It is no secret that music has an uncanny ability to motivate us. The right song can make an otherwise dull workout become our finest hour. And now there is scientific evidence to support it, as well as entire businesses dedicated to helping you produce customized workout soundtracks. The benefits of music impact several areas according to HellaSound.com, a website dedicated to helping you find the right music for your workout.
“In academic-speak, the right music is an ergogenic aid—an external influence that positively affects your physiological performance. Wikipedia’s definition breaks ergogenic aid benefits into 3 facets: performance improvement, minimization of distraction and increased recovery.” – HellaSound
It was with this in mind that the 52 best workout songs were selected in an epic exploration of the foot-tapping, guitar-screaming and beat-boxing tracks that have found a welcome home in gyms across America. Most of them famous, some very obscure, but all great songs for running, lifting, spinning and any other workout you can think of.
As for selection criteria one key element stood out from all the rest: tempo. Why? According to experts it is the most important factor in enhancing workout performance because it provides timing and coordination for your movements. Music in the 120-140 beats-per-minute (bpm) range is best for most aerobic exercise because it most closely matches the average person’s heart rate.
In creating this list much attention was also paid to finding a good mix of genres (though most will notice it skewed on the side of rock simply because it tends to have the most uptempo songs), as well as music from different eras (though most will find it skewed in favor of the 90s and today simply because songs like “My Guy” don’t exactly make the average person want to throw around some weights).
Finally, “Eye of the Tiger” was left out because it has been overplayed and now borders more on cheesy than motivational. If this makes you sad then go watch “Rocky” and eat a pint of ice cream.
Now, Art of Manliness presents the 52 best workout songs for your listening pleasure:
1. “Thunderstruck”- AC/DC
2. “Say This Sooner“- The Almost
3. “Keep the Car Running“ – Arcade Fire
4. “Sabotage“ – Beastie Boys
5. “Loser“ – Beck
6. “Ain’t No Easy Way“ – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
7. “Hurricane“ – Bob Dylan
8. “No Woman No Cry (Live At the Lyceum)” – Bob Marley
9. “Unconditional” – The Bravery
10. “The Distance” – Cake
11. “Galvanize” – The Chemical Brothers
12. “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” – The Clash
13. “Crossroads” – Cream
14. “I Believe In a Thing Called Love” – The Darkness
15. “Hands Down“ – Dashboard Confessional
16. “Lose Yourself“ – Eminem
17. “Sunday Shining” – Finley Quaye
18. “Everlong“ – Foo Fighters
19. “The First Single (You Know Me)“ – The Format
20. “Flathead” – The Fratellis
21. “Naked“ – The Goo Goo Dolls
22. “Feel Good Inc“ – Gorillaz
23. “Welcome to the Jungle“ – Guns N’ Roses
24. “Jump Around“ – House of Pain
25. “Numb / Encore“ – Jay-Z & Linkin Park
26. “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)“ – Jimi Hendrix
27. “Bleed American“ – Jimmy Eat World
28. “I Walk the Line“ – Johnny Cash
29. “D.A.N.C.E.” - Justice
30. “Somebody Told Me“ – The Killers
31. “When You Were Young“ – The Killers
32. “Red Morning Light” – Kings of Leon
33. “Immigrant Song“ – Led Zeppelin
34. “Last Light“ – Matt Pond PA
35. “Beat It“ – Michael Jackson OR Fall Out Boy (feat. John Mayer)
36. “Enter Sandman“ – Metallica
37. “Always Love“ – Nada Surf
38. “Here It Goes Again“ – O.K. Go
39 “B.O.B.” - OutKast
40. “Testify“ – Rage Against the Machine
41. “Bulls on Parade“ – Rage Against the Machine
42. “Black Betty“ – Ram Jam
43. “Hide Away” – Rock Kills Kid
44. “Paint It Black“ – The Rolling Stones
45. “Start Me Up (Live)” - The Rolling Stones
46. “Hands Open“ – Snow Patrol
47. “Reptilia“ – The Strokes
48. “Oh! Gravity“ – Switchfoot
49. “All Because of You” – U2
50. “Island In the Sun“ – Weezer
51. “Seven Nation Army“ – The White Stripes
52. “Woman“ – Wolfmother
So, by this time some of you are excited, some are perplexed and still others are furious. Let us know what hidden gem we left uncovered or why you think this is the greatest list of of the last several decades.
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I must agree that this list is terrible…I wouldn’t listen to most of that stuff EVER! But in the gym its all about Metal and Gangsta Rap!
Here’s a taste of what got me through 4-5 trips to the gym a week and from 150lbs to 170lbs in a year…
THE BEAST:
AC/DC…Highway to hell…T.N.T…..Beating around the bush
Accept…Balls to the wall
Metallica…Sandman…Kill’em all…seek and destroy
Guns and roses…Welcome to the jungle
Pantera…cowboys from hell…walk
system of a down…shimmy
big pun…beware
c-murder…fuck them other n!99as
Lil Jon…i dont give a fuck
master p…bout it bout it
tupac…ambitions az a ridah
To name a few of the more well know tracks!
BTW this list is for dudes that go to the gym with the intent to lift heavy shit and get bigger!!! not really beginners or those dudes that like to look at the dudes who put in work (U know who you are)!…
I love a lot of these bands and songs like a lot of the others here, but I don’t think any of them coincide with my workout playlist.
Top Back -TI (played twice because I like to listen to a consistent tune during a quick mile)
Rock You Like a Hurricane – Scorpions
Du Hast – Rammstein
Get Low – Lil’ John (this one REALLY gets me going for some reason)
The Way I Am – Eminem
Not Give A F*ck – Fabolous
In Da Club – 50 Cent
Stronger – Kanye West (I like the original Daft Punk song better, but I find this one better during a work out session)
Just Lose It – Eminem
After all of this I generally toss on a Metallica album for some long distance biking or running.
Also, I was pretty disappointed to see Fall Out Boy and Dashboard Confessional even mentioned on this blog. I didn’t expect to see my songs due to the classy nature of this site, but those two bands are just whiny and unmanly.
Good to see the White Stripes up there….
I personally think you need to put some Techno/Trance up there….
I’m a national level swimmer, and I always walk out to my heat with techno…
It’s was make me tick, I suppose.
Good work.
Also, welcome to the Jungle… Great choice.
Thanks,
@Four -
Tennessee Ernie Ford – Sixteen Tons
As good as I once was – Toby Keith
Save a horse (ride a cowboy) – Big & Rich
What. No Disturbed?
W.
T.
F.
I agree with most of the comments. Some of the songs like Marley etc are good but not for the gym. Some recommendations to step that beat up are:
1 – Testament – Formation of Damnation
2 – Behemoth – Libertheme
3 – Nile – Slashed to the slavestick
4 – Pantera – Fuc kin hostile
Dude, why you gotta put Bob Marley on there? Bob Marley wouldnt listen to Bob Marley working out. What about megadeath, slayer, disturbed ect? You really had no hard stuff. If you lift HEAVY these are a must have. Most of that stuff i would listen to while walking through a park with my girlfriend. Good try but you must be over 40. I give it a 4 out of 10.
This is wonderful. Maintaining a good variety while at the same time using all good music. Great songs all from different time periods, and they are all songs I enjoy running to. Well most of them, there were only a few I had never heard of. Good job, this was very interesting.
this list is awesome. I added nearly 30 songs from this list to my workout playlist. Lost of variety while still up beat great job!
I’m not impressed. I’m with everyone else on Marley, that’s for sure. No Korn, Tupac, Ramstein, Linkin Park? Definitely missed the mark on this list, have you actually ever worked out with all of this? If I heard a guy listening to some of these songs(especially beat it by m.jackson), I’d keep my distance at the least. Some may use some sort of inner-concentration bs or breathing but when it comes down to it, good workouts for me are predicated on good, kick ass music. Some of my favorites(most of which will be repudiated because of their bamf nature):
Linkin Park- No More Sorrow, Figure.09
A.F.I.-Kiss and Control
Korn-Ever Be, Do what they say, Everything I’ve Known, I’m Done, Shoots and ladders, Coming Undone
Slipknot-Step up, Pulse of the maggots(if you really need motivation)
Three Days Grace-Riot
2 Pac-Fight Music, Till I Collapse
Ramstein-Duhast, America, Boom Boom
Young Jeezy-Gangsta Music
That’s just my personal favs, obviously everyone has their own.
this list sucks balls
Surprised no one mentioned any of the following
The Offspring – Come out and Play, Nitro, Meaning of Life, All I Want, and most other Offspring songs.
Anthrax – ‘Got the time’ is great
Motorhead – Ace of Spades
I saw these bands, but specifically I like:
Iron Maiden – Run to the hills
Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Just a few
Later
I can’t belive how heroically BAD this list is. Out of 52 workout songs you came up with like 3 that are actually decent. A monkey throwing darts in a cd store would’ve done a much better job. This is bar none the absolute worst list of workout songs I’ve ever seen. Oh my god you failed sooo miserabally I can’t even express my disgust. In trying to figure out how you came up with this list!! We can all be certain that you have never actually worked out to 95% of these songs, because if you had than even with your horrible judgement you still couldn’t have possible included them on a list of great workout songs. I’m pretty confident in saying that this is not only the worst list of workout songs EVER, but that this list is in fact one of the top 5 worst Lists of ANYTHING EVER. Thank you for wasting my time!
Also- “Feel So Numb” by Rob Zombie is an awesome song to lift to
Hmmm…too much sissy music on this list. Still, it’s not a total loss. Actually, it’s pretty manly (or at least courageous) just to put up your musical tastes in a public forum! Like religion and politics, it’s likely to cause argument and best not to be spoken of with strangers.
This quite possibly could be the worst collection of music i have ever seen. What on god’s green earth were you thinking? Do you actually even workout? If, so, it must be Jazzersize.
Sincerely,
Dissapointed
here are some good work out songs
1.) “the distance” by CAKE
2.)”Miserlou” by Dick Dale a.k.a the theme song for Pulp Fiction
3.)”jump” by Van Helen
4.)”everlong” by foo fighters
5.)”smooth criminal”by alien ant farm
6.)”she’s so cold” by rolling stones
7.) “time bomb” by BECK
this list is just confirmation that the art of manliness website is actually run by 15yr old girls…
Do you know that you can download playlists for gym works free from this blog?
http://gym-music.blogspot.com/
Pretty cool stuff!
all the music ur guys have it is so stupd for workout its so sly and mking u slow try the house music progres or the tribal house music
the best
Slayer
Here just some suggestions:
Helter Skelter – The Beatles
Live and let die – Guns and Roses
Barracuda – Heart
Do the Evolution – Pearl Jam
Du Hast – Ramnstein
Pride and Joy – Stevie Ray Vaughn
and Lots of Bass Agents tunes…!
Anyway, whatever makes you pump is worth listening to.
Open Your Eyes by the Guano apes makes me want to flip over a car.
Just thought I’d share.
guys I am wondering how you make it not to fall asleep.. especially while listening to the tigher eye or what it is
Prodigy – Voodoo People
Prodigy – No good
Faithless – Insomnia – Remix
Radiohead – Creep
Green Day – She
Dogwood – Building a Better Me
The Offspring – You’re gonna far kid
Gigi D’Agostino – La Passion
St Germain – So Flute
The Fratellis – Got ma nuts from a hippie
The Fratellis – Flathead
Madonna – Hung up
Tegan and Sara – Back in Your Head
Tegan and Sara – you wouldn’t like me
Akon ft Eminem – Smack that
Aerosmith – Jaded – this one is too slow but it still keeps me going for a minute or so
Bob “Let’s all chill and take a toke” Marley and Johnny Cash both need taken off this list.
“Headhunter” by Front 242 is a great workout song. Top 52? Maybe.
How about “Superman” by the Kinks? Or the completely different song of the same name by REM?
Giving In by Adema, Love Dump by Static-X, and Just Like You Imagined by Nine Inch Nails are all awesome when you’re trying to pick up the heavy stuff.
I also made a list on my blog of 20 workout beats that no one has heard before.
Wow. This was th worst list imaginable. maybe 5 good workout songs. thanks for wasting my time ass#ole.
For me, a good workout song is one that, when they play it on the radio while you’re driving, makes you drive a little faster, and maybe belt out the lyrics as you drive. Otherwise, I find it has little to do with rhythm or attitude.
In other words, just take your driving music playlist, delete the really mellow tracks, and call it a gym playlist.
I don’t know how (well most of these songs) would even constitute as workout music.?
How can you listen to slow music while working out, not too impressed with the list.
I was really looking for some upbeat and get you fired up music!
first, thanks for the list. I am bored and thought I would post a few of my songs on here.. hope someone likes.
ACDC “thunderstruck”
Survivor “eye of the tiger”
Eminem “till I collapse”
Eminem “lose yourself”
Metallica “enter sandman”
Limp Bizkit “my way”
Korn “coming undone”
Cat Steven “father and son” – “From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen” great motivational song.
Nickelback “animals”
Fort Minor “remember the name”
Linkin Park “numb”
ACDC “TNT”
ACDC “back in black”
Guns&Roses
try “ohio is for lovers” hawthorn heights and “The district sleeps alone tonight” – postal service.
You’ve been told this before -but I have to say again – this list is garbage
My little contribution to a list.
Automatic – Powerman 5000
Bombshell – Powerman 5000
Ready Steady Go – Paul Oakenfold
Becoming Insane – Infected Mushroom
Break on Through – The Doors
Agenda Suicide – The Faint
The Way You Move – Outkast
I swear to God, it’s like you were in my head. With the exception of about ten, is my workout playlist on my iPod.
Hands down best songs to run to.
Im kinda dissapointed my favorite workout song isnt in the list
Bomfunk MC’s Freestyler
anyway I listened to a few songs on youtube, and I wont use them for workout tbh
NO DMX?!?!? Wow. I love Rock n roll but DMX has to be on a workout mix. In addition to that, what about music from NFL Films?
Straight up some of my favorites in no order:
1. Trade yourself in – Shinedown
2.Sold Me – Seether
3. I Wanna Live – Tesla
4. Pleasure – Bang Camaro
5. Night Lies – Bang Camaro
6. Geez Louiz – The Unband
7. The Worm – Audioslave
8. Riot – Three Days Grace
9. Superhuman – Velvet Revolver
10. Because of You – Nickelback
11. Coming Undone – Korn
12. Dragula – Rob Zombie
13. Get Clean – Anarchy Club
14. Tyranny Normality – Papa Roach
15. Wonder What’s Next – Chevelle
16. Till’ I Collapse – EMINEM
17. Undead – Hollywood Undead
18. Stricken – Disturbed
19. Remedy – Seether
20. I Stand Alone – Godsmack
21. Last Resort – Papa Roach
22. Boom – P.O.D (Optional)
If you don’t get pumped listening to this, there is something wrong with you.
The Beast by Tech N9ne
som3e songs to replace the 95% of your choice music that is crappy to workout to.
Black Betty- Spiderbait- this is a cover song obviously very bad ass
enter sandman- metallica
i dissapear
master of puppets
eye of the tiger- survivor
fell in love with a girl- white stripes
iron man- ozzy (who could not have this)
knights of cydonia-muse
la grange- zz top
sharp dressed man
break ya neck- busta rhymes
renegade-styx
rocky mountain way- joe walsh
purple haze- jim hendrix
saturday night special-lynard skynyrd
the stroke- billy squier
everybody wants you
train, train- blackfoot
we are the champions- queen
we will rock you (everybody should have these two songs from queen)
40 oz- D12
Tumult-Stone sour
No one kows -Queens of the stone age
Never gonna find me- the offspring
Cocky- kid rock
forever
Soldier-eminem
criminal
the way i am
welcome to the jungle- guns n’ roses
maybelline-foghat
not a promise of everything godly to workout to but bad ass songs from my playlist. you can call it the powerlifters list.
two greats to work out to are
incubus make yourself
your disease by saliva
if “Walk” and “Cowboys From Hell” by Pantera and don’t pump you up, then you sir, have no soul.
My Generation – The Who
Don’t know if thats been mentioned.
Kanye West – Stronger
Agree with some of the list but some seem to just not do it for me.
It is all down to personal preference, of course, there may of been an even at which at a seriously happy time of your life, a certain song reminds you of this, so everytime you hear this song it triggers adrenaline.
My PE teacher is an ex pro rugby player, played for Great Britain in the 90’s and he had a video made by staff at Great Britain to pump him up before the game. The song in the background of the video, was one he heard when he attended a rugby world cup game in Australia, he said it was one of the best moments in his life, and the song brought back the memory and spurred him on to go out onto the pitch and want to perform. he also told me, (because when he stopped playing he went into managering/coaching that before the match he would use high tempo songs with a small amount of lyrics to pump up his players before a game.
All in all, i just believe it’s down to personal preference.
I have to say, I never expected to see a comment on here mentioning Nile. I love the band – but not to work out to. I have found that Acacia Strain’s album “Continent” is a great one to lift to. Also on my list of albums, Lamb of God’s “New American Gospel” and “Sacrament”, Winds of Plague’s “Decimate the Weak” (also a great album name for the heavy lifting), and as much flak as I’ll get from the death metal crowd here, Job for a Cowboy’s “Doom” and “Genesis” albums.
About the list here – while my workouts are mostly lifting with 10 minute interval training thrown in 3 different places, I don’t really care to switch to “running music”, but if I did, some of these songs would work well for that. It would be pointless to go into which ones at this point, though, because I would be beating a dead horse.
great list…
nara by e.s.posthumous…recently discovered it and man! it’s inspiring!!!
p.s–it’s instrumental
I’ve been folowing this blog for about the past month or so…and making it my browser homepage was the best thing i ever did!!
Screw the haters, I gave this play list a shot, its great for cardio, I do 65 minutes on the elliptical and enjoyed this.
now for lifting, maybe this isn’t the best, but music is personal preference.
Funhouse–The Stooges
Crossfire–Stevie Ray Vaughan
Supernaut–Black Sabbath
School Is Out–Alice Cooper
Move Over-Janis
Murder, Inc–Springsteen
I Want You (She’s So Heavy)–Beatles
I Found Out–John Lennon
Break On Through–Doors
Behind Blue Eyes–Who
Let Me Put My Love Into You–AC/DC
Pretty good list. I will try it out on my next workout. Here is what I have on my ipod. It’s a lot of Drum and Bass, but I use it mainly for running:
X Ray-Sub Focus
Verano-Sub Focus
Valley of Death-Zenon
Slam-Pendulum (great running song)
Serial Thrilla-The Prodigy
Scarecrow-Sub Focus
Pork and Beef-The Coup
Follow the Leader-Eric B. & Rakim
Blowout- The Crystal Method
Bloodmoney-Optical ft. Ed Rush & Matrix
I joined a real boxing gym last year… and it was run by this old, huge, mexican dude…
All he would play while we trained was JOHNNY CASH… it was awesome!
Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythem Of A War Drum by A Perfect Circle……that is the best song to workout to if your asking opinions
It’s a great song list
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