Popular gym songs are important to know because they can make your workout better. If you have songs that motivate you to hit your gym goals, check out this list and see if there’s anything more that you will like.
Popular gym songs
1970s
Populay gym songs
- “Stayin’ Alive” – Bee Gees (1977) – The Gibb brothers wrote the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, including this song, in a rented French chateau, and it was done in a matter of days.
- “I Will Survive” – Gloria Gaynor (1978) – Gloria recorded it while recovering from a spinal injury from a stage fall. The lyrics are about not giving up. This is about her health, and since she has a career, she had to be mentally strong.
- “Born to Run” – Bruce Springsteen (1975) – Bruce spent six months perfecting the song’s production. He also almost removed the song. Bruce wanted to escape the working class in New Jersey. He felt like his career was at risk. When you’re on the verge of giving up, you realize you have no choice but to work hard, because you don’t come from privilege.
- “Superstition” – Stevie Wonder (1972) – Stevie wrote the riff for Jeff Beck, but then he decided he wanted to keep it for himself. He played almost every instrument on the track. At this time, he was taking a lot of control when it came to the production of his music.
Best selling
Popular gym songs
- “Le Freak” – Chic (1978) – It was the best-selling disco song of the disco era. It was written after Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards were turned away from Studio 54 on New Year’s Eve. The original lyric was actually “f*** off,” but it was reworded as “freak out” after they calmed down.
- “Highway to Hell” – AC/DC (1979) – This was the band’s commercial breakthrough in America. Bon Scott revealed the title came from the constant tour schedule; the band described it as hell. Touring can be a lot, because you’re constantly on the road and you also miss out on personal life.
- “Boogie Wonderland” – Earth, Wind & Fire (1979) – The song was co-written with the group The Emotions, who also added backing vocals.
- “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” – Michael Jackson (1979) – This was Michael’s first song as an adult, stepping out from the Jackson 5. He wrote the song’s melody while driving and humming into a tape recorder, before he had any lyrics.
- “We Will Rock You” – Queen (1977) – Brian May wrote it after seeing how Queen’s fans loved clapping and singing along. He wanted the crowd to be the instrument. This is genius, because people all over the world use their hands when this song comes on.
Riff
1980s
Popular gym songs
- “Eye of the Tiger” – Survivor (1982) – It was written for Rocky III, after Stallone couldn’t license Queen’s song. Stallone described the montage that he wanted; he essentially co-directed the song from a phone call.
- “Take On Me” – a-ha (1985) – Commercially, it failed twice. The animated video made it successful; it became a hit on its third release. The band almost gave up on the song after its earlier failed releases. However, sometimes it’s not the right time to release a song, especially if other successful artists have released big songs.
- “Jump” – Van Halen (1984) – It was Van Halen’s only number-one song. Eddie wrote the keyboard riff years before it was even released. Songwriters always have songs that they wrote years ago; however, they wait for the right time, and it makes sense to release the song then.
Originally
Popular gym songs
- “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” – Cyndi Lauper (1983) – The song was originally written from a male perspective. However, Cyndi rewrote the lyrics; she wanted it to be a woman-empowerment anthem. Anthems are good to make because they have replay value. There are songs that don’t have replay value because they focus on just making the song catchy.
- “Billie Jean” – Michael Jackson (1983) – Michael didn’t want this song to be included on the Thriller album. Quincy Jones convinced him to keep it. The song’s storyline came from fans making paternity claims about him. When you’re famous, you don’t have a lot of privacy, and you can’t be a normal person.
- “Push It” – Salt-N-Pepa (1988) – The hook and the beat were made specifically for a club song, and it became a huge hit during the 1980s. Gen Xers, or even baby boomers who grew up in this era, can remember the time.
- “Livin’ on a Prayer” – Bon Jovi (1986) – The band wasn’t sure about the song at first, and they almost removed it from Slippery When Wet. Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora wrote it about working-class characters Tommy and Gina, for the working-class, blue-collar communities.
- “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” – Eurythmics (1983) – Annie and Dave wrote it during a low point in their lives, both in their personal relationship and their finances.
- “Walking on Sunshine” – Katrina and the Waves (1985) – It’s one of the most licensed songs in film and TV history.
The 90s era
Popular gym songs
1990s
- “Jump Around” – House of Pain (1992) – The horn sample comes from Bob & Earl’s 1969 “Harlem Shuffle.” This song is used in sports arenas. They weren’t expecting this song to become a hit.
- “Song 2” – Blur (1997) – The “woo-hoo” hook was almost written as a joke. This song was written quickly, and they weren’t trying to do anything serious with it. Its popularity at sports events was shocking for them.
- “Bulls on Parade” – Rage Against the Machine (1996) – The band wrote it as a protest against U.S. military spending. They had a politically driven approach when it came to their lyrics. Some people don’t like to get too political because they feel like it will affect their career; however, there are some people who don’t mind, because they feel like it will help bring awareness of what’s going on in the world.
- “No Diggity” – Blackstreet (1996) – The song samples Bill Withers’ “Grandma’s Hands.” The producer, Teddy Riley, revealed that he wanted a smoother groove to the song.
- “Cotton Eye Joe” – Rednex (1994) – The Swedish group built their techno persona from using folk and electronic music.
Vogue
- “Vogue” – Madonna (1990) – The song was inspired by the underground ballroom dance scene in Harlem’s queer community. She wanted to bring tribute to the scene in this music video.
- “…Baby One More Time” – Britney Spears (1998) – The song was originally written for TLC; however, they rejected it, and the song ended up going to Britney Spears. The song and the music video show a young Britney showcasing her dancing and singing skills.
- “The Power” – Snap! (1990) – The vocal hook was from Jocelyn Brown’s 1982 song “Love’s Gonna Get You,” which led to legal problems. The German duo built the song in the studio around the sample. They were not expecting the song to become one of the biggest dance anthems of the decade.
Influence
2000s
- “Get Ur Freak On” – Missy Elliott (2001) – The beat has influence from a bhangra tumbi sample. Timbaland and Missy were, at times, getting inspiration from South Asian music. Missy and Timbaland were experimenting a lot at this time.Missy Elliott put Timbaland on – The Backstory | Ep. 80 | CLUB SHAY SHAY – YouTube
- “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” – Daft Punk (2001) – This song is a processed sample from Edwin Birdsong’s 1979 song “Cola Bottle Baby.”
- “Yeah!” – Usher ft. Lil Jon & Ludacris (2004) – This song is one of the biggest songs of the decade. Usher has said the song comes from Lil Jon’s aggressive production style. This changed his sound, because he normally goes for a laid-back R&B vibe; however, he switched it up.
- “Bring Me to Life” – Evanescence ft. Paul McCoy (2003) – The song was originally written without the male vocal part. Amy Lee reveals the lyrics reflect an emotional numbness she was working through, with the song built around the idea of being woken up by someone.
- “Since U Been Gone” – Kelly Clarkson (2004) – Songwriters Max Martin and Lukasz Gottwald pitched this song to Hilary Duff and Pink before Kelly Clarkson recorded it. She added more raw emotion in comparison to the original demo — and that’s the beauty of making a song your own; just because you didn’t write it doesn’t mean you lose your creativity.
Bridge
- “Numb/Encore” – Jay-Z & Linkin Park (2004) – This was originally an official MTV Collision Course mash-up. Both acts have respect for each other as artists, and for the genres of music each makes. They wanted to build a bridge between rock and hip-hop. People loved it, because it was almost like seeing the world come together.
- “Boom Boom Pow” – The Black Eyed Peas (2009) – Will.i.am said they intentionally reinvented their sound going into a new decade, as the music industry was changing and the internet was taking over, and they wanted to do something new. Changing your sound could keep fans engaged with you more, because you’re trying to do something new every time.
- “Right Round” – Flo Rida ft. Kesha (2009) – The song interpolates Dead or Alive’s 1985 hit “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record).” Flo Rida said he wanted to build a song around a nostalgic, recognizable hook to give the crowd energy.
- “Toxic” – Britney Spears (2003) – This is one of the most popular gym songs. The song was written by Cathy, Cristian, Pontus, and Henrik. This song was released before her two kids; however, as she grew up, this decade saw so many changes happen — she got married, and she had two more children.
- “In the End” – Linkin Park (2000) – This song made Linkin Park very popular. Chester revealed that the lyrics reflect a real-life situation about self-doubt, about putting all your effort into something and it not mattering in the end. Being in a band is hard, because there are different people with different personalities, and clashes can happen and bring a lot of problems.
Confidence
2010s
- “Roar” – Katy Perry (2013) – Katy wrote the song during a time she was rebuilding her confidence after going through a divorce. She wanted the song to be personal. She got married young, and divorce can feel like a failure, especially if you’ve built a successful career.
- “Sail” – AWOLNATION (2011) – It was one of the most-streamed rock songs, largely from gym and workout playlists. It had moderate chart success. Charts are important because they can make you feel like you’re becoming respected in the music industry; however, you also have to see how your audience will react.
- “Radioactive” – Imagine Dragons (2012) – This song is about Dan Reynolds’ own feelings of personal transformation; he was moving away from his religious upbringing. When you grow up in that type of environment, you could feel guilty doing things, especially in a band, where people are watching you and seeing what you’re doing. If you do something that goes against your religion, it could be blasted all over the media and magazines. During that time, there was also Instagram; people would buy magazines to learn more about what was going on with these new celebrities.
Etta james
- “Levels” – Avicii (2011) – The hook samples Etta James’ 1962 “Something’s Got a Hold on Me.” Avicii built the track during the early rise of his career as a producer.
- “Bang Bang” – Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj (2014) – This collaboration was put together by Jessie J; she wanted Ariana and Nicki to be featured on the song. These three people were the perfect fit for this song, and in 2014 they performed it together at the VMAs — Nicki with her rap skills, Ariana with her soulful voice, Jessie J with her raw vocals.
- “Believer” – Imagine Dragons (2017) – The lyrics are about personal pain. Dan Reynolds also has a chronic illness, and the song touches on childhood hardship as well.
Cameroon
- “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” – Shakira (2010) – This song originally came from the 1986 song “Zangalewa” by the Cameroonian band Golden Sounds. A lot of people don’t know about it, because Shakira’s version has surpassed the Cameroonian version, to the point that when people think about this song, they think of Shakira.
- “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake (2016) – The song was written for the animated film Trolls. He and his songwriting team wanted to write the happiest song they could. Another happy song I can think of is “Happy” by Pharrell. Focusing on joy can be easy, especially if you’re going through a good time in your life.
- “Wake Me Up” – Avicii ft. Aloe Blacc (2013) – Avicii wanted to prove EDM could work with organic elements, rather than being purely electronic.
- “Stronger” – Kanye West (2007) – The song samples Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” He had to convince the duo to clear the sample. There are some artists who don’t like their music to be sampled, because sometimes modern music doesn’t match what they believe in.
- “Stronger” – Kelly Clarkson (2011) – The title and the hook come from Nietzsche’s line “that which does not kill me makes me stronger.” The song has become a gym anthem — its push-through-it energy perfectly fits the mood. Kelly connected with the song personally because she was going through a difficult breakup.
