What music keeps you going and going and going asking for another hill to come?

April 17, 2009 9:20 AM

[exhausted-athlete-music-filter] What songs will carry you up any hill?

I am part of a university sports team that is to compete in a one day, 18 leg, relay race over 45 minute distances in running/inline-skating/street-biking and mountain-biking.

I am in the process of pimping our tour bus with a sound system. I hope that music will lift our athletes' up-hill spirits throughout their gigs.

What music keeps you going and going and going asking for another hill to come?

posted by mathiu to sports, hobbies, & recreation (52 comments total)

Diana Ross and The Supremes — Ain't No Mountain High Enough
posted by netbros at 9:25 AM on April 17

Generally I find that all Wolf-Parade-related bands make for good athletic inspiration. When I need to get pumped for a heavy set of squats or deadlifts I like to put on You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son. The new Handsome Furs album is good, too. Also The Hold Steady. I like Stuck Between Stations, but they have lots of tracks with a similar vibe.
posted by ludwig_van at 9:27 AM on April 17 [1 favorite has favorites]

Not exactly and inspiring song, but it has a good beat. Outkast: Bombs over Baghdad.

Also, Jimi Hendrix: Fire.
posted by SheIsMighty at 9:33 AM on April 17 [1 favorite has favorites]

Seriously cheesy, but Eye of the Tiger.
posted by mollymayhem at 9:37 AM on April 17

guru josh project - infinity
posted by freddymetz at 9:37 AM on April 17

Possibly cliched to death: Running Up that Hill.
posted by jessamyn at 9:38 AM on April 17

Iron Maiden - Run to the Hills
Blind Guardian - Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill)

It's because they're awesome, not because the titles are hilly.
posted by valadil at 9:39 AM on April 17

Hmm. I thought the right answer was always "Eye of the Tiger"
posted by Pater Aletheias at 9:41 AM on April 17 [2 favorites has favorites]

Nothing pushes me through the pain better than "The Rip" by A Wilhelm Scream. In fact, I tend to just listen to Wilhelm Scream albums on my longer runs.
posted by General Malaise at 9:44 AM on April 17

Train Kept a-Rollin, as performed by Motorhead.
posted by scratch at 9:45 AM on April 17

Here's some of my exercise playlist:

Let's Get Rocked Def Leppard
Rocket Def Leppard
Personal Jesus Depeche Mode
The Reflex Duran Duran
A View To A Kill Duran Duran
Rio Duran Duran
Hungry Like The Wolf Duran Duran
Girls On Film Duran Duran
Deeper And Deeper (Long Version) The Fixx
Immigrant Song Led Zeppelin
Working For The Weekend Loverboy
The Kid Is Hot Tonite Loverboy
Lovin' Every Minute Of It Loverboy
No One Lives Forever Oingo Boingo
Shock The Monkey Peter Gabriel
Run Like Hell Pink Floyd
1999 Prince
Little Red Corvette Prince
Get on Top Red Hot Chili Peppers
Californication Red Hot Chili Peppers
Higher Ground Red Hot Chili Peppers
Fight Like A Brave Red Hot Chili Peppers
Road To Nowhere Talking Heads
Runnin' Down A Dream Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Ultraviolet (Light My Way) U2
Beautiful Day U2
Elevation U2
Runnin' With The Devil Van Halen
Jump Van Halen
Panama Van Halen
AC_DC Back in Black AC/DC
AC_DC Highway to Hell AC/DC
Rebel Yell Billy Idol
The Distance Cake
Surrender Cheap Trick
Tub Thumper Chumbawamba
Whip It Devo
GNR You Could Be Mine Guns N Roses
U Can't Touch This M.C. Hammer
Enter sandman Metallica
Hella Good No Doubt
Staring At The Sun The Offspring
We Will Rock You Queen
Another One Bites The Dust Queen
Joyride Roxette
Steve McQueen Sheryl Crow
Gonna Fly Now (Theme from "Rocky") Bill Conti
It's My Life Bon Jovi
White Lines (Don't Do It) [Junior Vasquez Mix] Duran Duran
Electric Avenue Eddy Grant
Twilight Zone Golden Earring
Ride the Wind Poison
Sonne (Clawfinger K.O. Remix) Rammstein
Dani California Red Hot Chili Peppers
Life Is a Highway Tom Cochrane
Rain In the Summertime Alarm
Big In Japan (Original) Alphaville
Obsession Animotion
Roam The B-52s
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Wanted Dead or Alive Bon Jovi
Fighter Christina Aguilera
Harder Better Faster Stronger Daft Punk
Lose Yourself Eminem
Bad to the Bone George Thorogood And The Destroyers
Heading Out to the Highway Judas Priest
(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman The Kinks
Rockin' In the Free World Neil Young
Bark At the Moon Ozzy Osbourne
Crazy Train Ozzy Osbourne
Get the Party Started P!nk
Boom P.O.D.
The Rocky Song Remixed Ronald Jenkees
Here I Go Again (Radio Version) Whitesnake
posted by mrt at 9:45 AM on April 17 [4 favorites has favorites]

Manfred Mann's Earth Band: "Runner"
posted by DWRoelands at 9:51 AM on April 17

Chariots of Fire
posted by collocation at 9:51 AM on April 17 [1 favorite has favorites]

I have an ~eight hour 'running' playlist on my iPod with all sorts of things; MeMail me if you'd be at all interested in a condensed version.

Also, try FIQL.
posted by alynnk at 9:57 AM on April 17

DJ mixtapes are usually as well paced for running as dancing. The Outlaws mixtape "We Won't Stop Partying for Anyone" is a good example. It's full of the cheesy radio songs mentioned already, mashed up with techno beats. (Cover art for their mixes are NSFW, careful as you search.)
posted by bendybendy at 10:08 AM on April 17

The answers to this "powersongs" question might be helpful.

I'll stand by my vote for Iggy Pop's "Search and Destroy".
posted by Zonker at 10:16 AM on April 17

Let there be light or Phantom pt. II by Justice. Or anything by Justice.
posted by fire&wings at 10:17 AM on April 17

Hair of the Dog by Nazareth. Seriously. Seeeeeeriously. That song is my mantra at the gym.

that, and Bodies by Drowning Pool.
posted by gwenlister at 10:21 AM on April 17

NERD - Rockstar (Jason Nevins Remix)

Electric Six - Dance Commander

Electric Six - Danger! High Voltage

Scorpions - Rock You Like a Hurricane 2000 (w/ Berlin Philharmonic)
posted by Oktober at 10:26 AM on April 17

Also, I don't know if you have a mac or use itunes, but this app could be awesome for you. You tell it how many beats per minute you want (so what the pace of running you are looking to match) and then it will determine songs in your library that match that. That way you can make playlists that help you keep that pace. Pretty awesome.
posted by gwenlister at 10:29 AM on April 17 [1 favorite has favorites]

I would add:

The Go! Team - "Huddle Formation" and "Junior Kickstart"
Daft Punk - "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger"
Jimmy Eat World - "Pain"

and pretty much any fast-paced 90's punk (e.g. Pennywise, H2O, Ten Foot Pole, etc.)
posted by mehum at 10:33 AM on April 17

Knights of Cydonia by Muse. If it comes up in my gym playlist as I should be winding down, my workout gets extended another 6 minutes or so, just to accommodate the song.
posted by anthom at 10:34 AM on April 17

DJ Steveboy creates podcasts that are at specific beat rates from 130bpm all the way up to 180bpm. Check him out at PodRunner
posted by geekyguy at 10:52 AM on April 17

System of a Down - Toxicity
posted by public at 11:03 AM on April 17 [1 favorite has favorites]

I used Rob Zombie, but Korn has a couple songs that are good for pacing.
posted by small_ruminant at 11:08 AM on April 17

Use. Still use. Not past tense.
posted by small_ruminant at 11:08 AM on April 17

How far we've come- matchbox twenty
So What- Pink
Almost anything by Jay-Z
Going the distance-Cake
Born to Run- Bruce Springsteen
Rudy can't fail- The Clash
What are you waiting for- Gwen Stefani
Flagpole Sitter- Harvy Danger
You can do it- Ice Cube
Stronger- Kanye West
Hand that feeds: Nine inch Nails
Right here right now- fatboy slim
posted by zara at 11:10 AM on April 17

Postal Service - Such Great Heights - the beepboop beat is perfect for long-stride bursts
posted by notsnot at 11:16 AM on April 17

B.O.B. - Outkast
posted by mynameisluka at 11:21 AM on April 17

Black Sabbath
posted by hellboundforcheddar at 11:25 AM on April 17 [1 favorite has favorites]

This song seems to work for the residents of South Park.
posted by polyester.lumberjack at 11:35 AM on April 17

Years ago, I used to go nuts on the Stairmaster to Sugar's "Copper Blue" album. Specifically, the track "Hoover Dam".
posted by davebush at 11:37 AM on April 17

Ugly Ducking - Energy Drink

That's the one I had on deck for the end of my half marathon, and it's the one that pushed me over the finish line.

Otherwise my exercise playlist is full of Rob/White Zombie, Clash, Outkast, Beastie Boys, etc. - anything with a solid enough baseline to keep my feet moving.

Most recently I've had The Chemical Brothers - Left Right in the mix, and that's a good one for keeping me moving (especially the repetitive "left right left right" chant in the background - the feet go with the rhythm!).
posted by caution live frogs at 11:57 AM on April 17

(augh. Duckling, not Ducking.)
posted by caution live frogs at 11:57 AM on April 17

"Car Wash" (workin' at the car wash, yeah!)
posted by AppleSeed at 11:59 AM on April 17

Blood Smells Loud-Northern Light (#12)
The Beast Sleeps Within You-Wumpscut
posted by get off of my cloud at 12:08 PM on April 17

Change - John Waite
In a Big Country - Big Country
Radar Love - Golden Earing
Only the Young - Journey
Ready to Go - Republica
Any way you want it - Journey
Breakout - Foo Fighters
Some like it hot - Powerstation
posted by any major dude at 12:13 PM on April 17

Spawn soundtrack.
posted by coolguymichael at 12:28 PM on April 17

There's a lot out there, but All My Life (Foo Fighters) has got me through some tricky bits of my long runs.
posted by poissonrouge at 1:17 PM on April 17 [1 favorite has favorites]

Don't Stop Me Now and The Show Must Go On by Queen
Spybreak! by Propellorhead
Tubthumping by Chumbawamba (it's way, way less annoying when you're exercising)
posted by Cygnet at 2:58 PM on April 17

Under Pressure - Queen and David Bowie
Light and Day - Polyphonic Spree
Who's Your Daddy - Benny Bernassi (NSFW)

Seconding "I am a Runner" mentioned waaay above. Love that and I'll Believe in Everything.
posted by thatbrunette at 5:31 PM on April 17

99 1/2 by Mavis Staples
All Good - Zeroleen
Straight Ahead (Extended Mix) - Tube & Berger
Don't Stop - Brazilian Girls
Ray of Light - Madonna
Jump - Madonna
Breathe - Telepopmusik
It Doesn't Matter - Wyclef Jean
Trashcan - Delta Spirit
Yiriyaro - Baaba Maal (amazing mad drumming)
Good Days Bad Days - Kaiser Chiefs
Write Me a Few Your Lines/Kokomo Blues - Bonnie Raitt
Scar that Never Heals - Jeremy Fisher
World Turning - Leo Kottke
Beautiful Day - U2
Believe in Me - Sloan
It's Only Rock and Roll (But I like it) - Rolling Stones
Navigating by the Stars at Night - Mike Doughty


and depending how slow you end up going -- Three Little Birds by Bob Marley

Seconding PodRunner too.
posted by nnk at 5:49 PM on April 17

Also

Something to Prove by The Redwood Plan

"pick yourself up, pick yourself up. YA!"

"bring it on, bring it on. Tear it down!"
posted by nnk at 6:40 PM on April 17

Oh and anything Andrew W. K.
posted by thatbrunette at 6:50 PM on April 17

what the guards were chanting on The Wizard of Oz always keeps my feet moving when I'm out of gas... "oh weeee oh. we ooooooh oh" just make the music in your head match your footsteps. and i like Another Body Murdered by booya tribe and faith no more for keeping up the stamina
posted by Redhush at 8:37 PM on April 17

Cliche, but "Sanctuary" by The Cult.
posted by Thistledown at 8:13 AM on April 18

Most Dead or Alive songs.

Pat Benatar, "We Live For Love"?
posted by ostranenie at 8:54 PM on April 18

Some great tunes here that I'd never have thought of! May the hill always be with you!
posted by mathiu at 2:44 AM on April 19

Here is a little something for future generations of MeFites to look for exercise music. There were threads on:

Excercise playlist suggestions?

The Most Awesome Movie Training Songs?

What is your current favorite music
posted by mathiu at 2:48 AM on April 19

(Liquid) drum and bass. specifically, i enjoy the essential mixes (BBC) of High Contrast, London Electricity, etc. Feeding the relevant terms to google can still probably get you links to these.
posted by mezamashii at 6:40 AM on April 19

Also formerly on MeFi: Powersong Ideas
posted by mathiu at 5:02 PM on April 19

Man With No Name. I feel like I could run all day!
posted by ostranenie at 8:29 AM on May 1