Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Attitunes… What’s On Your IPOD?

I can beat a song that will make dead men’s hearts rise to be strong and go into battle and win.

Napoleon’s drummer at Waterloo

What music can do is to sneak inside of us and inspire us and ignoble our spirit to triumph over any obstacle, adversity, disaster or dismay that may defeat us.

Jack Canfield, Co-author, Chicken Soup For The Soul


Music may be the most powerful shaper of mind set and resulting emotions we have access to. Unfortunately few of us really take charge of this tool and use it to it’s full potential. Many of us allow the local disc jockey or some greedy record producer to decide what music you fill your life with. Many times it’s influenced heavily by who you hang out with.

You need to pay attention to lyrics specifically. Beyond that, play stuff that consistently leaves you feeling good and encourages you to be a better person. If you are a person of faith you have more options than ever before. I love both secular and sacred music of all kinds. My favorite is classic rock, but I listen to Contemporary Christian, Jazz, R&B, Show Tunes, Reggae, some Country, Alternative, World, and even some Hip Hop occasionally. You can find at least some inspirational music in nearly every genre. Here are some on my IPOD:

Classic Rock
Dream On - Aerosmith, Bounce - Bon Jovi, Roll With It - Steve Winwood,
Never Surrender - Corey Hart, Bright Side of the Road - Van Morrison,
Your Only Human - Billy Joel, Don’t Stop Believin’ - Journey, Don’t Stop - Fleetwood Mac,
While You See A Chance - Steve Winwood, Give To Live - Sammy Hagar,
Lucky Day - Meridith Brooks, Shine - Meridith Brooks,
Make Your Own Kind Of Music - Mama Cass Elliot, Don’t Let The Good Life Pass You By - Mama Cass, Always Look On The Bright Side - Art Garfunkel, Beautiful - Carole King,
Simple Things - Carole King, Make It Big - The Beach Boys,
Take The Weather With You - Jimmy Buffet, Breath In Breath Out Move On - Jimmy Buffet, Don’t Give Up - Peter Gabriel, Things Can Only Get Better - Howard Jones
Alternative
Beautiful Day - U2, Holiday In My Head - Smash Mouth, All Star - Smash Mouth,
Greatest Day - Bowling For Soup, If Everyone Cared - Nickelback,
The Future's So Bright - Timbuk 3, Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
R&B
You Gotta Be - Des’ree, Uptight (Everything’s Alright) - Stevie Wonder,
Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now - McFadden & Whitehead, Dream Big - Sakai, Leap of Faith - Sakai
Pop
Beautiful - Christina Aguilar, You Get What You Give - New Radicals, New Attitude - Patti Labelle, When You’ve Been Blessed - Patti Labelle, The Power of The Dream - Celine Dion,
When The Going Gets Tough - Billy Ocean, One Moment In Time - Whitney Houston,
Reach - Gloria Estefan, Always Tomorrow - Gloria Estefan,
Coming Out Of The Dark - Gloria Estefan, Get On Your Feet - Gloria Estefan,
Make It Happen - Mariah Carey, Hero - Mariah Carey
Raggae
Three Little Birds - Bob Marley
Rap/Hip Hop
Dream Big - Jet Baker, Champion - Queen Latifah, Pray - MC Hammer,
Too Legit To Quit - MC Hammer, No Stoppin' Us - MC Hammer
Country
Up - Shania Twain, I Could Not Ask For More - Sara Evans, Born To Fly - Sarah Evans,
Blessed - Martina McBride, The Impossible - Joe Nichols, My Life’s Been Grand - George Strait,
Live Like You Were Dying - Tim McGraw, My List - Toby Keith,
It’s A Great Day To Be Alive - Travis Tritt
Blues
When Love Comes To Town - Jonny Lang and Joss Stone, Anything’s Possible - Jonny Lang,
Turn Around - Jonny Lang
World
Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World - Israel Kamakawlwo’ole
Easy Listening/Jazz
High Hopes - Frank Sinatra, Come Blow Your Horn - Frank Sinatra, Pocketful of Miracles - Frank Sinatra, Pick Yourself Up - Natalie Cole, When Your Smiling - Frank Sinatra, Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

Lyrically this is some of the strongest music you can find. In the next post I’ll share some of my favorites from Contemporary Christian Music as well as some of my favorite non-lyrical music.