Powerlifting Pop Playlist help

May 7, 2021 8:37 AM

Want to put together a playlist for my trainer. He used to compete in aerobics in the eighties, kneehigh white socks and all. He dismays at the powerlifting playlists that are all dubstep dudebro hardcore music.

I want to put together a playlist he can pick from that's good for heavy sets of low reps. Upbeat pop, doesn't have to be eighties per se, but eighties energy. I'm gonna also be throwing in some Erasure, Eurythmics, A-Ha, but also Pink, some Florence maybe, etc. What might appeal both to the above trainer to the more mixed group taking part? Is there a magic bpm?
Not really looking for metal/rock, there's good playlists for that available.
Hit me with your best tracks!

posted by J.R. Hartley to Health & Fitness (13 answers total)

Obviously, "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 9:10 AM on May 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Depeche Mode, surely? "Personal Jesus" is a workout favorite here.
posted by praemunire at 9:11 AM on May 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

In a Big Country, Big Country
posted by Glinn at 9:12 AM on May 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

Oh, and Blondie's "Call Me."
posted by praemunire at 9:12 AM on May 7, 2021 [2 favorites]

Synthwave is all about that 80's energy, and a large chunk of it is inspired by aerobics music of the time. There are many workout playlists available.
posted by subocoyne at 9:32 AM on May 7, 2021

electronic, but not dudebro:

R3HAB - Ones You Miss
R3HAB - All Around the World
Slagsmålsklubben - Sponsored by destiny (the video on this is also great)
The Prodigy - Voodoo People (Pendulum Remix)
Scandroid - The Force Theme
posted by Dr. Twist at 10:22 AM on May 7, 2021

Your trainer may enjoy this playlist on Spotify: Get a move on!
posted by guzzalina at 11:12 AM on May 7, 2021

Best answer: My homemade workout mixes tend to be 125-135 bpm, if that's helpful.
posted by guzzalina at 11:13 AM on May 7, 2021

Best answer: ::perks ears:: Did someone say power(lifting) pop?

Bronski Beat, Small Town Boy (and Why? and I Feel Love, though they have less of the perfect BPM than STB)
Rockpile, When I Write the Book (Teacher, Teacher is the perfect BPM except it has not aged well and can only really be listened to as "don't pay attention to lyrics")
Dave Edmunds, Girls Talk and maybe I Hear You Knocking
Nick Lowe, Cruel to Be Kind
Adam Ant, Goody Two Shoes
The Pixies, Here Comes Your Man
XTC- Mayor of Simpleton

Okay, that's just a few off the top of my head. Power pop was my life back then, so if you want more, I'm happy to come back with a ton of others, including more recent tracks with the same energy.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:35 AM on May 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Daft Punk —  Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
posted by 1970s Antihero at 11:43 AM on May 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: someone made this 300+ song spotify playlist of late 70s/early 80s stuff that brings me back to 1980's roller rinks. i use it for pretty much every workout i do these days. (it gets weird at the end, but i usually never make it beyond the first 50-60 songs anyway)
posted by noloveforned at 7:42 PM on May 7, 2021

Best answer: For me personally I like my lifting music to be insanely catchy and have an and emphatic and frequently repeated hook. Some of my poppy faves are

Faith by George Michael (has kind of a long intro that I use for setting up)
The Ghostbusters theme
Smooth Criminal
Walking on Sunshine
There’s some decent Disney music also if that’s in scope (I’ll make a man out of you, of course, but also a bunch of stuff from the moana soundtrack is on my lifting playlist)
posted by phoenixy at 11:11 PM on May 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

Prince Rama's 'Bahia' (and the entire Xtreme Now album) has a fantastic upbeat poppy retro vibe while being very deeply weird and wild at the same time. The energy has always reminded me of an 8-bit image of a palm tree with sunglasses on, just bopping around. The vid is even set in a gym!
posted by FatherDagon at 7:26 PM on May 14, 2021