Years ago, I heard CGP Grey recommend the album All Day by Girl Talk as music that he plays in the background to get work done.
It’s a 70-minute album that’s meant to be listened to as one long song, which samples over 300 songs from other artists. It samples so heavily that it’s not something that can be released on Spotify, so it’s a free download online.
Last semester I randomly remembered this recommendation and turned it on while working on a CS assignment. And since then, it’s my go-to when I really need to crank something out.
I know it so well at this point that my brain anticipates when the remix is going to change to a different song and what song it’s going to change to. The music is a well-worn groove in my mind, and because of that I can listen to it without getting distracted.
It works wonders for keeping me focused. I’m pretty sure that’s just because it’s the song that I associate with doing work, not something inherent about the song itself. But hey, it works. I’m a huge fan of Girl Talk’s All Day.