20 Sweet: Focus Songs

It’s midterms week!

Even though freaking out may be your natural reaction to this statement—resist it.

We each have our own unique study techniques and locales, but for the musically dependent like me, it’s nice to have some melodies around while we burn the midnight oil.

Choosing that music can be difficult, though, as I found out while compiling this playlist to help you focus. Study tunes need to be pleasant without being distracting. They need to blend into the background without leaving room for the loud conversations spouting from the table next to you.

Usually it’s good to pick songs without lyrics, or at least songs with low-dose, ignorable, or foreign lyrics (like the Portuguese from Seu Jorge or the Zulu in the Paul Simon number).

Without further ado, I give you 20 Sweet Focus Songs. This list has been tried and tested; I was the guinea pig, and I’m still focusing as we speak...or at least I promise I will when I’m done writing this post. “Happy” studying!

1. “One Day” – RJD2
2. “Rebel Rebel” – Seu Jorge
3. “Loud Pipes” – Ratatat
4. “Your Hand in Mine” – Explosions in the Sky
5. “Was It You?” – Spoon
6. “Jessica” – The Allman Brothers Band
7. “Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl” – Broken Social Scene
8. “Low Rider” – War
9. “Hoppípolla” – Sigur Rós
10. “Pretty Little Ditty” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
11. “End of the World Party” – Medeski, Martin & Wood
12. “X&Y” – Coldplay
13. “For the Trees” – Matmos
14. “Custom Concern (Instrumental BBC Radio 1 Session)"– Modest Mouse
15. “Praise You” – Fatboy Slim
16. “Go It Alone” – Beck
17. “Homeless” – Paul Simon
18. “Autumn Sweater” – Yo La Tengo
19. “Keep” – El Ten Eleven
20. “Sister” – Sufjan Stevens

Your focus song suggestions are always welcome and appreciated.