Top 10 Workout Songs of February 2014

Credit: e-magic at flickr

Who isn't complaining about the wrath of old man winter this year? It's been bone-chilling cold. It's been snowy and icy, making me think I up and moved to Alaska or Canada's Northwest Territory. Sure, those snowy conditions work for skiing, but good luck if you're trying to train for Boston or just grab a break from the indoor workout. get the bike off the trainer in the living room (I'm convinced mine's shacking up there until at least May).

If there were ever a month where I could use a new workout playlist, this would be it. I have yet to find a decent Colorado Springs radio station--yes, I'm sorely missing WTMX and WXRT in Chicago for helping to fill out my playlist--and my regular playlist is about the most overused bunch of songs ever. What I need is Run Hundred's latest top 10 list of workout songs. Exactly what I need to power me through that next sweat session.

Here's the full list according to votes placed at Run Hundred, the web's most popular workout music blog.

Top 10 Songs to Sweat to August 2013

Long hours on the bike trainer. Weekends spent running. Intervals that you just have to blast out a couple times a week. We get it: Summer is for sweating. But come August, that playlist you've been listening to for a while is probably starting to feel old, really old. And maybe you're thinking you'd rather trade time hanging on a boat with friends than having to listen to Ke$ha's C'Mon one more time.

Once again, Run Hundred comes to the rescue with its monthly top 10 list. Votes on the site determined  this list dominated by pop music--and fast beats with nothing below 109 beats per minute. I'm seeing some serious speed gushing through my veins when I push play. And I'm already recognizing some of my radio favorites. Maybe there's a song in the bunch that'll make you want to bust out your running shoes or go RPM crazy on the bike.

Top 10 Songs to Sweat to: July 2013

What's blasting through your headphones this month? Whether you're running, cycling, hitting the beach, or tearing up in the gym to shed that winter layer and get more bikini ready (yeah, I'm still working on mine even if it is almost the 4th of July), you know you need some tunes to power that sweat session.

And to keep that playlist from hitting repeat more times than you'd like, Run Hundred recently unveiled its top 10 songs for July based on votes received on the site. You'll find a lot of fast beats, remixes and hits you might not be able to get enough of when you hear them on the radio. Here are this month's hits:

Selena Gomez - Slow Down - 128 BPM

Mika - Live Your Life - 104 BPM

Mike Posner - The Way It Used to Be - 128 BPM

Sean Paul - Other Side of Love - 120 BPM

Kelly Clarkson - People Like Us - 128 BPM

Emeli Sande & Kendrick Lamar - Next to Me (Remix) - 97 BPM

Calvin Harris & Florence Welch - Sweet Nothing (Tiesto Remix) - 128 BPM

Krewella - Alive (Cash Cash & Kalkutta Remix) - 129 BPM

2 Chainz & Wiz Khalifa - We Own It (Fast & Furious) - 86 BPM

Selena Gomez - Come & Get It (Dave Aude Club Remix) - 130 BPM

Want more workout songs for your playlist? Check out the free database at RunHundred.com where you can browse song selections by genre, tempo and era to find music that's best suited for your workout.

What songs are currently on your playlist that you can't stop listening to?

Top 10 Songs to Sweat to: June 2013

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Whether you're running, pushing through bootcamp, spinning those cycling legs or awakening those muscles, good tunes can up the fun factor. Some might argue otherwise when it comes to running (ah, the purists), but I need some fun on my run and music is my go-to. It lightens the mood...makes time fly...pushes you to work harder, run faster, lift heavier, stretch deeper.

Apparently I'm not the only one who likes fun workout tunes, especially when the days grow longer.  When Run Hundred, the web's most popular workout music blog, shared its latest top 10 workout songs, they were all about fun. We were all about listening to eclectic tunes in the winter, but the shift to summer is also changing the mood on the radio and in the gym (maybe because we don't have to be trapped indoors most of the time?). I'll let you speculate.

Here's the full list, according to votes placed at Run Hundred.

David Guetta, Ne-Yo & Akon - Play Hard - 130 BPM

Jason Derulo - The Other Side - 128 BPM

Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull - Live It Up - 128 BPM

Robin Thicke, T.I. & Pharrell - Blurred Lines - 121 BPM

Emeli Sande - Next to Me - 95 BPM

Taylor Swift - 22 - 105 BPM

Porter Robinson & Mat Zo - Easy (Radio Edit) - 128 BPM

Maroon 5 - Love Somebody - 121 BPM

Fergie, Q-Tip & GoonRock - A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got) - 130 BPM

Carly Rae Jepsen & Nicki Minaj - Tonight I'm Getting Over You (Remix) - 126 BPM

Want more for your playlist? Search the free database at RunHundred.com where you can browse the song selections by genre, tempo, and era to find the music that best fits your workout.

Have some songs you'd want to add to this list? What songs are you currently loving during a workout? 

Photo grabbed from Chris Hunkeler at flickr.

Top Workout Songs to Sweat to: May 2013

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Who's workout playlist needs some refreshing? Mine! I might have a hard time changing my playlist on a regular basis--I'm still running to songs I couldn't run without in 2006--but a cross-country road trip signaled it was time to retire this one, or at least add some new songs. At the time, it seemed like a good idea at the time to play it on repeat, but now I'd rather snooze than sweat through Of Monsters and Men's Little Talks or Fun.'s Some Nights. Not good when your favorite songs start to remind you of Nebraska's flatlands and not intense workouts.

But enough about me. I'm just lucky that Run Hundred, the web's most popular workout music blog, came to the rescue, again, with its top music highlights for May. It's only 10 songs but it includes some workout favorites, new material and previews from upcoming albums. Sounds like a good mix to get me back in the gym this month--and learn my lesson for the next road trip and create a separate playlist just for that.

Here's the full list, according to votes placed at Run Hundred.

Ash - Arcadia - 151 BPM

Krewella - Alive - 128 BPM

The Band Perry - Done - 102 BPM

Daft Punk & Pharrell - Get Lucky - 116 BPM

Alex Gaudino & Mario - Beautiful - 128 BPM

Jonas Brothers - Pom Poms - 148 BPM

Will.I.Am & Justin Bieber - #thatPOWER - 129 BPM

Avril Lavigne - Here's to Never Growing Up - 83 BPM

Paramore - Still into You - 137 BPM

Carly Rae Jepsen - Tonight I'm Getting over You - 126 BPM

Want more workout songs? Check out the free database at RunHundred.com where you can browse the song selections by genre, tempo, and era to find music that best fits your workout routine.

What songs are firing up your workouts? Have any songs that you need to hear during a sweat session?

Photo grabbed from remysharp at flickr.

Top Workout Songs to Sweat to: April 2013

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Another month, another set of workout songs. Hey, I'm not complaining. It's spring, it's running season, and it's less than two months until beach season so I'll sweat to anything that has a beat and makes me look less like a beached whale when I hit the sand come Memorial Day.

Run Hundred comes to the rescue again with its workout playlist for April. And from the looks of it, these 10 hits are fast-paced. I guess that means we all want to get moving this month? Here's Run Hundred's list.

Alex Gaudino & Jordin Sparks - Is This Love - 129 BPM

Miranda Lambert - Mama's Broken Heart - 112 BPM

Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks - 107 BPM

Will.I.Am & Justin Bieber - #thatPOWER - 129 BPM

Kylie Minogue - Timebomb - 128 BPM

Afrojack & Chris Brown - As Your Friend - 128 BPM

One Direction - One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks) - 163 BPM

Pitbull & Christina Aguilera - Feel This Moment - 137 BPM

Avicii - Silhouettes (Syn Cole Creamfields Mix Radio Edit) - 128 BPM

Macklemore, Ryan Lewis & Ray Dalton - Can't Hold Us - 148 BPM

Want more songs for your workout playlist. Check out the free database at RunHundred.com where visitors can browse the song selections by genre, tempo and era. And then stay tuned next month to check out the new hits. What's blasting through your headphones during a workout? 

Photo grabbed from pasukaru76 at flickr.

Top Workout Songs to Sweat to: March 2013

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Workouts feeling a little stale? It could be your playlist that's leaving you uninspired. Power songs that really aren't giving you that extra push, a playlist that needs to be retired, hits that you're tired of listening to, a mix that no amount of shuffling can fix. 

Sure, assembling a playlist can be tricky especially when you account for a song's beats per minute. But Run Hundred's Top 10 lists help take some of that load off, mostly because they feature tried-and-true songs that became top workout hits by votes placed on the site, the web's most popular workout music blog. This month's top 10 is missing the plethora of pop stars we're used to seeing in the rankings--blame it on the lack of pop songs released in February--and instead features an eclectic bunch of tracks. Here are March's top hits according to Run Hundred:

Flux Pavilion & Childish Gambino - Do or Die - 145 BPM

Cee Lo Green & Lauriana Mae - Only You - 110 BPM

Baauer - Harlem Shake - 140 BPM

DJ Pauly D & Jay Sean - Back to Love - 128 BPM

Olly Murs & Flo Rida - Troublemaker - 108 BPM

Bignic - Down - 124 BPM

ASAP Rocky, Skrillex & Birdy Nam Nam - Wild for the Night - 70 BPM

Fall Out Boy - My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up) - 77 BPM

Will.I.Am, Britney Spears, Hit-Boy, Waka Flocka Flame, Lil Wayne, Nelly & Diddy - Scream & Shout (Remix) - 130 BPM

Swedish House Mafia - Don't You Worry Child (Promise Land Remix) - 129 BPM

Want more workout song suggestions? Check out the free database at RunHundred.com where you can  browse song selections by genre, tempo and era. 

What's playing during your workouts this month?

Photo grabbed from ataraxis at flickr.

Top Workout Songs To Sweat To: February 2013

Credit: Taylor Burnes at flickr

A cold and somewhat snowy Saturday? I think I'll download music. You have to admit that cabin fever isn't always a bad thing, especially when it means I can add some new tunes to my workout mix. Considering I'll most likely be doing my long-ish run on the treadmill tomorrow (something about me and ice don't mix), the following list from Run Hundred couldn't have come at a better time. Long ago, I dubbed the treadmill the dreadmill. Barely able to tolerate four miles on the sucker before wanting to hop off, I'm going to need every ounce of energy, especially that in musical form, to get me through double that distance.

And February's top workout songs from Run Hundred will do just the trick. These 10 hits are upbeat and fast-paced, exactly what I need for some dreadmill monotony. I can't say that I'm the type of person who wants my gym time to sound like a night at the club, at least on a regular basis, but that happens to be the theme of this playlist. Maybe we all need fast club beats to battle through our winter workouts?

Top 10 Workout Songs for December

What tunes are you sweating to? Credit: stefan.eissing

Like the song goes, December is the most wonderful time of the year. Holiday parties and decorations, gift giving, jingling bells, and plenty of good cheer. But here's another reason I'm loving this month--and it has nothing to do with Christmas traditions and celebrations. It's Run Hundred's top 10 workout songs for the month that have me smitten. The site, which happens to be the web's most popular music blog, polls its readers to find out their favorite workout songs to compile a top 10 list, perfect for keeping the motivation going during the busiest time of the year.

The list is eclectic. It has some of my personal favorites (so what if I've only blasted them on the run and haven't tried them at the gym yet?). It has some beats that are perfect for pumping up the adrenaline. And it's easily my highest ranked list of 2012.

So what are we so excited to download and listen to in December? Here's the full list, according to votes placed at Run Hundred.

Top 10 Workout Songs for November

Tomorrow is November 10. Tomorrow I'm running a 10K. Tomorrow I'm going to need at least 10 songs to get me through those 6.2 miles--and I can't rely on my current playlist for fear of hearing the duds that I can't bear to remove. So it only seems fitting to share the 10 songs that were deemed Run Hundred's best for the month of November.

According to Run Hundred's founder Chris Lawhorn, this list previews some of the albums coming out this winter, with their singles being spotlighted now. For once, it's not a huge surprise to me because I think this is the first time where I recognize, and want to listen to, most of the songs. With the colder weather, I've been at the gym more--taking more classes that regularly use these beats to energize the workouts.

Here's the full list:

• Justin Bieber & Nicki Minaj - Beauty and a Beat - 129 BPM
• Tegan & Sara - Closer - 138 BPM
• Kelly Clarkson - Catch My Breath - 125 BPM
• The Ready Set - Give Me Your Hand (Best Song Ever) - 125 BPM
• One Direction - Live While We're Young - 125 BPM
• Bruno Mars - Locked out of Heaven - 146 BPM
• Alex Clare - Too Close - 126 BPM
• Swedish House Mafia & John Martin - Don't You Worry Child (Radio Edit) - 128 BPM
• Ne-Yo - Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself) - 125 BPM
• Ke$ha - Die Young - 128 BPM

Check out these songs, or search for more, in the free database at RunHundred.com. And if you subscribe to the site, you can vote on your favorites to help shape the rankings for next month.

What tunes have you recently added to your workout playlist?

Photo grabbed from Andrew Stawarz at flickr.

Top 10 Workout Songs for October

Beat, ba-beat, ba-ba-ba beat. Let's fuel that workout! Credit

Need to refresh your workout playlist? I do. Maybe it's the change of the seasons, maybe it's shifting from outdoor to indoor workouts, or maybe it's because I spent a marathon listening to my current playlist. But thanks to Run Hundred, which shared its top 10 songs for October, it's time for some updating.

This month's list has something for everyone. You'll find a hit that is so popular it earned a spot on the Today Show one morning ("Gangnam Style"), comeback (by Christina Aguilera) and crossover (by Scissors Sisters) singles, and a song popularized by a Kia commercial ("In My Mind"). Dragonette, a group that's not a household name, came in with the month's top track, which isn't from the Top 40, meaning it reached its rank through sheer awesomeness--Run Hundred's words, not mine, even though my slightly odd musical tastes find it pretty good. And one of my personal favorites of late (thank you 101.9), One Republic's "Feel Again," is also a hit--I love it for running.

Keep reading for October's list of top songs, according to votes placed at Run Hundred, the web's most popular workout music blog.

Top 10 Workout Songs for September

Credit: Mulad

Workout playlist sounding a little stale? Mine is, after slogging through a summer of training miles. And it's only going to get worse because after Sunday, I'll really be needing some fresh tunes, ones that I don't associate with 140.6 miles of racing (that's what Ironman did to me this time around).

Run Hundred couldn't have had better timing with naming their Top 10 workout songs for September. And we're lucky that they shared their list with us. The list draws from the Top 40--heavy on pop tunes but from genres that included club, rock, country and remix. So what are people listening to when they're sweating it out during a workout? Here's the latest list:

Nicki Minaj - Pound the Alarm - 125 BPM

Chris Brown - Don't Wake Me Up - 128 BPM

Carrie Underwood - Blown Away - 138 BPM

Outasight - Now or Never - 126 BPM

Rihanna - Where Have You Been (Vice Club Mix) - 127 BPM

Train - 50 Ways to Say Goodbye - 139 BPM

Karmin - Brokenhearted (Razor N Guido Remix) - 128 BPM

Havana Brown & Pitbull - We Run the Night - 136 BPM

David Guetta & Usher - Without You (R3HAB's XS Remix) - 128 BPM

Ellie Goulding - Lights (MK Charlee Dub) - 125 BPM

To find more workout songs, check out the free database at RunHundred.com, or check out the lists from earlier this year, January, February, March, April, May, June, July and August. What are you listening to when you exercise? We're all for recommendations!

Photo grabbed from Mulad at flickr.com.

Top 10 Workout Songs for August

Credit: Taylor Burnes

What are those Olympians listening to? If you've been watching even an iota of the Summer Olympics coverage, you've probably caught at least one person, namely the swimmers, wearing headphones as they stride onto the pool deck. Some are big--like those hiding under the hoods of Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Anthony Ervin--while others are the basic iPod earbuds. As for what those athletes are blasting through their ears to fire them up for their races, I can only guess, but I'd surmise that its loud and fast-paced.

That's what I'd want to listen to--and often do when I'm running a marathon or training along the Lakefront--when I need to get the adrenaline rushing. And while I might have a playlist that many would cringe at (hey, it works for me), I'm not too off-beat. Run Hundred's top workout songs, this month especially, are fast-paced and popular--finally a month where I've listened to most of the songs, and more than once. All but two among August's top 10, according to votes placed at Run Hundred, have more than 120 beats per minute, perfect for busting out a speed set even when you're not an Olympian.

Top 10 Workout Songs for July

Running a 5K for the 4th of July? Logging miles at the gym to avoid training in the oven that is outside? I don't know about you, but I'm having a tough time motivating myself to exercise in this heat. I'm sweaty before I even get to the gym, I can swim in Lake Michigan without shivering because I left my wetsuit at home, and I'll get soaked in a yoga class and the heat that usually gets me to go in the first place isn't even turned on. But if I'm going to run in this weather, I either need a running buddy or some tunes to push me through those miles.

Most of the time I'm going with the latter because my husband leaves me in his dust, and Liz and I only wish we could run together more frequently. And lucky for me--and you, if you're finding yourself in a similar situation--Run Hundred just released its top songs for July so I can refresh my playlist. What's even better is the site's founder, Chris Lawhorn, says that this list is full of unusual suspects. I didn't notice until he mentioned it, but Lady GaGa, Pitbull, Katy Perry and Rihanna are regulars on these lists. Not this time around. With the exception of Rihanna, the other hits are a break from the norm.

Here's the full list, according to votes placed at Run Hundred.

Top 10 Workout Songs for June

Ready for a new playlist to rock your summer of workouts? Let's just say that my playlist could definitely use some updating, I found myself listening to tunes from 10 years ago during the Soldier Field 10. It's RunHundred.com to the rescue with its top 10 workout songs for June. And unlike months past where old favorites have ranked among the favorites, this month has more new songs than it does old. Or so I've been told as I'm the one who has to listen to snippets of these songs before I recognize them.

The singles from Usher and Linkin Park's new albums are out—along with Pitbull's contribution to the Men in Black III soundtrack. Kelly Clarkson's “Stronger” returns to the top 10, but this time it's a remix that makes the song sound completely different, unless that's just me. And rounding out the list are some artists I know I recognize from earlier in the year where Maroon 5, Taylor Swift, and Cee Lo paired up with Wiz Khalifa, B.o.B., and Slaughterhouse.

Here's the full list of songs you might want to work out to, according to votes placed at Run Hundred, the web's most popular workout music blog.

Top 10 Workout Songs for May

I may have been ahead of the times when I got into those Soundcloud remixes a few months ago. From the looks of Run Hundred's top 10 workout songs for May, the month was meant for the remix. LMFAO remixed Madonna. Mord Fustang remixed LMFAO. Flo Rida and The Wanted got remixed with a more uptempo beat. I guess we all want fast-paced beats this month to crush PRs when we hit the pavement?

Whether you need a new workout mix or your race day playlist is begging to be revamped before your next big event (considering all the marathons, half marathons, 5Ks, 10Ks and 10-milers happening this month, I'd say this is a likely assumption), you might find some favorites among this month's top hits. Here are the top 10 songs for May, according to votes placed at Run Hundred, the most popular workout music blog online.

Top 10 Workout Songs for April

Radio tunes are tops for April. Credit: nedrichards

Heard a song on the radio that you knew you'd want to work out to? That seems to be the theme with April's top 10 workout songs according to Run Hundred, the web's most popular workout music site. I can't say I'm surprised--I build most of my playlist from what I hear on the radio, provided I can remember to look up the details at the station's music library when I'm back home and on the computer.

If a song is a radio hit, apparently it's been downloaded for workout pleasure this month. Take Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry and Madonna, all of whom released singles we hear regularly on the radio. There's something about those hits that makes us want to move, whether it's on the treadmill, on the trail or in a class.

But this month's hit aren't all about pop divas, country, dubstep and hip-hop also made the cut, per the votes placed at Run Hundred. Here's the full list:

Top 10 Workout Songs for March

The weather's getting warmer, the days are growing longer, our training schedules are becoming more defined as those races we signed up for months ago are looming closer. I don't know about you, but that means a little switch up to the old workout playlist. Maybe it's because my old list reminds me of indoor workouts and I'm ready to transition outside, or maybe it's because I'm ready to push the pace and increase my current beats per minute that get me moving.

Run Hundred shared its top songs for March according to votes placed at its website, the most popular workout music site online. One of the songs is already on my playlist, added after I heard it on Grey's Anatomy so for once I feel less clueless about hits other exercisers are listening to. As for the list, here are the 10 hits Run Hundred found for March.

• Lady GaGa - Marry The Night (Afrojack Remix) - 132 BPM
• Allstar Weekend - Dance Forever - 125 BPM
• Rihanna - You Da One (Almighty Radio Remix) - 129 BPM
• Breathe Carolina - Blackout (Wideboys Remix) - 128 BPM
• Flo Rida & Sia - Wild Ones - 129 BPM
• Fun. & Janelle Monae - We Are Young - 92 BPM
• Snow Patrol - Called Out In The Dark - 121 BPM
• Steve Aoki & Rivers Cuomo - Earthquakey People - 128 BPM
• Madonna, Nicki Minaj & M.I.A. - Give Me All Your Luvin' - 147 BPM
• The Wanted - Glad You Came - 127 BPM

Not finding your favorites listed? To find more workout songs--and hear next month's contenders--check out Run Hundred's free database where you can browse songs by genre, tempo and era to build a workout playlist. Or check out the lists they shared with us in January and February.

What songs are you listening to this month?

Photo grabbed from Andrew Stawarz at flickr.

Why I'm Suddenly Addicted to Mashup Music

Photo: agius at flickr

When it comes to some aspects of technology, I'm not shy to admit that I'm behind the times. I don't have a Kindle, a Nook or an iPad. My iPhone isn't even two years old--and of course it's the most ancient one of them all. My computer isn't using the latest operating system, and I often ignore the system updates once or twice before actually allowing them to go through.

So it comes as no surprise to me that I only recently fell in love with mashup music (and hopefully, I'm even referring to it correctly). And not just for listening, but for exercising. I'd heard of the mashup at least a year ago, and I always promised myself that I'd explore this genre--if you call it that, again, I'm no expert on music terminology--more. Except I never did. Until last night. I guess you could say that I've disadvantaged myself by not watching Glee. Oops.

Top 10 Workout Songs for February

Weather got you down? Tired of slogging away on the treadmill to the same old tunes? Opting out of bundling up for the outdoor runs (that would be me)? Maybe it's your workout playlist that needs a few trade outs to get you motivated. But if you're like me, remember I'm the one who keeps songs on her running playlist for years, you might not know where to start.

Run Hundred comes to the rescue again this month, releasing its list of top 10 workout songs for February. With the Grammy Awards arriving this weekend, and several artists performing at the music show, it seemed all too perfect to download a round now, watch the Grammys and download another round on Monday for a fully loaded playlist. That and I need to get reacquainted with some of the artists up for awards (like Adele).

Here's the full list, according to votes placed at Run Hundred, the web's most popular workout music site.