I really like music. I like just about every kind of music. I like to choose it according to my mood to help me achieve a goal. Perhaps it is to relax, or maybe inspire me. Sometimes it’s nothing more than a distraction. Sometimes it moves me deeply in a very spiritual way. I really like most LDS hymns and children’s songs precisely because they move me spiritually. Nevertheless, there is a plethora of non-LDS songs that lift me spiritually as well.

In this post, I’m taking a break from my normal analysis to report on the non-LDS songs that move me spiritually or uplift or inspire me in some way. Here is a small, eclectic smattering of these songs in random order:

  • 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky. My favorite piece of classical music.
  • John Rutter’s Requiem. Best Requiem EVER!
  • August’s Rhapsody from the August Rush soundtrack.
  • Piano Man by Billy Joel. A great story told.
  • You Make Me So Very Happy by Blood, Sweat & Tears.
  • Turn! Turn! Turn! by The Byrds. There’s a great lesson in this song.
  • The Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band. Making deals with the Devil produces awesome music!
  • Listen to the Music by The Doobie Brothers. Great song, great lyrics, great band.
  • The Mission soundtrack by Ennio Morricone. Seriously, ’nuff said.
  • Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton. Great message, made better when you know the history of the song.
  • Shower the People by James Taylor. If more of us took the message of this song to heart there would be much less heartache in the world.
  • Perhaps Love by John Denver. Who doesn’t love John Denver? He’s a national treasure.
  • To the Summit by Jon Schmidt. I know Jon Schmidt is sort of Mormon-ish music, but his music is really insipiring.
  • Don’t Stop Believing by Journey.
  • Dust in the Wind by Kansas. Humility is a virtue!
  • Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin. DUH!
  • What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. Indeed!
  • Black or White by Michael Jackson. Great message, still sorely needed.
  • Symphony #40 by Mozart. Moving, brilliant.
  • Exogenesis: Symphony (3 parts) by Muse. Very moving, beautiful, and a strange twist of hard rock, classical, and new age.
  • You Get What You Give by New Radicals. Stupid band, but has one song with a great message.
  • This Too Shall Pass by OK Go. New song by a great group.
  • The entire musical score from Les Miserables. Music from one of the best musicals ever produced from one of the most influential philosophical and sociological novels ever written.
  • Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right by Peter, Paul And Mary (obviously a remake of Bob Dylan’s classic). Still brilliant.
  • If I Had a Hammer by Peter, Paul And Mary (also a remake). A bit hippy, but was THE anthem for the civil rights movement.
  • Take the Power Back by Rage Against The Machine. RATM is a bit over-the-top for me sometimes, but their lyrics send clear messages of pushing back against the “system” which I think we all need to do sometimes.
  • Life is a Highway by Rascall Flatts (cover of Tom Cochrane’s hit, but RF does it so much better). Great message, uplifting.
  • You Can’t Always Get What You Want by The Rolling Stones. This is the theme song at my house whenever my kids start whining!
  • The Sounds of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel.
  • Joy To The World by Three Dog Night. Uplifting, fun, done by a great band.
  • Pretty much all of U2′s albums. Seriously, how does one pick a favorite U2 song? It’s like trying to pick a favorite child!
  • Right Now by Van Halen. Current events gone wild!
  • Album Live At The Acropolis by Yanni. New age brilliance!
  • Album Appassionato by Yo-Yo Ma. Need I say more?
  • Laughing With by Regina Spektor. A song about atheists in foxholes.

So now, readers (if you actually made it through my extensive list) what are your favorite non-LDS songs which uplift and/or inspire you in some way?