The importance of music

Finding the motivation to workout is a real struggle for me every week.  With that said, I have to find things that get me pumped to get my sweat on.  My music is definitely a key factor in my workouts.  When I switched phones in December I put some of my music on my phone quickly one day and have been listening to the same handful of tracks for a few months.  Last week I decided I need to sit down and get my music situation straightened out. So this last weekend I bought a few new tracks and added some new music to my phone.    I find that different types of music motivate me differently.  For example, rap/hip hop and hard rock make me want to lift all the heavy things, while music I can sing to (classic rock/pop and newer music) helps me get through my runs.

So I organized a few playlists so I could choose the right music at the right time in order to keep me motivated during my workouts.  I have shared my playlists below (I play them on random so I don't hear the same artist back to back) so you can see what I am listening to and maybe find some music you want to add to your mix.

Playlist #1 - Rap

1. Eminem - No Love
2. Ice Cube - Today was a good day
3. Fugees - Ready or Not
4. Juicy J - Bandz a Make Her Dance
5. Nelly - Shake Ya Tail Feather
6. Rick Ross - Push It
7. Rick Ross - Hustlin
8. Ying Yang Twins - Badd
9. Ying Yang Twins - Shake
10. Nelly - Number One
11. D12 - Purple Pills
12. Nelly - Grillz
13. Youngbloodz - 85/Billy Dee Interlude
14. Youngbloodz - Presidential
15. Young Jeezy - Soul Survivor
16. Young Jeezy - And then what
17. Young Jeezy - I Luv It
18. Ying Yang Twins - Salt Shaker
19. Three Six Mafia - Side to Side
20. Three Six Mafia - Poppin My Collar
21. Three Six Mafia - Stay Fly
22. Snoop Dogg - Drop It Like It's Hot
23. Kanye - Heartless
24. Kanye - Stronger

Playlist #2 - Rock

1. Audioslave - Be Yourself
2. Butthole Surfers - Pepper
3. Carfax Abbey - Cry Little Sister
4. Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
5. Marilyn Manson - Heart Shaped Glasses
6. Marilyn Manson - The Dope Show
7. Black Veil Brides - In the End
8. Nine Inch Nails - Perfect Drug
9. Nirvana - Heart Shaped Box
10. Orgy - Blue Monday
11. Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song
12. Offspring - Gone Away
13. Offspring - Come Out and Play
14. Offspring - Self-Esteem
15. Limp Bizkit - My Way
16. Marilyn Manson - Sweet Dreams
17. CKY - 96 Quite Bitter Beings
18. Three Days Grace - I Hate Everything

Playlist #3 - 70s, 80s and 90s mix

1. Alice Cooper - I'm 18
2. Billy Squier - My Kinda Lover
3. Bob Dylan - Knockin' on Heaven's Door
4. Bob Seger - Old Time Rock and Roll
5. Bob Seger - Night Moves
6. Bob Seger - Mainstreet
7. Bob Seger - Turn the Page
8. Bob Seger - Her Strut
9. Bob Seger - You'll Accomp'ny Me
10. Boys Don't Cry - I Wanna Be a Cowboy
11. Breakwater - Release the Beast
12. Color Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up
13. Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
14. Duran Duran - Reflex
15. Duran Duran - Planet Earth
16. Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf
17. Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street
18. Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good
19. McHammer - Can't Touch This
20. Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al
21. Peter Gabriel - Shock the Monkey
22. Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
23. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
24. Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way
25. Quaterflash - Harden My Heart
26. Queen - Another One Bites the Dust
27. Radiohead - Karma Police
28. Rick James - Super Freak
29. Salt-N-Pepa - Push It
30. US3 - Cantaloop
31. Weezer - Buddy Holly
32. Tom Petty - I Won't Back Down
33. Tom Petty - Free Fallin
34. Tom Petty - Mary Jane's Last Dance
35. U2 - Pride
36. Pink Floyd - Another Brick on the Wall
37. Moody Blues - Nights in White Satin
38. Cars - Moving in Stereo
39. Talk Talk - It's My Life
40. A Flock of Seagulls - I Ran
41. Talking Heads - Burning Down the House
42. Tears for Fears - Head Over Heals

Playlist #4 - Newer Music

1. Awolnation - Sail
2. Capital Cities - Safe and Sound
3. Capital Cities - Kangaroo Court
4. David Guetta - Titanium
5. Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body
6. Depeche Mode - Precious
7. DJ Laz - Move Shake Drop Remix
8. Drake - Hold On, We're Going Home
9. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home
10. Foster the People - Helena Beat
11. Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks
12. Foster the People - Waste
13. Foster the People - Houdini
14. Foster the People - Miss You
15. Katy Perry - Roar
16. Lana Del Rey - Born to Die
17. Lana Del Ray - Radio
18. Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness
19. Linkin Park (Reanimation) - Pts. of Athrty
20. Linkin Park - Faint
21. Little Boots - New in Town
22. M.I.A - Paper Planes
23. M.I.A. - Bad Girls
24. Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis - Thrift Shop
25. MGMT - Electric Feel
26. MGMT - Time to Pretend
27. MGMT - Kids
28. Missy Elliot - Gossip Folks
29. Missy Elliot - Work It
30. Modest Mouse - Float On
31. Nelly Fertado - Maneater
32. NKOTB - Remix (I Like the)
33. Sean Paul - Temperature
34. Shakira - She Wolf
35. The Cardigans - Erase and Rewind
36. System of a Down - Lost in Hollywood
37. 30 Seconds to Mars - Do or Die

What are some songs that keep you motivated during your workout?