Remanents

This running music playlist has songs at 160 – 180 bpm (building from slower bpms at start, to faster as you continue). If you like alternative/indie rock and power-pop, but also like a few different styles of music to keep things interesting…you’ll love this mix. All songs were carefully selected for running a marathon (but great as fitness music too!). The songs are either inspirational, about running, or just fun w/ a great beat.

For an explanation of why BPM is important, please see Hella Sound’s “Music and Athletic Performance”. If you’re wondering if music can really help when running or exercising…see what Physician.com has to say.

For a well done chart showing BPM by mile (and kilometer) pace, see Run2Rythym.

Got an iphone or use an ipod? Check out this app and software that analyzes your itunes for BPMs and then lets you choose songs at that BPM from your iphone or ipod…see Cadence (need Mac w/ OS 10.4 or higher for ipod; PC version coming soon)

The itunes playlist below has ALMOST all the songs listed, there are a few that are not on itunes: The Beatles, Hella Sound, Jonathan Jones, and one Housemartins song.

There are 61 songs below with a total playtime of 3.5 hours. Enjoy…

Best Running Music Playlist– Jane’s Mix: 160 – 180 BPM (for runners w/ mile pace of 7.5 – 8.5 minutes)

To get this music, just click on playlist above and download either entire playlist or individual songs from itunes. Or see our Amazon store for the very best full albums by artists on playlists

Songs (w/ BPM):

1. Beautiful Day – U2 (136): Great start to a marathon…even if it’s raining, gotta believe it’s “a beautiful day…don’t let it get away”
2. Wake Up – The Arcade Fire (137): This song just builds into a great inspirational anthem…”with my lighnin’ bolts a glowin’, I can see where I am go-goin’”. It’s obviously got an “motivational” following as the NFL is now using a clip from this song for their ads, the NY Rangers used this song during the 2006-07 season as their pre-game intro and it was also featured in the movie trailer for Where the Wild Things Are.
3. Tick Tick Boom – The Hives (137): Having been used for Nike/Finish Line commercials, NFL Football games and for the movie Taken…this song has some strong inspirational lineage as well…
4. This Year – The Mountain Goats (140): Can easily substitute “marathon” for “year” in the chorus “I am going to make it thru this marathon if it kills me”.
5. Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken – Camera Obscura (145): This song is a response to Lloyd Cole & the Commotions “Are You Ready to be Heartbroken” (which is a great song by an awesome band…too bad it has slow bpm). Just a fun, upbeat song to keep you moving even if you “can’t see further than {your} own nose at this moment”
6. Hey Now Now – The Cloud Room (150): Gotta love Twitter…this song suggested to me by @linwoodstudios and hadn’t heard of this band. Great song w/ fun chorus and beat and named a “top ten single of the year” by Rolling Stone in 2006. If David Bowie, The Arcade Fire, and Spoon have all been to see The Cloud Room in concert, they must be doing something right. (Thanks Jonathan!)
7. The Way We Get By – Spoon (152): This Austin, TX band is one of my favorites for running music. This song was featured on The OC. “We go out in stormy weather…and that’s the way we get by”…just in case we have to offset “Beautiful Day”, you’re prepared either way.
8. I’m Confused – The Handsome Furs (154): Relatively new Canadian band w/ first album released in 2007. Enjoy the beat and empathetic lines like “I’m confused, I know, my love, I know it’s easy to do…there’s something to do, sometimes we get confused”
9. Take a Minute *explicit lyrics* – K’naan (156): K’naan seems to channel Bob Marley, mix in some hip-hop, and deliver poetry in the form of urgent protest music. On this song he’s more reflective, but poignant as ever: “And every time I felt the hurt…And I felt the givin’ gettin’ me up off the wall…I’m just gonna take a minute and let it ride…I’m just gonna take a minute and let it breeze”.
10. If Looks Could Kill – Camera Obscura (158): While “camera obscura” is Latin for “dark room”, the band is usually very sunny with lyrics that are always catchy, upbeat and very clever. This one just seems to be made a good run w/ “you got to go” and “maybe I can make it better”.
11. Reptile – The Church (158): One of my all-time favorite bands and this is from one of their best albums…Starfish. Key verse here is “Go now, you’ve been set free”…just forget that Steve Kilbey is talking about an ex-lover and comparing her to a reptile:)
12. Something is Squeezing My Skull – Morrissey (158): OK, this one is not exactly motivational, but it is fun. Morrissey is the king of despondent lyrics w/ an upbeat, playful song. Just stick w/ the “I’m doing very well” verse.
13. Joker and the Thief – Wolfmother (158): Wolfmother sounds like a combination of The Scorpions and Rush and just an enjoyable power song w/ lyrics like “he makes his way across the land” and the chorus of “we are not going home”…rock on!
14. Niagara Falls – Harlem Shakes (159): Just LOVE this song. Reminds me of Vampire Weekend with the clever beat and varied instruments (the piano is awesome). With our pun laden running “Wit-Tee” shirts (sold thru Remanents), we love the line “I don’t even get the t-shirt’s pun”.
15. Silver Trembling Hands – The Flaming Lips (160): From one of the most critically acclaimed new albums of 2009…enjoy “She forgets about the fear…when she’s high”
16. Young Turks – Rod Stewart (163): Never been a big Rod Stewart fan, but I had a comment on the blog that this was one of her “go to” running songs, and I have to agree it just works and the chorus is perfect to keep your legs pumping “Young hearts be free tonight, time is on your side…Don’t let them put you down, don’t let ‘em push you around…don’t let ‘em ever change your point of view”.  Thanks Jordan! (Follow Jordan on Twitter @exploravore)
17. Slight Figure of Speech – The Avett Brothers (165): Another of 2009’s most critically acclaimed new bands. Some of their music is “too country” for me (I can be pretty eclectic, but pure country just doesn’t do it for me…and can’t imagine it while running a marathon). But this song is less “country” and more rock w/ a up-tempo beat and the line “what if it’s hot on my trail, but that can’t catch me, no”
18. How to Turn Around a Bad Day – Hella Sound (165): Here’s a sample of the great running music you can find at Hella Sound. Their music is engineered to be at the bpm that you choose. Enjoy this mix of indie rock, funk, and jazz.  If you’re on Twitter, you really must follow @HellaSound as owner/founder John Frenette is hilarious (w/ good taste in music too!). Listen at HellaSound
19. Salute Your Solution – Raconteurs (165): It doesn’t matter if Jack White is with The White Strips, the Raconteurs, or the Dead Weather, he always delivers. Just keep running and picture Jack mocking the other runners with “I got what I got all despite you, and I get what I get just to spite you” and encouraging you to “Salute your Solution”.
20. I Wanna Be Sedated – The Ramones (165): I wasn’t sure about adding this one as I didn’t think it was inspirational, but Monica assured me it was. She explained that by this time of the race, all runners are thinking about Advil sedation. You can just hear the running empathy in Joey Ramone’s voice…
21. Trashcan – Delta Spirit (166): By this point in the race, I’m sure this line will resonate… “My heart is thumping I can feel it more with every beat” [click to continue…]

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