50 Songs That Will Kick Your Run Into Another Gear

© Hootie2710 | Dreamstime.com

© Hootie2710 | Dreamstime.com

As you’ve probably experienced, the perfect song at just the right moment can give you that extra burst of adrenaline and motivation you need on a training run. Here’s fifty songs to do just that:

Pop Favorites

  1. “All About That Bass” – Meghan Trainor
  2. “Shake It Off” – Taylor Swift
  3. “Fancy” – Iggy Azalea
  4. “Don’t” – Ed Sheeran
  5. “Happy” – Pharrell Williams
  6. “Let It Go” – Idina Menzel
  7. “Turn Down For What” – DJ Snake and Lil’ Jon
  8. “Dark House” – Katy Perry
  9. “Bang Bang” – Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj
  10. “Summer” – Calvin Harris

25 Years Ago

  1. “Good Vibrations” – Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch
  2. “Opposites Attract” – Paula Abdul
  3. “Vogue” – Madonna
  4. “Ice Ice Baby” – Vanilla Ice
  5. “Gonna Make You Sweat” – C+C Music Factory
  6. “Baby Got Back” – Sir Mix-A-Lot
  7. “Pump Up The Jam” – Technotronic
  8. “Wild, Wild West” – The Escape Club
  9. “Push It” – Salt-N-Pepa
  10. “Rhythm Nation” – Janet Jackson

Classic Rock

  1. “Runnin’ Down A Dream” – Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
  2. “Born To Run” – Bruce Springsteen
  3. “Eye Of The Tiger” – Survivor
  4. “Crazy Train” – Ozzy Osbourne
  5. “Welcome To The Jungle” – Guns n’ Roses
  6. “Jump” – Van Halen
  7. “Back In Black” – AC/DC
  8. “We Didn’t Start The Fire” – Billy Joel
  9. “Rock You Like A Hurricane” – Scorpions
  10. “We Will Rock You” – Queen

Country Motivation

  1. “Gunpowder and Lead” – Miranda Lambert
  2. “Days Go By” – Keith Urban
  3. “Blown Away” – Carrie Underwood
  4. “I’ve Been Everywhere” – Johnny Cash
  5. “5-1-5-0” – Dierks Bentley
  6. “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” – Charlie Daniels Band
  7. “A Little Bit Of Life” – Craig Morgan
  8. “That Don’t Impress Me Much” – Shania Twain
  9. “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” – Luke Bryan
  10. “All Jacked Up” – Gretchen Wilson

Something Different

  1. “Even If I’m Loud Doesn’t Mean I’m Talking To You” – Tove Styrke
  2. “Crazy” – Kat Dahlia
  3. “Deceptacon” – Le Tigre
  4. “Odessa” – Caribou
  5. “Run Right Back” – The Black Keys
  6. “Tessellate” – Tokyo Police Club
  7. “Price Of Gas” – Bloc Party
  8. “Youth Without Youth” – Metric
  9. “Lines” – Big Boi
  10. “Mountain Sound” – Of Monsters And Men

What songs would you add to the list?

39 comments… add one
  • JB October 29, 2017, 11:35 am

    “Distance” by Cake. Duh

  • Dave @ Run The Money April 13, 2017, 10:47 am

    Definitely love the list here and how you broke it out by type. I’m partial to country and 90’s nostalgia songs when I run. I have 36 more to add to your list here – http://runthemoney.com/best-half-marathon-playlist

    Thanks for sharing,

    Dave

  • Dennis May 13, 2016, 3:59 pm

    We Are Not Alone (Karla DeVito)
    Neutron Dance (The Pointer Sisters)

  • Ed Miseta May 9, 2016, 1:06 pm

    Two songs that should be on every runners playlist are Heading Out On The Highway by Judas Priest and All Fired Up by Pat Benatar. Both have a great beat and are very motivating on long runs. Clock Strikes Ten by Cheap Trick off Live at Budokan is also great, especially the ending.

  • Ashley April 13, 2016, 9:50 pm

    I love running to maroon 5, especially moves like jagar. Fun upbeat song.

  • Jo February 16, 2016, 6:44 am

    Come on Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners

  • Leanna January 19, 2016, 4:24 pm

    Mostly all Social Distortion – and definitely alot of Reverand Horton Heat

  • Leanna January 19, 2016, 4:21 pm

    Green Day – Holiday

  • Mary Hager January 12, 2016, 2:37 pm

    I love battle music like The Battle from Gladiator. Does anyone have other similar music to recommend?

  • Frederick January 7, 2016, 5:36 pm

    “Rock and Roll” – Led Zepplin
    “You Shook Me” – AC/DC

    Both for energy more than tempo.

  • Kim K. November 29, 2015, 10:40 pm

    Paul Simon has lots of good running tunes:
    – Obvious Child
    – Call Me Al
    – Born at the Right Time
    – Graceland
    – I Know What I Know
    – The Boy in the Bubble
    – Cecilia
    – Me & Julio Down by the School Yard
    Other favorites:
    – Cheerleader
    – Faith
    – Freedom
    – Hella Good
    – Hey Mama
    – I got a Feeling
    – Lips are Movin
    – M!ssundaztoon
    – Mony Mony
    – My Sharona
    – Pon de Replay
    – Pump It
    – Raise Your Glass
    – Rock & Roll All Nite
    – Roll to Me
    – Stitches
    – #1 (Nelly)
    – 4 Minuets
    – 18 Wheeler

  • Evelyn October 12, 2015, 11:41 pm

    Anything with a BPM of 190 because that’s my cadence!
    Some good ones:
    “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” – Joan Jett
    “When I Come Around” – Green Day
    “First Date” – blink-182
    “Fighter” – Christina Aguilera
    “Still Waiting” – Sum 41
    “Single Ladies” – Beyoncé
    “Party in the U.S.A.” – Miley Cyrus
    “All You Wanted” & “Everywhere” – Michelle Branch

  • Mel October 12, 2015, 8:23 am

    It’s Tricky! -Run DMC

  • Sophia October 4, 2015, 3:18 pm

    Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It by Will Smith

  • Jody Ressel September 30, 2015, 11:36 am

    “Kick A Little”
    Little Texas – For the country section

    “Train Kept a Rollin’
    Aerosmith – Classic rock

  • Jim September 22, 2015, 5:06 pm

    My Body – Young the Giant

  • Dale schneck September 12, 2015, 8:41 am

    Sunshine highway by dropkick murphys. Bad for my body by Deap Vally. Paranoid by Black Sabbath. Devo’s Whip It. I love playing with fire & Youre too possessive by The Runaways. Mony mony and Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol, all are great to help me pick up the pace!

  • Larissa June 16, 2015, 11:51 am

    sisters are doing it for themselves Aretha and the eurythmics
    Light em up – fallout boy

    • Kendall September 10, 2015, 8:56 am

      The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner – IRON MAIDEN

  • Randy June 8, 2015, 4:51 pm

    Rod Stewart and The Faces……Losing You…impossible to slow down toward the end, you will find the kick that you don’t have

  • Linda May 26, 2015, 6:50 pm

    What it is. By Mark Knopfler. Will make you run or drive faster!

  • Patricia May 26, 2015, 12:53 pm

    The Runner by Manfred Man. The only song written for competitive runners.

  • Andrea May 18, 2015, 12:27 pm

    Theme from Hawaii 5-0

  • Ken May 1, 2015, 11:59 am

    Run Shoes Runnin’ by the Kings

  • Shannon April 23, 2015, 10:44 am

    Greyhound – Swedish House Mafia

  • Gail April 7, 2015, 7:50 pm

    Wake me up- Avicii

  • Ian Smith March 26, 2015, 3:17 pm

    Mr Sunshine, Electric Light Orchestra

  • Robert Kootz March 14, 2015, 2:46 pm

    A few of those songs I think are good and will add to my playlist. But I have a bunch of other songs that might give some runners a little boost. “Lifeline” and “Scars” from Papa Roach. “Livin on a Prayer” and “It’s My Life” from Bon Jovi. “Animal I’ve Become” from 3 Days Grace. “Out of my Way” and “Remedy” from Seether.

  • Stacy March 11, 2015, 7:35 am

    Eminem-“Lose Yourself”, it’s the first song I play for any race I do; “Til I Collaspe ” is good too; U2- “where the streets have no name”; Van Halen-“right now”; I love Sarah McLachlan remixes- sweet surrender & possession— Just to name a few! Great list!

  • Cynthia Russell March 7, 2015, 11:56 am

    I would like to ad Chariots of Fire to the list of songs that will kick your run to another gear

  • Matt March 4, 2015, 11:51 pm

    “Last Ride of the Day” – Nightwish

  • John February 28, 2015, 9:42 am

    If you going to start with the Stones, then any run can begin with “Start Me Up”
    And Jackson Browne’s “Running On Empty” is fittting for the finish line.
    And for recent pop choices? “Blurred Lines” – c’mon everybody get up – you know you want it

  • Nicole Dell February 25, 2015, 1:18 pm

    UPTOWN FUNK!!! I’ll take that for the full 13.1

  • Misty Dawn February 19, 2015, 12:28 pm

    Those were not very good picks for running. I would say 1-2 songs in each category were half decent running songs but the rest are rather lack luster pics.

  • Susan January 5, 2015, 12:22 pm

    Sympathy for the Devil, and She’s so Cold, and maybe a few other Stones tunes, along with some Phish.

  • Damon December 12, 2014, 2:54 pm

    I bought this on a whim when I was recommended 9 and 13 (Hard Work and c-130 Rolling Down the Strip) by someone else. Hard Work has made a comeback recently in several commercials during sporting events. I ran a marathon recently with these in the playlist – really I should have just had the two of them over and over they are more effective then songs – for the last mile push in fact I played each of them multiple times and skipped all the other songs.
    https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/50-running-cadences-u.s.-marines/id543089934

  • Tony Wesley December 12, 2014, 7:35 am

    “Sooner or Later” by The English Beat

    I get a chuckle from these lines:
    Sooner or later
    Your legs give way, you hit the ground.
    Save it for later
    Don’t run away and let me down.

  • Jillerooni December 10, 2014, 1:08 pm

    Don’t Stop Believin’, of course! Great list!

  • martin December 10, 2014, 11:12 am

    Uff, so many. “I just don’t know what to do with myself” by the White Stripes is great for slow+tempo runs. “Run Lola Run” soundtrack defo makes me go faster! or anything by the Faithless.

Leave a Comment

MENU