It’s finals week and my soul is more or less dead. But there are still tests and papers and projects to get through, so here is a playlist of songs to help cope with finals week, and an explanation as to why each song belongs in the playlist.

1. The Entire Rolling Stones Discography

Granted, this may take the entirety of finals week to actually get through, but the Stones have a song for every mood.

2. Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture

Possibly the most accurate depiction of my brain at this point. Cue the cannons.

3. Elvis’ Christmas Album

Just to remind yourself of how close, yet so far from the holidays you are…

4. Closer by The Chainsmokers

Because you definitely haven’t heard this song enough, and wouldn’t you rather have the obnoxiously catchy lyrics stuck in your head than any information that would be pertinent to your tests?

5. The Labyrinth Soundtrack

I’m just assuming that this soundtrack is what a bad acid trip would sound like, and that finals week is what a bad acid trip would feel like.

6. The Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack

Finals are literally the nightmare before Christmas. See what I did there, eh?

7. Don’t Stop by Fleetwood Mac (Live Version from The Dance album)

Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow and the impending doom that your future holds.

8. The Stranger Things theme song on a continuous loop

If the Upside Down isn’t synonymous with “finals week” then I don’t know what is.

9. Square Hammer by Ghost

An existential crisis performed by a Swedish death metal band.

10. Flutes & Trombones by Tenacious D

“You goddamn motherfuckin stupid piece of shit!” is basically my internal monologue most of the time, but especially during finals week.

11. Kings of the Weekend by Blink-182 but only from 1.24-12.6 when the band is screaming

Scream along with the track! It’s cathartic.