Ten songs to help get you out the door

You wake up with 20 minutes to get out the door and are on the way to work, but it’s dark and cold outside. Sometimes all you need is a brief injection of upbeat music to really help get you feeling ready for the day ahead. There are thousands of high energy songs and instrumentals to select from but it’s not always just about the energy – you need a little bounce and joy in there too.

Here’s a list that might, just might, help. Before we start, no doubt someone is reading and wondering why Timbuk3’s 1986 classic The Future’s So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades) is represented. It’s undeniably a catchy tune and possesses plenty of all-important bounce, but it’s actually a song about a Cold War scientist working towards building better bombs for a more efficient nuclear Armageddon, so it is immediately disqualified, no matter how catchy it is!

Theme of Luxury – Fantastic Plastic Machine
Fantastic Plastic Machine, aka Tanaka Tomoyuki, is part of the Shibuya-ke music scene from Japan, which specialses in mixing the best of 1960s orchestral pop and bossa nova, performing some magic with it. This is one minute and four seconds of slick, breathless energy.

Addicted to Bass – Puretone
Originally released in 1998, this song’s simple and effective drum and bass dance style saw it breaking out into chart success all over the world. The lyrics speak simple truths, but never indulge themselves enough to lose their exuberance.

Right Here, Right Now – Fatboy Slim
From Fatboy’s 1999 classic album of the same name. This track belongs to any soundtrack for a kickboxing workout too, and if this doesn’t get you on the 07:35 to Cannon Street, something is wrong…

Beat City – The Flowerpot Men
Famous for its inclusion in the 1986 classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, this song reminds us that, though we don’t advocate playing truant, surely it’s good for the soul to explore that fantasy of unbridled freedom every now and then.

Sabotage – The Beastie Boys
Released back in 1994, this is a vibrant work of genius. The video was a heavy influence on the opening of Trainspotting, which links neatly to…

Lust for Life – Iggy Pop
A 1977 classic. Sheer, hypnotic, absurd fun!

Best Day of My Life – American Authors
Released in 2013, there should always be room for songs like this: joyful songs, free from cynicism or sly musings upon the obvious absurdity of the human condition. Let this one put a spring in your step!

Perpetuum Mobile – Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Brash and loud is fine, but the gentle urge to action from Perpetuum Mobile is beautiful, simple and complete.

On Top of the World – Imagine Dragons
Released in 2012, this is unrestrained and sweeping. A song for the Everyman. It pulls few punches and retains enthusiasm for the future.

Mr Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra
This song is so cheery and bouncy that it was the wake call for the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. A standout hit from their classic 1977 double album Out of the Blue, Mr Blue Sky is actually part of a wider four-song project on the album knowN as Concerto for a Rainy Day, which explains the its orchestral coda. It’s so uplifting, the Home Office should probably classify it as a Class A drug.

And there we go. As with any list, this is just personal taste, but we truly hope these songs might help add some happiness to your day.

Chris Gilroy