Top 10 Songs for Engineers

As with our other top 10 lists, the usual rules apply. This is not an exhaustive list. We at ENGINEERING.com merely wish to introduce you to a series of songs that we hope will open you up to more songs about STEM.

Not all of these songs are educational, though many are. Nor are all the songs directly about engineers, though some are that as well. Whatever the case, all ten of these songs have made their place in the hearts of STEM adults and children alike.

If you think we missed anything please feel free to let us know in the comments for a follow-up article.

10. ArcAttack - Singing Tesla Coils - Pacific Rim Main Theme

Let’s start with the truly nerdy option: engineering your own Tesla coils to produce music. This is what ArcAttack is known for and the team made it big on America’s Got Talent where one of their own ‘used the force’ to play The Imperial March. Now they have programmed their own robotic drummer and have become YouTube celebrities of their own rights.

Here is my personal favourite, ArcAttack’s singing Tesla coils playing the Pacific Rim Theme.

9. Hank Green – Strange Charm: A Song about Quarks

Hank Green isn’t exactly mainstream; however, having made it to Billboard’s Top 25 revenue generating albums list, he isn’t fringe media either. After parlaying his Youtube fame into a series of entrepreneurial endeavours, Green created DFTBA Records. DFTBA is known for publishing his work and the work of other nerdy Youtubers.

Hank can often be seen singing about nerd culture and science. My personal favourite is Phineas Gage: A Song. For an engineering crowd, however, Strange Charm should be the one to make the list. The song outlines the confusing existence of quarks quite wonderfully.

8. Great Big Sea – Chemical Worker Song

This song should be added to the repertoire of every Chemical Engineer or Chemical Engineering class in the nation.

Sung by Canadian folk band Great Big Sea, the twang might be something new to the American market, but I suggest you give GBS a chance. They are funny, adorable and smart while the song is catchy and powerful. I doubt you will forget it.

7. Leeni – Headphones on your Heart

For electrical, computer and software engineers, the genre of chiptoons will be right up your alley. The basic idea is to take a classic Gameboy, NES or similar item and hack it into an instrument.

I suggest starting out with Leeni. Her voice and frequent use of traditional instruments might help you to assimilate into the 8-bit video game sound of the genre.

A close runner up from this genre was Anamanaguchi (famous to Scott Pilgrim fans), so I suggest you check them out too.

6. Blue Man Group Featuring Dave Matthews – Sing Along

Here is one for the mechanical and civil engineers. Blue Man Group are famous for building musical instruments out of EVERYTHING, from PVC pipe to trash cans to thin metal rods. If it swings, bangs, reverberates, rings or even swooshes they will use it, and it will be fantastic. Definitely a band for the DIY engineer.

This video also features a collaboration with my personal favourite musician, Dave Matthews. The awkwardness of the lyrics, BMG and Matthews in the video should be relatable to many in the engineering community. Just because you are introverted doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. The only question is, “If I sing a song would you sing along?”

5. Ok Go - Needing/Getting

Another hard decision was which Ok Go video to choose. Often seen creating a musical Rube Goldberg Machine or a very technical music video, all of their music could fit. The band is hilarious too, as seen in their collaboration with the Muppets a few years ago.

After much debate, Needing/Getting is the song of choice. The decision was made mostly because it looks like a car commercial gone horribly wrong. Engineers in the automotive industry should get a hoot out of it. As for a commercial, I’d buy a car from these guys, just not after they use it.

4. Genesis – Land of Confusion

I find this song to be an anthem for environmental engineers or any engineer with political aspirations.

Though the song and video have little if anything to do with engineering, the lyrics might resonate. We live in strange messed up world and it is the job of an engineer to make this place just a little easier and safer to live in.

As this world becomes more and more polluted and issues like global warming become more of a factor, the confused world will look to scientists and engineers to fix our problems. “So this is the world we live in. And these are the hands were given. Use them and let’s start trying. To make it a place worth living in.”

3. They Might Be Giants – Meet the Elements

They Might Be Giants write educational songs to rock out with your kids. Best of all, the songs don’t get annoying when replayed endlessly.

My personal favourite is Meet the Elements. The video is adorable and really gets kids to understand the fact that most everything they interact with is a chemical. Something quite important considering the “no chemicals” misnomer movement that has infiltrated our society.

If you want to meet They Might Be Giants they will be at the USA Science and Engineering festival with ENGINEERING.com this April.

2. Army Corps of Engineers – Engineer’s Hymn

This is a no brainer really. The traditions of this song in the US Army and North American Universities has no bound. Often known as Godiva’s Hymn, it talks about the drunken antics of Engineers. Like any good drinking song, it has been gaining verses since its inception. But one thing has stayed the same, the chorus:

“We are, we are, we are, we are, we are the engineers,
We can, we can, we can, we can, demolish forty beers,
Drink up, drink up, drink up, drink up and come along with us,
Cause we don't give damn about any ol' man who don't give a damn about
us!”

1. Chris Hadfield – Space Oddity

It was a big debate whether to use Hadfield’s or the classic Bowie version in this list. I even contemplated adding other Major Tom songs. Though Bowie is one of the best artists of our age, few things are as amazing as witnessing a real life astronaut singing this classic song from within the ISS.