They're the people you'd love to invite to dinner, the friends in your head, the thought leaders you follow, the sages who expand your worldview-and of course, their Spotify playlists are worth checking out.
From global leader s and CEOs to musicians, movie stars and athletes, these pioneers, artists, leaders, titans and icons comprise this year's 2018 TIME 100, TIME's annual list of 100 of the most influential people in the world. Of course, we wanted to know what they're listening to as they change and evolve culture.
When TIME asked many of the influencers on the TIME 100 list-including Wonder Woman Gal Gadot, journalist Ronan Farrow and Parkland student and activist Emma Gonz lez-to share a song that inspires them, the result was a mix just as eclectic as their talents. Below are songs from 35 influencers and excerpts about why they're inspirational. Whether it's Broadway or B.I.G., you'll want to listen to them all.
1. Sometimes It Snows in April, Prince
It reminds me that specificity engenders empathy, that hearing the detailed, sad lament of a specific person can make the listener, regardless of who they are, feel pain and love and longing.
- Jesmyn Ward, author
2. Children and Art, from Sunday in the Park with George
It punches me in the gut for a multitude of reasons but ultimately because it is about legacy (a concept I am now frequently occupied with), and what we leave behind when we're gone.
- Sonia Friedman, theater producer
3. Lose Yourself, Eminem
The simple message of taking advantage or your opportunity, seizing the moment and not letting it slip away, resonated with me and helped drive me to accomplish all of my wildest dreams and then some."
- J.J. Watt, NFL player
4. Be a Lion, Diana Ross & Ted Ross, from the soundtrack to The Wiz
This work is hard. I sometimes sing this song at the top of my lungs as a way of reminding myself that I am committing to being a lion.
- Tarana Burke, activist and Me Too founder
5. Words Fail, from Dear Evan Hansen
Reminds me that to step out into the sun... you have to stop hiding."
- Hugh Jackman, actor
6. Blackbird, The Beatles
I can hear it a thousand times. It doesn't matter where I am, what I'm doing, or how I feel. It will always make me feel good.
- Gal Gadot, actor
7. The Secret O' Life, James Taylor
It really does contain the secret of life which, quite simply, is enjoying the passage of time.'
- Jimmy Kimmel, comedian
8. Wheels of a Dream, from Ragtime
Coalhouse Walker Jr. is an extraordinary character: a black man at the turn of the century who dares to believe that the American Dream was meant for him as much as it was intended for any other American.
- Sterling K. Brown, actor
9. Juicy, Notorious B.I.G.
Its a song about overcoming adversity in the hood and living a life you never dreamed.
- Trevor Noah, comedian and author
10. Stand Up for Something, Andra Day and Common
I'm inspired by the lyrics of this song because they encourage me to stand up for what I believe in, speak truth to power, be my authentic self and to love, even when hateful people put so much energy into demonizing me.
- Cristina Jim nez, activist
11. A Sky Full of Stars, Coldplay
It is the perfect song at the end of a good week's practice or for a victory car ride home with the team. It makes me happy and feel alive.
- Roger Federer, tennis player
12. Badlands, Bruce Springsteen
It offers a great, urgent reminder to not settle - plus, its very satisfying to sing loudly.
- Cindy Holland, VP of Original Content at Netflix
13. Anthem, Leonard Cohen
The chorus lyrics inspire me because, at their essence, I think they're about recognizing our own failures and shortcomings-embracing them rather than hiding from them.
- Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO
14. Gods Plan, Drake
The song itself is great but the video gave it a whole new life and meaning, and I think it reminds people that there are a lot of ways you can make a difference in other peoples lives.
- Kevin Durant, NBA player
15. Fast Car, Tracy Chapman
It is like a time machine, always taking me back to listening to it with my dad. The lyrics speak to so much, but more than anything they speak to the cyclical quality of the human condition.
- Ryan Coogler, director and writer
16. Time, The Burned
I was listening to it in a spin class, as I was in my own private Idaho, wondering if I had waited too long for everything- love, children and the chorus came on: I hope there is time for everything.' Please listen to it. I bet you cry.
- Hoda Kotb, Today co-host
17. Take It to the Limit, The Eagles
I just think it is one of the greatest rock anthems ever. It takes me back to summer vacation with my family in the 1970s driving to the beach in the back of my dad's truck through Sonora, Mexico.
- Savannah Guthrie, Today co-host
18. Thunder Road, Bruce Springsteen
Whenever Im down, I throw this on. Its Bruce asking Mary to hop in the car with him and drive. The song is full of longing, excitement, danger and hope. In short, inspiration.
- Kumail Nanjiani, actor, writer and producer
19. Things Have Changed, Bob Dylan
It's about having reached the point in life when you're a little jaded, a little fed up, and you decide to just do it your way. I love the defiance. Believe in yourself and where you're going; don't worry about the others."
- Ann McKee, neuropathologist
20. Imagine, John Lennon
It's such a beautiful song about making the world a better place. Its a shame that such a talented man was lost to gun violence.
- Alex Wind, Parkland student and activist
21. The Times They are a-Changin', Bob Dylan
Hearing it at the march made me feel like we were at the beginning of
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They're the people you'd love to invite to dinner, the friends in your head, the thought leaders you follow, the sages who expand your worldview-and of course, their Spotify playlists are worth checking out.
