What's Your Jam? The Best Songs to Pump You Up

When you wake up, what's your alarm sound? Is it the stereotypical phone alarm tone? Or is it a fun song to wake you up and start your day with a "Bang"? In this playlist, you'll find the best songs to get your day started and pump you up.

1. "Best Day of My Life" by American Authors

This hit song by American Authors captures the essence and feeling of a good day. This song debuted in 2013 as a single track but was later released on their album "Oh, What a Life" in 2014. This song was 31st on Billboard's Year End charts for 2014 and finished as number one overall on Billboard's Year End Adult Top 40. This song is a surefire way to start your day on the right foot.

2. "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire

This 1978 song was performed by Earth, Wind & Fire. The song was #78 on the Billboard Year-End Charts in 1979, peaking at #8 on the charts.

3. "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen

This Queen song has been deemed by scientists as the most uplifting song. The song tops "Dancing Queen" by ABBA and "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys on the list of most uplifting songs. The song was released on Queen's album Jazz.

4. "Party In The U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus

This Miley Cyrus song is still played to this day, despite it's 2009 release. The song was written by three songwriters, released on Miley Cyrus' first solo EP. The music video pays homage to 80s film Grease. This EP was released a few years before the conclusion of "Hannah Montana", which Cyrus starred in.

5. "Turn Up The Radio" by Autograph

Released in late 1985, this song spent numerous weeks on the Billboard charts into 1986. It remains the only Autograph song ever to be featured on Billboard. The group is from Pasadena, California, and is often classified as a "one-hit wonder".

6. "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits

This song by the band Dire Straits has been listened to many times. It was featured on the album "Brothers in Arms", which has over one million listens on Last.fm. The song debuted in November of 1985 and spent twenty-one weeks on the Billboard charts.

7. "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis & The News

This song, written for the film "Back to the Future", instantly became a hit. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a week in 1985. This song is a classic and reminds you to keep feeling the Power of Love.

8. "Celebration" by Kool & The Gang

Kool & The Gang's "Celebration" was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts for two weeks in a row, becoming one of the most frequently played songs at weddings and other events. None of the band members expected the success of the song, and lead singer J.T. Taylor said in an interview with Billboard, "My mother told me when she heard it, '=You're gonna play this song for the rest of your life - so get ready!'"

9. "Flowerin'" by Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers

This song from RCPM's 2017 album "Native Heart" has a southwest pop-like beat with band leader Roger Clyne on lead vocals. An unofficial music video for this song was made by Robert Langolf using Lego action figures. It is viewable here!

10. "About Damn Time" by Lizzo

WARNING: This song contains explicit content and language

This song from Lizzo's 2022 album "Special" was nominated for the Grammy for Song of the Year, and won the Grammy for Record of the Year. The song reminds you that it's okay to be stressed sometimes, so don't be afraid to appreciate yourself to combat that stress!

11. "I'm Still Standing" by Elton John

This 1983 song written by legendary duo Elton John and Bernie Taupin was released on the Elton John album "Too Low for Zero". According to Second Hand Songs, this song is one of the top 50 most-covered songs from 1983. Along with this, the song was nominated for the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography.

12. "Life is a Highway" by Rascal Flatts

This song was originally sung by Tom Cochrane but was covered by the country group Rascal Flatts. The song was featured in the movie Cars (Disney/Pixar) and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in 2006. The song was also released on the Rascal Flatts album "Me and My Gang".

13. "Bang!" by AJR

According to AJR's Ryan Met, this song all started when they heard a knock at the door. After playing with the sound of the knock (pitching the knock down and up), they added various instruments to create the instrumental backing for the song. Then, they decided they needed something to bring in the chorus, and when two of the band members were riding the subway, they heard the announcement from one of the subway staff, "stand clear of the closing doors, please". They got the man from the subway to introduce the chorus of their song by saying "here we go", and the rest is history. See the full story from AJR here.

14. "Walking On Sunshine" by Katrina And The Waves

Katrina and the Waves is a British-American band that made it big with this song. However, one of their lesser-known accomplishments is winning the music contest Eurovision. This song is one of their most popular, making it number eight on the Billboard charts, and remaining on the charts (in various positions) for 15 weeks.

15. "Sofia" by Álvaro Soler

Although this song is entirely in Spanish, it is still a very fun pop song. This 2015 song finished 3rd on Italy's year-end charts in 2016. The singer, Álvaro Soler, is German and Spanish and had "Sofia" as a smash hit on his debut album. The hit song has received nearly 290 million listens on Spotify alone.

16. "Give Me A Kiss" by Crash Adams

Crash Adams took the internet by storm when they released this song, getting millions upon millions of views on YouTube and Spotify. The duo from Toronto, Canada, loves spreading positivity and happiness, as shown in the music video for this song, here, where they give compliments to people on the streets of L.A.

17. "Break My Stride" by Matthew Wilder

This song is an oldie, released in October of 1983, but has remained a classic for a long time. This song was written by Matthew Wilder and Greg Prestopino, sparking over 15 covers in English alone.

18. "Sunroof" by Nicky Youre and Dazy

This song came to be after California resident Nicky Youre received a DM (Direct Message) from Dazy on Instagram, which started the production of this song. This viral TikTok hit was the first top-ten Billboard hit for both artists.

19. "Take on Me" by a-ha

This 1985 song by a-ha was written by three members of the band and was on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts for 27 weeks! Its music video was also incredibly popular and currently has over 700 million views on YouTube. You can take on anyone after listening to this playlist!

20. "Sunshine" by OneRepublic

This OneRepublic song was released in late 2021. While this tune is not nearly as popular as their hit "Counting Stars", from 2014, which has received over one billion listens on Spotify, it is one of OneRepublic's most popular. This song is sure to pump you up and remind you to keep "running through the shade for a little bit of sunshine".

This is NWP's "The Best Songs to Pump You Up" playlist. If we left pumped you up, then like this article and leave a comment! Have a musical day!

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