20 Science Songs to Listen to in Your Lab
Are you a researcher who relies on music to get you through a long day in the lab? Do you need motivational music to complete a task or finish an experiment? If you’re looking for a new soundtrack to your science research, we’ve got just the thing for you - our brand new playlist for scientists!
We’ve scoured the music archives to pick out our favourite science-themed songs for you to sing along to in the lab! From Coldplay to KT Tunstall, Counting Crows to Noah & the Whale, these songs all have a link to science research in some way.
With tracks about gravity, Albert Einstein, natural selection, winning a Nobel Prize or getting published against the odds, we think there’s something for every music-loving scientist in this list! Whether you’re into reggae, Britpop, metal or quirky indie-folk music, we guarantee you’ll find something to get your toes tapping and your pipettes popping with our list of ‘20 Science Songs to Listen to in Your Lab’!
Listen to the full playlist on Spotify here:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0aNSwlTCBVUcbr1t685ZJB?si=e2f67a21ecfd49c3
1) The Scientist - Coldplay
There was only one place we could start with a playlist for scientists, and that’s with ‘The Scientist’ by British rock band Coldplay. This piano-driven ballad was a huge hit in the early 2000s but despite its title, the lyrical connections to science are in fact minimal! Singer Chris Martin expresses his sorrow and frustration at losing love with the lines:
“I was just guessing at numbers and figures, pulling the puzzles apart
Questions of science, science and progress, do not speak as loud as my heart”
Although the band are certainly not scientists, we think this classic song is a must listen for those more melancholy moments in your lab.
2) She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby
We head back to the 1980s for our next track, ‘She Blinded Me With Science’ by British musician and producer Thomas Dolby. This synth-pop song was a hit in the US and Canada and the music video features real-life scientist and TV presenter Magnus Pyke, whose voice also appears on the track. The science-themed lyrics describe the effects a particular woman has on the singer:
“When I’m dancing close to her I can smell the chemicals
The spheres are in commotion, the elements in harmony
Blinding me with science!”
3) Einstein on the Beach - Counting Crows
The US rock band Counting Crows are next on our list with their hit song ‘Einstein on the Beach’. Released in 1994, the track is an upbeat guitar-driven pop song which references the great Albert Einstein. Songwriter Adam Duritz describes the track as a nod to the less fortunate scientists who find themselves in the difficult situation of seeing their inventions or discoveries have negative consequences, such as the atomic bomb. The lyrics include the lines:
“Albert’s vision is blooming uncontrolled, all his wings are slowly sinking
The world begins to disappear, the worst things come from inside here”
4) Imitosis - Andrew Bird
Released in 2007 by US indie singer-songwriter Andrew Bird, the song ‘Imitosis’ shares the thoughts of a ‘Professor Pynchon’. This character is commonly thought to be a reference to the American author Thomas Pynchon whose writing is often themed around mathematics, science, technology and psychology. The lyrics ask questions around loneliness and the search for answers:
“Despite what all his studies had shown
That what's mistaken for closeness is just a case of mitosis
Sure fatal doses of malcontent through osmosis
And why do some show no mercy while others are painfully shy?”
5) God Bless the Scientist - Dan Reeder
A 2020 release takes the fifth spot in our playlist, with the simple but feel-good track ‘God Bless the Scientist’ by American musician Dan Reeder. Layered harmonies and a gentle guitar part accompany lyrics which give thanks to some lesser-celebrated inventions, such as freeze dried instant coffee, field effect transistors and elastane (also known as Lycra or Spandex!).
6) Synapse - KT Tunstall
One for the neuroscientists next, with the foot-tapping track ‘Synapse’ by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. While not directly referencing the neurons of the brain and their interactions with each other, the song is very much about connection, including a catchy chorus which features the lyrics:
“Light in the grey, change in direction
Show me the way, make a connection
Hold 'til it breaks, and the synapse is failing again”
7) Quantum Theory Love Song - Aidan Moffat & RM Hubbert
Our next track is the thought-provoking ‘Quantum Theory Love Song’ by Aidan Moffat - Scottish musician and the lead singer of the band Arab Strap - and guitarist RM Hubbert. Moffat’s spoken word vocal explores the concept of multiple universes, via which the direction of a romantic relationship could take many different paths. The lyrics include the lines:
“I know what you’re thinking, I know what you’ll say: the theory of the multiverse is not empirically testable or falsifiable, it’s just another idea, another leap of faith; it’s just as likely as God. And I’m sure you’re right. But let’s stare at the stars and see what we want to see. Let’s need what we need. Let’s kiss what we kiss”
8) Golgi Apparatus - Phish
A quirky US rock band called Phish take the next spot on our playlist with a song named after an organelle found in most eukaryotic cells. ‘Golgi Apparatus’ is a catchy and upbeat tune, but despite its scientific title, the meaning of the song seems to have less to do with small flat sacs formed by membranes inside the cell’s cytoplasm, and more to do with the audience having a great time! And we love it!
9) Gravity - Embrace
A huge hit for 90s Britpop band Embrace, the song ‘Gravity’ was actually written by Chris Martin of Coldplay who gifted the song to the band. This powerful guitar-driven ballad is a love song at its heart, but references the force of gravity and its effects on human beings. The chorus includes the lyrics:
“And then I looked up at the sun and I could see
All the way that gravity turns for you and me
And then I looked up at the sky and saw the sun
And the way that gravity pulls on everyone”
10) Natural Selection - Sick Century
If your taste in music is on the heavier side, you’ll enjoy our next track from US metal band Sick Century. Released just a few months ago, their recent single ‘Natural Selection’ features heavy guitars and passionate vocals on the theme of an ever-changing world. Although there’s no mention of the great Charles Darwin or the tortoises of the Galapagos Islands, the lyrics perhaps lean more towards references to climate change:
“Another world is on the way
Will we get it right this time?
No resurrection, just natural selection”
11) Publish or Perish - Axioms of Mediocrity
The next song on our list was truly written by academics, for academics. The Axioms of Mediocrity describe themselves as an ensemble of scholars-songwriters with a mission to ‘rock the foundations of academia, one song at a time’. We couldn’t ignore their powerful track ‘Publish or Perish’ which describes perfectly the stress and anguish of trying to prove yourself as a scientist by getting published. The lyrics that particularly grabbed us were:
“We have ideas, we have the smarts, we work hard doing our part
Our journey’s long right from the start, in the race of minds we’re off the charts
Many years of work, caught in a dance, for publication still clinging to chance
We must flourish! Publish or perish!”
Make sure you check out more great tracks from their 2024 album Contradistinctions including ‘Graphs Don’t Lie’ and ‘It’s Doctor Actually’.
12) Chemical Reaction - Sasha
Our next track lightens the mood a little as we switch to a reggae-pop vibe with ‘Chemical Reaction’ by German singer Sasha. Although no atoms are being rearranged in this simple pop song, we did enjoy the fun music video which sees an older professor’s experiment turn him into a younger man, who quickly heads out into town to enjoy his new life - with predictably awkward consequences!
13) 2 Atoms In A Molecule - Noah And The Whale
British indie-folk band Noah And The Whale found success in the late 2000s and we adore their quirky song ‘2 Atoms In A Molecule’! Featuring a rhythmic guitar part and great vocal harmonies, the song is another on our playlist which has minimal scientific content but uses atoms and molecules as an idiom for a close romantic relationship. The singer shares his heartache and yearning for love with the opening lyrics:
“Last night, I had a dream we were inseparably entwined
Like a piece of rope made out of two pieces of vine
Held together, holding each other with no one else in mind
Like two atoms in a molecule, inseparably combined”
14) Postdoc Blues - John K Samson
For the hardworking postdocs amongst you, this next song will surely strike a chord! John K Samson is a Canadian musician whose alternative/indie style of songwriting produces inspiring tracks like ‘Postdoc Blues’. The track is sung from the point of view of a partner supporting their loved one who is struggling through their postdoc. The lyrics reference a disastrous presentation but the singer is positive and supportive in their belief that it will all come good in the end:
“So your presentation went terrible, all wrong dongles, sweat stains and stares
I believe in you and your PowerPoints, don't despair you'll get it right tomorrow night”
15) Under the Microscope - We Are The Catalyst
Time for another heavy rock anthem, and this one’s from a Swedish act called We Are The Catalyst who released their track ‘Under the Microscope’ earlier this year. The powerful female vocals, guitars and drums convey the story of a relationship under scrutiny, with the descriptive metaphor of feeling ‘under the microscope’. In the catchy chorus, lead singer Cat Fey sings the words:
“I'm under the microscope, you're ready to tear me apart
I hoped you would like it all but all you can see are my scars
If you're looking for perfect then you can go on and search again
I'm under the microscope”
16) Your Molecular Structure - Mose Allison
Our next track sees us switch to a very different genre of music, with a light-hearted and fun track by American jazz musician Mose Allison. ‘Your Molecular Structure’ expresses admiration for physical beauty, as Mose uses scientific terms to describe the object of his affections. Written in 1968, it’s a popular song which has been covered by numerous artists including singer-songwriter Fiona Apple, and includes the following lyrics:
“Your molecular structure is really somethin' fine
A first-rate example of functional design
Your cellular organization is really something choice
Electro-magnetism 'bout to make me lose my voice”
17) Nobel Prize - Simple Kid
Irish musician and producer Simple Kid’s ‘Nobel Prize’ is next on our playlist, with a ballad that really tugs at the heartstrings. The song tells the story of a son’s admiration for his father, believing that his unsung care and love for his son make him deserving of a Nobel Prize. The retro-style video shows a man working with clay in a potter’s workshop, and the lyrics include the words:
“My father changed the world but no one gave him prizes
The scientific world never realised just what he'd done
My father changed the world in many shapes and sizes
But critics and the commentators will never celebrate the work he done”
18) The Ballad of Marie Curie - Army of Lovers
Definitely one of the quirkier songs on our list is the 1993 track ‘The Ballad of Marie Curie’ by the Swedish dance-pop group Army of Lovers. With a catchy electro beat and ethereal vocals, the band pay tribute to the great physicist and chemist as they describe her life and achievements in a unique and surreal way. With mentions of radium, polonium and ‘x-ray pandemonium’ this is a mysterious song that we can’t help humming along to, including the lyrics:
“Sound of the atoms cracking, signs in the radium tracking
Carbon to gold, she's radioactive, our goddess Marie Curie”
19) Newton’s Law - John Michael Howell
A beautiful song by John Michael Howell is our penultimate track entitled ‘Newton’s Law’. A gentle acoustic guitar and layered harmonies accompany a dreamy vocal which compares falling in love with the power of gravity. As a beat kicks in midway through, it’s hard not to get swept away with the song as the singer asks “what did Newton do to me when he sat there under that tree?”. The track opens with the lyrics:
“Gravity pulls us all in at a set degree
Mass determines how fast it will be
Now, I'm no man of science but my heart is like a giant
So maybe soon you'll be falling for me”
20) A Biologist’s Mothers Day Song - Cadamole
The final track on our playlist is a light-hearted song of thanks and a nod of recognition that “slightly more than half” of our DNA comes from our mothers! Singer-songwriter Adam Cole (aka Cadamole) shares the science as he gives thanks in ‘A Biologist’s Mothers Day Song’ which we think is a beautiful and thought-provoking end to our list of science-themed songs! The lyrics include:
“To make one me you just add half of mom and half of dad, that is what I once believed
But now I know that I was wrong, you gave so much to me mom
Besides one half a set of genes, you gave me nutrients and transcription factors
Nearly everything that matters, plus my prenatal environment (transplacental inheritance)
mRNA, mitochondria, that back in the day once belonged to ya
And I just want to thank you for supplying them”
"Hey! What about..."
Tell us about the ones we’ve missed! What's your favourite science-themed song? Which songs accompany your daily work in the lab? Share them with us in the comments or tweet us at @hello_bio!
More to listen to from Hello Bio
If you're looking for more to things to add to your daily listening in the lab, why not take a look at some more of these great suggestions from the Hello Bio blog:
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