'Tis the season to panic about your exams and projects, am I right kids?
Finals are no fun, but it doesn't have to be painful. If you have the right soundtrack, you can survive all the caffeine-fueled, confidence-testing insanity that is finals week. Need a dance break to get your blood pumping? Or some thought-provoking, introspective lyrics? Or something straight up peppy? I got you covered.
My music taste is incredibly diverse, mostly gravitating towards rock and alternative. I cannot, for the life of me, stand country music (most of it, at least) but I'm sure you'll find at least one thing on here that'll interest you.
If anything, I hope this provides some insight into the organized mess that is my iTunes library (and also, why my friends never let me pick the radio station in the car.)
1) "You're the Best" by Joe Esposito
I was going to put the Rocky theme here, but that was just way too obvious. The theme from The Karate Kid doesn't get enough love. It's corny, of course, but really, you are the best around, reader, nothing's ever gonna keep you down!
2) "Lose Yourself" by Eminem
This is the perfect song to get you focused and ready to kick a** when your palms are sweaty, your knees are weak, and your arms are heavy thinking about that exam or presentation that is tearing your soul in half.
3) "Drive" by Incubus
"Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there with open arms and open eyes..." Doesn't get more motivational than that!
4) "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake
If you don't have at least one swaggering 80s hair metal song on any playlist of any sort, you're doing it wrong. "Here I Go Again" is enough to make you jump out of your seat and scream along.
5) "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life."
Commence one-woman dance party.
6) "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get I Want" by The Smiths
No other band is as joyfully miserable as The Smiths. At 1:52, this is the shortest song I've selected, but I think every college student has uttered this at some point in their careers.
7) "Still Breathing" by Green Day
"But Carly, didn't you already gush about Gre--" YES I DID AND NO I DON'T CARE.
Take your freakin' pick when it comes to Green Day, but this is easily my favorite song off their new album because of its sincere, heartfelt message: bad things may happen to me, but I'm still alive, and that's all that matters.
8) "Fighter" by Christina Aguilera
Christina's (other) empowering anthem from 2002's Stripped is best enjoyed thinking of that professor/class you hate with your whole soul, as she confidently declares:
After all you put me through,
You think I'd despise you,
But in the end I wanna thank you,
'Cause you've made me that much stronger
9) "The Big Ship" by Brian Eno
This is the only instrumental song I listed, but its lack of lyrics doesn't preclude it from making my list. This 1975 piece from composer Brian Eno is nothing more than four simple chords, starting off quietly and then escalating to a big, beautiful explosion of awesome before fading away again. It's perfect for simply letting go of all the stress in your life, if only for three minutes.
And if it sounds familiar, that's because it was featured in the indie films Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and The End of the Tour.
10) "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out" by Cat Stevens
Huh, first Eminem, then Prince, then Brian Eno... now Cat Stevens. I really seem to enjoy picking songs from movies. Shocking.
One of my favorite movies from way-back-when is the quirky comedy Harold and Maude, and Cat Stevens provided its appropriately quirky soundtrack.
11) "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone
It's all in the title. The lyrics will lift your spirits even on bad days.
It's been covered countless times by everyone from Muse to Michael Bublé, but Nina Simone's soulful 1965 version is the most famous of all.
12) "Baba O'Riley" by The Who
Even someone with the most rudimentary knowledge of classic rock can recognize the intro to this powerful, anthemic tune. If those piano chords and first few drum beats don't fully get your heart racing, seek medical attention immediately.
13) "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers
Let's face it: a big part of college is failure. An even bigger part is how you deal with failure. This is a great song about owning up to mistakes, leaving your past behind and starting fresh, so if something goes amiss at some point, there's a song for that.
14) "Dog Days are Over" by Florence + The Machine
I recommend saving this one for when you complete the last of your finals. Then you can hand in your scantron and triumphantly ribbon dance out of the classroom.
Of course, there are a plethora of other songs I could include here, but I should use that time to study. What songs are powering you through papers and exams? Sound off in the comments below!
