14 Songs That Make You Feel Like a Hero

Honestly, I really hope that you are never in the situation where you are being chased by other living things and feeling like your life is in danger. BUT if that does happen, just think of this song in your head and you'll be good. I don't even have good lung capacity but I am positive that if you played this song for me, I could outrun a pack of hyenas, wolves, African wild dogs, whatever.

This. Fucking. Song. Play this on Monday morning and you will win the week, guaranteed. Play it when you're already feeling good and you will grow wings. Way before Kanye signed Hudson Mohawke, there were rumors that he had purchased this beat. Can you even imagine what Kanye could do with this beat? Yeah, we can too.

Kanye West once compared his live show to a "flawless victory." This is a sentiment Clams Casino probably understands. He's made beats fit for a war march, but none quite as flawless and victorious as A$AP Rocky's album opening "Palace."

Sometimes the most admirable thing about superheroes is that quiet inner strength. Like yo, you don't need to always be smashing walls, gathering admirers, and winning over pretty young things. Sometimes it's just about having a chizzled jaw, looking very stoic, and knowing you're the shit. Shlohmo's "Later" isn't balls-to-the-wall, but there's a Wild contained here. It's not the soundtrack to that heroic moment, but it's the soundtrack to that moment a few moments after the heroic moment, when you can stare off into the distance and just think, "Damn, that was some crazy shit I just pulled off. I'm the shit."

Lil Wayne's diamond teeth are valued at approximately $150,000. If you aren't going to pay attention to a man whose teeth are worth $150,000, you're a goddamn fool. Lil Wayne may have said some not-so-brilliant things in his lifetime, but when he said the sky is the limit, we believed him, and we're better off for it.

Nobody heard that M83 was scoring a film (Oblivion) and was like, "No waaay." It makes perfect sense. M83 makes music to fly a rocket too. It's the soundtrack to smashing rock with fist, cutting through air, and slow-motion diving from away flames. I'm listening to this song right now and literally feeling like maybe I could light my face on fire and be 100% alright with it. Also, I am on bath salts right now.

Who would have ever thought that the guy who introduced himself with the line, "Hi kids, do you like violence? Wanna see me stick nine inch nails through each one of my eyelids?" would end up writing one of the—hands down—most inspirational songs of the decade? If you've never looked yourself in the mirror while wearing a hoodie and blasting "Lose Yourself" then you're probably not really seizing the moment and you should be ashamed.

When 'Ye is in the zone, it's hard to believe that 'Ye doesn't think he's a superhero—either that or a god. He must, right? If not, he's tapping into some other other that the rest of us can't touch. And if Kanye's not a hero, then... fuck out of here. Kanye is a hero.

Gearing up for a fight? This song will ensure a win. The other guy won't even stand a chance. With the glorious production on S-Type's Billboard EP, he cemented his spot as a beat-maker to look out for, but more importantly he made us all into winners by cooking up the kind of crack that makes you feel invincible.

Yeah, you might not actually be a superhero. In fact, you almost certainly are not a superhero. You might just be delusional and feeling mad violent, but fuck, this list is called songs that make you feel like a hero, and if you listen to "Jump Out" you will feel like you can single-handedly take down an army.

When I asked for suggestions for this list, two people mentioned this song. If "U Don't Know" makes @JonTanners and @Cedar feel like heroes, then it can make us all feel like heroes.

Carnage may have left behind the festival trap sound, but we'll always have this. Electronic songs with massive drops will always feel a little gimmicky, but there's a reason why those drops can make an ocean of humans lose their shit—those gigantic sounds are empowering, and Carnage took it to the extreme with this one.

Olafur Arnalds might have been born to score a movie about the tragic life of a hero. We all have our purposes. The story of every good hero has a touch of tragedy to it, and "Hægt, kemur ljósið" balances the highs and lows of the heroic life with an unmatched gracefulness.

Obviously. One time I saw a 10-year-old boy with special needs get up in front of a room full of people and sing this song. The mic died during his performance and he kept singing. People in the room cried, and I think from that point on I have been a better person. Goddamn, thank you R.Kelly for providing a song that made that little boy feel like a hero.