[Published: July 26, 2022]
Thanks to the many On the Move readers who shared their go-to commute songs and podcasts. We had a blast sifting through your favorites. It’s clear the Stanford community recognizes that music lifts our mood and lowers stress. We learned your taste is fabulously eclectic and you love blasting the radio/earbuds (although no earbuds while driving for safety.)
You listen to everything from current artists Camila Cabello (“Bam Bam”), Lizzo (“Say Anything”) and Doja Cat (“Women,” “Need to Know”) to K-Pop (“After School”) to Chopin's nocturnes. “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals and “Danger Zone” from the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack are having a summer moment. There are a few Swifties among us. And world music brings joy to many including Afropop, “Nunca es Suficiente” by Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade, and Punjabi music (“Chand Baliyan.”)
Check out these other podcast recommendations:
- Want to give your brain a workout? Listen to Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! NPR's weekly hour-long quiz program.
- Love outrageous tales of capers, heists and cons gone awry? Listen to Ridiculous Crime.
- Prioritize self-care and wellness? Good Life Project will help you find and live your best life now.
- Love to eat but not necessarily a Foodie? The Sporkful uses humor and humanity to cover science, history, race, culture and lengthy debates on layering peanut butter and jelly.
Congratulations to our winners, Anmol Gupta, Heying Duan and Cindy Kirby.
Anmol Gupta, Psychology Department research coordinator
Anmol was thrilled to hear he won. “This might be my first raffle win since I got a bike helmet in 8th grade!” he said. (Happy to help end your raffle dry spell, Anmol.) During Anmol’s carpool and/or bike commute, he throws it back to vintage Stevie Wonder. His go-to song is the upbeat “Summer Soft” from 1976’s Songs in the Key of Life double album.
As for podcasts, The Lowe Post is Anmol’s pick, especially as he cheered on his Milwaukee Bucks in the playoffs while road tripping back from Milwaukee last spring. Another pick: 1619, which he called “amazing.” Produced by the New York Times, the series explains how slavery has transformed America, connecting past and present through the oldest form of storytelling.
Heying Duan, Stanford Radiology Department postdoctoral scholar
“Here Comes the Sun" is Heying’s all-time favorite classic. “Gets me going anytime,” she said. Turns out she has good taste in podcasts, too. Multiple votes were cast for her favorite, Hidden Brain, which explores the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior and questions that lie at the heart of our complex, changing world. Check out the gives-you-the-chills Premonition episode. When he was a teenager, Paul Burnham received a premonition that he would die at the age of 54. Paul is now 54.
Cindy Kirby, administrative associate, Department of Statistics
Lightening the mood is Cindy, who commutes on Caltrain from South San Jose. Cindy’s go-to song is “Raining Sunshine” from the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs soundtrack. “I have an elaborately choreographed dance routine that goes with it and waiting for the Marguerite is not a deterrent!” she said. As for podcasts, she loves Reel Spoilers, featuring a rotating St. Louis cast (including professional movie reviewers) who talk about movies in depth. She calls it "laugh out loud funny.” We want to commute with you, Cindy!
