Best Workout Songs

Listening to workout songs is a great way to stay motivated and on track with your fitness goals. 

People have been listening to music while working out for decades so it’s not a novel thing no one has ever heard of.

However, did you know that there are specific kinds of music that affect your exercise pace and mood?

I have a huge library of songs but there are specific songs I want to hear when I’m writing, which I don’t want to hear when I’m working out.

There are even songs I prefer to listen to when I’m going through the horror of grocery shopping.

Why? Because it makes the time go by much faster. Listening to music distracts me from the annoyance of grocery shopping.

Related Content: Reach Your Fitness Goals Faster With These 17 Tips

Best reasons to listen to music while working out

Does Music Affect Your Exercise?

Studies have shown that listening to specific kinds of music while working out can help get the best results out of your program.

In addition to getting these best results, some other benefits of listening to music while working out include:-

Workout Songs Motivate You

If you’ve ever watched the original Rocky, then you’ve heard “Eye of the Tiger”. There’s something about that song that makes me want to run up all those stairs with Stallone.

The song just makes me want to get up and conquer stuff. That is how powerful listening to the right kind of songs while working out can be.

It reminds you of your goals and motivates you to keep going for that last repetition which moves you closer to the body you want.

Workout Songs Gets You in the Right Mindset

There are times I wake up and I just really, really don’t want to work out. I don’t want to jump, do the electric slide or the Macarena or lift anything.

I just want to lie down and be a bum but I force myself out of bed, get into my work out clothes in a slump and turn on my video.

No matter how sluggish I feel though, once the music comes on, my mind goes into the fitness zone and I get bumped out of my reverie, ready to go.

Being zonked into that mindset is very effective in getting into the workout for the morning.

It can have the same effect if you have to work out in the evening after the office.

What Music is Best for Workouts?

This really depends on the kind of workout and your taste but usually, songs between 120 and 140 beats per minute (bpm) have the best effect on an exerciser.

So what kinds of songs would fit into this category?

What Are the Best Workout Songs?

Below are 50 of the best and most popular workout music with songs that go as far back as the 60s. Quite a few of them are on my playlist too:

  1. Ain’t Your Mama – Jennifer Lopez
  2. Bank Account – 21 Savage
  3. Believer – Imagine Dragons
  4. Black Dog – Led Zeppelin
  5. Blood on the Dancefloor – Michael Jackson
  6. Butterfly Effect – Travis Scott
  7. That’s What I Like – Bruno Mars
  8. California Love – D. Dre and Tupac Shakur
  9. Despacito – Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi
  10. Don’t You Need Somebody – RedOne ft Enrique Iglesias, Shaggy, R. City, Serayah & McNeill
  11. Enter Sandman – Metallica
  12. Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
  13. Fade – Kanye West
  14. Feels – Calvin Harris
  15. Hideaway – Kiesza
  16. Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) – C+C Music Factory
  17. Hey Ya! – Outkast
  18. I’ve been here all night – Ariana Grande ft Nicky Minaj
  19. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) – John Lennon
  20. It Takes Two – Rob Base and D.J. EZ Rock
  21. I Go to Work – Kool Moe Dee
  22. Jump Around – House of Pain
  23. King Kunta – Kendrick Lamar
  24. King of Rock – Run DMC
  25. Lose Control – Missy Elliott
  26. Lose Yourself – Eminem
  27. Numb – Linkin Park
  28. Paper Planes – M.I.A
  29. Piece of My Heart – Janis Joplin
  30. Policeman – Eva Simons ft Konshens
  31. Pump up the Jam – Technotronic
  32. Push It – Salt-N-Pepa
  33. Radioactive – Imagine Dragons
  34. Ruff Ryders Anthem – DMX
  35. Shake It Off – Taylor Swift
  36. Single Ladies – Beyonce
  37. Stand Up – Right Said Fred
  38. Staying Alive – The Bee Gees
  39. Swang – Rae Sremmurd
  40. Surfin – Kid Cudi ft. Pharrell Williams
  41. Taki Taki – DJ Snake ft Selena Gomez, Card B and Ozuna
  42. Time 4 Sum Aksion – Redman
  43. Uptown Funk – Bruno Mars
  44. Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
  45. We Didn’t Start the Fire – Billy Joel
  46. We Will Rock You – Queen 
  47. Welcome To The Jungle – Guns N’ Roses 
  48. Wavin Flag – K’Naan
  49. Work It – Missy Elliott
  50. You Don’t Know Me – Jax Jones and RAYE

50 best workout songs for every type of exercise

You can get unlimited access to all the songs on this list and over 50 million more songs on Amazon Music.

Taste in music from person to person can vary wildly though so if you don’t fancy anything on this list, feel free to put together your own playlist.

As long as your playlist matches the rhythm of your movements and keeps you going, you’re good to go.

Get Amazon Music Unlimited for Free

Try Amazon Music Unlimited for free for 30 days HERE.

What is the Best Music Player for Working Out?

MP3 Earbuds

Earbuds with an mp3 player built into them can be very effective. You don’t have to strap anything to your arm and there are no cords.

Some great earbuds that fit the bill for this include Sony Walkman Wearable MP3 Player or Ralyin MP3 Music Player Sport Wireless Headphones.

Sony Walkman Wearable MP3 Player

Sony Walkman Wearable MP3 Player

Ralyin MP3 Music Player Sport Wireless Headphones

Ralyin MP3 Music Player Sport Wireless Headphones

Apple Watch

An Apple watch can be paired with a nice set of Bluetooth headphones, which allows you to listen to your playlist while working out.

Apple Watch Series 3

Apple fans insist this is the best smartwatch on the market. Apple Watch Series 3 seems to be a very popular model.

For Bluetooth headphones, try Plantronics BackBeat Fit Bluetooth Headphones or AfterShokz Trekz Air Headphones.Plantronics BackBeat Fit Bluetooth Headphones

Plantronics BackBeat Fit Bluetooth Headphones

AfterShokz Trekz Air headphones

AfterShokz Trekz Air headphones

Amazon Echo

If you using home workout programs, you don’t really need to listen to your music because the workouts already have fantastic music.

Amazon Echo

If you still want a bit of your own background music anyway for quieter workouts, check out Amazon’s Smart Speaker with Alexa.

What are your best workout songs? Share in the comments section and I’ll add it to the list.

References

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