For the young entrepreneur, sometimes what's needed in order to get through the grit of upstarting isn't another mentor or signing up for another one of Stanford University's open courses online. It's the right soundtrack. Eye of the Tiger aside, most of us have been witness to how music can impact the world. The thing that closes the gap between your struggle and your success may be a well-chosen mix of inspirational songs that move you past where you are and into deeper and deeper levels of awesome sauce. Here are some to consider.

• The National Anthem - There are few things more stirring than a fully-orchestrated rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. For a version that makes your lip quiver, try the New York Philharmonic's performance in North Korea. If the violin is not your thing, check out Whitney Houston's 1991 Super Bowl XXV performance or Jimi Hendrix's interpretation of the anthem as performed in 1969 at Woodstock.

• Journey's Don't Stop Believin' – Even if you are too young to remember Steve Perry – his face, his nose, his party-in-the-back mullet - you probably know his voice and will, like many around you, be moved to join in on a drunken chorus or two of this 80s stadium rock classic.

• Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines – Not for the nonsensical lyrics. Not for the new school video magic (three short guys in suits standing against a wall with leggy, half-naked women around them). But for that groove that's so tough you just can't sit still. This is music as fuel.

• Notorious B.I.G., Juicy – "We used to cuss when the landlord dissed us. No heat – wonder why Christmas missed us. Birthdays was the worst days. Now we sip champagne when we thirstaaaay!" Juicy has to be the ultimate song for raising your glass to toast the "homies" who stood by you as you fought your way to the top.

• Fun's We Are Young – How many times have you caught yourself bellowing this bad boy out, full chest voice, in the car alone? This sonic anthem sort of does that to you. It captures the feeling of perpetual youth, unending possibilities and invincibility. One of our favorite at Fueled.com.

• Drake's Started From the Bottom - One of Hip Hop's most artful and imaginative storytellers, Drake's meteoric rise to fame is a rags to riches fairy tale and his subsequent struggles are frequently chronicled in his music. Take on this hypnotic mantra, "Started from the bottom now we're here." See where it leads you.

• Eminem's Lose Yourself – This is for anyone who is climbing out of the muck and making something from nothing against ridiculous odds (white rapper much?). Lose Yourself is a battle cry built on years of angst, discontent, dysfunction and poverty. Eminem received an Oscar for this song too, if memory serves.

• Aerosmith's Dream On – "Dream on! Dream on! Dream on! Dream until your dreams come true." Tap into your inner 70s wild child and match falsetto for falsetto with Steven Tyler on this melodic screaming ballad. You'll feel much better.

It is quite amazing how one line from one verse of one song can bring back a flood of memories and mentally send you right back to the place you were when that song first infused itself into your world. The soundtracks of our lives play a key role in how we gauge and remember our histories. They provoke us – for good or for bad. We're moved by music. Use it to your advantage.

Author Bio  
This article is written by Ilan Nass from Fueled, an award winning mobile app design and development house based in New York and London.