Spotify has today revealed the tracks topping gym-goers’ playlists across the globe. Spotify has also unveiled an ultimate workout playlist based on the popularity of tracks coupled with scientific analysis of tracks that are proven to make you sweat harder in the gym.
6.7 million workout playlists on Spotify have been analysed to find out what people are currently choosing to listen to in the gym with Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton being the most frequently featured track on workout playlists. Can’t Hold Us is followed by Wake Me Up by Avicii, ‘Till I Collapse by Eminem and Don’t You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia feat. John Martin.
Spotify’s data also reveals that men are working out most frequently at lunch-times and later on during the week and feeling the burn to a range of music from classic tracks such as Eye of the Tiger by Survivor, with Eminem’s aptly named ‘Till I Collapse topping men’s playlists.
Women are choosing to sweat it out with pre-breakfast workouts at the beginning of the week, with modern classics such as Macklemore’s Can’t Hold Us and Rihanna’s We Found Love as their chosen tracks ¹. Spotify’s data supports research ² that shows women have a greater tendency than men to use music synchronously (i.e. to exercise in time to the beat). Pop and dance tracks from artists like Rihanna have regular rhythmic patterns that make them ideal for repetitive-type exercise tasks and supports why they feature so heavily in women’s workout playlists.
To help gym-goers perform even better this January, Spotify has teamed up with the Music in Exercise and Sport Group at Brunel University in London to create the ultimate workout playlist. The playlist is based on the global popularity of tracks together with tracks that are proven to make you work harder based on their tempo (bpm), style and lyrical content.
Dr Costas Karageorghis, Deputy Head (Research) of the School of Sport and Education at Brunel University, London and Reader in Sport Psychology ³ said: “When synching your movements to the beat of the music, increase the intensity of your workout by raising the music tempo by one or two BPMs beyond your comfort zone – this will increase your workrate with the added benefit that the difference in effort will be almost imperceptible.”
The bespoke Spotify playlist has been developed to match your workout with popular tracks, kicking off with a warm up, leading into high intensity and strength training and ending with a warm down. It is also designed to keep you motivated to stay at the gym post the first week of January.
The top ten Ultimate Workout playlist tracks are:
1. Roar – Katy Perry
2. Talk Dirty – Jason Derulo ft 2 Chainz
3. Skip To The Good Bit – Rizzle Kicks
4. Get Lucky – Daft Punk ft Pharrel Williams
5. Move – Little Mix
6. Need U 100% - Duke Dumont ft A*M*E
7. You Make Me – Avicii
8. Feel My Rhythm – Viralites
9. Timber – Pitbull ft Ke$ha
10. Applause – Lady Gaga
