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There is a school of thought that essay-writing is an art form that promotes writing in solitude with no distractions, just you and your thoughts.
In this technology-driven world, however, we’re of the belief that music and essay-writing go hand-in-hand, and can boost productivity.
Spotify and Youtube are chock-full of study playlists, but finding the one that works for you can be a challenge itself.
Here are our picks for the best albums to listen to while trying to get that mid-term essay in before the deadline!
Phantom Thread Original Score by Jonny Greenwood
If you’re a fan of English rock band Radiohead, you’ll know that guitarist Jonny Greenwood is responsible for the band’s classical music leanings found on Amnesiac and A Moon Shaped Pool, but his film scoring career has produced some of the best, and most crucially, relaxing music of the last 20 years.
The score for the 2017 film is a masterclass in meditative reflection, soothing strings and relaxing piano, ideal for the intense Saturday afternoon source citing sessions.
The piano on “House Of Woodcock” or the strings on “Alma” are sure to lull you into a sense of clarity and control and help you nail that assignment.
Ambient 1/Music For Airports by Brian Eno
Best known to today’s audiences for his work with seminal acts such as U2, David Bowie and Talking Heads, English composer Brian Eno brought ambient music to the mainstream with this 1978 album.
The concept is simple; Eno wrote music he felt would relax people in a stressful environment like an airport, and what do you know, it works.
The tracks are sparse, often evoking a dream-like feel, and listening to just a minute of “1/1” is sure to help even the most wandering mind back to the task at hand.
Odyssey by Home
The sub-genre of “Synthwave” has exploded in popularity in recent years thanks to shows and movies like Strangers Things and Drive, and the music is ideal writing fuel.
This album treads the fine line of being relaxing but still engaging, with the crunchy video game esque beats providing a relaxed background to proceedings regardless of setting.
You may already have heard tracks such as “Resonance” or “Tides” on various Vine compilations over the years, but trust us when we say that this album provides you with some of the most relaxed beats out there today.
Speakerboxx/The Love Below by Outkast
Readers of a certain age will remember when Outkast dominated the world and everything they touched turned to gold, and this album is the Atlanta hip-hop duo at the height of their powers.
The album is a perfect mix of the I mentioned so far; relaxing beats mixed with upbeat tempos.
The genius of the album is that it’s a double album – the Speakerboxx segment of the record is Big Boi having fun with early 2000’s Southern Hip-Hop, and The Love Below is Andre 3000 experimenting with funk, jazz, and pop.
The album also produced some of the biggest bangers of the early 2000’s such as Hey Ya, The Way You Move, Roses and Flip-Flop Rock, so you can still have some fun at your desk with some old-school classics filtering through your headphones.
Nonagon Infinity by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Every other album we’ve talked about so far has been mostly low-key, relaxed affairs, but what if it’s 3 hours before the essay is due and you haven’t even opened Microsoft Word?
Stick this album on; you’ll become more hyped than an Olympic athlete.
The cliché is that rap albums are the best for getting people excited and pumped up, but if you want your music to mirror your frantic mindset, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better album than this album by the Australian rockers.
The genius of this album is that every song transitions into the next with no break, and when you finish the album it starts all over again, in an infinite loop.
Film director Edgar Wright cited the album as one of his favourites, and it’s hard not to see why; its energetic, fun and a little crazy, just like his films, and that’s what makes it ideal last-minute essay writing material.
By Mike Finnerty