Songs of which you can jog to the beat

Cafe Society
1

I need more songs in my jogging playlist. What songs do you recommend?

I HAVE to be able to jog to the beat. A lot of songs that seem upbeat and motivational are actually too slow to jog to the beat and too fast if you try to jog to the half-beat. I’ve found plenty of slow songs that I can half the beat and still be in time. Any one else find it frustrating to go jogging to a song when you can’t keep the beat?

Bonus points for those who can provide songs that don’t have that kick-snare-kick-snare beat ----I hate that beat—especially when the snare is explosive---- dum - CHOCK - dum - CHOCK - dum - CHOCK ----but sometimes it’s the best you can get.
Here’s a sample of what I currently have

Drift Away - Dobie Gray
Bloody Mary - Five for Fighting
Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day
Alright - Five for Fighting
Holiday - Green Day
Save the Last Dance for Me - ?
When the Night Comes - Joe Cocker
Come Dancing - The Kinks
Return to Innocence - Enigma
Iris - GooGoo Dolls
Wooden Jesus - Temple of the Dog
World Before Columbus - Suzanne Vega
. . .
Mystery - Indigo Girls
Shame on You - Indigo Girls
Gone Again - Indigo Girls
Journey Men - Jethro Tull

2

Are You Going With Me? – Pat Metheny Group. Travels album for the version I used.

3

Well, part of it will depend on how fast you actually run/jog. Someone who jogs at a 10 minute/mile pace will have a different tempo compared to someone more at a 13 minute/mile pace.

4

I agree, but I have some leeway with length of stride and pace. You seem to be implying I’ll have to brute force sample my entire song library. You may be right. Zeldar’s suggestion was about my walk pace —unless he’s jogging on the half-beat which puts him at a greater pace than me. For what it’s worth I jog at about 10 minutes/mile.

5

Actually it was for walking, but I did take into account that you could make the same beat work at a faster pace. Not only that, the tune cranks you up as it builds, making you want to go. It’s also good for other forms of exercise! :smiley:

6

Back in my jogging days, I found that Krokus’ “Stayed Awake All Night” happened to match my pace. You might try that (plus it is a good “high energy” song)

7

The Streets “Fit But You Know It”

Traveling Wilburys “Wilbury Twist”

Both have that kick-snare you are trying to avoid but the former has (guitar? synth?) and the latter some fun boogie-woogie piano and guitar laid on top.

Actually a lot of rock with a strong boogie beat works for me, whether it’s AC/DC or Jerry Lee Lewis (I’ve got his cover of “Rock And Roll” with Jimmy Page playing right now).

Something different? Find some good didgeridoo music - great backing rhythms with no drums at all and that wonderful talking buzz. It’s a bit hypnotic and thinking about the circular breathing technique makes me focus on my own breathing. Some bagpipe music is similar although you get lots of drums with it.

8

If you are feeling really knackered The Death March might have a realistic pace.

9

Here is my current workout playlist. It starts kind of slow for 2 songs, then speeds up to running at 5.0-6.0 pace, then slows down again for the last 2 songs. It lasts about an hour.

Kanye West – Stronger

Mika – Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)

Wreckx-n-Effect – Rump Shaker

Ok Go – Here It Goes Again (if those guys can dance on the treadmills, I can at the very least run on them)

TeddyBears – Cobrastyle

M.C. Luscious – Boom I Got Your Boyfriend

Lacuna Coil – Closer (has kind of a slow beginning, but gets good)

Good Charlotte – I Don’t Wanna Be in Love

Grandmaster T - Too Much Booty in the Pants (very inspiring to work out to)

All Time Low – Dear Maria, Count Me In

Le Tiger – Deceptacon (grrr angry grrl bandz roxxorz)

Metro Station – Shake It

We the Kings – Check Yes Juliet (love this song, the lyrics actually say “lace up your shoes” and “run, baby, run”)

The Cheeky Girls – The Cheeky Song (just hilarious)

Shakira – Hips Don’t Lie

The Killers – Somebody Told Me

Paramore – Crushcrushcrush

Will.i.am – I Got it From My Momma

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Higher Ground

Fort Minor – Remember the Name

10

I’ve found that “When we laugh indoors” by death cab for cutie worked perfectly for me in the midst of marathon training. I used to love when that song came on for that very reason.

11

Straight Lines - Silverchair
Break on through - The Doors
Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield
I bet you look good on the dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
No Tomorrow - Orson
Sexy Back - Justin Timberlake
The Distance - Cake
Baudest Ruffest - Backyard Dog
Breathe - The Prodigy
But I feel good - Groove Armada
I like the way - Bodyrocker
Ride It - Geri Halliwell
1 Thing - Amerie & Eve
Crazy - Gnarles Barkley
Everyday I love you less and less - Kaiser Chiefs
Grace Kelly - Mika
Rock DJ - Robbie Williams
Revolution - The Veronicas

12

Chase the sun - planet funk - ignore the horird video, it was the best version of the track I could find on youtube.

13

I actually don’t run to the beat, because trying to do that does weird and strange things to my pacing - and based on the songs you’ve chosen, I think you might be doing weird and strange things to yours.
I checked the BPM on some of the songs:

“When the night comes” - 82 Beats Per Minute
“Shame on You” - 80 BPM
which are close

But then you’ve also got
“Come Dancing” - 152 BPM and “Return to Innocence” - 88 BPM which are going to be noticeably different than those first two songs. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” which at 136 BPM isn’t in the same room as any of the other 4 songs. And finally “Iris” which (a) is in 3/4 time for most of the song (b) has some very strange timing changes and © is only 51 beats/minute - so it probably doesn’t fit with anything else on your list at all.
Anyway, if there’s a song that really is your pace , find out how many BPM it is, and then start searching for other songs with the same BPM or something very close. The information is fairly easy to find.

14

Oye Como Va, Evil Ways, and Black Magic Woman - Santana

Dance to the Music - Sly and the Family Stone

Gimmie Shelter – The Rolling Stones

Another One Bites the Dust - Queen

Pump Up the Jam - Technotronic

I second Seven Nation Army, SexyBack and The Distance recommended by Girl From Mars

And if you want a different genre:

Life Goes to a Party and Bugle Call Rag by Benny Goodman

15

“Jump (for my love)” - Pointer Sisters and other covers.
“I’m a man” - Original and covers especially the one by Chicago.

16

I like to use the US Marine Corps’ running cadences (those chants they sing when they run). They’re pretty funny, and they’ve got a great beat.

Amazon link.

17

Not sure about the beat, but I like to listen to songs that are sort of about running.

Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
theme from Chariots of Fire
Rolling Stones - Start Me Up (right at the beginning)

EDIT: And like an asshat, I missed your disclaimer about motivational songs often being too slow. In that case, I’d recommend something fast like Weezer or The Ramones.

18

On a similar (i.e. unrelated) note- during my latest CPR recertification class, we were told if one can mentally evoke the beat of the **Queen ** song “Another One Bites the Dust” that would serve as an indicator of the pace at which one should perform chest compressions on the fallen victim. It seems this tune is the standard-bearer point of reference for CPR instructors nowadays.

To which I -mentally- posed: “Is this the best freakin’ song to be thinking of when performing CPR? I mean did anyone bother to look at the lyrics or even the title of the song for Chrissake???”