10 Songs Steve Jobs Used to Train His Brain

Steve Jobs probably used these recordings to alter his mental state, change his moods, and keep himself creative.

Music is many things to many people, but to entrepreneurs it can be an essential success tool. According to Dr. Victoria Williamson of Goldsmith's College, London. "Brain imaging studies have shown that various parts of the brain may be activated by a piece of music."
In other words, you can use specific pieces of music to "program" your brain to think and feel in specific ways.
Not long before his untimely death, Steve Jobs accidentally revealed his favorite music during a product demonstration. Since Jobs used meditation to get creative, it's highly likely he also used music to alter his moods and states of consciousness.
With that in mind, here are the iconic songs that inspired Steve Jobs and might inspire you, too:

1. "Imagine" (John Lennon)

Jobs believed that his products would and could make the world a better place, so is it any surprise that he was inspired by Lennon's utopian masterpiece?

2. "Hard Headed Woman" (Cat Stevens)

This song probably triggered the emotions of support and respect that Jobs associated his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs, an executive and philanthropist in her own right.

3. "Highway 61 Revisited" (Bob Dylan)

This quick-paced, irony-laced number perfectly captures the wry humor that Jobs exhibited when presenting his "insanely great" products to the world.

4. The Goldberg Variations (J.S. Bach)

Bach and Jobs were both known for their ability to achieve near-perfect simplicity even when dealing with the complexities of melody or technology (respectively).

5. "Truckin'" (The Grateful Dead)

Like most high tech executives, Steve Jobs often traveled on business. This song might well have inspired Jobs to remain creative during the "long strange trip it's been."

6. "Late for the Sky" (Jackson Browne)

This thoughtful ballad speaks of lost opportunities and making the most of your life. Perhaps Jobs used this song to gain balance and perspective during difficult times.

7. "Blue in Green" (Miles Davis)

This classic number by the world’s greatest jazz trumpeter is the perfect music to get your mind relaxed and calmed after a long, hard day at work.

8. "Beast of Burden" (The Rolling Stones)

The classic Stones tune is about remaining an individual despite outside pressure to be something that you’re not.

9. "Won’t Get Fooled Again" (The Who)

Job made mistakes in his career but (significantly) never made the same mistake twice. With that in mind, this might have been his business strategy them song.

10. "Blowin' in the Wind" (Peter, Paul & Mary)

If Lennon's "Imagine" represented the world as Jobs would have liked it to be, this song (written by Bob Dylan) no doubt reminded him of what still remained to be accomplished.

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