Motivational Music?

[SunsetRunner]

Music moves me. I have used it for decades while teaching technical classes. (Mozart keeps the brain focused.) And I've used music for pain management (solo piano) during a period in my life when I had to undergo a couple operations. Very effective! Now, I am thinking music can help keep me on track at this point of my journey to better health. I've lost 60 lbs over the last year. Have 25 to go this year.

Does anyone have suggestions for motivational music? I'm thinking of two categories:
- Motivational music with a good beat ... something to listen to when doing cardio, walking, etc.
- Motivational music, in general. The beat does not matter, just the words to the songs

Here are two songs I've found:
- Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
- Proud by Heather Small

Any other suggestions?

[Manticone]

I will have to come back later to look at some of the recommendations.

But the music I listen to tends to differ based on task. If I want to run fast, I listen to different music than if I am cycling. Walking-music varies the most because walking isn't hard. All that matters is that I like the music 🙂 But for running, I like to listen to:

Nine Inch Nails - Hand that Feeds; Survivalism

Skinny Puppy - the Handover album

Depeche Mode - almost anything they've ever composed

The Cure - Burn

Prodigy - Firestarter

The Ramones or punkish music in general. Right now I like Vad ska du bli by Swedish band

Ebba Grön

Or anything that reminds me of when I had a lot of energy; aka the late 90's when I was a teenager 😉

[Manticone]

Music I like in general includes:

The aforementioned bands plus....

The Smiths/ Morrissey

Max Richter - he is my all time favourite living composer

Bach, and baroque music

classical music across the board

-Shostakovich

-Kreisler (I play the violin and listen to a lot of violin pieces in general when I am walking)

-Brian Eno

-KSMB (which is another Swedish punk rock band. haha)

-Pink Floyd

-Siouxse and the Banshees

-Mark Isham (esp. his jazz pieces)

-Neuroticfish (German band)

-PMMP (Finnish band)

-Sigur Rós (Icelandic band)

-Peter Gabriel

-Kate Bush

-A Flock of Seagulls

-Genesis

-James Newton Howard

-Graeme Revell (I love his soundtrack for The Crow)

-Thieves Like Us (another Swedish group)

-The XX

-Pat Benatar

-Blondie

-Journey (I am stuck in the 80's, even though I was a little kid in the 80's!)

-Angelo Badalamenti (did the Twin Peaks soundtrack, and music for the French film La Cite des Enfants Perdue)

-Cole Porter

-The Pixies

-Tangerine Dream (they did some amazing OSTs for movies)

-Tears for Fears

-Talking Heads

-Bat for Lashes

-The Human League

-Zola Jesus

-Arvo Part

-Ludovico Einaudi

-Daughter

-Boards of Canada

-Four Tet

-Into the Trees

-Zoe Keating

-Foreigner

-Simple Minds

-VNV Nation

-The Who

-Virtual Boy

-Dean Martin

-Vangelis

-Radiohead

-Sylvain Chauveau

-Royksopp

-Placebo

-Rudolph Serkin

-Keaton Henson

-Moby

-Mark Snow (did music for The X-Files)

-Polarkreis 18 (German band, but I bet you guys figured that out)

-Cocteau Twins

-M83

-Gorecki

-James Horner

-The Glitch Mob

-Georges Delerue

-Eric Serra (he did the OST for The Professional)

-Michael Nyman (check out his OST for Gattaca. It's SO BEAUTIFUL)

-Elliot Goldenthal

-ES Posthumus

-Clint Mansell

-Tori Amos (some of her stuff)

-Atticus Ross (his work with Trent Reznor is great!)

-Blake Neely

-Daft Punk

-Blue Foundation

-Hilary Hahn

-Lisa Gerrard

-Hans Zimmer (one of my all time favourites)

-Amiina

-Bloc Party

-Crystal Castles

-Vivaldi

-Arcade Fire

-Atlas Sound

I could go on and on, but those are some neat bands to start with... 🙂

Happy listening!

[Stephen1227]

Don't Look Back, Peace of Mind, and More than a Feeling by the band Boston.  These get me going!  

[Stephen1227]

Just thought of another fun, motivating one:  "Mr. Blue Sky" by the Electric Light Orchestra

[Stephen1227]

Thanks Del678!  I forgot about Stevie Wonder, and love him and his music.  Will have to download some.  When I was in high school, I had his album, "Songs in the Key of Life"--great album.  

[Stephen1227]

Heard another one this morning--an old favorite.  It's a happy,fun song to help motivate us, shall I say, non-morning people.

"Wake up Sunshine"  by the band Chicago

[kamiller]

Any type of Dubstep music, rave/techo music. They have good beats. They get you pushing yourself and enjoying every minute of it.

I use iHeart Radio or Spotify (any of those is good) and put the earphones on and nothing stops me.

It will help. I guarantee it.

[chrisxr2]

Anything fast, i tend to skip or battle rope to ahard dance, hardocore kind of dance music from around 120 to 180 bpm and work out to the speed of the beat as best i can, makes for a great workout.

[FadedlikeSagan]

I'm a road cyclist, I listen to the sound the wind makes when I'm cutting into it at 26MPH and Bathory's "Blood Fire Death" album, including Burning Leather

[James_R]

For anyone into lifting or heavy resistance training I'd recommed Rob Bailey & The Hustle Standard - Beast. 

The bpm is great for steady reps, and the song will leave you pumped, great for supersets. 

[LynseyTwinMum]

I don't run but if I want to walk faster and with more energy I always put on a Ministry of Sound album! I love a bit of 70's disco too 🙂

I like all sorts of music as long as its lively!

[bdaniels04]

My most recent addictions to listen to while working out:

- Human Race by Three Days Grace

- Failure by Breaking Benjamin

- Drop Dead Cynical by Amaranthe

- Untraveled Road by Thousand Foot Krutch

- Centuries by Fall Out Boy

- Warriors by Imagine Dragon

[SherlocksBum]

Shut up And Dance by Walk the Moon is at the top of my list right now, its so peppy i just wanna dance whenever i hear it, and it's got a good beat to run to

Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machines

Stay the Night by Zedd

Burn by Ellie Goulding (to "burn" calories hehe)

I Love It by Icona Pop

plus pretty much every song on the Avenger's Assemble CD, its music choices inspired by the movie and has artists like Cherri Bomb, Soundgarden, Papa Roach, Shinedown, Evanescence, and others 

[EdsonFitbit]

I agree with @fitSan Rob Zombie makes me feel powerful too! I guess when I need to concentrate myself while doing homework or just have a relax moment I like to listen classical music; the 4 seasons of Vivaldi. To fill me out of energy I listen Enigma or Era.

[SunsetRunner]

I agree totally about classical music! Before retiring, I taught technical training classes and frequently playing classical music - expecially Mozart - in the background. It seemed to help my students focus and helped keep stress levels down. I still use music for myself ... motivating, moving music to energize and solo piano to relax.

[JanessaPablo]

Spotify has some great upbeat playlists. 🙂 Maybe try that? 🙂

[sweetcaroline22]

Right now I use Katy Tiz "whistle (while you work it)" near the ends of my runs.  really helps me push through whne I hit The Wall.

[DavideFitbit]

Spotify is definitely a good option @JanessaPablo, i always find songs i had never heard before and that i really enjoy, they even have a playlist for workouts and it is a great selection of songs. 

[Pat_M]

I use Military Cadences for walking and also using the treadmill on Google Play I find that works very well for me, plus the fact I am an ex. Royal Marine

[DavideFitbit]

Absolutely @Pat_M, Military Cadences inevitably transmit a sense of discipline and they make me want to keep going while I am running, so I even end up running more than what I had planned. Is great to see how everyone finds something different that motivates them and works for them.