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The Ultimate NPR Workout Mix Hear an assortment of muscle-pumping, pain-annihilating anthems — as compiled by athletes, celebrities, NPR personalities and, of course, listeners.

Opinion

The Mix

The Ultimate NPR Workout Mix

By 

Eleanor Kagan

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Tina Turner's epic version of "Proud Mary" is a full workout in a song. Trust us. Patrick Riviere/Getty Images hide caption

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Patrick Riviere/Getty Images

Tina Turner's epic version of "Proud Mary" is a full workout in a song. Trust us.

Patrick Riviere/Getty Images

Everybody has that one song that pushes you into a sprint for your last half-mile. That urgent, four-on-the-floor beat that begs your feet to pound your bike's pedals up a killer hill. The lyrics that tell you: Yes, you're awesome, and yes, you can wipe the floor with your competition, whether it's the other 500 people in the marathon or that one sweaty, spandex-clad sensation you see huffing and puffing in front of you in the mirror.

Sweatin' To NPR: Workout Music

Sweatin' To NPR: Workout Music

This month, Morning Edition is interviewing athletes, celebrities and NPR personalities about the music that pumps them up when it's time to hit the gym.

We were hoping you'd suggest a few tunes that rock your exercise routine, as well — and, boy, did you ever. We collected many of your choices and compiled them into one big, gym-ready megamix. You can stream it on your phone's NPR Music app while you're at the fitness center, showing off how much you can bench-press. (In the NPR Music app, hit "Radio" along the bottom options. Under "Rock/Pop/Folk," you'll find this mix listed under the title "NPR Workout Mix.") And, just because your butt's in a chair at work doesn't mean you couldn't use a little boost to exercise your hand muscles at the computer.

These are your songs for tearing up the gym, while hopefully not tearing any muscles. When you're ready to cool down, we suggest heading here or here, depending on how you feel about your workout (and your love life).

Over the next few weeks, we'll keep adding to the mix, so if your shredding-est workout jam isn't here, let us know what it is.

This mix was compiled with the help of KEXP, The Current, WFUV and WXPN.

To find the Ultimate NPR Workout Mix in your iPhone app, select the Radio option along the bottom of the screen, then select Rock/Pop/Folk. This mix is the third option.

Songs In The Mix

  • 2Pac, "Against All Odds" - Los Angeles Laker Matt Barnes' favorite pre-game music is 2Pac
  • 2Pac, "Hold Ya Head"
  • 2Pac, "Secretz of War"
  • A Tribe Called Quest, "Scenario"
  • A.R. Rahman, "Jai Ho"
  • Al Hirt, "Green Hornet Theme"
  • Animal Collective, "Brothersport"
  • Annie, "Heartbeat"
  • Arcade Fire, "Keep The Car Running"
  • Arctic Monkeys, "Brainstorm"
  • The B-52's, "Rock Lobster"
  • Battles, "Atlas"
  • Beastie Boys, "Body Movin'"
  • Beastie Boys, "Sabotage"
  • The Beatles, "Helter Skelter"
  • Beck, "Mixed Bizness"
  • Beyoncé, "End of Time"
  • Beyoncé, "Move Your Body" - Workout jam of First Lady Michelle Obama
  • Beyoncé, "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
  • Big Boi (feat. Cutty), "Shutterbugg"
  • Bill Withers, "Use Me"
  • Billy Idol, "White Wedding"
  • Billy Idol, "Dancing With Myself"
  • Black Eyed Peas, "I Gotta Feeling" - One of Olivia Newton-John's picks
  • Black Keys, "Howlin' For You"
  • Blackstreet, "No Diggity"
  • Bloc Party, "Pioneers"
  • Blondie, "Call Me"
  • Blur, "Girls & Boys"
  • Bob Seger, "Old Time Rock & Roll"
  • Britney Spears, "Till The World Ends"
  • Broken Social Scene, "Almost Crimes"
  • Bruce Springsteen, "Born to Run" - The Boss inspires many, like Peter Sagal, host of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!
  • Business, "Harry May"
  • C+C Music Factory, "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)"
  • Cake, "The Distance"
  • Candi Staton, "You Got The Love"
  • Capsule, "Jumper" - This song helps stuntwoman Luci "Steel" Romberg" crash, and burn.
  • Cee-Lo Green, "Forget You"
  • Chemical Brothers, "Block Rockin' Beats"
  • Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, "Mra"
  • Chromeo, "Fancy Footwork"
  • Chuck Berry, "Johnny B. Goode"
  • The Clash, "Polive & Thieves"
  • The Clash, "The Magnificent Seven"
  • The Clash, "Train In Vain"
  • Cold Cave, "Love Comes Close"
  • Coldplay, "Paradise" - What gets tennis pros the Bryan brothers in the groove
  • The Count Basie Orchestra, "Oh, Lady Be Good"
  • Crystal Castles, "Celstica"
  • The Cure, "Hot Hot Hot"
  • Cut Copy, "Lights & Music"
  • Daft Punk, "Aerodynamic"
  • Daft Punk, "Harder Better Faster Stronger"
  • Dave Matthews Band, "#41" - What gets tennis pros the Bryan brothers in the groove
  • David Bowie, "Suffragette City"
  • The Dead Weather, "Cut Like A Buffalo"
  • Deee-Lite, "Groove is in the Heart"
  • Destiny's Child, "Bootylicious"
  • Dire Straits, "Money For Nothing"
  • Dizzee Rascal, "Fix Up Look Sharp" (Ratatat Remix)
  • DJ Earworm, "Heartless (In A Bottle)" - Chosen by spin instructor Justin Rubin
  • DJ Earworm, "United States of Pop 2009 - Blame It On The Pop"
  • Ellie Goulding, "Lights" - This song helps stuntwoman Luci "Steel" Romberg" crash, and burn.
  • Elvis Costello, "Pump It Up"
  • Eminem, "Lose Yourself"
  • English Beat, "Mirror in the Bathroom"
  • Eric Prydz, "Call On Me"
  • Fatboy Slim, "Praise You"
  • Fatboy Slim, "The Rockafeller Skank"
  • Fitz & the Tantrums, "Don't Gotta Work It Out"
  • Florence and the Machine, "Dog Days Are Over"
  • The Fratellis, "Baby Fratelli"
  • Galactic, "I Got It (What You Need)"
  • Garbage, "Push It"
  • Girl In A Coma, "She Had A Plan"
  • Gnarls Barkley, "Going On"
  • Gnarls Barkley, "Run (I'm A Natural Disaster)"
  • The Go! Team, "Huddle Formation"
  • The Go! Team, "The Power Is On"
  • Gorillaz, "DARE"
  • Grace Jones, "Hurricane"
  • Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, "The Message"
  • Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel, "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)"
  • Gui Boratto, "No Turning Back"
  • Guns 'N Roses, "Welcome To The Jungle"
  • Harry Belafonte, "Jump In The Line"
  • Harvey Danger, "Flagpole Sitta"
  • Heart, "Crazy On You"
  • The Heavy, "How You Like Me Now"
  • Heavy D & The Boyz, "Now That We Found Love"
  • Hercules & Love Affair, "Blind"
  • The Hold Steady, "Navy Sheets"
  • The Hold Steady, "Sequestered In Memphis"
  • Hot Chip, "Over & Over"
  • Ice Cube, "You Can Do It"
  • Iggy & The Stooges, "Search & Destroy"
  • Ike & Tina Turner, "Proud Mary"
  • Iron Maiden, "Run to the Hills"
  • Jackie Wilson, "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher"
  • Jackie Wilson, "Baby Workout"
  • James Brown, "Give It Up or Turnit Loose"
  • James Brown, "I Got You (I Feel Good)"
  • Jamiroquai, "Canned Heat"
  • Janelle Monae (feat. Big Boi), "Tightrope"
  • Janet Jackson, "Rhythm Nation"
  • Jimi Hendrix, "All Along The Watchtower"
  • Jimmy Eat World, "The Middle"
  • Joe Esposito, "You're The Best"
  • John Adams, "Short Ride In A Fast Machine"
  • Julie Andrews "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" - Songs We Love: Disney Songwriters The Sherman Brothers
  • Jonsi, "Go Do"
  • Junior Senior, "Move Your Feet"
  • Justice, "D.A.N.C.E."
  • Justice, "Phantom"
  • Justin Timberlake, "Sexyback"
  • Kanye West, "Power"
  • Kanye West, "The New Workout Plan"
  • Kanye West (feat. Lupe Fiasco), "Touch The Sky"
  • Karen O, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, "Immigrant Song"
  • Katrina & the Waves, "Walking On Sunshine"
  • Katy B, "Katy On A Mission"
  • Katy Perry, "Firework"
  • The Killers, "Mr. Brightside"
  • The Kinks, "All Day and All of The Night"
  • The Kinks, "Victoria"
  • Kool and the Gang, "Celebration"
  • The Knack, "My Sharona"
  • The Knife, "Heartbeats"
  • KT Tunstall, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" - The Nation's Top Taxman Shares His Playlist
  • La Roux, "Bulletproof"
  • Lady Gaga, "Born This Way" - Chosen by spin instructor Justin Rubin
  • Lady Gaga, "Just Dance"
  • Lauryn Hill, "Doo Wop (That Thing)"
  • LCD Soundsystem, "All My Friends"
  • LCD Soundsystem, "North American Scum"
  • Le Tigre, "Deceptacon"
  • Led Zeppelin, "Good Times Bad Times"
  • LL Cool J, "Mama Said Knock You Out"
  • LMFAO, "Party Rock Anthem"
  • Lo Fidelity Allstars, "Battleflag"
  • Los Lobos, "Good Morning Aztlan"
  • Louis Prima, "Sing Sing Sing"
  • Lykke Li, "Get Some"
  • M.I.A., "Boyz"
  • M.I.A., "Pull Up The People"
  • M/A/R/R/S, "Pump Up The Volume"
  • M83, "Midnight City"
  • Macy Gray, "I Try" - The Nation's Top Taxman Shares His Playlist
  • Madonna, "Express Yourself"
  • Madonna, "Music"
  • Madonna, "Vogue"
  • Major Lazer (feat. VYBZ Kartel), "Pon De Floor"
  • Malcolm McLaren, "Buffalo Gals" (WFUV)
  • Marilyn Manson, "Personal Jesus"
  • Mary J. Blige, "Just Fine"
  • Matt & Kim, "Daylight"
  • Meatloaf, "Bat Out of Hell"
  • Megadeth, "Peace Sells"
  • Metallica, "Enter Sandman"
  • Michael Franti, "Say Hey (I Love You)"
  • Michael Jackson, "Beat It"
  • Michael Jackson, "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough"
  • Michael Jackson, "Workin' Day and Night"
  • Moby, "Bodyrock"
  • Moby, "Honey"
  • Mos Def, "Quiet Dog"
  • Muse, "Knights of Cydonia"
  • N.W.A., "Straight Outta Compton" - Chosen by spin instructor Justin Rubin
  • Neneh Cherry, "Buffalo Stance"
  • New Order, "Bizarre Love Triangle"
  • New Radicals, "You Get What You Give"
  • Nirvana, "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
  • The Noisettes, "Don't Upset The Rhythm"
  • The Octopus Project, "Music Is Happiness"
  • Of Montreal, "Rapture Rapes the Muses"
  • OK Go, "Invincible"
  • Olatunji, "Kiyakiya (Key-Ya-Key-Ya)"
  • Outkast, "B.O.B."
  • Outkast, "Hey Ya"
  • Outkast (feat. Sleepy Brown), "The Way You Move"
  • Overseer, "Stompbox"
  • Ozomatli, "City of Angels"
  • Passion Pit, "The Reeling"
  • Paul Simon, "You Can Call Me Al"
  • Phoenix, "1901"
  • P!nk, "Raise Your Glass"
  • Pink Floyd, "Run Like Hell"
  • Prince, "Baby I'm A Star"
  • Prodigy, "Breathe"
  • Public Enemy, "Fight The Power"
  • Puretone, "Addicted To Bass"
  • Punjabi MC, "Mundian To Bach Ke"
  • Queen, "Another One Bites The Dust"
  • Queen, "Don't Stop Me Now"
  • Queen, "I Want It All"
  • Queen & David Bowie, "Under Pressure"
  • Queens of the Stone Age, "Little Sister"
  • R.E.M., "It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"
  • Radiohead, "Electioneering"
  • Rage Against The Machine, "Testify"
  • The Ramones, "Howling At The Moon (Sha-La-La)"
  • The Ramones, "Judy Is A Punk"
  • Randy Weston, "Tanjah"
  • The Rapture, "Whoo! Alright...Yeah...Uh Huh"
  • The Rapture, "How Deep Is Your Love?"
  • Ratatat, "Seventeen Years"
  • Ray Charles, "What'd I Say"
  • Republica, "Ready To Go"
  • Rick James, "Super Freak"
  • Rihanna, "Rude Boy"
  • Rihanna (feat. Calvin Harris), "We Found Love"
  • R.L.Burnside, "Someday Baby"
  • Robert Palmer, "Addicted to Love"
  • Robyn, "Dancing On My Own"
  • Robyn, "Indestructible"
  • Rodrigo y Gabriela, "Buster Voodoo"
  • The Rolling Stones, "Brown Sugar" - One of Olivia Newton-John's picks
  • The Rolling Stones, "Gimme Shelter"
  • The Rolling Stones, "Start Me Up"
  • The Roots, "The Seed 2.0"
  • Run-D.M.C., "Walk This Way"
  • The Runaways, "Cherry Bomb"
  • Rustie, "All Nite"
  • Salt-N-Pepa, "Push It"
  • Sam & Dave, "Soul Man"
  • Saul Williams, "List of Demands (Reparations)"
  • Scissor Sisters, "Ooh"
  • Sigur Ros, "Gobbledigook"
  • Shakira, "Hips Don't Lie"
  • Skee-Lo, "I Wish"
  • Skrillex, "Breathe" - This song helps stuntwoman Luci "Steel" Romberg" crash, and burn.
  • Sleigh Bells, "Tell 'Em"
  • Slumdog Millionaire, "Millionaire"
  • Sly & The Family Stone, "Dance To The Music"
  • The Sounds, "Tony The Beat"
  • Stevie Nicks, "Edge of Seventeen"
  • Stevie Wonder, "Boogie on Reggae Woman"
  • Stevie Wonder, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" - Workout jam of First Lady Michelle Obama
  • The Strokes, "Hard To Explain"
  • The Strokes, "Reptilia"
  • Stone Temple Pilots, "Crackerman"
  • The Sugarhill Gang, "Apache"
  • Survivor, "Eye of the Tiger"
  • Sweet, "Ballroom Blitz"
  • T. Rex, "20th Century Boy"
  • T. Rex, "Bang A Gong (Get It On)"
  • Taio Cruz, "Dynamite"
  • Talib Kweli, "Get By"
  • Talking Heads, "I Zimbra" (WFUV)
  • Talking Heads, "Life During Wartime"
  • Technotronic, "Move This"
  • Technotronic, "Pump Up The Jam"
  • Ted Nugent, "Free-For-All"
  • The Temptations, "I Can't Get Next To You"
  • Thelma Houston, "Don't Leave Me This Way"
  • Tomoyasu Hotei, "Battle Without Honor Or Humanity"
  • Tony Tisdale, "Catwalkin'"
  • The Trammps, "Disco Inferno"
  • Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, "In Motion"
  • tUnE-yArDs, "My Country"
  • TV On The Radio, "Wolf Like Me"
  • U2, "Beautiful Day" - The Nation's Top Taxman Shares His Playlist
  • U2, "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" - What gets tennis pros the Bryan brothers in the groove
  • U2, "The Fly"
  • Underworld, "Born Slippy"
  • Usher, "Yeah" (feat. Lil' Jon & Ludacris)
  • Vampire Weekend, "Run"
  • Van Halen, "Jump"
  • Violent Femmes, "Blister In The Sun"
  • Violent Femmes, "Gone Daddy Gone"
  • The Walkmen, "The Rat"
  • Walter Murphy, "A Fifth of Beethoven"
  • The War On Drugs, "Baby Missiles"
  • The Weather Girls, "It's Raining Men"
  • The White Stripes, "Fell In Love With A Girl"
  • The White Stripes, "Seven Nation Army"
  • The Who, "Baba O'Riley"
  • The Who, "My Generation"
  • Wilson Pickett, "In The Midnight Hour"
  • Willow Smith, "Whip My Hair" - Workout jam of First Lady Michelle Obama
  • Wolfmother, "Dimension"
  • Wolfmother, "Joker and the Thief"
  • YACHT, "Utopia"
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Heads Will Roll"
  • Years, "The Major Lift"
  • ZZ Top, "Sharp Dressed Man"