Earworm

We are only days away from finding out whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris will win the race to the White House. For US citizens and people around the globe, it has been a long road to see who will become the 47^th President of the United States of America, and I think there will be some relieved faces from fatigued voters when both campaigns come to a head on Tuesday.

That being said, there have been some fascinating talking points so far. To celebrate the event, I thought I would dedicate this week’s playlist to our American cousins and their big election day with a couple of motivational competition songs. Let us get stuck in!

Suggested Music Listening

1. Eye of the Tiger – Survivor

• Genre: Rock
• Album: Eye of the Tiger
• Year Released: 1982

I have to start with a confession: the only film in the Rocky franchise that I have seen is Rocky Balboa. The rest of them are on my film bucket list, but as more of a music man than anything else, other media, like the Rocky films, often fall by the wayside for me.

That sin aside, Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger is an easily recognisable classic that embodies true grit and determination – the kind I should have applied to getting around to watching the films. This 1982 gem from Rocky III is packed with a punch, with those distinctive power chords that make any listener want to start wailing on their air guitar. It does not matter if you are watching sport, going to the gym, or even painting your wall, Eye of the Tiger is a must-listen on any playlist for when you want to get Sugar Honey Iced Tea done.

I imagine both presidential candidates will have given this one a listen a few times over the last few months.

2. You’re the Best – Joe Esposito

• Genre: Rock
• Album: The Karate Kid Soundtrack
• Year Released: 1984

This is a song I know well and sing to my friends, much to their disappointed amusement – the disappointment being in themselves for finding such dadly humour amusing when my singing is accompanied by a slow kata of karate chops.

Another feel-good anthem for when you need to kick a little arse, You’re the Best from Joe Esposito comes from another classic warrior film: The Karate Kid. Interestingly, the now-famous scene of Ralph Macchio’s Daniel Larusso going ham in the All Valley Karate Tournament along to the song may not have come around if it were not for the last song on this playlist. You’re the Best was the original choice for Rocky III, but due to Sylvester Stallone rejecting the song in favour of Eye of the Tiger, we now have this eighties roundhouse-kicking masterpiece in the form we know and love.

Whilst I can’t imagine either presidential candidate will have performed the same high-chopping, low-kicking moves that often accompany my listens to this song, I can picture both thinking ‘you’re the best around/Nothing’s going to ever keep you down’ in their quieter moments.

3. Winner – Raylo

• Genre: Hip hop
• Album: Winner
• Year Released: 2016

When you think of winners, you surely think of perseverance under immense pressure and finding success against overwhelming odds. You think of great leaders in history and Hollywood underdog stories. You probably do not think of TV ads for packet noodles. Nonetheless, Pot Noodle, an unofficial brand partner to my university living years ago, used their 2015 #YouCanMakeIt campaign to tell the perfect Cinderella story of an English kid’s dream to be a Las Vegas ring girl. The advert was light-hearted and seemed to parody the melodrama of sports adverts, but it all the same showed off the fighting spirit you need to succeed.

The accompanying track for the advert was Raylo’s Winner, which eventually became so popular that fans drove the song to being released as a single in 2016. Attitude even reported that ‘Raylo’s lead singer Reece Whyte quit his day job as an interior architect and creative artist to pursue his dream of a career in music’ off the back of Winner‘s popularity.

I doubt Trump or Kamala ever watched enough UK Pot Noodle ads to know this one, but both will certainly be hoping to say ‘you know that I’m a winner’ come Tuesday’s results.

4. Started from the Bottom – Drake

• Genre: Hip hop
• Album: Nothing Was the Same
• Year Released: 2013

One summer break in between university years, I ended up flying to New Zealand to stay with my parents for a month. We went to see a Blues game whilst I was there, with my Father ending up taking the rugby team he was coaching at the time as a moment of inspiration for the players. It was a great game at Eden Park, but truth be told, the real reason I remember the day was because I would never have guessed that a team of 10-to-14-year-olds on the coach ride home would go from singing The Wheels on the Bus to Drake’s Started from the Bottom. Moreover, I expected less that my Sister’s Misfits-logo-tattooed boyfriend would know the song better than me.

Started from the Bottom is an empowered outing from the Canadian rapper’s 2013 album Nothing Was the Same, and it speaks to the values of authenticity and overcoming challenges on the way to success. I think even those less familiar with Drake’s oeuvre will appreciate the catchy chorus on Started from the Bottom and feel motivated to chase their dreams.

Both candidates will be able to relate to this one, having seemed out of the picture at the start of the election and ending up as the final two. Will it be Trump or Harris that ends up saying they’ve got their ‘whole team… here’ at the White House in January? We will see!

5. I’m Still Standing – Elton John

• Genre: Pop
• Album: Too Low for Zero
• Year Released: 1983

I will admit that my first thought for I’m Still Standing is that both Trump and Harris are ‘still standing’ for election. Yes, that is right: Elton gets a mention because of the word play. I like to think he would be proud.

Joking aside, however, I’m Still Standing exudes the same principles of resilience and having a never-say-die attitude as any other of the songs I have chosen for this playlist, albeit from the perspective of a lover after a break-up. The lyrics are emotive and powerful, if a little harsh in places – ‘You’ll wind up like the wreck you hide behind that mask you use’ as a prime example. I’m Still Standing was a timeless effort from the Elton John and Bernie Taupin dream team, and it was also a huge success because of the accompanying video, showing off the singer-songwriter’s quintessential flamboyance and infectious energy.

Who knows who will be left ‘still standing’ when the final votes are counted for the US election? You can be sure it is going to be a nail-biting affair though, and I do not envy those that have to sift through all of the ballots.

Final Thoughts

Who is going to win the US election? The race seems neck and neck at the moment, so I am sure that both candidates will have their own motivational music playlists to keep them going. Can you picture either of them having some of my choices on theirs? Perhaps not.

What are your favourite songs to get you motivated? What transforms your mindset from apathy to achieving? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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About the Author

Lewis Brown

Lewis is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Earworm. His deep passion for music is what inspired him to create Earworm as a music magazine for lovers of all genres.

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