The 7 all-time greatest construction songs!

Big powerful radios on a construction site are very common these days. In fact most of the major power tool manufacturers offer ‘construction blasters’ in their product line up. But does music on the site actually improve efficiency, or is it just a distraction?

Proven by ‘Mad Science’!
Recent studies indicate that music on the job is actually a plus! In the NY Times, Dr. Amit Sood, a physician of integrative medicine with the Mayo Clinic, spoke of the science behind this finding.

DEWALT’s new ToughMusic System (featuring Bluetooth) retails for $249.

“Melodious sounds help encourage the release of dopamine in the reward area of the brain, as would eating a delicacy, looking at something appealing or smelling a pleasant aroma. People’s minds tend to wander, and we know that a wandering mind is unhappy.” A University of Windsor study came to similar conclusions: “Background music improves your mood and enhances perception while working.”

Rock 95? Really?
Why is the radio usually tuned the local rock or country station? Dr. Teresa Lesiuk, assistant professor in the music therapy program at the University of Miami found that personal choice in music was very important. In the NY Times, she explains “It may be beneficial to listen to music you are familiar with if you need to intensely focus for a project, the reason being is that new music is surprising; since you don’t know what to expect, you are inclined to listen closely to see what comes next. With familiar music, you know what lies ahead and thus the sound doesn’t become your primary focus.”

No! No! Don’t ladder dance…please!

Seven all-time greats….but no ladder dancing, please!
On-line construction software firm FieldLens put together the 7 greatest all-time construction songs, covering all genres, with their comments:

If I Had a Hammer—Pete Seeger
One of those songs everyone’s heard too many times—just not in fifty years. Give it another try; this is the original workingman brotherhood song

Brick by Brick—Arctic Monkeys
Not big on lyrics (including the title there’s 30 words in it) but maybe it’s something about drummer Matt Helders’ vocals that draw you in after a while

Grandpa Was a Carpenter—John Prine
A contemporary classic from a talented Chicago native with a knack for lyrical storytelling.

Hard Hat and a Hammer—Alan Jackson
How many songs use the sound of steel striking a real anvil?! This one is practically a construction anthem.

I’m Working on a Building—Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys
This version by the father of bluegrass and his ridiculously cool band gets you knee slapping with world-class banjo picking

Highway (Under Construction)—Gorillaz
Its lyrical connection to construction may be more metaphorical than direct, but to be fair you go ahead and find a rhyme with “scaffolding”.

Working Man Blues—Merle Haggard
This 1969 release became an instant classic and one of his signature songs. If you don’t like this song, get off my crew.

We Built This City—Starship
Our favorite song to mock. Bad lyrics, past-their-prime rock stars and corporate packaging all deserve equal credit in this mess. Maybe we just call the demo crew for this one?

To listen to these CLICK HERE

Send your all-time favourite song titles to:
jbleasby@canadiancontractor.ca