If I'm going to stay on task editing images and designing whatever clients might order, I need music that keeps me engaged. Those playlist songs for editing, holiday dinners, when I'm with clients, etc., need to have at least a couple (but not all) of these criteria:

• Have a decent flow/beat (could be slow or fast) but still (see the next bullet) ... 
• Be at least a little upbeat. But not so much that it makes me totally wired and want to get off task in a frenzy. Although, spontaneity can be fun! (Steppenwolf's Born to Be Wild makes me get up and dance!)
• Going along with the second criteria, the music can't get me all teary-eyed. (Harry Chapin's Cat's in the Cradle can do that to me.)
• Some rhythm and blues is always nice, or jazz.
• I like to be able to understand the lyrics, if there are any.
• There needs to be variety within the song, as well as within the playlist. This is probably my most important criteria. (I feel this way about photography, too. The same ol', same ol' across the board can get tiring.) This could be variety in loudness, in tempo or artist. It could also include a variety of instrumental and vocal. Also, I like a mix of female and male vocalists.
• I don't like to listen to an entire album all in one sequence, but shuffled with other albums is ok.
• A little screaming and cat-calling is ok, but not too much! 
• Gravely voices can be good.
• A little bit of classical is good, especially if somewhat well-known/familiar. I like Maurice Ravel's Bolero by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Wordsworth. (Don't let it's slow, barely audible beginning fool you!)
• I gravitate to music from the '40s through the '80s or '90s, but when more current songs are called to my attention, I can get hooked on them, too.

During this time that I've been typing, five songs that came up in my playlist are the following:

• Children's Ward by Marc Shaiman from the Patch Adams soundtrack 
• Dangerous Mood by Keb Mo from the Just Like You album
• Dr. Feelgood by Aretha Franklin from the 30 Greatest Hits Disc 1
• Feelin' Alright by Joe Cocker from 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Joe Cocker
• Fly Me to the Moon by The Ramsey Lewis Trio from The Ramsey Lewis Trio: In Person (1960-1967)

What are some of your favorite playlist songs, or some of your criteria to make you gravitate to a song? And, stay on task!