I'm back with another digital jukebox for you. I create them for any occasion or life event you may be experiencing. And, I hope you dig them. Today I'm featuring cuts that get you motivated to take on the day and knock out any tasks that you have to tackle. Sometimes, if the coffee isn’t working, you may need to listen to a favorite tune of yours to get hyped up. Unless you’re one of those self motivated people who jump out of bed like a Marvel Comics superhero and attack the day without even a drop of caffeine.
As always, if you have your own favorite motivational songs that you didn’t see in this list, let me know what they are at grgsmmsjr@gmail.com.
Bill Conti - Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky)
This song is the embodiment of motivation. When people listen to this music, their muscles swell, their hearts grow, and they perform miracles. "Gonna Fly Now" has been embedded in America's DNA as the premier motivational single. You could even argue that its relevance has even surpassed the uber-legendary film it came from, Rocky.
Queen - "We Will Rock You"
Another cut that instantly pumps you up. "We Will Rock You" is the closest thing to sonic adrenaline ever created. There’s a reason it’s still blasted inside of sports venues across the world.
McFadden & Whitehead - "Ain't No Stopping Us Now "
A great motivational song in a general sense. But, it means a bit more to people of color. When this song dropped in 1979, there was a wave of Black upward mobility. "Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now" reflected how triumphant Black America felt at that time. The song can be listened to by anyone who wants to get motivated, but for some of us, it hits differently and harder.
Eminem - "Lose Yourself"
If somehow "Gonna Fly Now" was vaporized from America’s collective memory, "Lose Yourself could easily slip in its place. This classic cut from Eminem compels you to do…something. Change your diet. Invent a thing. Learn a new language. Hell, create a new language. The magic of "Lose" is its urgency. Em practically screams at us that “you only get one shot” at this life. You’ll make it count after bumping this song.
Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger
From the minute you hear those opening guitars, you go from employed, well adjusted adult to Spartan pit fighter. "Eye of the Tiger" pumps you up so well that the song should come with a warning label. One of the few motivational songs that will either make you jump through the roof of a building or slap a stranger. Have your bail money ready.
Christina Aguilera - "Beautiful"
People are constantly barraged by media and marketing telling them how unattractive they are and how much their worth is tied to their looks. That, frankly, sucks. Thank God for a song like Christina Aguilera’s "Beautiful". When it dropped in 2002, it became an instant anthem for women and the LGBTQ+ community. It’s one of the best songs ever made about fully loving yourself through the maelstrom of societal noise, and it should motivate anyone who’s feeling down about themselves.
