7 Best Workout Music Genres

People exercise while listening to all kinds of music in the gym. We can’t definitively say one gym music genre is more beneficial than the other because our musical tastes all differ. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t have strong opinions about the best music for working out. These seven workout music genres will get you dialed up and tuned in for your next training session. 

What We Look for in Good Workout Songs

Regardless of our taste in music, most of us look for the same qualities when creating a workout playlist:

• Fast-paced songs
• Heavy bass
• Passionate and/or explicit lyrics
• Timely beat drops

You’ll mostly look for music that gets your heart rate pumping while working out. As long as the above qualities exist, whether you prefer male or female vocals makes no difference — it depends entirely on what works best for you. 

Discover seven genres of the best gym music, as well as some good workout songs to add to those playlists. We put together a brief Spotify playlist of the best workout songs in each genre and highlighted some of our standout favorites.

1. Rap

Rap is an ideal genre for fitness because its high-energy beats and driving basslines are perfectly engineered to elevate your heart rate. The crisp, consistent presence of percussion helps you lock into a steady exercise rhythm, making even the most grueling sets feel more manageable.

The lyrical intensity of rap often taps into a sense of resilience and confidence, providing a powerful mental edge. By channeling the grit and determination found in the music, you can push through physical barriers and stay focused on your goals. Artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, and Travis Scott deliver tracks with the perfect tempo and swagger to keep your momentum high during intense circuits or treadmill sprints.

Ultimately, rap provides an unmatched sonic environment that fuels your motivation, helping you turn every gym session into a high-performance experience.

• Rap Blast From the Past: Eminem — “Lose Yourself”
• Most Popular Rap Workout Song: Salt-N-Pepa — “Push It”
• Best Recent Gym Rap Song: KidSuper, Giggs and Quavo — “Big in Da Game”
• Best Older Rap Workout Song: Coolio — “Gangsta’s Paradise”
• Best Gangsta Rap Gym Song: N.W.A. — “Gangsta Gangsta”

2. EDM

Electronic dance music (EDM) is faster-paced than most rap songs, with some deafening baselines to boot. This high-energy music will get your heart pumping in the gym faster than any other music genre. One downside of working out to EDM is that some songs have hectic and unpredictable melodies, making finding your exercise rhythm more difficult. However, this genre makes up for its chaotic nature with some of the most exhilarating beat drops you’ll find anywhere.

Artists like Martin Garrix and Tiësto provide tracks with consistent beats that keep you moving during long cardio sessions. For a cool-down or yoga-inspired playlist, try instrumental or melodic EDM tracks that still maintain rhythm without overwhelming intensity. Adding these songs to your workout playlist can help balance high-intensity and recovery-focused sessions.

While many EDM songs don’t have lyrics, this trait usually works in the genre’s favor. With so many moving parts to the music, focusing on the beat and rhythm while working out is all you need in the EDM genre. Think of dancing to EDM in the club — you don’t need lyrics to zone out and enjoy the experience, whether you’re doing lean weight training or cardio exercises!

• Most Popular EDM Workout Song: Avicii — “Wake Me Up”
• Best Recent EDM Workout Song With Vocals: Adam Port, Stryv and Camila Cabello — “Move”
• Best Instrumental EDM Gym Song: Elektronomia — “Sky High”
• Best Slower EDM Workout Song: DJ Sammy — “Heaven” 
• EDM Blast From the Past: Darude — “Sandstorm”

3. Pop

Pop music stands for popular music, so it’s no surprise it’s the most popular global music genre. We include the genre, however, because the music is upbeat and catchy, making it easy to listen to while working out in the gym. You can zone out and let the songs envelop you.

Ensure that you include popular mainstream pop hits for an instant energy boost. Artists like Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd bring infectious beats and uplifting production that make high-intensity workouts even more enjoyable.

Pop’s lyrics tend to include positive messages, helping your motivation and inspiring you to power through a tough workout every time. If a pop song’s lyrics aren’t positive, it’s usually called a “break-up song.” These pop songs are about romantic troubles, which can be even more motivational if you’re going through a rough patch in your love life.

• Pop Blast From the Past: Katrina and The Waves — “Walking on Sunshine”
• Most Popular Pop Workout Song: Dua Lipa — “Don’t Start Now”
• Best of the Recent Pop Workout Songs: Billie Eilish — “Lunch”
• Best Uptempo Pop Song for the Gym: Ricky Martin— “She Bangs”
• Best Gym Work Break-Up Pop Song: Lewis Capaldi — “Someone You Loved”

4. Rock

Rock music includes several sub-genres, including pop-rock, punk-rock, soft rock and hard rock, providing varied, intense sounds perfect for gym work. As it’s so wide-ranging, it can be a difficult genre to define, but you’ll know rock music when you hear it. The bands and artists range from Bruce Springsteen and Nickelback to Slipknot and Marilyn Manson, with a gritty sound evident across the spectrum.

For modern rock workouts, bands like Bon Jovi and Green Day deliver energetic guitar riffs and driving percussion that work well for strength training or sprint intervals. Pairing these rock tracks with classic favorites keeps your workout playlist fresh and energizing.

Rock music lyrics tend to have dark themes, such as war and depression. These morbid topics provide great emotional fuel in the gym and some of the best workout songs. Whether you’re getting ready for a heavy set or climbing on the rowing machine for a low-impact session, you’ll enjoy a decent rock music playlist.

• Rock Blast From the Past: Bruce Springsteen — “Born to Run”
• Most Popular Rock Workout Song: Bon Jovi — “It’s My Life”
• Best Pop-Rock Song for Working Out: Nickelback — “Burn It to the Ground”
• Best Punk-Rock Gym Song: Rancid — “Maxwell Murder”
• Best Hard Rock Gym Song: Slipknot — “Psychosocial”

5. Classic Rock

Although classic rock could easily fit into the rock genre, it’s broad enough to have its own listing. A notch below hard rock in frenetic intensity, the genre’s passion and artistry are on a whole different level. Reputable music fans will tell you the 60s and 70s were the best periods for rock music — when classic rock was by far the most popular genre. Hence the “classic” moniker in its name. 

Adding these tracks to your workout playlist provides more than just timeless energy. Their anthemic sound creates epic momentum, helping you power through lifts, sprints or any challenging session while blending seamlessly with modern workout music genres.

The genre continues to resonate with people, remaining the most popular on radio stations, with many songs familiar to young and old alike. This familiarity makes classic rock one of the best workout music genres. There are too many hit songs that work as gym tracks to count, and including some of these classics in your workout playlist will help you focus on the task at hand.

• Most Popular Classic Rock Workout Song: Survivor — “Eye of the Tiger”
• Best of the Classic Rock Weight Lifting Songs: The Doors — “Break on Through (to the Other Side)”
• Best Slower Classic Rock Workout Song: The Animals — “House of the Rising Sun”
• Best Faster Classic Rock Gym Song: Black Sabbath — “Paranoid”
• Classic Rock Blast From the Past: Led Zeppelin — “Immigrant Song”

6. Metal

If you’re looking for music that borders on deafening and incoherent at times, metal is the genre for you. It’s the loudest listed music genre, and the lyrics are often incomprehensible. With metal incorporating numerous sub-genres — 38, in fact — options for workouts are endless. It all depends on your personal taste — you might prefer original thrash metal like Metallica or Morbid Angel’s heavier death metal sound.

The point of metal music is to be edgy, boisterous and rebellious. Bands like Nightwish blend this edginess with symphonic, more melodic instrumentation to create an original yet still distinctly metal sound to churn the emotions. You can use these strong emotions to boost your performance at home and in the gym, even if you don’t understand the lyrics.

Their complex rhythms, soaring vocals and intense guitar work make them perfect for high-intensity training, cardio circuits or even boxing sessions. Mixing these contemporary tracks with classic metal legends ensures that your workout playlist remains aggressive, motivating and full of energy, regardless of your taste.

• Most Popular Metal Workout Song: Disturbed — “Down With the Sickness”
• Best Thrash Metal Gym Song: Metallica — “One”
• Best of the Death Metal Weight Lifting Songs: In Flames — “State of Slow Decay”
• Best Symphonic Metal Workout Song: Nightwish — “Nemo”
• Metal Blast From the Past: Iron Maiden — “Aces High”

7. R&B

The R&B genre stands out as quite different from the rest. R&B is not particularly fast or upbeat, and there aren’t any notable bass drops. So, what makes this genre one of the best for working out? In short, its rhythm is perfect for the gym. 

R&B workout music is timeless, with greats like Luther Vandross and Diana Ross paving the way for modern hitmakers, including Beyoncé and CeeLo Green. No other genre is as smooth and charismatic as R&B. It will have you dancing and singing in the middle of the gym, and it’s also often highly romantic as a bonus. Including these contemporary hits alongside classic tracks ensures your R&B workout playlist stays dynamic and inspiring.

• Most Popular R&B Workout Song: Destiny’s Child — “Say My Name”
• Best Recent R&B Gym Song: Kehlani — “After Hours”
• Best R&B Workout Duet: Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell — “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
• Best Slower R&B Song for Working Out: Rihanna (ft. Jay-Z) — “Umbrella”
• R&B Blast From the Past: DeBarge — “Rhythm of the Night”

How Music Enhances Exercise Performance

Listening to music can enhance exercise performance by improving motivation and reducing the perception of effort. Studies show that preferred music, especially with a fast tempo and high volume, can distract from fatigue and make even high-intensity anaerobic exercises feel more manageable. This effect is largely psychological, allowing athletes to focus less on exertion and more on the rhythm and energy of the music.

Music significantly boosts motivation, and preferred tracks help athletes feel more engaged and energized, which may improve consistency and effort throughout workouts. Conversely, non-preferred music can worsen perceived exertion and reduce enjoyment, highlighting the importance of individual musical taste.

Overall, music acts as both a motivational and cognitive tool during exercise. By providing an external focus, it can enhance mood, prolong endurance and support mental engagement during resistance, cardio and high-intensity workouts. Athletes and fitness enthusiasts can harness this effect by selecting music that resonates with them, creating a more immersive and enjoyable training experience.

Update Your Gym Music Playlist

Your workout playlist probably includes its fair share of rap, pop and rock songs. Don’t forget about the other genres, though! Ultimately, when you work out, your music genre choices will come down to personal taste. Perhaps explore some new sounds and genres to update your playlist with your personalized best workout music. That way, you will always have something new to listen to in the gym.

Originally posted 10/14/2022 — Updated 1/5/2024