I am looking for suggestions of songs that are motivational, energizing, BUT not too distracting to add to the “I am reading student stories” playlist.

No show tunes: I sing along. So here are parts from my playlist:

Faves From Middle School and High School
Billy Preston – I can still see Charlie Hendrickson leading the entire choir tour bus on “Will It Go Round In Circles”
Carole King – Tapestry – beginning to end
Cat Stevens – I listened to Teaser and The Firecat over and over and over…
Credence Clearwater Revival – K-Tel by the original artists compilation flogged nightly on the television
Faces – “Stay With Me”
Harry Chapin – it was “Taxi”, always “Taxi” – none of those other story songs
Deep Purple – “Smoke on the Water” – the first time I realized that I was “funny” and could make people laugh
Crosby Stills & Nash (and Young, too) – So many songs, but later in life “Southern Cross” became THE song
King Harvest – Prom envy – “Dancing in the Moonlight”
Neil Diamond – from “Hot August Night” to his version of “Suzanne”
Nat King Cole – get my kicks and then L-O-V-E
Johnathan Edwards – “Sunshine”
Jimmy Buffet – “Come Monday” such a romantic song

College – Northwestern in the Late 70s –
The push and pull of disco and punk. Loved to dance, but fell in love with the drummer.
Bruce Springsteen – Natch’
Hall & Oates – it all started with “Sarah Smile” and my crush on David Richards who DJed the late night show on KBRK in the summer when he was home from school.
The Clash – Drummer boyfriend, but what was not to love?
Foreigner – I was in a sorority. Do you need any further explanation?
Elvis Costello – again, drummer. But Elvis is/was King. Finally saw him live this summer. What’s so funny about Peace Love and Understanding?
Warren Zevon – stories in songs. Gone too soon.
Steely Dan – perfect.
Grateful Dead – “I need a miracle everyday” just about sums it all up.
Jackson Browne – Late for the Sky –
Joe Jackson – The 10 inch LP – the white shoes – the attitude – the serious jazz background.
Joni Mitchell – wore out the grooves on Blue
James Taylor – up until now it was “Fire and Rain” and Going to Carolina… but in college it was that Gorilla album. “oh, Mexico…”
Talking Heads – they saved at least one of my terrible student films. “I don’t have to prove that I am creative.”
Vickie Sue Robinson – remember I said I loved to dance? “Turn the Beat Around”
the Police – dah do do do, dah dah dah dah – now them’s lyrics
The Pretenders – who didn’t want to be Chrissie Hynde
Weather Report – “Birdland”

Who would you add to my list? Already I can think of the Manhattan Transfer – remember – these are artists before 1980. Neolithic practically. And R&B artists are on a separate list.

Image by D’Arcy Norman