It was reported on Boston.com that Gubernatorial candidate Tom Reilly picked “No Surrender” by Bruce Springsteen as his campaigns theme song during the convention this weekend; this happens to be the same theme song John Kerry used last year in his failed campaign. First off all doing anything that will associate yourself with the disastrously run Kerry campaign is not a good idea. Second of all, while “No Surrender” is a good song, using a Bruce Springsteen song for a political campaign is cliché. So here is my list of the 10 best songs to use as a campaign theme song.

1. Victory by Biggie, Puffy, and Busta ( you might have to change the chorus a little but the pulsating horns and energetic verses get the campaign rally started)
2. Cult of Personality by Living Color (the irony would make it work)
3. Takeover by Jay Z( just re-dub the song and replace the names of Nas and Prodigy with the names of your opponents)
4. Renegades of Funk by Rage Against The Machine ( again better for use by a challenger not an incumbent)
5. Damn It Feels Good To Be a Gansta by the Ghetto Boys ( good populace lyrics about feeding the poor, mocking republicans, living for the lord and a great dis line for your opponent: “ you wannabe, gonnabe, cocksuckin, pussyeatin, prankstars” your opponents will be too dumbfounded to reply after you unleash that line in a debate. In addition the song plays great with the Office Space crowd)
6. Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional (good for an incumbent whose term went well, but had some problems: “I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well” )
7. What You Know? By TI (if you are an incumbent just use a cleaned up version and then use the chorus as a way to mock an inexperienced challenge: “what you know about that? I know all about that!”)
8. Heroes by David Bowie (both idealistic and anticommunist)
9. Rock Star by NERD ( good for an incumbent; use the rockin beat and mocking “this if for all you fucking poseurs” to lash out at your challengers)  
10. Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes (Jack White’s great baseline and the yell of “a seven nation army couldn’t hold me back” make this a great song for   challenging an incumbent.)