Just what’s on Michael Phelps’ iPod anyway?

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady

I don’t know about you but I’ve been spending a lot of time enjoying the Michael Phelps Show, er, Summer Olympics this week.

One thing that piqued my interested was the world’s greatest athlete’s choice in music player. In practically every shot of him at the pool Phelps can be seen wearing the iconic white earbuds that are attached to, what else, but an Apple iPod.

So what does the human dolphin listen to before winning Olympic gold medals and breaking world records?

According to the Today Show on 12 August, 2008:

What did I have on today? I think I had Lil Wayne, “I’m Me.” I
think I had that on there

Roger Catlin makes some inferences on 10 August 10, 2008:

Before his 400 meter individual medley in the 2004 Summer Olympics in
Athens, Michael Phelps was listening to Eminem’s “Till I Collapse” on
his ever-present iPod to help him focus. What’s he listening to as he wins gold in Beijing? Nobody has said for certain, but he has said in his own website that he was listening to Young Jeezy at the World Championships in Melbourne. If he was still listening to Young Jeezy in China, the applicable titles might have been:

• “The Inspiration (Follow Me)”
• “Soul Survivor”
• “Tear It Up”
• “Let’s Get It / Sky’s the Limit”
• “Get Ya Mind Right”
• “I Love It”
• “Go Getta”
• “Thug Motivation 101″
• “And Then What”

12/8 Terra weighs in on 8 August, 2008 with some selections from Phelps Hit List on Rhapsody which includes the following tracks:

1. Overnight Celebrity by Twista
2. Burn by Usher
3. Roses by Outkast
4. ‘Till I Collapse by Eminem
5. Smile by G Unit

Regardless of the music Phelps is an obvious phenom, up there with Tiger, Jordan and Gretzky. Apple should step up and offer him a nice contract to endorse the iPod – and they should do it now before Nike signs him up to a long term exclusive endorsement deal.