Well, everyone’s exercise playlist is different, and here’s mine. There is much on here that’s not really at a great exercise tempo. I’ve finally decided that there must be two things going on: I pick songs based on karma, and in many cases these songs go back to when I was younger – and faster!
A-Ha – Take On Me
A-Ha – Living A Boy’s Adventure Tale
A-Ha – The Sun Always Shines On T.V.
A-Ha – Here I Stand And Face The Rain
After Hours Community Band – Forge of Vulcan
The Alan Parsons Project – Some Other Time
The Alan Parsons Project – Prime Time
The Alan Parsons Project – Don’t Answer Me
Aliotta, Haynes & Jeremiah – Lake Shore Drive
Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe – Brother Of Mine – I) The Big Dream, II) Nothing Can Come Between Us, III) Long Lost Brother Of Mine
Jon Anderson – For You For Me
Jon Anderson – Everybody Loves You
Jon Anderson – Olympia
The Apartments – The Shyest Time
Aphrodite’s Child – Aegian Sea
Asia – The Heat Goes On
Asia – Eye To Eye
Asia – Heat Of The Moment
Asia – Wildest Dreams
Asia – Cutting It Fine
Asia – Go
Klaus Badelt – The Medallion Calls
Klaus Badelt – He’s A Pirate
Banks, Tony – This Is Love
Banks, Tony – Man Of Spells
Banks, Tony – Thirty Three’s
Banks, Tony – Charm
Beach Boys, The – Good Vibrations
Big Country – In a Big Country (Radio)
Nikki Blonsky – Good Morning Baltimore
Nikki Blonsky – I Can Hear The Bells
Blood, Sweat & Tears – Lucretia MacEvil
Blue Man Group – Above
Blue Man Group & Tracy Bonham – Up to the Roof
Blue Man Group, Tracy Bonham & Rob Swift – I Feel Love
Blue Öyster Cult – (Don’t Fear) The Reaper
Tracy Bonham – Shine
Boston – Peace of Mind
Boston – Foreplay/Long Time
Bowie, David – Changes
Bowie, David – Rebel Rebel
Bowie, David – Golden Years
The Buggles – Adventures in Modern Recording
The Buggles – I Am a Camera
The Buggles – Rainbow Warrior
The Buggles – Living in the Plastic Age
The Buggles – Video Killed the Radio-star
The Buggles – Kid Dynamo
The Buggles – I Miss You (Miss Robot)
The Buggles – Clean Clean
The Buggles – Elstree
The Buggles – Johnny on the Monorail
The Byrds – Mr. Tambourine Man
The Byrds – I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better
The Byrds – The Bells of Rhymney
The Byrds – Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)
The Byrds – All I Really Want to Do
The Byrds – Chimes of Freedom
The Byrds – Eight Miles High
Camper Van Beethoven – Pictures Of Matchstick Men
Chase – Open Up Wide
Chase – Get It On
Chicago – 25 Or 6 To 4
Chilliwack – Fly At Night
Cleveland Symphonic Winds; Frederick Fennell, cond. – Commando March
Coldplay – Clocks
Cranberries, The – Linger
Cream – Badge
Crosby, Stills & Nash – Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
Dallas Wind Symphony – Little Suite #1- Rondo
Deep Purple – Hush
Derek & The Dominos – Layla
Neil Diamond – Solitary Man
Disney – Sanctuary! (Hunchback of Notre Dame Score)
Disney – Honor To Us All (Mulan Score)
Disney – I’ll Make A Man Out Of You (Mulan Score)
Disney – I Won’t Say (I’m In Love) (Hercules Score)
Dolby, Thomas – She Blinded Me With Science
Dolby, Thomas – Flying North
Dolby, Thomas – Europa And The Pirate Twins
Dolby, Thomas – One Of Our Submarines
The Doobie Brothers – Long Train Runnin’
The Doobie Brothers – Listen to the Music
The Doobie Brothers – Black Water
The Doobie Brothers – It Keeps You Runnin’
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Changing States
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – The Enemy God
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – The Barbarian
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tank
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Lucky Man
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Lucky Man
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Fire
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tank
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Hoedown
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tarkus (Conclusion)/Take a Pebble
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Abaddon’s Bolero
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tank
Emerson, Lake And Powell – Touch And Go
Enya – Caribbean Blue
Enya – Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)
Ethos – Intrepid Traveler
Ethos – The Spirit Of Music
Ethos – Long Dancer
Eurythmics – Here Comes The Rain Again
Fixx – The One Thing Leads To Another
Fixx – The Red Skies
Fixx – The Stand Or Fall ( Live )
Fleetwood Mac – Tusk
A Flock of Seagulls – Wishing (I Had A Photograph Of You)
Focus – Sylvia
Focus – House of the King
Focus – Hocus Pocus (Reprise)
Focus – Hocus Pocus
John Fogerty – Rock And Roll Girls
Furniture – Brilliant Mind
Peter Gabriel – Solsbury Hill
Peter Gabriel – Games Without Frontiers
Peter Gabriel – Shock The Monkey
Peter Gabriel – Biko
Genesis – Follow You Follow Me
Genesis – Turn It On Again
Genesis – Watcher of the Skies (New Stereo Mix)
Genesis – Abacab
Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Genesis – Squonk (Live)
Genesis – The Carpet Crawl (Live)
Genesis – Robbery, Assault and Battery (Live)
Genesis – Afterglow (Live)
Genesis – Firth of Fifth (Live)
Genesis – I Know What I Like (Live)
Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (Live)
Genesis – The Musical Box (Closing Section) [Live]
Genesis – Cinema Show (Live)
Genesis – Dance On a Volcano (Live)
Genesis – Los Endos (Live)
Genesis – Turn It On Again (Live)
Genesis – Abacab (Live)
Genesis – Afterglow (Live)
Genesis – One for the Vine (Live)
Genesis – Fountain of Salmacis (Live)
Genesis – Dance On A Volcano
Genesis – Squonk
Genesis – A Trick Of The Tail
Genesis – One For The Vine
Giovannini, Caesar – Jubilance – An Overture
Glass, Philip – Opening
Glass, Philip – Closing
Grateful Dead – Touch Of Grey
Grey, Barry – stingrayTitles
Grey, Barry – zerog (Fireball XL-5 opening titles)
Grimethorpe Colliery Band – Floral Dance
GTR – When The Heart Rules The Mind
GTR – Imagining
Guthrie, Arlo – City Of New Orleans
Haslam, Annie – Moonlight Shadow
Havermanns, Cyril – The Humpbacked Flute Player
Heart – Crazy On You
The Hollies – Bus Stop
The Hollies – Carrie-Anne
The Hollies – Stop, Stop, Stop
The Hollies – Look Through Any Window
The Hollies – Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress
Howe, Steve – Pleasure Stole The Night
Howe, Steve – Running The Human Race
Intergalactic Touring Band – Heartbreaker
The J Geils Band – Centerfold
The J Geils Band – Freeze-Frame
The J Geils Band – Love Stinks
James Gang – Bomber: Closet Queen/Bolero/Cast Your Fate to the Wind
Jefferson Airplane – Somebody To Love
Jethro Tull – Living In The Past
Jimi Hendrix – Purple Haze
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – All Along the Watchtower
Jobson, Eddie/Zinc – Green Face
Jobson, Eddie/Zinc – Listen to Reason
Jon and Vangelis – Friends of Mr. Cairo, The
Michael Kamen – From The Earth To The Moon Main Theme
Michael Kamen – From The Earth To The Moon End Theme
Kansas – Relentless
Kansas – Got to Rock On
Kansas – Belexes
Kansas – Journey From Mariabronn
Kansas – The Wall
Kansas – Questions of My Childhood
Kansas – Cheyenne Anthem
Kansas – People of the South Wind
Kansas – Song For America
Kansas – Musicatto
King Crimson – 21st Century Schizoid Man Including Mirrors
King Crimson – The Court Of The Crimson King Including The Return Of The Fire Witch And The Dance Of The Puppets
Erich Kunzel & Cincinnati Pops Orchestra – Music from ‘The Right Stuff’
Erich Kunzel & Cincinnati Pops Orchestra – Star Trek: Main Theme (The Movie)
Greg Lake – Nuclear Attack
Greg Lake – Retribution Drive
David Lanz – Vesuvius
David Lanz – Dancing On The (Berlin) Wall
David Lanz – Dark Horse
David Lanz – Firedance
David Lanz – Tuesday Afternoon
Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song
Led Zeppelin – Rock & Roll
Led Zeppelin – Four Sticks
Led Zeppelin – Going To California
Led Zeppelin – Kashmir
Kerry Livgren AD – Beyond the Pale
Kerry Livgren AD – Slow Motion Suicide
London Wind Orchestra / Holst – Suite No. 1 in E flat major – III – March
London Wind Orchestra / Vaughan Williams – Toccata Marziale for military band
Mannheim Steamroller – Going To Another Place
Mannheim Steamroller – Mere Image
Mannheim Steamroller – The Cricket
Mannheim Steamroller – Midnight On A Full Moon
Mannheim Steamroller – Four Rows Of Jacks
Mannheim Steamroller – Come Home To The Sea
March Violets – Turn To The Sky
Don McLean – American Pie
Men Without Hats – The Safety Dance
Men Without Hats – Eurotheme
Men Without Hats – Folk of the 80’s
Men Without Hats – Pop Goes The World
Sergio Mendez & Brazil ’66 – Mas Que Nada
Mo’Rockin – Omrienti
Mo’Rockin – Desert Rose
The Moody Blues – The Voice
The Moody Blues – Painted Smile/Reflective Smile/Veteran Cosmic Rocker
The Moody Blues – Steppin’ In A Slide Zone
The Moody Blues – I’ll Be Level With You
Moody Blues, The – Go Now
Moody Blues, The – Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon)
Moody Blues, The – I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)
Moody Blues, The – Forever Autumn
Moody Blues, The – Your Wildest Dreams
Moody Blues, The – I Know Your Out There Somewhere
Moody Blues, The – Lunch Break: Peak Hour
Moody Blues, The – Evening: The Sun Set : Twilight Time
Moody Blues, The – The Story In Your Eyes
Moody Blues, The – Visions Of Paradise
Moody Blues, The – Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon)
Moody Blues, The – For My Lady
Moody Blues, The – Nights in White Satin
Moody Blues, The – Legend of a Mind
Moody Blues, The – Veteran Cosmic Rocker
Nazz – Forget All About It
Nice – Diamond Hard Blue Apples of the Moon
Nice – My Back Pages
Nice – Hang On To A Dream
Nice – Rondo ’69
Oldfield, Mike – Punkadiddle
Oldfield, Mike – To France
Oldfield, Mike – Family Man
Oldfield, Mike – Let There Be Light
Osbourne, Ozzy – Iron Man
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Electricity
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Enola Gay
Premiata Forneria Marconi – Celebration-World Became the World
Procol Harum – Conquistador
R.E.M. – The One I Love
R.E.M. – Fall On Me
Renaissance – Can You Understand
Renaissance – Ashes Are Burning
Renaissance – Touching Once(Is So Hard To Keep)
Renaissance – Opening Out
Renaissance – Can You Hear Me?
Renaissance – Opening Out
Renaissance – Northern Lights
REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You
Richard Rodgers – Song Of The High Seas
Romantics, The – Talking In Your Sleep
Kevin Rowland & Dexys Midnight Runners – Come On Eileen
Rundgren, Todd – Hello It’s Me
Rundgren, Todd – I Saw The Light
Rundgren, Todd – Bang On The Drum All Day
Rush – Fly By Night
Rush – 2112: Overture / The Temples of Syrinx (Chronicles Version)
Rush – The Spirit of Radio
Rush – Freewill
Rush – Limelight
Rush – Tom Sawyer
Scottish National Orchestra / Neeme Järvi – Festive Overture Op. 96
Shooting Star – Last Chance
Simon & Garfunkel – Mrs. Robinson
Simon & Garfunkel – The Boxer
Simon & Garfunkel – I Am A Rock
Smith, Claude T. – Intrada: Adoration & Praise
Steppenwolf – Sparkle Eyes
Cat Stevens – Peace Train
The Strawbs – Lay Down
Strawbs – Hero and Heroine
Styx – Crystal Ball
Styx – Mr. Roboto
Styx – Man Of Miracles
Styx – Sing for the Day
Styx – Lady ’95
Supertramp – The Logical Song
Supertramp – Goodbye Stranger
Supertramp – Breakfast in America
Supertramp – Child of Vision
Supertramp – School
Supertramp – Hide in Your Shell
Supertramp – Dreamer
Supertramp – Sister Moonshine
Supertramp – A Soapbox Opera
Supertramp – Give A Little Bit
Supertramp – Babaji
Supertramp – Fool’s Overture
Supertramp – Crazy
Supertramp – It’s Raining Again
Surfaris – Wipeout
Toon Tunes– Jonny Quest
Toto – Rosanna
Toto – Africa
Pete Townshend – And I Moved
Townshend, Pete – Overture (Tommy)
Townshend, Pete – See Me, Feel Me/Listening To You (Reprise)
The Tubes – She’s A Beauty
U2 – Pride (In The Name Of Love)
U2 – New Year’s Day
UK – Nothing to Lose
Utopia – You Make Me Crazy
Utopia – Caravan
Utopia – Feet Don’t Fail Me Now
Vega, Suzanne – Luka
Virginia Wind Symphony – Rhythm of the Winds
Wakeman, Rick – Going For The One
Wakeman, Rick – Siberian Khatru
The Who – I Can See For Miles
The Who – Athena
The Who – Eminence Front
The Who – The Kids Are Alright
The Who – Love Reign O’er Me
The Who – Baba O’Riley (Remixed Version)
The Who – Bargain
The Who – Going Mobile
The Who – Behind Blue Eyes
John Williams – The Time Tunnel – Main Title
Mason Williams And Mannheim Steamroller – Classical Gas
Mason Williams And Mannheim Steamroller – Vancouver Island
Mason Williams And Mannheim Steamroller – Baroque-A-Nova
Yes – Shoot High Aim Low
Yes – Tempus Fugit (Tracking Session)
Yes – Dancing Through the Light
Yes – Siberian Khatru
Yes – Roundabout
Yes – Going For The One
Yes – Awaken
Yes – No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed
Yes – The Prophet
Yes – Astral Traveller
Yes – Dear Father
Yes – Future Times / Rejoice
Yes – I’ve Seen All Good People
Yes – Parallels
Yes – Owner Of A Lonely Heart
Yes – Changes
Yes – Cinema
Young, Neil – Cinnamon Girl
Young, Neil – Hey, Hey, My My (Into the Black)
Zebra – Tell Me What You Want
Zebra – Who’s Behind the Door
The Zombies – Time Of The Season
10,000 Maniacs – Candy Everybody Wants
I realize this is one of your older post, I just started working out and my playlist is not very motivating. Whats your top 5 suggestions?? I m not really into rap or electronic. I m southern so I prefer country music but clearly most of that genre is not something that makes you want to run 5 miles lol
Sorry for the delay ( I seem to say that a lot).
I understand exactly what you’re saying! I noted that a lot of the music on my playlist isn’t really stuff that has a rhythm or pulse that has that “perfect 180 beats per minute for running”, in fact far from it. I think it’s a very individual thing. In my case, I discovered that, subconsciously, a lot of my exercise music was stuff from my much younger years (back when any music would have been carried in your head), and it simply reminded me of when I was fast!
I think that, no matter what you pick, it simply has to be something you like. Or, at least, that works for what you are doing at the time – and yes, I think I just contradicted myself here. I remember that I absolutely hated disco back in the ’70’s (well, still do, actually). But something occurred to me was that disco is great – WHEN YOU’RE IN A DISCO! So maybe you just give some of the “run pacing stuff” a try. Otherwise, if I were you I would country away!
Unfortunately, I’m afraid I can’t help much on the “run pacing stuff”. In fact, I am generally listening to music while running a bit less now, or at least not one hundred percent of the time. It’s not a sad thing although it sounds that way. There are a couple for reasons. One is that you are not allowed to listen to music during triathlon, so as I raced more I got used to that. Of course “race day” is different and you don’t miss it like you might think you would! Also, some of my workouts have segments (do something for 30 seconds, something else for 15, repeat 30 times) and I program those on my watch and need to hear it beep at me (the beep does a countdown but the vibration doesn’t).
Sorry I’m not much help there, but thanks for an interesting question. Best of luck!