Top 10 Kit Up Songs | GWOT Era Music, War Culture, and Combat Mindset

Summary

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Tier1 Podcast: "Top 10 Kit Up Songs | GWOT Era Music, War Culture, and Combat Mindset"

Host: Brent Tucker
Guests: Drew Tucker, Phil
Date: November 26, 2025

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Overview

This episode of the Tier1 Podcast, hosted by former Delta Force Operator Brent Tucker, explores the deep connection between music and the warfighter mindset—specifically through the lens of "kit up songs.” Brent and guests break down their Top 10 tracks from the GWOT (Global War on Terror) era that soldiers listened to when preparing for combat. The conversation covers music’s role in military and war culture, the emotional power of certain tracks, and some personal and hilarious anecdotes from deployments, with deep dives into why certain songs became iconic for operators and troops across generations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Power of Music in War and Memory

• Music's Role (06:15 - 12:00):
  • Brent reflects on the historical role of music in war, from field drums to soundtrack classics like "Fortunate Son."
  • “Music’s been a part of war for a long time...it really starts with the Vietnam War for me.” (06:16, Brent)
• Triggering Memories:
  • Certain songs instantly transport veterans back to specific places and moments in combat, often more vividly than any other sense.
  • “It’ll put you right back in that spot.” (05:37, Drew)
  • Discussion of how smells and sounds (e.g., Huey helicopters’ “thump”) evoke visceral flashbacks.

Vietnam vs GWOT Soundtracks

• Hollywood & Generational Shifts (12:27 - 13:43):
  • Iconic Vietnam-era movies and their soundtracks shaped public perception of war music.
  • Brent wonders if GWOT-era conflicts will ever have such instantly recognizable music-movie associations.
  • “I don’t know if the GWOT will have that same connection... Time will tell.” (11:50, Brent)
• Era-Specific Genres:
  • Vietnam’s rock and folk versus GWOT’s heavier, more aggressive metal and nu-metal; the shift reflects not just music trends but the changing nature of warfare.

Criteria for the Kit Up Playlist (14:10 - 29:30)

• Requirements of a Great Kit Up Song:
  • Songs must have either intense energy ("all gas") or, at times, provide a needed moment of calm before combat.
  • Personal anecdotes reveal how certain tracks became part of personal and collective ritual:
    • “I was almost always in charge of the music...everyone listened to what I liked.” (15:58, Brent)

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The Top 10 GWOT-Era Kit Up Songs

(Timestamps refer to where the song is introduced or discussed in depth)

1. Disturbed – "Down With the Sickness" (16:05)

   • Released just before the war; used in gyms, convoys, headsets everywhere.
   • Iconic intro happened by accident during practice.
   • “One of the most iconic screams... what do you want to call that?” (16:30, Brent)

2. Alice in Chains – "Rooster" (17:32)

   • Wrote for Jerry Cantrell’s Vietnam-vet father, but went on to become a GWOT staple.
   • “Most melodic song of the bunch, but it’s unmistakable as a war song because that’s exactly what it is.” (17:36, Brent)
   • MTV censored the video as “too graphic.”

3. Limp Bizkit – "Break Stuff" (18:24)

   • Brought wild, aggressive energy to soldiers prepping for raids; infamous link to Woodstock ‘99 riots.
   • “They famously or infamously played that song, and that’s what kicked off the looting and rioting...which was, you know, a festival about peace and love.” (20:18, Brent)

4. Korn – "Blind" (21:57)

   • Motivated “countless” Special Operations missions, also a favorite for memorable life moments.
   • Backwards “R” in band name comes from band members’ days at Toys ‘R’ Us.
   • “I don’t know, it takes everything in you to stay in the kit room and keep prepping your equipment...you just really ready.” (23:03, Brent)

5. Avenged Sevenfold – "Bat Country" (25:13)

   • Power anthem for Afghanistan deployments; features a quote from an 18th-century poet.
   • “’He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man’...why that used to be the first song in my workouts in Afghanistan.” (27:18, Brent)

6. Nonpoint – "In The Air Tonight" (27:44)

   • A heavy cover of Phil Collins’ classic, served as “the calm before the storm” song before many missions.
   • “You need a song like this in your kit up playlist. It can’t be all gas, it can’t be all rock and roll.” (29:29, Brent)

7. Bobaflex – "Bury Me With My Guns On" (29:49)

   • Less mainstream but beloved by “gunslingers”—fits perfectly for those going to war and themes of legacy.
   • Song inspired by the graphic novel Preacher and the idea of a “gunslinger’s final wish.”

8. AC/DC – "Thunderstruck" (32:10)

   • The soundtrack for sports, deployments, and recruiting videos.
   • “Thunderstruck is the definition: extremely surprised or shocked—what else is going to happen here when wheels touch down?” (34:00, Brent)
   • Played at every AC/DC concert since 1990.

9. Metallica – "Master of Puppets" (37:36)

   • Chosen over “Seek and Destroy” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls” due to sheer energy and influence.
   • Fun fact: Metallica is the only band to play all 7 continents (“Freeze Them All” in Antarctica).
   • “If you needed a song to get a guy hyped up enough to run through a wall, that’s it.” (38:37, Brent)

10. Drowning Pool – "Bodies (Let The Bodies Hit The Floor)" (41:38)

    • Universally played in every GWOT-era SOF and infantry kit room—almost comically overused but undeniable.
    • Brent recounts a personal story of meeting the band in Iraq, signing a sniper rifle, and reconnecting with them at a later concert.
    • “For GWOT, I believe this is the biggest kit up song of the era. That’s my call.” (42:31, Brent)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Music & Memory:
  • “Whatever music they were listening to then, they hear that music right now and they go right back to being with the boys.” (10:36, Brent, 10:36)
• On Generational Songs:
  • “I don’t know if the GWOT will have that same connection … time will tell.” (11:50, Brent)
• On Musical Ritual:
  • “You need something to get you up, you need something to bring you back down. That’s exactly what this song was for me.” (29:30, Brent on Nonpoint’s “In the Air Tonight”)
• On Song Selection:
  • “Otherwise it’d be five ACDC songs and five Metallica songs…and you could easily do that.” (32:10, Brent)
• On Drowning Pool:
  • “For GWOT, I believe this is the biggest kit up song of the era. That’s my call.” (42:31, Brent)
• Drew’s Honorable Mention:
  • “I would go with Creeping Death—personal reasons, with Metallica.” (47:52, Drew)
  • “Obviously Britney Spears, ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’…Not Top 10, but an honorable mention.” (48:05, Drew, joking)
• Brent’s Principles:
  • “You can’t hit what you can’t see. And the same goes for the bad guys.” (White light discussion, 21:30)
• On Band Origin Stories:
  • “The backwards ‘R’ in Korn? Most of the band worked at Toys ‘R’ Us.” (24:09, Brent)

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Honorable Mentions & Audience Picks (46:50 – 51:48)

• Dope – “Die MF Die”
  • Drew: “As soon as we found out the US Military was using ‘Die Die’ on prisoners...He said, ‘holy sh-.’” (47:05)
• Metallica – “Creeping Death”
• Prong – “Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck”
• Prodigy – “Firestarter” ("Techno rock/industrial," Drew, 48:44)
• Fear Factory – “Descent”
• Soil – “Halo”
• Five Finger Death Punch – (various songs, but no consensus)
• Breaking Benjamin, Chevelle, Saliva – Strongly considered for the Top 10, but edged out by special significance of other tracks.
• Hatebreed – “I Will Be Heard,” “Destroy Everything”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 05:30 – 10:20: Music’s role in memory and war; Vietnam soundtrack legacy
• 14:10 – 16:05: Setting up criteria for the kit-up playlist
• 16:05 – 42:00: Breakdown and stories for each Top 10 song
• 46:50 – 52:00: Honorable mentions; audience suggestions; lighter moments (“Britney Spears – Hit Me Baby One More Time”)
• 51:48 – 52:56: The idea for “Top 10 De-Kit Songs” proposed for a future episode

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Tone & Language

The conversation is casual, authentic, and laced with military camaraderie and dark humor. Brent and Drew keep the mood both light and deeply reflective, blending respectful tributes to war culture with brotherly joking. The episode is sprinkled with anecdotes about growing up, deploying, weird fan facts about bands, and the inside jokes that military audiences will appreciate.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• This podcast provides a unique, firsthand look at how music shapes the mindset of operators before combat.
• The Top 10 list is as much about emotional connection and ritual as it is about musical style.
• The hosts invite listeners to suggest their own picks or challenge the rankings in the comments.
• Even if you’ve never “kitted up,” you’ll walk away understanding why certain songs matter—and why music remains a vital tool for warfighters today.

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Transcript

[A]

It. It worked. It worked out.

[B]

It was perfect. Like, you guys planned it that way.

[A]

It.

[B]

Yeah, it.

[A]

It really was. I didn't. I didn't plan on misspelling Green Beret. I'll get. I'll get harassed for green gray for a long time and. And. And deserve deservingly.

[B]

So for a couple days.

[A]

The. The lives. For a couple days. The lives aren't going to let me forget that. Yeah, we'll see them in the chats on the Live for weeks. For weeks.

[B]

One time your name's gonna be Gert. On the next life.

[A]

They're. They're relentless, and I love it. I'm telling you, Green Garrett's our. Our audience is funny. Yeah, they're. They are. Our audience is funny.

[B]

That one guy that would always come in and say, so I went to tell my wife. Oh, that guy.

[A]

Yeah. You kept on telling. Yeah. How hard he was on his wife on the super chats, and she'd say.

[B]

Your whatever cast toy video or something.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, he was hilarious. Gosh. All right. Episode two. Welcome to the Tier 1 podcast.

[B]

This is amazing. Dude, check this out.

[A]

I am your host, brent tucker, owner of first responder cigar, coffee and cast company. Go to frcc shop and use promo code. Are you. And I knew you're gonna do that. Max was tap dance. You were gonna do that. Max was tap dancing. I'm gonna see where he's gonna lay down so I don't have to do this all over again. Max, sit. Not there. Nope, not there. That is. That is far from sit, bro.

[B]

You're getting close, though.

[A]

Hey, don't do this to me. This is why you're getting the baby gate. Where'd you go to dog school, bro? Seminole High School. Oh, yeah. Yep. I knew he was gonna. I know. He's. He's gonna shark around, let him do his thing, and he's gonna end up laying right at your feet again. Anyway, Max, you're not part of the show. He's.

[B]

He's like, I am the show. What are you talking about? Max the dog cast. Oh, there. He did the sit.

[A]

Okay. A little latency there. Okay. All right. All that's gonna get. Of course. He's right there. He's killing me. Here we go. Welcome back to the Tier One podcast. I'm your host, Brent Tucker, owner of FRCC. That's First Responder Coffee, Cigar and Cast Company. Go to FRCC Shop and use promo code FRCC15. That's 15 to get 15% off the world's best coffee cigars and Bourbon.

[B]

And I'm Drew Tucker in charge of quality control of cigars at frcc. Please join our Patreon for exclusive and.

[A]

Behind the scenes content. The link is in the description. As always, this episode is brought to you by Human Performance trt. We. Well, actually, Phil. Phil's partner with me at HP trt. Why don't you. You work it every day. Why don't you take it from here?

[B]

I'm Phil with Human Performance trt. We offer peptides, we offer hormone therapies, weight loss. Check us [e-mail] check out our YouTube at Human Performance TRT. And make sure you use tier one. It's tier one, right? Not tier 121.

[A]

Promo code for your promo code at.

[B]

Checkout and you'll get 20 discount.

[A]

There you go. You're natural. You're natural. Yeah. You service both men and women.

[B]

We do. We absolutely do. That's a weird way to ask that. No, that was a perfect way to.

[A]

Ask it because in my head I.

[B]

Wanted to say something up, but I did.

[A]

That's how we're gonna kick this thing off. All right. This episode is a unique episode. I've wanted to do something like this for. For a while, but has its own. Its own problems. We are going to do the top 10 kid up songs. And after essentially 20 years of war, the. The boys know something about. About Kid up songs. I do. You do. You served as well. Phil doesn't. First responder. Military, Anyone? The tactical war. Anyone in the tactical world knows exactly what a Kid up song is. They have a favorite one or they definitely. Or they have one that reminds them of a certain time or era when. When. When they heard that song. And it brings them right back.

[B]

It'll put you right back in that spot.

[A]

It's. It's still done. You know, my. I always add to my playlist, but no one, no one ever takes away from their. Their music library. Like, no one's like, maybe a little bit, but rarely like this. This song's out of the library. So eventually it's going to come back in and it's going to play and you're like, oh, man, I remember I used to listen to that song.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

The other thing I wanted to. To. To point out is this music and war isn't. Isn't anything new. Heck, you can go all the way back to. To when people lined up across from a field from each other and they had. They had drums.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

And flutes and songs. And I'm sure, of course, they were used for for different reasons. But music's been a part of war for a long time. For me, It. It kind of. It kind of really starts with the Vietnam War.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Wasn't. Wasn't there. But we all have family members that. That did have people that served in the Vietnam War or were alive at that time where the Vietnam War affected them.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

My dad got drafted, but it was. The war was. Was winding down and won his draft. We had to go report like, hey, we're not without taking draftees anymore. But my dad was always really interested in the Vietnam War. So I got to see a lot of Vietnam War documentaries. Right. Which made me interested in the Vietnam War. And so every time I hear the Rolling Stones, Paint It Black or CCR Fortunate Son, which. Which is really ironic because most people don't know which. It's not even that hidden in it. That's an anti war song, yet it's deeply connected to the Vietnam War. But in it. But not in a negative way. Right. When the whole thing is about anti war. But it's a very pro war connected song. Yeah. If that makes sense. Jimi Hendrix. I mean, I can't listen to all along the Watchtower with. Without thinking of Vietnam.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean, case in point. Did. Did you know that along the Watchtower was written by Bob Dylan?

[B]

I did not.

[A]

You. You're. Now you're messing with me.

[B]

Yeah, I did, but he's written everything, though, for everybody.

[A]

And he's like the original Taylor Swift. Just. Just a.

[B]

He wrote Taylor Swift.

[A]

Did he really? Now? I like him less, but yeah. I mean, I don't know. I couldn't. Could only imagine how many documentaries or short clips or social media clips, clips of Jimi Hendrix along with, you know, Vietnam War footage. Oh, my God. It's. It's been subconsciously throughout my life connected to that war. Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones. I had to go look this up, you know, like, what's. What's the connection that I have with that? It's the closing credits for Full Metal Jacket. It's the last thing you think about or see or that gets ingrained in you in an iconic Vietnam movie, Full Metal Jacket. And there's an ending there.

[B]

There's.

[A]

When they were singing the Mickey Mouse log. You want to talk about Just the. That movie was odd. It was odd in the best way. I think that's why it was so. So.

[B]

Iconic.

[A]

Iconic. Yeah. Unforgettable.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And because it was so messed up and odd is why it was good. Yeah.

[A]

You go from that adorable pudgy guy to a very demented. Yeah. Person. Or as we just call them Marines.

[B]

Yeah. You know.

[A]

Besides fortunate son that this. They make that connection with Vietnam on another iconic movie. Forrest Gump. Not that. Not that CCR and unfortunate son needed any help being connected to Vietnam. But man, there's. You want to also. You want to talk about iconic. The thump.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The thump of the blades on a Huey. Now I still got to hear that in Afghanistan. The. The DEA task force.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Had. Was still rocking Huey's.

[B]

They parked right down the street from us and we would hear that during the day and then we hear Chinooks at night and I mean they have a very similar thump.

[A]

Yeah. I'm telling you, I look at this right here and the first thing I think about, you know, the. The grass and the sunshine. What I really think about is if I'm. Now it's the movie. But if. If the real part of that like these. These guys don't forget the smells. They don't forget the grass. They don't. They don't forget the humidity of it and. And all those things bring you right back. But again, so does the music. Whatever music they were listening to then they hear that music right now and they go right back to being with.

[B]

The boys and they can smell something or they can. Yeah. It heightens everything.

[A]

It's crazy how well connected smell is to memory.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

To this day, not every trash. But it's like. I know it's kind of. There's a certain trash smell that reminds me of the back alleys of Iraq. Walking at 2 o' clock in the morning to target.

[B]

Or you smell somebody that's got a little too strong bo and you're like right back. So you start looking around real quick.

[A]

So really about all this, we're getting into the. Into the. Into the top 10 songs. But, you know, just want to make that connection to music and war and.

[B]

What we've been doing our whole lives. Brent. With sports and everything else.

[A]

For sure.

[B]

You're going to war with everybody. You're gonna play or wrestle or whatever else.

[A]

So it's. It's the ultimate sport. It's the ultimate sport. What Hemingway say, I'll butcher it. But there. There is no hunting. Like, you know, like the hunting of men. And for those who have done it and done it long enough will never be satisfied by anything else. And it's just. It's absolutely true. Absolutely true. And I bring up the Vietnam War at the beginning of this because. Because what it. What it makes me think Is there's such a strong connection to the Vietnam War. I don't know. I mean, time will tell this. I don't know if the gwat will have that same connection. I don't know if we have those same iconic songs where the song itself. Now it will to us, but all those songs we just talked about, the American public connects those to war. Like I said, it might be a little too early to tell, but. But I also don't know. I know we have our own movies, but I don't know if we'll have you tell me. And it's. And it's early. Some of these movies came out in the 80s.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And you know, Vietnam was done in. In the early 70s. But I don't know if we're gonna have an equivalent to Apocalypse Now. I don't know if we're gonna have an equivalent to Platoon to obviously the Full Metal Jacket. I mean, just iconic movies, they were different.

[B]

It was a different time, though, too, in the military and warfare and everything else. And think about the beginning of our war, Brent. We were learning how to not fight in a jungle. You know, our guys were having to change tactics and change how they're going to fight in the middle of a city or in the middle of a desert where there's no trees. You know, so as that all changed, the music changes with it. And, you know, the CCRs are more. The relaxed, you know, music. Our generation of war fighters was heavier.

[A]

Metal or so I was. I was thinking about that. It's a great point. Vietnam was in 60s, 70s. We were listening and. And you'll get. When we get to the list, there's plenty of songs in the 90s that was a decade before. And they're gwat songs, without a doubt when we get to them. But the equivalent of that to the Vietnam war would be 50s songs that they were listening to in the 60s.

[B]

Chuck and Barry and.

[A]

But I don't know if they were. It was such a drastic. I'm sure. I'm sure some of them were, don't get me wrong. But it was such a drastic culture shift. And music between 50s and 60s, as it was from 90s to 2000 wasn't as drastic. Like 90s music was still relevant. And I don't want to say similar, because I can argue that. But it wasn't as. As drastic as a. As.

[B]

As a change, because that change went from here to here. In the, you know, early 2000s, grunge was starting to phase out. It was still there, though, here at.

[A]

The Tier one Podcast. We're excited to have Tasty Gains as a sponsor. A company with values that aligns with ours. I take their products every day, three times a day. And if it wasn't a product that I didn't take personally and believe in and a company with integrity, then they wouldn't be sponsors on this show. Creatine helps the body produce more ATP, which is an energy molecule that your entire body runs on. It helps improve your physical and mental performance in all aspects of life. Let's be honest, creatine powder sucks to take every day. With the creatine gummies, you can take them with you anywhere and they taste great. Every batch is third party tested, so you know you're getting exactly what you pay for. Go to tastygains.com and enter the promo code tier one. That's T I E R the number one. And get 20 off your order. Yep. Well, without further ado, I feel like. Feel like I am somewhat of a subject matter expert on this list. I've. I've been in a few kit rooms, I've kitted up a few times and I was almost, almost always in charge of the music. So here we go. Number 10 and no in particular order, although they are. I just wouldn't fight over 8 and 7 and 6 and 7 and things like that. But it is a little bit in order. Number 10, disturbed down with the Sickness. Now, this song was released in 2000, right before the war started. But you want to talk about a popular war, not just in kit rooms, but and on. On convoys, in headsets, in gyms.

[B]

Just in the gym?

[A]

Yes, just in general. You know what's funny about that? That vocal intro, that was actually an accident. David Draymond randomly did that during band practice while they're doing band practice before the recording. And the. The band liked it so much they're like, hey, you know what? Let's. Let's keep that in there.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

One of the most iconic screams. What do you want to call that?

[B]

I think he was warming his voice up or something for to sing and they were like, what was that?

[A]

Yeah, and they. And. And they kept it. Let's see here. Number nine. This one's an ironic one because I'm giving it as gwat song as it absolutely is, but as everyone knows, it's actually about Vietnam. Yep. So, Alison James, Rooster. This may be the most melodic song of the bunch, but it's an unmistakable as a war song because that's exactly what it is. It was released all the way back in 92. A decade before for the G. Wat. But, man, the grunge era is timeless. Yeah. I'm sure every generation thinks their. Their prime music is. Is timeless, but the. The amount of bands that came out in the 90s is just ridiculous.

[B]

And good bands. Good bands.

[A]

So he actually wrote this song for his dad, Jerry Control Senior, who obviously was in Vietnam and his nickname was Rooster. And there's another myth. Thing I've heard. I've heard that it was actually about the 101st, like screaming eagles. The. The. The vi. The Vietnamese thought it was a chicken patch. I've heard people say that.

[B]

Yeah, I've heard. I've heard something about. They. They thought the 101st would. They called them the Flying Chickens or something like that.

[A]

Here's. Here's a really fun fact about that song. It was actually. I got to make sure I get this right. MTV pulled it. Censor or. Or censored it because it was. It was too graphic. Yeah, it was too graphic. Mtv. What are we doing?

[B]

Like, I remember watching it.

[A]

You're. You're not going to censor wap. Yeah, but you're gonna. You're gonna censor Rooster.

[B]

Yeah, I remember them blurring over certain images.

[A]

Yeah. Yep. And that, in fact, after. After they said that, I remember backs like. Yeah, they. They did do that. All right, number nine, Rooster. Here we go. Number eight, Limp Bizkit Break Things. Another song that came out just before 911 and had enough energy in it to carry into years of deployments with. Without a doubt. It's. It's. I've heard it fondly referred to as the SSC song for the gentle way US soldiers would search for evidence.

[B]

Yes, Very gentle, very loving. Not breaking anything.

[A]

Yeah. The. The boys that need any. Any help being reminded that they were able to break things.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

With. With no. With no recourse.

[B]

Yeah. You can kick it all you want.

[A]

And you can say what you want about Limp Bizkit. They were. They've gotten better with time.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know them and their. Their tour that they're back on, and Fred Durst wearing crazy, crazy outfits that. They're one of the bands that I have not seen. I would love to go see. Yes, absolutely. They. You want to talk with the energy of that song and Woodstock of 99. They famously or infamously played that song, and that's what kicked off the looting and the writing of. Of Woodstock, which. Which was, as, you know, a recreation of a festival about peace and love.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then Lip Biscuit goes on stage and they Absolutely. Place to the ground, wreck the place.

[B]

Six people got killed or two people got killed. A girl got raped. Like there. It. It got bad fast.

[A]

Sheesh. But, you know, that's. That's a Florida band. And we'll take credit for that. We'll take. We'll. We'll claim Limp Biscuit.

[B]

Yeah, they're not bad. I've never had really too much bad to say about them, especially when, you know, Fred's telling everybody to suck the big one. If you don't like. If you don't like us, it's fine.

[A]

I thought you're about to say suck it sideways and that joke comes back around. Guys, if you've ever taken one of my tactical classes, you know I'm a huge fan of white lights. You can't hit what you can't see. And the same goes for the bad guys. Why wouldn't you want to put hundreds, if not thousands of lumens into a bad guy's face? Why would you want him to get a good sight picture back at you? And because of this, we've partnered with Cloud Defensive, the best in the game, for both quality and pricing on weapons and handheld flashlights. Their products set the standard for excellence and illumination, ensuring that you're always equipped for success. So go to cloud defensive.com and use promo code tier one to get 5015 off your next purchase. Next one seven corn blind drew. Don't know if you remember this or not, but when our little brother Lee got married, he did one of the coolest things he's ever done. He let his wife run everything about that wedding as he should have. Very girly, very flowery. He had. He wanted no input in this wedding. Whatever you want. Whatever you want. We go to the reception and this. This song kicks off and I'm like, Lee, you dog, you.

[B]

That's awesome.

[A]

He. That's what he walks into.

[B]

That is amazing.

[A]

Are you ready? Doors fly open and he walks in like a boss. That's. I was like, nice Afterwards. Like, that was awesome. Because it was the one thing I told her right off the bat. It. The.

[B]

The only.

[A]

The only one thing I want is the walking song to. To my reception. And. And she was like, sure. Whatever it was, she didn't know what the walk in song was until. And she was not happy about it.

[B]

Surprised.

[A]

To her. Yeah. I loved it so much. Yeah. Just keep it playing. Here's something cool about another grunge band 94.

[B]

Gosh.

[A]

This. This song has motivated our special operations teams on countless raids. And after the Build up the. Are you ready? It. It. I don't know. It takes everything in you to stay in the kit room and keep prepping your equipment and just not immediately run out to the helicopters. You just, like, just want to grab your kit and go. You're just really ready. It was originally written by Jonathan Davis's former band members. So Korn played it, but he used to be in a song called. Called Sex Art.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

And he basically took that song and then made it famous with. With his new band. But the fun fact about CORN is this. You know the. The backwards are in corn. Yeah. You know where they do. You know where they get it from, which is really unique.

[B]

No.

[A]

Most of the band members used to work at Toys R Us. Oh, Drew, do you remember Toys? Of course. You remember Toys R Us.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Remember the R being backwards in Toys R Us? Yeah.

[B]

They're getting ready to open Toys R Us again. I just read an article about it.

[A]

What does it have to do with what we're talking about?

[B]

The R is coming.

[A]

I'm just kidding.

[B]

The backwards R is coming down. When Toys R Us closed down, that was a disappointment. That was sad.

[A]

Every.

[B]

Our children, our childhood died.

[A]

Every kid in this generation should know what it feels like to run and to run amok and a. In a Toys R Us. Because let me tell you what Amazon can't do. It can't replace running around a Toys R Us.

[B]

No.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And when you're a little kid, the place feels like it's three stories high. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that was the only place where it was allowed for kids to go act a fool completely, because that's the place to do it.

[A]

Yeah. So that's. That's where they get the backwards are from. Because most of the band members from CORN worked at Toys R Us.

[B]

That's interesting. I didn't know that.

[A]

Which is. Which is crazy.

[B]

Fun fact.

[A]

Brent, thank you for. Thank you. Well, it's. It's. It's also. It's. It's not just fun. It's also a learning experience.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Number. Number. Number six. A Vin Sevenfold Bat Country.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Now, Vin Sevenfold, they've been rolling out hits for years after this album, and I was almost ready. I don't know if you remember the song to put Ready to Die in. In this song's place. It wasn't as popular, but it's. It's a dang good song. But I let my personal bias have an effect on this because this song was released in 2005. I went to Afghanistan and in 2005. And again I was in charge of the music. So everyone listened to what I liked. Even as a new guy on the team, they let me play this. You know, the beginning of this song, the, the intro says it. Who, he who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man. I've never seen the video and I was just doing research in some of these songs and, and they, they credit who who sings or who quotes that and, and who they're talking about is an 18th century English writer named Samuel Johnson. And they put it in their. Dr. Johnson. He made lot large and lasting contributions as a poet, a playwriter, a sermonist, an essayist, and he even wrote a dictionary like his dictionary. The, the Johnson dictionary was, was the staple before Webster's dictionary and the Johnson dictionary. I, I, I always wanted, I was, if I, if I could ask a Vince sevenfold a question, it would always want to be. And hey, maybe I don't give enough credit for, for, for how, how smart they are and how, how well read they are, but it just doesn't seem like a 18th century English poet. And his, and one of his quotes is a traditional opening line to a hard rock song. I just want to know how they got there.

[B]

They're all kind of autistic.

[A]

I looked it up and I looked it up and, and, and, and I couldn't find it. But that same quote, you know, he makes a beast out of himself, gets rid of the pain of being the man is why that used to be the very first song in all my workouts in Afghanistan.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So I listen to that song every day.

[B]

Yeah, I, I still love it. It's still on my playlist.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, all these songs are still on my playlist and they still come up. I will continue with my bias on this one. But there's a, there's not just bias, but it's, it's non Point in the Air tonight, which of course is a, is a Phil Collins cover song. But this one's super near and dear to my heart. The, on. On one of my first rotation, getting ready for my very first, first mission. This, the song was in my playlist and it popped up on my knockoff ipod that soon that, that I had and this, this thing came up. You know, sun hasn't come up yet. It's dark, you know, to get cheesy for a second. It's 2005. I've been training since 2001 to go to war. You know, didn't become a, didn't try out to be a Green Beret for a year after that. But I knew at the end of the day what I wanted was to go to war, go on target and take it to the enemy. And I had. I waited my life for it felt like I had waited by my entire life for this. And it was done. I just put it back on. I just started it over. I must listen the song seven times that night. Waiting on the birds to come to come pick us up. And you need a song like this in your kit up playlist. It can't be all gas, it can't be all rock and roll. Like you need something to say. Hey, pull it back a little back just a touch. Pull it back a little bit. Let's. Let's do some. Some internal thinking on. On the seriousness of. Of what we're about to do. The. You need. You need to calm before the storm.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

If you will. So you need something to get you up. You need something to bring you back down. That's exactly what what this song was for me. And anyone going on a hit, anyone going on a raid. If that, if that. If that song isn't isn't your calm before the storm, I'd it be be hard pressed to find a better one.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Number four. I'm happy to bring you number four because I'm not sure everyone knows this band. I'm not saying they're a small band. Most people should know this song. But I'm telling there will be people listen to this playlist that don't know this song. I hope that's not true. Baba Flex Bury me with my guns on Every war fighter and tackle officer needs to know this song. The lyrics couldn't be any more appropriate for gunslingers. For a gunslinger's final wish. Yeah, Bury me with my guns on. The song was in 2007. It was inspired by a graphic novel called the Preacher. And I'll tell you, they have a. They have. This album has a few good songs. Turn the Heat up is one of them. Turn the Heat up is one of my. My favorite workout songs. It's. Although Buried Me With My Guns on is a classic, classic chorus if, if you listen to it a little bit more, he's actually talking about going up to heaven and continuing his feud with God and, and getting into a. A gunfight with them. And I don't know if I would suggest that you didn't. You didn't. You didn't get buried enough with a big enough gun on. I.

[B]

I don't think so.

[A]

I, I, I assure you the, but if you like, if you like, you know that, that genre and you're always looking for new music or new music of that time period.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Go look those guys up. They, they won't disappoint you. Number three on the list. You knew at some point it was coming. You knew at some point. And you knew it was going to happen later on in the list. This is where the list gets very, very diff. The whole list is difficult. All right. It was. There's a lot of, a lot of weight on my shoulders putting out a list like this.

[B]

I didn't have this at three, though.

[A]

And, and that's, and you'd be wrong. And that's, and that's fine.

[B]

No, I didn't have you having this.

[A]

Oh, you didn't have me having this at 3?

[B]

I had this a little higher. I had this numerically higher.

[A]

Okay, hold on. I'll give you that. I don't think I'll disappoint you just yet. I wouldn't necessarily argue that. We'll, we'll get to that.

[B]

All right.

[A]

Acdc. Thunderstruck.

[B]

I used to listen to this before every wrestling match. Every wrestling match.

[A]

I. Okay, I'll tell you where this one gets difficult for me. All right. Right off the bat, and this will be a recurring theme here in a little bit. I said I would only pick one song from each band, right? Yeah. Otherwise it'd be five ACDC songs and five Metallica songs, you know, and you can easily do that. You could easily make this list off. Off of two bands. But in order to make it a little more interesting and that this was one of the two hardest bands. Obviously you can already guess the other one just said it, that I had to pick one song. And there was. In like the mid-2000s, there was a leaked recruiting Delta Force video. Did you ever see it? And it had, and it had Delta Force guys training and in combat. And the music video to it. I'll show it to you after this. The music video to it or the, the music over it was Shoot to Kill by acdc. So I really wanted to do Shoot to Kill with this, but at the end of the day, I couldn't let my bias run, run, run. The whole list. Right. And I knew it. The clear answer was Thunderstruck. Yeah, I mean, just, I mean, there's a bunch of good ones, but would, would, would, would you go any other one on ACDC or would you already listen to it wrestling? I feel like, I feel like made the Right Call.

[B]

So Thunderstruck has been with me since I was in fifth grade when I first started wrestling and all the way to deployment. Get to deployment, get to Afghanistan, over to loudspeakers or playing ACDC at least once a day.

[A]

The. So thunderstruck is the definition is extremely surprised or shocked. So when it comes to a kid up song, I mean what. That's exactly what's going to happen here when when wheels touch down. There's going to be some extreme surprise and shots. Yeah.

[B]

You have no idea.

[A]

So between. Between that hammer on pull off lick. Right like right at the beginning that. That loops between the name of it. It just the. It stood the test of time. It's actually the second oldest song on this list. When do you think. When do you think Thunderstruck came out?

[B]

Didn't Bon Scott. Wasn't he a part of that?

[A]

I'm just looking for a year. 79.

[B]

8. 78.

[A]

And now I gotta go double check myself. I. I believe, I believe it came out in 1990. Yeah.

[B]

Thunderstruck's later.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Thunderscott.

[A]

So yeah, 1990 is ones. That is when that thing came out. A couple fun facts on. On this song. One, ever since it came out, every single concert they've played since they released it, they played at every single concert. Wow. They deem it a necessity for the fans that they owe. Fans. They've never played a concert without playing Thunderstruck. Nor should they. No, nor should they. The I always thought that the song I. I'd heard this, that the song was inspired by a lightning strike. When I looked that up, they were talking like I guess some people say like Angus was on a plane. They got struck by lightning and thunderstruck is what caused that. That is actually false. So it actually came from a childhood toy of his that was called Thunderstreak. And. And the Thunder Streak toy produced the like the word to them. Like he correlated that with thunder struck. And he's always liked it and made a song. It actually came from a childhood toy. Again, informative.

[B]

Informative like no more tears.

[A]

The what? What about no more tears?

[B]

So Ozzy was bathing one of his kids and he looked at the bottle bottle and says no more tears. And he wrote the song no more tears.

[A]

I almost heard you drop that nugget. A little hint. And almost went on. I said hold on, let me dig into this.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

A Johnson and Johnson essentially like baby shampoo. No more tears. Yeah.

[B]

You remember back in the day it used to have the. The big teardrop and said no More tears. Yeah, that's where it came from.

[A]

I love it. The number two. Who do you think's bigger? Metallica or acdc? That's an unfair question, but I just asked it to you.

[B]

Our generation.

[A]

I'm just saying, who's bigger? I'm not gonna let you weasel out of this with. With.

[B]

I'm gonna say Metallica.

[A]

Honestly, I'm going to say Metallica because they.

[B]

They have bridged a gap between past our, you know, a little bit older than our generation, all the way back to my kids.

[A]

Yeah, they've been relevant long. A long time. Yeah. And that's. No. No hit. How Dare I no hit on. On acd.

[B]

No, not at all.

[A]

But I. I have to agree with you on that, which is why, to answer. Not to answer your question, but the rebuttal to you had AC DC at 2, which. That is the thing where I had to put Metallica at 2.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So Metallica, you want to talk about really hard one. Master of Puppets number two, Don't Flame Me. I told you, I can only pick one song from each band. Seek and Destroy. I mean, you want to talk about us like a song like Set up for the gwot, but it just. It didn't eclipse Master of Puppets for me with. With the energy and. And how catchy it is. For Whom the Boat, the Bell Tolls. I mean, that one's. That one's hard to not put on the list. It just goes over and over.

[B]

Creeping Death.

[A]

It's just. It's this. This. Was. This maybe one of the hardest things I've done in life. It just. It's not. It's not fair and it's tough, especially.

[B]

Because Metallica had so many. So many heavy songs that seemed like they were written for wartime, even though they weren't written during wartime.

[A]

Yep. They were 18, 19 years old when.

[B]

They wrote most of this stuff.

[A]

But I'm telling you, if. With the end, if you needed a song to get a guy hyped up enough to run through a wall, that's it. This is your Metallica song. And that's kind of in a weird. That line of thinking is kind of how I landed on. On. On this song. But here's. There's so many crazy Metallica facts, but this. This one just throws me through. It's hard to fathom. This was their third album. Yeah, third album. They were 21 and 22 years old when they did this album. They were all already on. Well, on their way of being. I don't know if by the third album, you could call them on their way of being like rock icons, but they had made it. They had, they had made a name for themselves. And a name for themselves was going to last a long time. They're 21 and 22 years old putting this out.

[B]

And they had no idea how big of juggernauts they were going to be.

[A]

There's no way anyone could have known. But this is another good fun fact about Metallica. Of course, with longevity and these this much hits comes a lot of money. You can do whatever you want. Did you know they're the only band that's ever played all seven continents?

[B]

Yes, I read that a couple years ago.

[A]

And because you're such a. A music guy, you'll get the reference on this. So of course the, the hard one to get to and play would be Antarctica. Not a lot of people go to Antarctica to play. So they went down and played a. Played a show for some scientists in Antarctica. And do you want to, you want to know they. They named the show?

[B]

No idea.

[A]

Freeze Them All.

[B]

Freeze Them all, man, that's perfect.

[A]

A pun off their killer ball. Freeze Them All. That's. That's what they named it. When they went down. Did their the only band ever play all seven continents?

[B]

Oh, and that's crazy too, if you think about it. If you go back to your question, who is bigger, Metallica or acdc? Well, he paid seven continents.

[A]

That's nice. I answered my own question eventually and I didn't even, didn't even connect the dots.

[B]

Once you get a band that's played all seven continents and then said we're gonna name it Freeze it all at the very end of it. Yeah, man.

[A]

All right, this is, it's. I get it. I get the argument you, you lead with. You know, if you end with three and two things like AC dc, Metallica, and someone might ask, well, who could be bigger than those? But I'm not telling you who's bigger than those. It was the top 10 kid up songs. And a lot of, a lot of it had a preface to do with, with the gwat, right? Because I was talking, I was connecting the, the songs of Vietnam to that era, in our era. And I have no doubt the biggest song from Special Operations to Infantry and everywhere in between is Drowning Pool. Let the Bodies Hit the Floor.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

This thing came out in 2001. It was born at the same time the GWAT was born. And for years you couldn't watch a CQB video. You couldn't watch a halo Video. You couldn't, you couldn't watch a patrolling video, a deployment video without this been.

[B]

The theme song, every PJ video.

[A]

And, and some people that, that aren't gonna like this and that are a little, it's, it's almost a little bit of a Nickelback effect when it comes to the military because so many people played it. Yeah, it got it. It became one of those. Oh, like not, not this dude, stupid song. But they weren't saying that when this song. Everybody in the military loved this song when, when it came out.

[B]

I can't stand Nickelback. So.

[A]

Without a doubt. For G wat. For G wat. I believe this is, this is the, the biggest hit up song of the G wat era. That's my call. Yeah, it's gonna upset some people, I'll.

[B]

Agree with you, but I would. Are we doing honorable mentions?

[A]

Absolutely we're doing honorable mentions. By the way, if you guys agree or don't agree with any of these selections, leave a comment, tell me what we missed. You can do your own honorable mentions, but we are absolutely doing honorable mentions. Oh, before we do this, I actually have a story about this song. Yeah, so they were doing a USO tour in Iraq, I don't know, 2006 or 7. And my ODA was asked to play, was asked to do security for it. Right. And the, so we had to go up there and, and pull sniper duties and Kiara West. And afterwards some of the guys came in and say, hey, like, you know, we want to show them something cool. Can we take them back to, can we take them back to your, to your team room and show them some cool weapons and, and, and, and have them hang out with some SF guys? Like yeah, we didn't get, we didn't really get to see the show because we were working. So they come back, we hang out with them really cool guys. And you know, one of the guys asked him was like, hey, will you sign my, my sniper weapon? We sign it, Let the bodies hit the floor. And the lead singer who actually performed that song had died, so it's not the same lead singer. He goes, man, I really hate that you asked me that because that's not my song. And so I don't want to take credit for it. I don't ever sign this. But I can't tell you guys, I can't say no. Yeah, you tell you guys no. So my ODA for years, I bet it's still there somewhere, has a sniper weapon with. Signed by the band. Let. Let the bodies hit the floor. Afterwards he goes hey, if you guys are ever in town or ever come to a show, please, please, please come say hi to us. Like, we will make sure that we say hi to you guys. And I was like, all right. Kind of forgot about it. A couple years later, I go to a show with and. And Drowning Pools there, and it's kind of a small venue show, and I could see their. Their tour bus behind the. Behind the. The club. And I look at my buddy Nick, who's there. I was like, hey, you want to go. You want to go hang out with Drowning Pool? He goes, anything. And in fairness, I. I mess with people a lot.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And he's like, brett, you're not okay. Yeah, I'm not fighting the crowd to go all the way over there to play your stupid game. I was like, all right, suit yourself. And so I walk over there, big security guy right by the. By the bus, and I'm like, hey, will you tell the lead singer that. Will you tell the band that one of the. The special forces guys from the USO tours here. We were in. We were in Karo, but they would remember this. They signed my sniper weapon, Let the body sit the floor. And they told me if I was ever at a show to. To come say hi. He looked at me all super like, what ify.

[B]

Yeah, right, dude.

[A]

I was like, seriously, just. Just go tell him. So he goes out there about three minutes, comes by. Lead singer comes out. Hey, where's he at? Where's he at? He was like, that's him? Yeah, come on in. I look. I look all the way across to the bars. Look at my buddy Nick, like, see ya. And I walk into. Into the. To the tour bus to what was not as glamorous as. As you would think. We're all eating baloney sandwiches, drinking beer. He goes, I remember that. I remember everything about that. He goes, it was. It was a no alcohol tour. He goes, so I actually remember everywhere we went and everything we did, because I've never been so sober in my life.

[B]

I didn't like it.

[A]

Yeah. Hung out with those guys for like an hour, eating bologna sandwiches and drinking their beer and. And left. That's my Drowning Pool story.

[B]

Awesome.

[A]

That's not why they're number one. They. They. They earned it, right? Right? They earned it.

[B]

Well, it is definitely a very iconic song for that. That. That era. I would have to say, what a miss or. Or.

[A]

Or honorable mention. It may not have been complete miss.

[B]

I don't know if it's a miss, but it. It kind of is a Miss a little bit for me. Die Die by Dope.

[A]

Are you kidding me? And are you kidding me?

[B]

I was on their Tour bus in 2010 hanging out with them, and I said, hey, so I've got a question. When did you guys know you made it? And as Dope, the singer said, as soon as we found out the US Military was using Die Die.

[A]

Are you kidding me?

[B]

On Prisoners, I was. Holy sh.

[A]

I have a bunch of honorable mentions. I can't believe I didn't think of that one.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Where do you place it? We'll start Top five.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah, I agree with you. Top five. Dang it. Okay. You got me on that one. All right. Do you. Do you have any others?

[B]

I would go with Creeping Death, personal reasons with Metallica. Metallica. Yep.

[A]

Here's. You can only argue that if you. Because only. Only one song per band. So you can only argue that if. If you believed it would be. Be bigger than Master.

[B]

It wouldn't be bigger. Not in that context.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And then obviously Britney Spears hit me one more time. Of course, you know, of course. Always have to go with that.

[A]

Not. Doesn't make top 10. But an audible mention.

[B]

No, not a top 10. But it's definitely. It was playing somewhere at some point before.

[A]

All right, I got. I got a few more that some of you guys might know. If you don't know these songs, go check them out. You can thank me later. This is a more obscure band. Not. Maybe not to people like us, but prong. Snap your neck.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

That'll get you going. That. If you guys haven't heard that or don't get up to that song, put in your list. Thank me later.

[B]

Fire Starter.

[A]

Fire Starters. That's a good one. A little more. A little. A little more. Because they're a little more like. I don't know. I want to say like techno rock. Yeah. You know, of sorts.

[B]

But industrial.

[A]

Industrial.

[B]

Yeah. Techno rocks.

[A]

I'll give them honorable mention.

[B]

If.

[A]

If that came on in my kit room, I wouldn't be mad at it. Wouldn't be mad at it. Fear Factory, Descent is. I really wanted to put that in there, but that one's. That's ultra biased to me. I love. But that song gets me going. Fear Factory, Descent, Soil, Y. Halo. That's.

[B]

That the live version, too, is awesome.

[A]

That one. That one gets me. I kind of can't believe I couldn't fit him in there any. Anywhere. I just couldn't. Five Finger Death Punch, I believe, deserves to be somewhere on there. I just couldn't find a Song that I really thought was unique and not great band, but. But kid up band. I don't know. And I'm sure I wash it all away. Definitely could have. Could have made it there. I just couldn't bump anyone out for it.

[B]

But that's not for me. That's not a kid up song. That's a aftermath of 20 years of war.

[A]

But here's. Here's two more bands that I. I love and they. They fit the. The time frame. I just couldn't find the. The right song. Breaking Benjamin and Chevelle. How. How do they not make the. The top 10 list?

[B]

Y.

[A]

You know, Red is a great one. They have some great songs. I just. I just couldn't squeeze them on the top 10. But they. But before. Before you guys get too mad at me once, you know, I thought about them. Yeah, I thought about them and they. And I do believe that. That they belong somewhere in there. But you guys, you guys tell me what I missed and, and, and what should be on there. Saliva. Saliva probably deserves to be somewhere.

[B]

So remember, this is, this is Kit up songs. This isn't gym songs.

[A]

Right. They're.

[B]

They're two different things.

[A]

Yeah, here's one that, that again. I just had to make some. Some decisions here. Hate breed.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I will be heard.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I'm starting to second guess that one a little bit.

[B]

Destroy everything though.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

My five year old loves. Destroy everything.

[A]

Yeah. So. And some of the reasons some of these really harder songs didn't make it is because some of the slower ones, like Rooster is so iconic. I'm just not kicking off Rooster.

[B]

No.

[A]

Or in the Air tonight. I do believe what I said, you have to have a reset song in there.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And so I didn't want to. I didn't want to take those out. Even though song for song, it. It may be better, but as a top 10, it didn't make it right. You know.

[B]

Another one for Aftermath. Simple Man. I have tons of videos from the first bat guys where it's just a collage of these guys with their families and stuff and simple managers and it.

[A]

Are you saying we should do a top 10 D kit song? Are you jumping to DKIT?

[B]

I think so. Not a bad idea.

[A]

It's not a bad idea.

[B]

I think song that would have to be, you know, because I mean, we're. You're kidding up now. Now we're. Yeah. Now we got to calm everything. That's right. That's right. And get everybody but, you know, back to normal again.

[A]

All right, I'll I'll think about that one.

[B]

That's gonna be way tougher than this was, Brent.

[A]

Oh, gosh. Yeah, it might be. Guys, thank you so much. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you at least agreed with. Agreed with half of it. I don't. I don't expect to. To appease everyone. I hope. Hope I didn't piss off anyone. There's someone in there that's like, you got, like, eight of them wrong.

[B]

Someone's pissed.

[A]

That's right. And that's okay. I will go down. I will. I will be in the comment section of this one, and I hope. I hope you hope you got a few more songs in your library because of this. Leave your suggestions, and I'll go and check out your songs and hopefully I'll add a few more to mine.

[B]

Yeah, I will. Bubble Flex. I forgot all about them.

[A]

There you go. You know, there you go.

[B]

Soil. I forgot about them. And I used to listen to Halo, like, every day, so. Yeah, absolutely not Beyonce's Halo. The actual good Halo.

[A]

Yes. So I get it. Guys, thanks so much for watching. We drop an episode every Monday, and again, if you. If you haven't. If you're having health concerns or you just want to be bigger, faster, stronger, I don't care. Go to hp trt. Get your blood work done. See where you're at. Yo it to yourself. Yo it to your family. Thanks for watching, guys.