When I was in college, I was that guy at parties who thought his taste in music was better than anyone else’s. I’d often introduce myself to complete strangers by saying things like, “Yeah that song is cool if you’re into the mainstream, but I’m really into this 10-piece screamo band that only has five MySpace followers.”
A lot has changed since then. For starters, I don’t go to parties anymore. Jess will tell you that I’m insufferable to be around any night I’m not home by 9:30. But more importantly (at least for my personal growth), I’m less of a music snob. A lot of people might even make fun of what’s currently on my running playlist, which is exactly why I think it’s time to share it with the Internet.
How Did We Get Here?
Honestly, I’m not totally sure! I do know that I was compelled to add a few of these songs after hearing them in commercials for March Madness, the Little League World Series, and Labor Day sales at Target. As for the rest, I probably discovered them while waiting to pay for Gatorade at my local Rite Aid.
The end result? A couple of artists such as Owl City appear on my running playlist multiple times. You know, the guy that did that stupid “Fireflies” song everyone had stuck in their heads for 6 months.
Sometimes I wonder how people would react if I showed up to teach a spin or yoga class with such a bad playlist. I bet some folks would just walk out and demand a refund. Others might deal with it, then approach me after class to say, “That was really weird and I think it’d be best if I moved to a new city after taking your class.”
Enough Stalling. What’s On Your Playlist?
OK, fine. The moment you might have been waiting for!
You can probably tell that I…never really update this playlist. Some of these songs were old in 2015. But running has made me a creature of habit. When I’m slogging through a workout that I just don’t want to do, it’s comforting to know that I have three Owl City remixes to help get me through it.
Want to help improve my playlist? Have your own terrible playlist to own up to? Let me know in the comments below!
Not sure why I was surprised that my running playlist has nothing in common with yours, but okay… I’ll bite. Here’s some picks from my terrible running playlist that I wouldn’t give up for the world:
“I Ran (So Far Away) – A Flock Of Seagulls
Duh.
“Chelsea Dagger” – The Fratellis
If you’ve seen the Simon Pegg movie “Run Fatboy Run”, you’ll know why.
“Montage” – Team America: World Police
Anything that we want to go from just a beginner to a pro, you need a montage!
“Molossus/Imagine the Fire” – Hans Zimmer, Batman Begins and Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack
Sometimes I run better pretending I’m the mother f-ing BatMobile.
“Runnin’ Down A Dream” – Tom Petty (R.I.P)
Relevant Family Guy clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBg0cPmMRVA
“Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams” – Green Day
I used this to train for running 8 minute intervals, its technically two songs but the album version crossfades them decently.
“Here It Goes Again” – OK Go
Confession time, I’ve ran more on a treadmill than I have on pavement thanks to these guys.