHN BRANDON | Columnist
John Brandon is a contributing editor at Inc. magazine covering technology. He writes theTech Report column for Inc.com.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
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