Whether you’re returning to running after injury recovery or taking up running for the first time, a killer running playlist can make your training miles a lot more fun. It may even help you run faster. While you may think of the best running songs as the catchiest, upbeat tempo tunes, there’s actually a bit of science behind what makes a good running song.
Many runners, myself included, like to sync their strides with a song’s BPM (beats per minute) to help them stay at a good running pace — or even run faster. A 2022 study out of Spain found that runners who listened to music at a 10% higher tempo than their natural running cadence actually ran faster after six weeks of training.
A runner’s natural steps per minute generally range from 165 to 180, depending on stride, speed, and fitness level. You can find yours by counting your steps as you run for 60 seconds, or check your running watch which often tells you. Based on that number, your ideal BPM will be at or just faster than your cadence. But songs at a slower BPM with a good beat can also be great for slower types of running from light jogging, walking, warming up, cooling down, or other cardio workouts. (If you want your playlist to perfectly match your cadence, you can check a song’s BPM on Song BPM.)
Along with the perfect running shoes and a great training plan, your playlist actually may be the thing that helps you cross the finish line faster. Good running music is somewhat subjective. But with BPM in mind, we’ve sourced (with some help from Reddit) the 50 best running songs that everyone will enjoy. Queue these up on Spotify for your next run, or curate your own playlist with some of our suggestions.
At the end of the day, the songs that get you most excited to go out and start running will be the best for you, whether hip-hop or podcasts.
1. Higher Love – Whitney Houston
BPM: 205
2. Lose Yourself – Eminem
BPM: 171
3. Queens of the Stone Age – No One Knows
BPM: 171
4. Pump It – Black Eyed Peas
BPM: 154
5. Shake It Off – Taylor Swift
BPM: 160
6. The Champion – Carrie Underwood, Ludacris
BPM: 182
7. Glorious (feat. Sklyar Grey) – Macklemore, Skylar Grey
BPM: 140
8. California Gurls – Katy Perry
BPM: 125
9. ‘Till I Collapse – Eminem, Nate Dogg
BPM: 171
10. Fighter – Christina Aguilera
BPM: 189
11. I Don’t Wanna Be An A**hole Anymore – The Menzingers
BPM: 160
12. Go Hard or Go Home – Wiz Khalifa, Iggy Azalea
BPM: 168
13. Jump – Van Halen
BPM: 130
14. I’m Shipping Up To Boston – Dropkick Murphys
BPM: 129
15. We Own It (Fast & Furious) – 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa
BPM: 172
16. Waterloo – ABBA
BPM: 148
17. My Life Would Suck Without You – Kelly Clarkson
BPM: 145
18. Run the World (Girls) – Beyonce
BPM: 127
19. The Greatest – Sia, Kendrick Lamar
BPM: 192
20. Energy – Drake
BPM: 172
21. How Bad Do You Want It (Oh Yeah) – Sevyn Streeter
BPM: 140
22. Ready to Go – Republica
BPM: 130
23. Dog Days Are Over – Florence + The Machine
BPM: 150
24. We’re Not Gonna Take It – Twisted Sister
BPM: 149
25. Work B**ch – Britney Spears
BPM: 128
26. Jefe – Boombox Cartel
BPM: 150
27. MIC Drop (feat. Desiigner) [Steve Aoki Remix] – BTS, Desiigner, Steve Aoki
BPM: 170
28. Ghost – Justin Bieber
BPM: 154
29. Time Bomb – Rancid
BPM: 165
30. Bad (feat. Vassy) – David Guetta, Showtek, Vassy
BPM: 128
31. Fight Song – Rachel Platten
BPM: 176
32. Brave – Sara Bareilles
BPM: 185
33. Fire N Gold – Bea Miller
BPM: 144
34. All I Do Is Win – DJ Khaled
BPM: 150
35. Let’s Go Crazy – Prince
BPM: 196
36. Headstrong – Trapt
BPM: 185
37. The Phoenix – Fall Out Boy
BPM: 138
38. Party Hard – Andrew W.K.
BPM: 162
39. Helena – My Chemical Romance
BPM: 126
40. Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
BPM: 156
41. Paper planes – MIA
BPM: 172
42. Dashboard – Modest Mouse
BPM: 136
43. Sandstorm – Darude
BPM: 136
44. Kickstart My Heart – Mötley Crüe
BPM: 179
45. Thunderstruck – AC/DC
BPM: 134
46. Dancing With Myself – Billy Idol
BPM: 177
47. Runnin’ Down a Dream – Tom Petty
BPM: 170
48. Drunken Lullabies – Flogging Molly
BPM: 156
49. Mr. Brightside – The Killers
BPM: 148
50. Survival – Muse
BPM: 164
