Music boosts physical and mental performance

Top five favorite bands. Quick ... who are they?!!

Whether you fancy The Beach Boys or the Beastie Boys, Radiohead or Portishead, The Eagles or The Turtles, numerous studies show that listening to music you enjoy while you work out will better your performance. And, as if that weren't enough of a reason to download some hot new tracks, a study from the New York Academy of Sciences discovered that listening to your favorite tunes can have a positive effect on cognitive ability. According the the research, spending as little as 10 minutes with U2, Oasis, Beyonce -- or any other artist or band you enjoy listening to -- before a test actually improves results.

Oh, and just to put it out there, my five favorite bands are: Oasis, The Beatles, Counting Crows, Death Cab for Cutie, and Pearl Jam. Runners up: Beastie Boys, Coldplay, Simon & Garfunkel, and Guster.

And your favorites are ... ?