Tuesday Tunesday: Best Study Playlists

Happy Tunesday, friends! Finals week is officially here, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to get to winter break, but before we get ahead of ourselves, there’s more studying and essay writing to do. So, to help you make it through those late night sessions, calm you down, and stay focused and productive, take a listen to these study-approved songs, all recommended by my students. Whether or not you include these tunes on your study playlist, remember to keep the volume low, avoid the hottest hits, and carefully select songs that won’t distract you from your studies. Plan it out: use a website that will generate a playlist for you, or use a pre-made study playlist of music or ambient sound from Spotfiy, Apple, Pandora, or YouTube. What songs do you listen to while working? Comment below! Without further ado and in no particular order, here are their suggestions:

• “He’s a Pirate” from Pirates of the Caribbean
• The entire Hamilton soundtrack because motivation, but also “Stairway to Heaven,” “Under the Bridge,” “Paint it Black,” and “Sultans of Swing” for chill vibes.
•  Anything by Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald for studying because they’re not all that distracting but they’re good
• Aggressive violin quartets, “Cranes in the Sky”- Solange, “Streetcar”- Daniel Caesar, “Alaska”-Maggie Rogers, “Solo”/”Ivy”/”Pink and White”-Frank Ocean, “Rising Water”-James Vincent McMorrow, “Coloring”-Kevin Garret, “I Need a Forest Fire”-James Blake and Bon Iver, “Angela”- Lumineers, “Honey”-Burns Twins, “Plastic”-Moses Sumney, “Wolves and the Water”-Edward R., “Surprise Yourself”(alunageorge remix)- Jack Garrat, “Woman’s World”/”Shine”- BJ the Chicago Kid, “Friends”-Francis and the Lights, “Dancing and the Rain”/”Broad Shoulders- Taylor Bennett, and “Yesterday”-Noname
• Yes Ivy by Frank Ocean on repeat
• The Jersey Boys Soundtrack
• Select Bo Burnham songs
• Also “Show Me Love” by Chance w Skrillex is the bomb.com
• Earth Song” Michael Jackson and also “Waves” by Kanye West
• Oh wait, and the Harry Potter instrumental scores, specifically “Lily’s Song” by Alexander Desplat
• “Adagio for Strings” by Barber if you’re feeling smart and classical
• “Dernier Dance” by Indica or “Tous le Memes” by Stromae if you’re feeling really french
• Piano versions of Miyazaki movie sound tracks
• “Money” and “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd