Below is a chart from a study conducted by Craig Prichard, Marek Korczynski, & Michael Elmes. It goes back to preindustrialization and explains the role music had in the work place. Pretty interesting stuff.

Their study proves that music has been used in the work place for a long time. So we know that people listen to music at work, but what exactly do they listen to?

We asked entrepreneurs what they listen to when they want to get their blood flowing. Here is what we got:

Beth Andrus of minibizbuzz.com

“I listen most often to Aya, Soustice, Lisa Shaw and other artists that have a combo electronica/R&B/house style. It’s upbeat without making me nuts, especially since I do a lot of writing for my blog, etc.”

Felicia Chinelo of chinelodesigns.com

“Music motivates me primarily because because being a graphic designer is tedious. Working in front of a bright screen all day can drive a person crazy. Music relieves my boredom when I am working on a long project, so that I can focus on getting the job done. “

Felicia enjoys The Desperado Soundtrack

Logan Lindabury of Talk to Logan

“I listen to any type of music that makes me feel good but that also makes me dance in my chair, literally. A good beat, coupled with good lyrics, makes for a great song. Songs that fit this mold tend to be very inspirational for me.

Logan’s Playlist

Usher – Oh My Gosh
Sam Adams – Frat Star
Kris Allen – Live Like We’re Drying
Pitbull – Shut It Down
Jamie Foxx – Winner
Kardinal Offishall – Body Bounce
Taylor Swift – I’m Only Me When I’m With you”

Jordan Harbinger of The Art of Charm

“I’ve got a pretty hardcore workday playlist consisting mainly of Deadmau5, Kaskade and other house/dance tracks sans vocals. Helps keep me focused and drowns out distractions from others in the office. Sometimes we fill the office with the music if we’re all really in the zone.”

Frank Hurtte of River Heights Consulting

“It’s gotta be T-Bone Walker. There is something about the shuffle blues that drives my thinking.”

Katrina Razavi of Marriage.com

Music is a great way to get in the zone. I personally like to listen to:

Hip Hop (Jay-Z, Kanye West, Notorious BIG, Tupac)
They help me stay on the grind and keep up the hustling spirit!

Electronic (MIA, Santogold, MGMT)
The beats keep me motivated, they’re fast-paced, and unique/original. A great inspiration for any business person

R&B (Alicia Keys, Keri Hilson, Mariah Carey, Rihanna)
When I need to calm down the tone and get in the zone, these artists take it down a notch, great to listen to when you’re totally stressed.

House (Armin van Buren, Tiesto, David Guetta, Deep Dish)
When I need to work fast-paced and think quick these artists set the tempo since their music is fun and dynamic just like an entrepreneurs work environment.

You gotta mix all of them up, thats why I like to use Pandora to customize playlists and just keep the music going.

Anthony Adams of THC, The Hangover Cure

“Despite being a suburban white guy with no rhythm, I really like 90s rap while I work.
So anything from The Notorious BIG, Dre, Tupac, etc. Anything involving getting money and hustling. Its a great mindset to have and rap helps me get in it.”

Jay L. Clark of Lonewolf Communications

“As an entrepreneur that works out of the house, I need music to keep me motivated and engaged with what I have to get done. I listen to high energy alternative rock. Nothing like a good shot of Green Day, Rise Against or Alkaline Trio to provide a boost you can’t get from Starbucks!”

I think we found an alternative to coffee folks!

Susan M. Baker of Escape Hatcher

“Music is always that ingredient that just reinvigorates and re-energizes me. If I’m in a slump or having trouble pushing past a particular project I’m working on, I just turn on the tunes! I particularly love Michael Buble’s version of “Feeling Good” – this is, as I call it, the entrepreneurial anthem…and a good show tune works too! The Glee soundtrack is good for this. Occasionally I’ll mix it up with some rock or top 40 pop.”

Matt Griffin of BakersEdge.com

“My playlist is pretty strategic, depending on the day/nights work. For ultra productive time, when I need to just get my hands dirty and grind away on tasks at hand I opt for current “re-imagined folk” sounds like Regina Spector, Eisley, Beck, and Kate Nash. These are typically female, soothing sounds. When its time to think big and just generate new ideas, I tend to swing over to the heavier stuff – including some new classics like Pearl Jam, and System of a Down/Scars on Hollywood, and the old Megadeth catalog. The correct playlist and tone is critical for me. If my work soundtrack is off, I find myself drifting away from the task at hand.

My playlist is certainly not universal..and I have been told enough to invest in a good pair of wireless headphones….”

There you have it. Ten entrepreneurs and what they listen to. Pretty wide variety huh? Stay tuned for next weeks Music at Work article. And check out last weeks Music at Work article if you missed it.

Craig Prichard, Marek Korczynski, & Michael Elmes. (2007). Music at Work: An Introduction. Group & Organization Management, 32(1), 4-21. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1206884181).

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