My co-workers gave me a lot of grief for including the Top Gun theme on this list. So, just in case you are as skeptical as they are, allow me to explain. The Top Gun theme is one of my earliest experiences with actually enjoying music, and it was the song that inspired me to get a guitar and start playing when I was older. Everything about it screams “the ‘80s,” but everything about it also screams “this is awesomely inspiring.” It is simply a great piece of music, and one that would have the same amount of power if performed by a choir or string quartet. Few things get me ready to take on the world like this legendary riff, and I hope you can feel the same. “Talk to me Goose!”

-S. Russ