We all have goals; some are harder to reach, while others are easy. If they are the former, pick-me-ups are sure a big help in pushing us.
When the road gets tough, music is one of the first pick-me-ups we can turn to. But what are the best songs to put on to keep us motivated towards your goals?
If you’re working on your playlist, we’re happy to help you get started. Here are 16 of the best songs about achieving goals to get motivation going. Let’s get started.
1. “Lose Yourself” By Eminem
Few songs are more iconic than Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.” Included in the hit film 8 Mile, the song tells the story of Eminem’s rise to fame. Starting in a trailer and eventually becoming one of the most iconic musicians of the 2000s, there’s plenty to tell.
But the song isn’t purely self-centered. Instead, Marshall Mathers uses the track to encourage others to do the same as him and take their shot at their dreams.
Through the song, the rapper encourages fans not to miss their chance and to seize it when it appears. Asking his listeners if they would miss their chance, he tells his tale to encourage you toward what happens when you’re brave enough to take a shot.
2. “Eye Of The Tiger” By Survivor
One of the most iconic songs about meeting your goals, Survivor‘s “Eye of the Tiger,” is on every playlist ever made! This track shows the narrator’s will to survive and overcome the challenges in front of him.
Famously used in the movie Rocky III for a workout montage, the song encourages listeners to work for their goals. Moreover, the character of Rocky truly epitomizes this song’s message and how we should carry ourselves in the face of adversity.
Rather than wait around hoping for a lucky break, the narrator pushes to make their goal a reality. So if you need motivation, this song can get you in the right mindset to go after your goals.
3. “Don’t Stop Believin’” By Journey
Famous in every karaoke bar and sitcom, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” is one of the most instantly-recognizable tracks. You know what song is playing from the first note of the piano in the introduction!
This is one of the tracks that people of all musical tastes know every word to. Telling the story of a girl stuck in a small town, she strikes out on her own into unknown horizons to make her dreams come true.
It’s a feel-good track that always feels amazing to belt out in a crowd. If you ever need an icebreaker, put this song on and see who can’t stop themself from singing out and be motivated to reach for their goals.
4. “I Can” By Nas
Though it doesn’t mention “goal” in the lyrics, “I Can” is certainly a good phrase as motivation to reach it. This unique song in Nas’s discography was released as part of his 2003 album God’s Son, and the track is famously the only song missing a Parental Advisory label.
Unlike the rest of his discography, this song was written specifically for children and younger listeners. Knowing his influence in the community, Nas chose to send a loving message to the youth. Through the song, Nas encourages children to reach for their goals and stay drug-free.
For one section, he uses the positive influence of Oprah Winfrey as an example of what overcoming your challenges can bring you. For another, he shares the tale of a friend who succumbed to drug addiction. It’s a stark song for all ages about staying on track and tackling your goals.
5. “We Are The Champions” By Queen
Queen’s “We Are the Champions” is as universal as a song can get. There’s no chance you were making it through this list without seeing this track!
Unlike other songs on this list, “We Are the Champions” is not a motivational song to push you on. Rather, Queen tells listeners that getting to the goal was not a bed of roses, but the dues have finally been paid.
Now that the goals have been reached, it’s time to celebrate the victory! What better song allows you to let the world know your success than to shout, “We are the champions!” So make sure your next uplifting playlist has this track front and center!
6. “Get Out Da Way” By The Supervillains
Reggae group Supervillains’ “Get Out da Way” is a departure from their usual beachy reggae, bringing an optimistic note of bettering yourself instead. The band spends this song encouraging listeners not to give in to the voice in their minds telling them to quit.
Stating that we’re all the same once the music stops, they tell listeners to focus on what’s ahead. They continue to advise that the peaks and valleys are just the tires moving, saying to find happiness just in being alive.
With a reggae beat and an enthusiastic vocal performance, it’s a perfect song for a happy day of encouraging yourself or others to push through to that goal you have in mind.
7. “The Climb” By Miley Cyrus
Stepping out from the shadows of her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus’s music had an inspirational pop vibe to it at the start. “The Climb” is one of the most encouraging tracks she’s penned, landing on motivational playlists across the world.
Cyrus tells listeners that the challenges won’t stop just because they’re tired. Instead, you have to stand up and face them as they come. There will always be another mountain right around the corner, and you’ll have to face it eventually.
While this sounds Sisyphean, Cyrus’s point is not to give in to the constant pressure. You have to find a way to overcome the challenges in front of you to keep moving toward your goals.
8. “Believer” By Imagine Dragons
Reaching goals require that you believe you can achieve them, and rock band Imagine Dragons know this in their 2017 song “Believer” from their third studio album, Evolve.
The lyrics are actually a list of things to do to believe in yourself. The first is to repeat to yourself that you believe, the second is to not let others tell you differently, and the third is to say a prayer—it can’t hurt, right?
In between, the narrator lets listeners know all the pain, heartaches, and hardships he encountered in reaching their goals. However, this did not get him down; instead, it has made him a believer in himself.
9. “How Far I’ll Go” By Alessia Cara
On a brighter note, Disney’s Moana has one of the best motivational tracks of the last decade. Alessia Cara’s “How Far I’ll Go” is a great song about finding and setting your goals.
As the titular character stares off at the ocean, she sees how far she can go, which is basically limitless. Singing to the audience about how nothing will stop her from reaching her goal, she begins her journey in earnest.
While some write the song off as another Disney track, “How Far I’ll Go” is an incredibly motivational song. Put it on your next playlist, and see how much harder you push yourself to victory!
10. “High Hopes” By Panic! At The Disco
Even without the word “goal” in the title, the upbeat, catchy song “High Hopes” by Panic! at the Disco is all about having goals. The song was released in 2018 in the band’s sixth album, Pray for the Wicked, and won Top Rock Song at the Billboard Music Awards.
Throughout the song, the narrator discusses times when they had nothing to keep them going. But his mama said many things to remind him to set those goals, including being something greater and to “don’t give up” even though “it’s a little complicated.”
His mama knew what she was talking about, and we should all listen to her and set those high hopes for ourselves and give our best to achieve them.
11. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” By Eurythmics
Aren’t dreams just another form of goal we have in our life? They can remain bubbles of fantasy in our heads or, if we really want to, make it into something more corporeal. For the British pop duo Eurythmics, their goal is stated in their 1983 song “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).”
The song’s new-wave rhythm can make anyone dance to it, and the lyrics are very simple yet catchy. The dream is to “travel the world and the seven seas”—whoever doesn’t agree to that?
Obviously, reaching such lavish goals will make people green with envy, as the narrator goes on to lament in the chorus that some people will “want to use you,” “get used by you,” “abuse you,” or “be abused,” possibly so they can share in that same dream.
12. “My Way” By Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” is one of the older entries on the list, but the message it gives is timeless. The song was recorded in 1986 and is considered the blue-eyed crooner’s signature song.
In “My Way,” Sinatra lets everybody know he’s “planned each chartered course” and “saw it through without exemption.” He doesn’t just motivate you to go for your dreams, though. He encourages listeners to live a full life by their own rules and accept what regrets they’ll have by the end.
Saying that he’s had few regrets, the narrator chooses not to dwell on them. Instead, he kept his eyes on his goals and charged forward. While he’s not done everything perfectly, he’s done it all his way.
13. “Now Or Never” By Kendrick Lamar
The music of rapper and songwriter Kendrick Lamar often discusses institutionalized racism, self-loathing, drug addiction, and countless more. In his 2012 song “Now or Never,” however, the talented musician brings the spotlight to himself.
Lamar accepts that it’s his time to seize his moment. He’s set the plan; he’s past it, and he knows the goals he had is finally within his grasp. Choosing to take the leap, Lamar muses that nothing has ever felt as right as reaching his goals.
Now, he’s shining brighter than ever, basking in the energy of victory. He feels blessed to finally reach this point in his life.
14. “Till I Collapse” By Eminem Ft. Nate Dogg
Penultimate on our list is another song by Eminem. Featuring the late rapper Nate Dogg, “‘Till I Collapse” is a motivational banger. It highlights staying true to himself and working toward his goals.
Decrying his doubters and ignoring negativity, the hook brings Dogg in an iconic verse. No matter what comes, the singer vows to continue working toward his goals until his body gives out.
We’ll take that advice with a pinch of salt, however, because one should always look after their health, but this song is still a reminder that in striving for our goal, we’ll eventually reach it.
15. “All I Wanted Was A Car” By Brad Paisley
The title alone tells you about the narrator’s biggest goal. “All I Wanted Was a Car” was Brad Paisley’s lead single off his 2007 album, 5th Gear.
In the lyrics, the singer mentions the goals and dreams of the people around him. His friend Blake is going to the NFL while Jenny has a scholarship to college. Hershel, meanwhile, has plans of being a movie star.
The singer’s own goal isn’t as grandiose as those of his friends. But he has set his eyes on owning his car. The dream may be small, but he works hard to achieve that. Years later, he now has his own family and two cars in his driveway.
16. “The Kids Aren’t Alright” By The Offspring
For our last song, we’re going to divert from songs about achieving goals, though it talks about goals nonetheless. “The Kids Aren’t Alright” is from the Offspring’s 1998 album Americana.
The song begins by stating the dreams of the narrator’s neighbors. They had bright futures and believed they were going to make it big when they grew up.
But even the most well-planned goals and dreams can go awry, and the song highlights how people can fall apart. Some have succumbed to addiction, while others simply left their dreams behind, opting to do nothing. Ultimately, they seem stuck at a dead end.
The Offspring doesn’t give us an answer or a fix. Instead, they ask how this came to pass and warn us not to be the next one to miss our goals.
Summing Up Our List Of Songs About Goals
Everyone has goals. Some have reached theirs and are continuing to other dreams, while others are still in the process of achieving them.
Those who are still working at their goals sometimes need help in pushing them forward, and we believe some of these songs are just the right motivation. So add these songs to your playlist; hopefully, they’ll help you become victorious.
