There's nothing that motivates me to move like music. In fact, it wasn't until I got an iPod that I could really endure a significant treadmill run. So I put a lot of time and energy into building an arsenal of music to get me through the miles.
I constantly hound people for their best running playlists and love when I can add a new song to mine … but I don't add them lightly. Each one has to be just right.
The songs on my list are varied and random and don't really reflect what I like to listen to when I'm not running. But what all the songs on it have in common is that they make me feel like a badass when I run.
Here are 99 of the best badass running songs I've found, in no particular order:
1. "Move Shake Drop Remix" DJ Laz, Flo Rida & Casely
2. "Drop" Ying Yang Twins
3. "(Rock) Superstar" Cypress Hill
4. "My Humps" Black Eyed Peas
5. "Born an OG" Ace Hood
6. "Baby Got Back" Sir Mix A Lot
7. "Move Bitch" Ludacris
8. "Places to Go" Eminem
9. "If I Can't" 50 Cent
10. "Fergaliciuos" Fergie
11. "99 Problems" Jay-Z
12. "Girlfriend" Avril Lavigne
13. "It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop" Dead Prez
14. "LoveGame" Lady Gaga
15. "It's All About the Benjamins" Puff Daddy & The Family
16. "Imma Be" Black Eyed Peas
17. "Pressing On" Relient K
18. "When the Sun Goes Down" Arctic Monkeys
19. "Born to Run" Bruce Springsteen
20. "I Run for Life" Melissa Etheridge
21. "Southern Hospitality" Ludacris & Pharrell
22. "Give It to Me" Timberland
23. "Grew Up a Screw Up" Ludacris
24. "Sober" Pink
25. "Gold Digger" Kanye West and Jamie Foxx
26. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" The Clash
27. "Stronger" Kanye West
28. "Cotton Eye Joe" Rednex
29. "Hate Me Now" Puff Daddy
30. "Popular" The Veronicas
31. "All Falls Down" Kanye West
32. "Hotel Room Service" Pitbull
33. "Empire State of Mind" Jay-Z
34. "If U Seek Amy" Britney Spears
35. "Me Against the World" 2Pac & Dramacydal
36. "Loser" Beck
37. "Goody Two Shoes" Adam Ant
38. ‘Till I Collapse" Eminem and Nate Dogg
39. "We Made You" Eminem
40. "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" Jay Z
41. "That's Not My Name" The Ting Tings
42. "Nasty Girl" Nitty
43. "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" The Proclaimers
44. "Blister in the Sun" Violent Femmes
45. "Fat Bottomed Girls" Queen
46. "Bout It, Bout It II" Master P
47. "Hollaback Girl" Gwen Stefani
48. "I'mma Shine" YoungBloodz
49. "What Up Gangsta" Fifty Cent
50. "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" John Denver
51. "B.O.B" OutKast
52. "Don't Cha" The Pussycat Dolls and Busta Rhymes
53. "Master of Puppets" Metallica
54. "Running" No Doubt
55. "SOS" Rihanna
56. "SexyBack" Justin Timberlake
57. "Stacy's Mom" Fountains of Wayne
58. "Let's Go" Trick Daddy
59. "I Want You to Want Me" Cheap Trick
60. "Piece of Me" Britney Spears
61. "X Gon' Give It to Ya" DMX
62. "Work It" Nelly and Justin Timberlake
63. "Mary Jane Shoes" Fergie
64. "Wild Wild West" Will Smith
65. "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" Soulja Boy Tell'Em
66. "Mickey" Toni Basil
67. "Bring Em Out" T.I.
68. "The Beautiful People" Marilyn Manson
69. "Faith" George Michael
70. "Hail Mary" 2Pac & Dramacydal
71. "Alive" Pearl Jam
72. "The Sound of Settling" Death Cab for Cutie
73. "Welcome to The Jungle" Guns N' Roses
74. "Lose Yourself" Eminem
75. "Hips Don't Lie" Shakira and Wyclef Jean
76. "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" Big and Rich
77. "Lay Low" Snoop Dogg
78. "Another One Bites the Dust" Queen
79. "Fight for Your Right" Beastie Boys
80. "Where the Streets Have No Name" U2
81. "Jesus Walks" Kanye West
82. "Livin La Vida Loca" Ricky Martin
83. "Pump It" Black Eyed Peas
84. "Blah Blah Blah" Ke$ha
85. "I Will Survive" Cake
86. "We Do This" T.I.
87. "The Pretender" Foo Fighters
88. "Highway to Hell" AC/DC
89. "Pain" Jimmy Eat World
90. "Eye of the Tiger" Survivor
91. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Nirvana
92. "Harder to Breathe" Maroon 5
93. "We Are the Champions" Queen
94. "Can't Stop" Red Hot Chili Peppers
95. "The Distance" Cake
96. "You Can Do It" Ice Cube
97. "When You Were Young" Killers
98. "I Kissed a Girl" Katy Perry
99. "Jane Fonda" Mickey Avalon
Note: I do tend to like a lot of explicit music when I run, so be warned and wary of little ears when checking out some of these.
What are your favorite workout songs?
Image via mikebaird/Flickr
