You are reading this from your office, while your fingers yearn for the caress of the beach sand. Perhaps you're on your way to work or savoring a well-deserved vacation. Wherever you find yourself, it's a pleasure to have you here, even in the warmth of August. Whether you're on holiday or not, summer beckons for a brief respite. This time, we bring you a refreshing gift, a playlist! But not one filled with envy-inducing summer songs. Instead, it's all about work!
Work has always been a recurring theme in the history of music, and with this playlist, you can journey through the evolution of lyrics and music from 1934 to 2016. Furthermore, you'll discover how the concept of work has transformed over the years.
So, as though we were the result of a fusion between the legendary radio host Juan de Pablos, of the iconic program "Flor de Pasión," and the ancient Roman historian Tito Livio of the renowned Gens Livia, we present to you some of the songs included in this playlist, along with their historical context.
60s and 70s
Most jobs in the 1960s were based in production, agriculture and manufacturing with jobs that normally involved a lot of physical effort.
We find very clear examples of these uses in songs like Working in the coal mine (1966):
Working in the coal mine, by Lee Dorsey:
Workin' in the coal mine Goin' on down, down Workin' in a coal mine Oops, about to slip down
Workin' in a coal mine Goin' on down, down Workin' in a coal mine Oops, about to slip down
This great song was a hit by Lee Dorsey and refers to the exhaustion of a man who gets up at 5 in the morning to work in a coal mine where conditions are very harsh. This theme managed to enter the Billboard Hot 100 list in 1966.
Linear hierarchical models emerged in the seventies and having a job gives social prestige. They worked many more hours than agreed due to the high sense of discipline and duty. Also at this time comes the improvement of working conditions, thanks to the development of movements on the quality of working life. They began to talk about motivation or humanization.
80s and 90s
During these two decades we find drastic improvements in working conditions and an increase in the quality of life, and this is reflected in the slightly more carefree songs, in which instead of talking about hard work in the fields or in the mine, they talk about the commute to work, that they don't like their boss or simply, that they don't like to work. Sure, their Supervisors didn't have a time machine handy to learn about HRider and our Performance Reviews (wink, wink).
However, the role of women in the world of work still had -and still has- a lot to improve. Cher explains it to us in 1987:
Working Girl, by Cher:
She's just a pawn in the struggle
In a never-ending fight to survive Mom had to play someone else's game You learn to keep it inside
Working girl, livin' in a man's world Working girl, you gotta take a stand girl
This song tells us the story of a woman who works in what is still a man's world. Working Girl belongs to the soundtrack of the film of the same name (in Spain translated as Armas de mujer) which won an Oscar in 1988.
2000s
In the 2000s and, above all, today, the work does not have as much impact or importance in music. We come across topics that talk about working as a prelude to the weekend party and others that do not refer to the work Nina Simone was talking about in Work Song or Bruce Springsteen in Factory. You have to understand it, most of the songs that are produced nowadays are made to be consumed while dancing in a pub or a disco.
That's why we couldn't miss 2016 with the hit that became number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (sounds familiar, right?):
Work by Rihanna (ft. Drake)
Work, work, work, work, work, work
You see me I be work, work, work, work, work, work
Now let's see if you can carry on with yours without moving to the rhythm of reggaeton ;-)
We invite you to listen and share our Spotify playlist with the 40 (+1) songs about work!
Music is one of the most complex and enriching arts that identifies us as human beings. According to several studies, listening to music increases productivity. Play some music in your office to release tension and promote the best possible work environment. It's free and it's just click.
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