Most Triumphant Songs.

What is it about raising your fists in the air that make a song better? I’m not sure, but it’s scientifically proven to make a song better. Now I could’ve went a lot of different ways on this one, but I chose to include more well known, crowd favorite type songs. They all aren’t crowd favorites, but all of them are amazing to belt it out to. Well, maybe not all of them… you’ll see what I Mean..

Mastodon, Tread Lightly, Once More ‘Round the Sun
It’s hard to top a killer album opening song, but they always seem to start off every album in wonderfully epic and big ways. “Tread Lightly” off the most recent “Once More ‘Round the Sun” is another solid example of the band blowing up sonically to introduce a new record. The vocals are harrowing and hopeful, and even enlightening at moments. Seriously it’s one of the most uplighting metal tracks I’ve ever heard, and because of this it finds itself on this list. Making a song like this is tricky, especially in the genre they’ve been lumped in with. It’s an eye opening example of what metal can do, and along with the brilliance of the instrumentation, it never gets old and played out. If anything it gets better with every listen.

Florence & the Machine, Shake it Off, Ceremonials
Whether you are new to Florence or not, one thing is immediately clear when you finally get exposed to her. Her ability to send a message and use her powerful voice to soar is hard to match in modern alternative music.This song,”Shake It Off,” has stadium anthem written all over it, and you can tell that’s what they were after. It gives power to powerless people,and makes the trials of life easier to circumvent. The listener can relate to the lyrics “It’s hard to dance with the evil on your back,” because we’ve all been there. Now, while I don’t really think the devil exists, the negativity we all endure is real, and the song presents us with a mantra to triumph over difficult things.

Nine Inch Nails, Just Like you Imagined, the Fragile
Among some of the best tracks on the great record “The Fragile,”, “Just Like You Imagined” manages to hold it’s own with a bombastic rush of heaviness and depth that any old school fan of the band is sure to love. It opens by slowly building up the whirlwind, but then the deliberate drums kick in, and you’re off on an instrumental journey few bands are able to match. It’s a testament to how well organized and focused Reznor is, and the way it combines everything from drumming to synthesizers, and even sporadic piano make it even better. It even manages to be an instrumental song while not. One lone scream comes in at the end of the song, but it hardly ruins the song. Instead, it brings everything into perfect harmony and wraps it up in a tense, tight bow of aggression.

Queen, We Are the Champions
Is there a more perfect band to sing along to? I can’t think of another one off the top on my head that can bring everyone together so easily, but there’s a reason why people love this band. May’s guitar shines, but the true star of the band was never anyone but Freddie Mercury. His bravado, confidence, and unbridled passion for the music and words he’s belting out make him one of the most beloved musicians of all time. I mean, think for a second how many people have raised their fists in the skies during sporting events and belted this song out after their team wins? Hundreds of thousands, maybe millions. Queen’s “We are the Champions” above all else remains the song for ultimate victory, and I doubt another song will ever be able to top it.

Outkast, B.O.B., Stankonia
This song from the ATLiens isn’t only their best, but it might be the song of the 2000’s. Released in that distant, long ago year(2000), the song has a twinkle at the start, but before long it’s bass heavy and fantastic. There isn't a better song to throw down to, and it leaves you breathless from dancing. That’s the trick to it. You can’t breathe, and your body is giving up, but the power of music and fun is compelling you to keep going. It’s almost as if Father Merrin is telling you “The Power of Rap compels you.” You have to give major props to Andre and Big Boi. With “Stankonia” they had arrived in the mainstream rap game, and among the heavy hitters of the time, they rise to be better than them. Sure many people consider the likes of Eminem and Jay Z to be better, and while they aren’t as well known as those two, is there any band or artist in their genre except Kanye who's done more for the furtherment of thought provoking rap music? Certainly Em and Jay aren’t. Outkast’s “B.O.B.” is the rap song above all others, trust. Thanks for reading!