What's striking about this month's top 10 list is the quantity of pop songs it contains by folks who aren't archetypal pop stars. In the place of Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, or Beyonce, you'll find contemporary doo wop from Meghan Trainor, a sunny single from Dutch rapper Mr. Probz, and a confessional club cut from Mary Lambert. Even when Top 40 favorites do appear, they seem slightly transformed -- in the case of Taylor Swift's electro pop experiment or OneRepublic's dance floor makeover.
In terms of working out, nothing in the list below tops 140 beats per minute (BPM). However, what the songs lack in speed, they make up in dynamism. If you find yourself hitting a wall mid-routine, check out the huge chorus on Imagine Dragon's latest, the army of horns surrounding Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, or the blistering remix from Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj.
On the whole, this month's picks mix breakthrough acts who know how to write a hook, pop chart regulars who are trying something new, and a string of hits that have been amped up and re-imagined. Taken together, this combination makes for the best kind of playlist to keep you moving -- one that sounds both fresh and familiar at the same time.
Here's the full list, according to a poll on Run Hundred -- the web's most popular workout music blog.
- Taylor Swift -- "Blank Space" -- 96 BPM [not available on Spotify]
- Mr. Probz -- "Waves (Robin Schulz Radio Edit)" -- 120 BPM
- OneRepublic -- "I Lived (Arty Remix)" -- 128 BPM
- David Guetta & Sam Martin -- "Dangerous" -- 92 BPM
- Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj -- "Bang Bang (Kat Krazy Remix)" -- 128 BPM
- Mary Lambert -- "Secrets (Jump Smokers Remix)" -- 125 BPM
- Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding -- "Outside" -- 128 BPM
- Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars -- "Uptown Funk" -- 116 BPM
- Meghan Trainor -- "Lips Are Movin" -- 138 BPM
- Imagine Dragons -- "I Bet My Life" -- 108 BPM
Check out this month's top 10 workout songs on Run Hundred: www.RunHundred.com.
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