[2025] Go for it! Popular Uplifting and Motivational Western Songs

Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) [Official Video]

Kelly Clarkson, the beloved songstress who won the very first season of the hit U.

S.

audition show American Idol and went on to achieve major commercial success after her official debut.

Possessing a clear, unadorned voice and solid vocal prowess, Kelly is also very popular here in Japan.

Today we’re introducing her powerful breakup anthem Stronger, released in 2011 and a massive hit.

The song’s message—that hardship makes us stronger—was reportedly inspired by the words of Friedrich Nietzsche.

Backed by an up-tempo pop-rock sound tastefully seasoned with electro beats, let’s forget the bad stuff and dance together!

my futureBillie Eilish

Billie Eilish – my future (Official Music Video)

A young singer-songwriter who has rewritten various records and become a leading force in the contemporary music scene—and a Gen Z icon—Billie Eilish.

Her long-awaited second album, Happier Than Ever, released in July 2021, topped the charts in countries around the world.

Many of her songs tend to be dark and introspective—a key reason they resonate so deeply with people her age—but the 2020 track we’re looking at here, “my future,” is unusually suffused with a positive air and, for her, even features a straightforwardly pop melody.

According to Billie, she wrote the song when pandemic isolation first began; the lyrics, which express that she’s “in love” with her own future—no one else’s—while spending time alone facing herself, convey a gentle glimmer of hope.

For young people feeling anxiety and fear amid days with no clear end in sight, this message may offer far more encouragement than baseless pep talk ever could.

You Rock My WorldMichael Jackson

Michael Jackson – You Rock My World (Official Video)

When I was in high school, I was a huge fan of Michael Jackson and listened to his music over and over on YouTube.

This song left a very strong impression on me, but as a trumpet player, what I find especially, strikingly cool is the trumpet in the background.

You can clearly tell that Michael Jackson poured an incredible amount of money into the backing tracks.

And the music video itself is also really satisfying to watch.

On Top of the WorldImagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons – On Top Of The World (Official Music Video)

A refreshing and energetic track from American band Imagine Dragons.

Celebrating the joy and sense of achievement of reaching the top of the world, this song is marked by its bright, uplifting message and breezy melody.

Released in March 2013, it was also featured on the soundtrack of the video game FIFA 13.

With lyrics that honor success earned through hard work, it inspires courage and hope in listeners.

It’s a perfect pick for starting your day on a positive note, whether on a morning run or during your commute.

Daft PunkPentatonix

Pentatonix – Daft Punk

It’s a track with a groove that hardly seems a cappella, a highly accomplished masterpiece.

What this music video brought to mind for me was Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.

There’s something deeply affecting about how its serene, non-accusatory prose style resonates with the groove of this a cappella piece.

UnstoppableSia

Sia – Unstoppable (Official Video – Live from the Nostalgic For The Present Tour)

Live strong as your true self.

That uplifting, forward-looking image bursts forth as a vivid manifesto in the stirring anthem by the Australian singer-songwriter Sia.

Included on the album “This Is Acting,” the song was released in January 2016 as a powerful message piece that weaves in her own experiences.

Blending electropop with a power ballad, it boldly celebrates inner strength and self-affirmation, becoming a track that inspires courage from the depths of the heart.

It has been featured as a promotional song for the MLB postseason and in TV dramas such as NCIS and Chicago Fire, and it will be a reassuring companion when you stand at life’s crossroads or need to rally yourself.

Revolution songNoel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Revolution song

You can tell how extraordinary Noel Gallagher is by listening to this song.

It’s good enough to be released as a single, yet he puts it on the album as a bonus track.

That’s why I’ll keep supporting Noel forever.