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We put together our first list of great running songs a little over a year ago, but of course there’s been tons of great music that’s come out since then. (Plus loads of great songs we never got to add to our list before.)
So without any more delay, here’s our favorites and what we’re listening to on our phones now. What’s in your playlist?
The Hits
- “Bad Blood” – Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar
- “Ex’s and Oh’s” – Elle King
- “Can’t Feel My Face” – The Weeknd
- “Confident” – Demi Lovato
- “On My Mind” – Elle Goulding
- ‘Shut Up and Dance” – Walk The Moon
- “Sugar” – Maroon 5
- “Want To Want Me” – Jason Derulo
- “Talking Body” – Tove Lo
- “Where Are U Now” – Skrillex and Diplo with Justin Bieber
Girl Power
- “Fight Song” – Rachel Platten
- “Brave” – Sara Bareilles
- “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” – Kelly Clarkston
- “Can’t Hold Us Down” – Christina Aguilera ft. Lil’ Kim
- “Independent Women” – Destiny’s Child
- “Firework” – Katy Perry
- “Just A Girl” – No Doubt
- “So What” – P!nk
- “Express Yourself” – Madonna
- “No Scrubs” – TLC
80’s Favorites
- “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Def Leppard
- “Beat It” – Michael Jackson
- “Footloose” – Kenny Loggins
- “Love Shack” – B-52’s
- “White Wedding” – Billy Idol
- “Mickey” – Toni Basil
- “Blister In The Sun” – Violent Femmes
- “Paradise City” – Guns N’ Roses
- “No Easy Way Out” – Robert Tepper
- “I Want You To Want Me” – Cheap Trick
Short & Fast Songs
- “Girls” – Beastie Boys
- “Blitzkrieg Bop” – The Ramones
- “Song 2” – Blur
- “Fell In Love With A Girl” – The White Stripes
- “Hello There” – Cheap Trick
- “My Adidas” – Run-D.M.C.
- “I Get Around” – Beach Boys
- “The Twist” – Chubby Checker
- “Jailhouse Rock” – Elvis Presley
- “Bad Reputation” – Joan Jett
70’s Long Run Songs
- “Kashmir” – Led Zeppelin
- “Long Train Running” – Doobie Brothers
- “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” – George Thoroughgood
- “Bohemian Rhapsody” – Queen
- “Slow Ride” – Foghat
- “The Long Run” – The Eagles
- “Roadhouse Blues” – The Doors
- “Working Man” – Rush
- “Baba O’Riley” – The Who
- “Hair of the Dog” – Nazareth
Music for me is a way to “get though” a run, but a crutch is not what I need.
There are applications for using music, like running to the beat of the right song set on repeat to lock in a cadence and pace.
I belive to be a really great runner, music is a distraction. The playlist I listen to the most is my body and mind, heart and soul, that is where all the action is.
I would like to listen to music, have no doubt about that, and sometimes I do. There is no moral issue here, but there are technical ones regarding results.
To accomplish my goals requires that I am totally into the experience of running in real time. As I noted, for me music is a distraction. Just the act of listing takes energy away from the run.
Listening to music slows me down. In my case, that is just the way it is.
Do you have a website where I can buy/get this running songs?
Great list….Thanks for putting this together. Some I would considering adding China Grove-Doobie Bros., Nutbush City Limits-Tina Turner, Barracuda-heart, Sharp Dressed Man- ZZ Top, Back in Black- Ac/Dc and a harder rock song that gets me up hills- Hell Yeah-Rev Theory
I sometimes go a different route with music, using it to set a time goal. For instance, can I finish 5 miles in less time than it takes Tennstedt can finish conducting Brahm’s 1st symphony? If yes, then next time I listen to it with Bernstein conducting, which he does in three minutes fewer than Tennstedt.