Need some new tunes to spice up your Spotify playlist at the gym or for
when you’re going on that long run? Here are 35 tracks to refresh your
workout, designed to put you in the zone and get you pumped up.
1. “All Night” by Icona Pop
An infectiously catchy song that deserves to be just as big as their ubiquitous lead single.
2. “January” by Disclosure
Your hipster friend’s new favorite band, Disclosure has an incredible
range and this is their best, a electronic dance anthem harkening back
to Earth, Wind and Fire.
3. “The ‘59 Sound” by The Gaslight Anthem
The Gaslight Anthem has yet to top this, their signature track about
heartache, longing and nostalgia that does The Replacements and Bruce
Springsteen proud.
4. “Roar” by Katy Perry
This song, while trite, is designed to pump you up — and dammit if it doesn’t work like gangbusters.
5. “Black Skinhead” by Kanye West
West’s lead single off “Yeezus” is the best of the year, a song
that’s off-putting, mesmerizing and genuinely blood-pumping, a track
that makes you feel like a total badass.
6. “Senses Working Overtime” by XTC
XTC is an instant burst of energy in your day, and this song is one
of their most ebullient, an 80s classic about the consolations of
humanity.
7. “Royals” by Lorde
Lorde’s number-one hit shows her in full “Rumour Has It” swagger with
a tune about grooving to your own beat, no Cadillacs necessary.
8. “Mannequin” by Wire
Wire were known for their harder tracks, but their most infectious
and electrifying tune is this post-punk put-down song that you can’t
help but sing along to.
9. “Pyramids” by Frank Ocean
On top of being the best song of last year, this swirling, operatic
masterpiece is nine-minutes long, meaning you won’t have to worry about
changing the song.
10. “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood
“Sweater Weather” works so well because of how sinuously sexy it is, a
sleeper hit that works its way into your brain and stays there.
11. “Running” by Jessie Ware
Every Jessie Ware song can get it, and “Running” is perfect for just
about any occasion, whether you’re hitting the treadmill or having an
unexpectedly sexy bath.
12. “Everything’s Blue” by Architecture in Helsinki
Architecture in Helsinki generally sounds like Muppets on coke, but
this song gives them a new rock swagger that’s a welcome surprise.
13. “Plastic Jungle” by Miike Snow
Miike Snow hit it big with “Animal,” and “Plastic Jungle” is in the
same vein but a little darker, not as happy but just as catchy.
14. “I Wanna Destroy You” by The Soft Boys
Robyn Hitchcock has been an indie music mainstay for the past three
decades, and this is one of his absolute best tracks, some of the
nastiest fun you can have listening to music.
15. “Shot at the Night” by The Killers
By all accounts, The Killers shouldn’t still be making good music,
but this is one of the best songs the 80s forgot to release, proof the
aughties band still has a few tricks up their sleeve.
16. “Moonson” by Delorean
Delorean just released a great album this year, but for your gym
needs, look back to this run-ready tune off their acclaimed 2009 EP,
“Ayrton Senna.”
17. “The Mother We Share” by CHVRCHES
CHVRCHES’ “The Bones of What You Believe” is one of the year’s great
indie electronic pleasures and this is the standout, sure to rank high
on your year-end list.
18. “If You Didn’t See Me (Then You Weren’t on the Dance Floor)” by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
A joyous number about the pleasure of losing yourself in music, Dale
Earnhardt Jr. Jr.’s track doesn’t really kick until after the
minute-mark but patient listeners will be rewarded with one of this
year’s sweetest dance tracks.
19. “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush
One of the British chanteuse’s best-loved tunes has been covered by
Placebo and everyone under the sun, but the original still stands as its
finest rendition — because you can’t top Kate Bush.
20. “Millions” by Pusha T and Rick Ross
The former Clipse member’s first solo album, “My Name is My Name,”
announced the artist as a force to be reckoned with — giving us a record
that’s ambitious, accomplished and fucking awesome.
21. “Paradise” by Coldplay
Coldplay is becoming the Thomas Kinkcaid of music, but this Xylo
Myloto sleeper hit puts the band’s sentimentality to its best possible
use, with a gorgeous stadium anthem reminiscent of “Viva La Vida.”
22. “I Wanna Be Adored” by The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses released exactly one great album they could never
top, and with this tune, it’s easy to see why, a song that’s just about
as good as music gets.
23. “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)” by Fall Out Boy
There’s a reason this song is now played at every sports game — because it fucking pumps you up, no matter how much you resist.
24. “Sugar Water” by Cibo Matto
This mid-90s trip-hop track was way ahead of its time, a song that
remains as strange, hypnotic and wonderful today as when it made us
scratch our heads two decades ago.
25. “Tom Ford” by Jay-Z
Most of Jay-Z’s new album is bullshit, but “Tom Ford” shows the
rapper blazing new trails with this bouncy, trap-inspired track that
doesn’t let its product placement get in the way of its success.
26. “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson
Clarkson’s been trying to replicate the success of this song her
entire career, but this empowerment jam needs no imitations, a
windows-rolled-down anthem that reminds you how good radio music can be.
27. “Teenage Riot” by Sonic Youth
As much as I adore this song, is it terrible to suggest that I wish
there were a version that skipped over the Kim Gordon intro so I
wouldn’t have to do it myself? Her “spirit desire” gets in the way of my
groove.
28. “Alive” by Goldfrapp
From “Ooh La La” to “Rocket,” Alison Goldfrapp is skilled in the art
of making you feel good and the title of this 2013 track tells you
should expect the same here.
29. “Lose Yourself to Dance” by Daft Punk
Daft Punk’s newest album is a big love letter to disco, and this
stand-out tune from “Random Access Memories” is the record’s best,
reminding you just what a nimble performer Pharrell Williams can be.
30. “Electric Lady” by Janelle Monae
Monae only continues to mature as an artist, and this Cindi
Mayweather tune finds the pop diva channeling Motown in one of the
year’s biggest pleasures.
31. “Master of My Craft” by Parquet Courts
Parquet Courts’ new album is this year’s answer to Tame Impala, at
times psychedelic but others oddly sinister, with a Lou Reed undertone
that gives the pop an unexpected dark side.
32. “We Found Love” by Rihanna
If I were honest, I could put this song 35 times, the perfect track
when you’re trying to hit your zone on the treadmill, finding that space
to let your mind coast.
33. “Reflektor” by Arcade Fire
The first track off Arcade Fire’s new album shows them blazing
unexpected trails with LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy as their producer,
a great mashup of their respective styles that just so happens to
feature David Bowie.
34. “Entertainment” by Phoenix
“Entertainment” sounds exactly like a Phoenix song, the best possible
praise from a band who knows what they excel at and delivers the poppy
goods.
35. “Set Adrift on a Memory Bliss” by PM Dawn
PM Dawn’s 1991 track is the ideal come-down song at the gym, when
you’re just winding your run, a song just as catchy as it is ungodly
sexy. This is baby-making music to put you at ease.
Bonus Tracks: “Sacrilege” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and “Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey
Most of the seminal band’s new album was a rare misfire, but this
“Gimme Shelter”-esque jam stands as one of their finest, great company
for your walk home. It’s a long walk home, Lana will help keep you warm.
