When I learned how to do CPR in my Red Cross life guarding course, we were taught to use ‘Stayin’ Alive’ by the Bee Gees to keep rhythm.
Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
This was reinforced in pop culture, such as in the NBC’s widely popular show “The Office”. In this scene, Michael Scott (played by Steve Carrell) sings his incorrect interpretation of ‘Stayin’ Alive’, much to the dismay of the instructor.
That got me thinking, are their other songs that you could save a life to? What if you’re not a fan of disco music or anything from the 1970s? After all, although I never experienced the 70s, I heard it was, for lack of a better word, an interesting time to be alive. Well, after some research, I discovered that any song that meets the requirements for the number of beats per minute can be used to keep time while performing CPR. Here is a compilation of some of the songs I found. I made an effort to have some diversity in my song choice, however my personal music biases may, or may not, (but definitely did) come through.
Anybody Seen My Baby – Rolling Stones
Yeah – Usher
Rolling in the Deep – Adele
Stronger – Kanye West
Thrift Shop – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Wake Me Up When September Ends – Green Day