What's your favorite song that you use (or find yourself thinking about unintentionally) to get you in the zone for competition?

Personally, I like video game tunes. Even ones from some of the crappier games. Like the version of the Bond song from TWINE comes to mind. Like the main theme. They recycled it several times throughout the game, so maybe that contributed to it. Also, it's been awhile, but the F-Zero themes still get to me sometimes, even though I havent' played the SNES game in forever.

Also, as far as non-videogame music goes, I'd have to go with Headstrong. Don't know much about music though, so I don't know official titles or artists (yes that's right, I live in a cardboard box ). And then there's also old-school songs like that one "Jump Around" I think it is.... but again the artist escapes me.

Neodammerung by Don Davis gets me pumped. It's from the Matrix Revolutions score, it plays during the final battle between Neo and Smith. Man, I love that song. I could name a million other songs that get me riled up, but that one really stands out.

By the way, that Headstrong song is by Trapt, and Jump Around is by House of Pain.

Ohio State's fight songs usually do the trick. And rap. You can never go wrong with Tupac.

My "in the zone" songs are usually instrumental.

Star Wars / LOTR / GoldenEye (game) / Perfect Dark (game) / Braveheart / Gladiator / Half-Life 2 (yes I actually have the cd for this too lol).

I like stuff that can just play in the background. Generally I also have a list of curent artists that I like that I cycle through. You'd be surprised how much music you can listen to if you listen while you work.

RossDude, that song is originally by Juno Reactor and it's titled Navras. They also did Mona Lisa Overdrive, which was used in the car chase scene in Reloaded. I think they may have done the song during the techno rave in Revolutions too. The club where all the guards ran on the ceiling.

Yeah, House of Pain. Knew it was going to sound familiar.

And Perfect Dark is good too. I think their end credits song is better than any I've ever heard. I also like Chrono Trigger's opening song too, but it's a little different tone, not so "pump upish" as more of a "let's get gradually into-ish" song.

I think in Perfect Dark as far as levels go, the Datadyne Extraction X song is probably one of if not the best, along with the Air Base X song, which almost sounds like a remix of the final gunfight song in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, with Clint Eastwood. Don't know if it was intentional, but I definately see some parallels. I actually used both of those songs for a 12 min. Nerf gun fight video that I made for one of my younger neighborhood friend. We did a real life multiplayer with Nerf guns.

The Wisconsin Badgers play Jump Around before the start of the 4th quarter and everybody in the stadium starts jumping up and down. It's pretty crazy.

I am a sucker for the drum line. So anything that has to do with a drum core just blasting on their drums. I love cadences and I've never seen a face off like in the movie drum line (I assume they happen in real life??), but that would be awesome.

Open Your Heart from Sonic Adventure. In fact, I listen to it in my head even when I'm not doing anything.

Actually, Navras is the song that samples Neodammerung. All of Neodammerung was designed specifically for the final fight, so I think you're getting the two mixed up.
And yeah, Juno Reactor did help out on a lot of Matrix Reloaded/Revolutions scores...Neo vs. Seraph ("I must aporogize"), the 100 Smiths Burly Brawl, Mona Lisa Overdrive highway scene, and the on-the-ceiling club fight which is titled Tetsujin. I think there are a few more, but that's all I can remember. Obviously, I'm a big fan of the Matrix score, as much as I am of the movies.

HEADSTRONG Ill take you o-on HEADSTRONG, ill take on anyone.
lol i like that song, but i listen to old rock 'n roll, i dont care who. Also, some system of a down is good.

finally, EYE OF THE TIGER