18 Songs, Artists, Playlists, Albums to Get You in the Zone at Work

18 Songs, Artists, Playlists, Albums to Get You in the Zone at Work18 Songs, Artists, Playlists, Albums to Get You in the Zone at Work If youre anything like me, good music is an absolute must for a productive day at work. As much as I love my coworkers and our open office space, I often need to retreat to the couch with my trusty over-the-ear headphones if Im really going to get things done. And I know Im not alone - various articles and studies over the year have supported the idea that listening to music helps you work better and faster than if you listen to nothing at all. But which music is the best to listen to if you really want to hit your stride?We reached out to readers, career experts, and professionals from all walks of life to hear what helps them zero in and focus at work. Whether youre a groupie of classical, hip hop, instrumental, rock, or anything in between, theres bound to be something that suits your musical taste and work style - read on f or the ultimate work playlist.1. Ill start off with my own nothing gets me through the day like the Vitamin String Quartet channel on Pandora . They perform orchestral covers of popular bands like Lady Gaga, Green Day, Michael Jackson, and more. The familiar tunes keep me engaged, but there are no lyrics to distract me - nothing worse than accidentally sending an email with Drake lyrics instead of the update you were supposed to be sharing.2. Pink Floyds The Dark Side of the Moon is the ultimate doppelalbum to work to (in my experience). On the surface, its a relaxing album that wont interfere too much with your work rhythm. But if you pause for a moment and find yourself listening to the lyrics, it becomes a very deep and inspiring album that can help me get out of any ruts Im stuck in. I find it very powerful. Max Robinson, WeSwap3. One of my favorite genres for getting in the zone at work is new age music. Theres a wide variety of artists in the genre but one of the fi rst ambient artists I got into was Boards of Canada . I find the music great for working because it tends to be very atmospheric and the sound of it lendsitself to thinking and working. Alex Reichmann, CEO of iTestCash4. Broadly speaking, I find classical to be the best music to pump through my headphones on a workday Whether youre listening to Bach cello suites or early 20th century Stravinsky , classical music can transport the listener to a different time and place almost effortlessly its ironically easy to let classical music fade into the background while youre working. Im not sure if its a result of classical music often being instrumental, but its much easier for me to stay focused when Im listening to an orchestra as opposed to a distinct (and amazing) lyricist like Kendrick Lamar. Sam Warren, Manager of Marketing and Partnerships at RankPay5. How Long Have You Known by DIIV is quite possibly the easiest music to get lost in. It also makes work a breeze it is a great song to listen to in the middle of the afternoon, right when Im getting a little drowsy in the office. Zachary Painter, Career Adviser and Hiring Manager at ResumeGenius.com6. Focuswill is a web app, or mobile app, that plays instrumental-only music designed exclusively for improving concentration. Its organized into channels my favorites are Alpha Chill for focus with a bit of thinking space, or Uptempo for those I-really-need-to-get-this-done moments. As soon as I put it on, my whole focus changes I pay for subscription, its definitely worth it in productivity terms and Ive even bought gift subscriptions for colleagues. They have a free trial as well. Mark Churchill, Digital Marketing Manager at Wealth Club7. I love to listen to Tychos Awake album . Hes a San Francisco-based musician, and himself a designer. Hes known for creating really lush, instrumental music. Perhaps because hes a designer himself, its the perfect music to design to Daniel Codella, M arketer at Zurb8. I love listening to My Shot by Lin Manuel Miranda and other various artists from Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) . It gets me in the mood especially when I am dealing with a specifically hard issue at work. It reminds me to keep fighting, keep shipping, keep going I can even hear the chorus I am not throwin away my shot in the back of my mind as I walk into a particularly difficult meeting / pitch. Charlene Dipaola, CEO and Founder of Hip Shake Fitness9. I live near the coast and I love the sound of the ocean rolling up on the shore but I cant hear it from my office. I also love beachy island music with steel drums . So, I leverage YouTube to incorporate music and sounds around my workspace that make me feel like Im on vacation by the sea. Robin Salter, Chief Marketing Officer at KWIPPED10. Gooey by Glass Animals helps me feel relaxed, as if I was walking in a jungle, experiencing the feel and vibe of natures unique tunes. The soothi ng beat helps me experience a sense of reinvigorated serenity that always allows me to stand mucksmuschenstill for a while and appreciate the song while still managing to be focused on crucial aspects of my work. Joo Aguiar, SEO Manager at Mobidea11. When I really need to put my head down and get some work done, I put on a variety of Bossa Nova and Samba Rock artists. Some of my favorites are Jorge Ben , Antonio Carlos Jobim , Stan Getz , and Gilberto . I find the rhythm and movement of Bossa Nova and Samba Rock gets my mind moving. It sort of sets a pace for how I should be working and that helps get me through my work for the day. Noah Kain, Digital Marketing Strategist at Duckpin Design12. Ive always been told that music influences mood, and though we tend to listen to music based on the mood were in (sad music when were feeling down, happy music when were feeling up) we should be listening to music for the mood we want to be in. I keep this in mind every morning at work. This week Ive been pretty hooked on Lordes new album Melodrama . Perfect Places feels like the anthem of the summer. With the sun shining through the windows of the office, blasting this song on repeat reminds me to stay focused, so time passes quickly and I can get out and enjoy the city for all its worth. Christina Roach, Account Coordinator at Allison+Partners13. It might seem out of character for a bookkeeping firm, but if I have no clients coming into the office and I just need to get some work done, I love to blast rap. In particular, the song Stronger by Kanye West gets me pumped up to crank out financials. Courtney Barbee, CEO at The Bookkeeper14. When I need to bear down, I turn on iTunes, put on the headphones, and blast my playlist of mashups. My favorites are from Girl Talk s All Day and Feed the Animals , and two mega mashups, Mouth Sounds and Mouth Silence by Neil Cicierega . Bill Peschel, Peschel Press15. For lateral thinking, I l ike Robert Glasper Dillatude 2 or Sevdaliza Human . Solving problems in new ways usually requires reasoning that isnt always obvious. When I need to break my own pre-established biases, I turn to something more contemporary. Robert Glaspers jazz-meets-Radiohead tribute to J Dilla, or Iranian-Dutch songwriter Sevdalizas surreal pop journey both immerse me in textures that inspire ideas. Chris Oquist , Principal at Dialogue Theory16. Since Im a writer, music with words interferes with my focus. So instead, I jam out to epic movie soundtracks. Theres nothing like a good superhero movie score to get me pumped to conquer my next blog post Im a big fan of Spotify, so Ill plug in instrumental movie soundtracks into the search, and get a great mix of Harry Potter , Batman , Pirates of the Carribean , etc. to keep me motivated throughout the day. Megan Zale, Senior Copywriter at Moncur17. Im a digital nomad who often spends most of my time in noisy co-working spaces, so finding a great playlist is absolutely e ssential. I love to choose lo-fi hip-hop as its very easy listening, smooth background music and it really gets me in the zone. Dylan Hey, Business Development Manager at Leadfeeder18. Perfume Level 3 . Perfume is a female J-pop trio, and their work is composed by a well-respected electronic music composer in Japan (making it more interesting than run-of-the-mill pop music). I love listening to this album while Im working because it has high energy - the vocals, the drum machine, the synths & all other electronic effects help drive the music and listener forward. Listening to this album is like having a strong cup of coffee. It also has foreign lyrics - Im easily distracted by the words of songs, so it helps that this music is sung in a language I dont understand. The vocals sound great and they dont distract me. Geoff Scott, Career Adviser and Resume Expert at ResumeCompanion