It’s the final countdown. We’re back from Spring Break and ready to begin the march towards finals week. Personally, I’m terrified of the coming weeks. I’ve found that this semester has gone by a lot faster than the fall, and it also feels like a lot more has happened. I blinked about halfway through January, and all of a sudden people are talking about finals and summer plans. The next month is going to be absolute chaos for all of us, and one of the most effective ways of managing the impending stress is with music. I (ridiculously) pride myself on my playlist expertise, so I dug into my Spotify archives to rustle up a few bangers to make this list of the Top 5 Songs to Get You to the End of the Semester. Let’s get into it.
5. Stayin Alive – The Bee Gees
The ever-iconic trio of Australians that is the Bee Gees cranked out this hit in ‘77, instantly becoming the anthem of a time when disco balls and sequins were all the rage. This song is all about getting through life’s hardships and tough times. The month of April at an academically rigorous school? I’d say what we’re about to get into is going to be a little difficult. Maurice Gibb said about this song, “Everybody struggles against the world, fighting all the bullsh*t and things that can drag you down. And it really is a victory just to survive. But when you climb back on top and win bigger than ever before, well that’s something everybody reacts to everybody.” This song can only be described by one word: groovy. So find your inner John Travolta, throw on your shiniest shirt, and power through. It’s also just the right BPM for CPR. Fans of The Office, ikyk.
4. Don’t Let the Good Life Pass You By – Mama Cass Elliot
A member of the folk-rock quartet The Mamas and the Papas, Cass Elliot gave us this song in 1970. What I find most striking about it is its easy going flow. I find it soothing and uplifting, calm and inspiring. It takes you to a place where you can just remember the best of times, letting a wash of nostalgia come to you. Speaking for myself, I can say with certainty that there have been times of joy in the past few months alone that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life. That memory gives me such energy, and I’m sure that that same feeling will help you get through the absolute mayhem that’s coming up, stirring an eagerness to enter into more of the Good Life.
3. That’s Life – Frank Sinatra
This is one of my dad’s favorite songs, and by extension has turned into one of mine. It serves as a reminder that through all of life’s ups and downs, that’s just what it is: life. It wasn’t initially recorded or written by Sintra, but instead by Marion Montgomery and Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon, respectively. He was inspired to make his own cover when he heard O.C. Smith’s rendition on a car radio in 1965. For Sinatra’s recording session, he used 40 first-chair musicians, and even Glen Campbell was present, along with members of the Wrecking Crew, a loose collective of US session musicians. “You’re riding high in April, shot down in May” is a universal theme that has applications to just about everyone’s life. This song calls for its listener to find value in all of life’s dips and upturns. So as we go into a time of craziness that will drive us all insane, I think it’ll probably be helpful to keep this song in mind.
2. Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
Apparently this song was just declared the “Biggest Song of All Time” by Forbes. Released in 1981 on their 7th album, “Escape,” singer Steve Perry said that this song is “…about not giving up, but it’s also about being young…not giving up and looking for that emotion hiding somewhere in the dark that we’re all looking for.” One of the anthems of the 80s (and possibly of all time), I think that this song will provide the inspiration needed to make it through the upcoming stressful times. Its entire message is that continuing to believe will let you make it through. If we can go into this next month with even a little belief in ourselves, we can get to the end of the semester in one piece.
Honorable mentions:
Time Adventure – Rebecca Sugar
Gentle On My Mind – Glen Campbell
I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
1. Listen to the Music – The Doobie Brothers
I love this song. It radiates pure good vibes and wholesomeness. Tom Johnston, the lead singer of the band, said that this song’s motivation came from a call for world peace. If I ever need a pick-me-up or motivation to start the day, this song is the one for the task. It’s upbeat, it’s catchy, and it’s glorious. In the first few seconds, the lone guitar ushers in every other element. The title of the song is its chorus, calling for the audience to simply “listen to the music”. It’s such an easy and effortless suggestion, one that rushes on you and envelops you in its command. Every time the chorus comes back it brings a growing feeling of happiness and cheer. This song is definitely going to climb higher and higher up my “On Repeat” Spotify playlist in the coming month.