Virtually every workout album on the market currently is devoted to dance music. And, most of these albums consist of club-oriented cover versions of Top 40 hits -- recorded by anonymous studio musicians. This isn't ideal. But, it reflects a pair of basic facts:
A. People will buy these cover versions. But, if they were given the choice, they'd rather hear the original artists sing their own songs.
B. The original artists are unlikely to license their tracks, especially their hits, to a compilation. If they were given the choice, they'd rather you buy their album than a workout album.
It's a bit of a shame, but that's the way things are. Moreover, none of this addresses the fact that dance and Top 40 tracks aren't the only genres to which folks exercise. So, to mix things up a little, I worked with a dozen indie bands and DJs from a variety of genres to make a different sort of workout compilation.
Basically, I took what I'd learned from building Run Hundred -- the web's most popular workout music blog. With some idea which indie tracks have been popular in the gym -- and help from a mess of artists -- we tried to create a CD that would sound less like a traditional workout album and more like a mixtape you'd make for a friend, albeit without the slow songs. Plus, in a nod to workout album conventions, the CD features a 30-minute track at the end, which combines all the songs into a continuous mix.
The album, Run Hundred: Mix One, is out now. To celebrate, we're giving away four copies to HuffPost readers. And have a look at the preview below:
To enter: Tell us your favorite workout songs from beyond the Top 40.
Submit your answers via:
1. Twitter: Send @HealthyLiving your answer with the hashtag #RunHundred
2. Comments: Leave a comment on this page with your pick.
A couple rules...
The comment or tweet must be left before noon eastern time on Friday, June 22, 2012.
Open to legal resident of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. You may enter one time. Four winners will be selected in a random drawing. Please enter only once. The retail value of each prize is $8.99. Click here for complete Official Rules.
Check out this month's top 10 workout songs on Run Hundred : www.RunHundred.com
For more by Chris Lawhorn, click here.
For more music, check out the rest of the HuffPost Workouts series here.