What do you guys listen to when you run?
July 17, 2011 9:43 AM   Subscribe

I've been running a lot these days and I'm running out of ideas for my music playlist. What do you guys listen to when you run? Need ideas and inspiration. Thanks!
posted by ericteoh to Health & Fitness (20 answers total) 27 users marked this as a favorite
 
Way more info needed! What are your general musical preferences? What have you been listening to that you're not apparently burned out on? Are you looking for a particular energy level or tempo? A 2 hour playlist, or a 20 minute one? Etc.
posted by saladin at 9:45 AM on July 17, 2011


This question has been asked before.
posted by purpleclover at 10:00 AM on July 17, 2011 [6 favorites]


Congolese Sokous and Nigerian Juju. '70s - '80s. Very energetic and feel-good but perhaps more subtle than most such music. Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey from Nigeria and Pamelo Mounk'a from Congo.

Then I like to know a few good mixtape blogs. Keeps things fresh. Here's one I currently favor, Sýrður Rjómi / Sour Cream.
posted by krilli at 10:12 AM on July 17, 2011


Kraftwerk: Tour de France.
posted by Runes at 11:20 AM on July 17, 2011


I like fast paced mash ups such as Girl Talk, E-603, and The Hood Internet. They tend to have a good beat for running and familiar hooks that pass by quickly enough that they don't become monotonous.
posted by telegraph at 11:39 AM on July 17, 2011


The new Britney Spears album (Femme Fatale) is the best album I've ever run to. I keep trying to convince people to let me burn it for them and nobody will take me up on it. But seriously. Fantastic.
posted by something something at 11:48 AM on July 17, 2011 [2 favorites]


If you're a Podrunner person (I love the Podrunner playlists but they're not for people who don't like house), the new Podrunner app has an in-app purchase option to change a mix's BPM to suit.

krilli, nice to see someone else runs to soukous!
posted by catlet at 12:52 PM on July 17, 2011 [1 favorite]


First Blue Man Group album.
Adam Ant / XTC / Barenaked Ladies
Devo (middle era)
Booker T and the MGs.
X: Under the Big Black Sun / More Fun in the New World
posted by Mr. Justice at 1:08 PM on July 17, 2011


Nothing beats early DMX.
posted by milarepa at 1:56 PM on July 17, 2011


You might want to find some software that will analyze your music (whatever music you choose) and look for songs who's bpm syncs with the cadence you want to run at.
posted by Carlo at 2:13 PM on July 17, 2011


That is to say... the cadence at which you would like to run.
posted by Carlo at 2:14 PM on July 17, 2011


Stephan Bodzin, Liebe Ist
posted by Sebmojo at 2:40 PM on July 17, 2011


I need to find new stuff, but I like running to Passion Pit, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, Cyndi Lauper, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga and Frightened Rabbit, among others. Also, the music blog Said the Gramophone (should I add by mefi's own?) put up a really sweet mix called songs for dancing that's available for download for free if you scroll down on the page a little and read about the gifts they gave donors in previous years. I hesitate to link the download directly, since it seems kind of like an easter egg in the post.

Also, I really like this song because I love running to stuff that makes me feel cool in the same way that i secretly want to execute the "tilt sunglasses down, point index finger at person with smirk" 80's move that can only be executed in private.
posted by ajarbaday at 2:56 PM on July 17, 2011


Western Classical music can be complex at times.
posted by ovvl at 5:26 PM on July 17, 2011


Sent Girl Talk's Feed The Animals to a friend and she said it was perfect for workouts, so seconding telegraph.
posted by maryr at 6:13 PM on July 17, 2011


this might be a little counterintuitive, but my husband mentioned that he was listening to his ipod on shuffle at the gym the other day and a longish piece of chamber music came on. he said that once he let himself get into the music, he really enjoyed it. he doens't think he ran slower than usual, and it was an opportunity to give it a close listen all the way through, which is not something one normally gets a chance to do these days. (when do you have 20 minutes to just listen to music without driving, cooking, folding laundry, etc?) it's not his normal choice of music but he said he wasn't watching the clock at all. i plan to try that next time, too.
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:27 PM on July 17, 2011 [1 favorite]


Take a look at Jog.fm. (I walk.)
posted by onegoodthing at 6:25 AM on July 18, 2011


Old school hip hop has the right beat for me. Lots of great mixes at the Rub's History of Hip Hop.
posted by caddis at 7:52 AM on July 18, 2011


A general recommendation for Steady130.

Their 80s mix is clutch.
posted by schmod at 11:10 AM on July 18, 2011


Talk Talk's Laughing Stock is the greatest running album ever.
posted by ianK at 11:15 PM on July 22, 2011


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