A Killer Rock n' Roll Running List

I went for my annual medical exam recently and when they weighed me, I was 29 pounds lighter than last year's weigh in. This was great news for me. I did a lot in that time period to help cut my weight. I cut pasta out of my diet, I cut down on bread, I changed my weekday breakfast from oatmeal or cereal, to yogurt and fruit. Most of my snacks are fruit now. I also played tennis all winter, almost every weekend, my wife and I played a set or two. But the thing I am most proud of is that I am now running about three miles every other day now. I couldn't have done this without a killer playlist.

I used to be a runner. In high school I ran track and by my senior year I was quite good.  I made the regional all-star team and ran in state championships for middle distances like 400 meters and 300 meter low hurdles.  I was truly awful at the beginning of my track career, as a freshman. I always had problems with my arms. When I got tired, I would hold them against my chest. My coach would yell at me to "move your arms!" I would listen only for a minute or so and then go back to holding my arms back up against my chest. He had me run with weights in my hands which really helped. I used to run on average about seven miles a day back then.

Once college started, my first semester was spent on campus at the University of Rhode Island and I started running on campus. But once the cold set in, the wind blowing off the ocean and classes etc., I stopped running. I consumed lots of beer and pizza, hence gained a lot of weight. I didn't start running again until  recently. That is about a 30 year stint away from running. 30 years went by without having a killer play list. That's what I needed, really!

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't a couch potato that whole time. I lived in Boston for ten years and I didn't have a car most of the time. I biked a lot. My longest trips were across Rhode Island, from Westerly to Woonsocket (two days) and across Massachusetts, from Lee in the Berkshires to Brighton in Boston (three days). I loved biking. I'd do more of it now if I didn't live at the top of a huge hill.

A few things had to happen for me to return to running. First off, I don't run in the winter. It isn't just the cold here in Northern Vermont but the ice on my street in deadly. The days are so short that I have a very short window of when I can run and I am nowhere near an indoor running track. Once I realized that I was fair weather, I could live with that. The most important thing that needed to happen is that I needed a killer running list. It has to be so good that I look forward to running. I've heard other people's choices for running lists. They seem to think you have sacrifice quality for a good beat.  No, you don't have to go over to the dark side and have crappy music on your playlist. There are some really great rock and roll songs that are good for running.

A few other things are needed, like a good app on my phone. I am using the Dog Walk which tells you when you hit a mile and gives you your time. Currently, I am running a mile in 16 minutes. Yes, I am very slow. But a lot of that is hills and I have to stop to pick up dog poop at least once a run.

Oh ya, the dog. Hazel is awesome on a run. She is extremely happy running. She is steady and doesn't stop often.  She is the perfect running dog.

I have 108 songs on my running list now. I am not going to go over all of them, just the favorites. What makes a song upbeat?  If the beat of the song is faster than your heartbeat, you perceive it as fast. This is why sometimes you think a song is fast, but then you go running and it doesn't seem that fast. This is because your heart is beating faster hence your perception changes.

Here are the songs:

Classics:
I defined classic as anything that came out 1983 or before. Why? Because I graduated high school in 1983.  That's right, it is all about me.

The Who: These wily Brits have a lot of great upbeat songs, but Slip Kid from the By Numbers album has always been one of my favorites.  Sometimes I accidentally start singing out loud when I am running and you may hear me say, or even yell, "There's no easy way to be free!" at the top of my lunges. This is a great rocking song.

David Bowie: Most Bowie is not upbeat, but Queen Bitch is. The song is a tribute to the Velvet Underground and sounds just like a Lou Reed song, but better. It is off his Hunky Dory album, an underrated album.  The Scary Monsters album actually has three great running songs: Up the Hill Backwards, Ashes to Ashes and Fashion.

Bob Dylan: You know I can't blog about music without bringing up Dylan. Most of his songs are not rocking but these two tracks from Slow Train Coming, Gotta Serve Somebody and When You Gonna Wake Up are.  For newer Dylan songs, try Political World and Everything in Broken both off the Oh Mercy album.

Sly and the Family Stone: Dance To the Music is rocking from the very first notes, a trumpet blasting, and it just gets better from there. The bass is truly magical on this song.

Haircut 100: I fear I might have flashback from college while running to Love Plus One, but this is 80's rock that I stand by.

Pet Shop Boys: Are they old enough be classic?  I am not sure, but West End Girls has such a driving beat that I am tapping my feet just thinking about this song.

Sweet: Ballroom Blitz is a song that really brings me back. Glam Rock at its best.

Contemporary:
Keller Williams: If you listen to jam bands at all, you are familiar with Keller who is one of the greatest banjo players around. He has a song called Mantra that is the perfect song to start your workout. Set the play list to shuffle and click on Mantra to start off running.  It starts off slow with an acoustic guitar riff and slowly builds. This is an incredibly creative song about how the mind wanders during meditation. It is light and somewhat comical. Perfect for running.

Phish: As a Vermonter, I am required by law to promote Phish.Trey's guitar and Page's piano on Chalkdust Torture from A Picture of Nectar are truly sick.

Modest Mouse: I love this band. Two of my favorite songs, Float On and Missed the Boat are both great for running.

Mood Ruff:: Mood Ruff is a Canadian rapper so technically this is may not be rock n' roll, officially, but the song Rocketship rocks.

Spoon: Almost everything by Spoon is good to run to, but try The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine which from the first guitar note will have your leg tapping or Got Nuffin which does the same but with the drums.

Parquet Courts: This is a very dark New York City band. Check out Dust and One Man No City off of their "Human Performance" album. The rhythm guitar is what drives these songs.

Cake: About half of what this band does is good for a running list.  Right now, I only have Love You Madly on my running list. I need to add more. I have everything this band has done. I wish they put out more.

Cage the Elephant: I love this song: Ain't No Rest For the Wicked. Is it rock? Is it rap?  Who cares really!  A great upbeat song.

Courtney Barnett: Australia's best newish song writer can also rock. Check out Pedestrian At Best. She can write and she can jam.

Gnarls Barkley: I just discovered recently that CeeLo Green and Danger Mouse are Gnarls Barkley. I had no idea. I know both of these guys and I know Gnarls Barkley. I had no idea that they were one and the same. Crazy is great to run to.

The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is one of my favorite albums of the last 20 years. Fight Test is probably the only running song on it.

Fela's Egypt 80 and & Seun Kuti: I am sure there are several hundred songs from this Nigerian family, the Kuti's, that are good running songs. I am just telling you about the one that I know of. The horns in Think Afrika are to die for.

SUGARCULT: Los Angeles is a great song to run especially when it is very hot.

Dessa: Technically this is rap but man Fire Drills is such an awesome song. Nothing like an angry feminist to get your adrenalin pumping. Probably the best song to come out last year.

alt-J: Left Hand Free is a strange song, but I love it. It gets me moving.

The Kills: Future Stars Slow and Cheap and Cheerful are both great for running. This band really has rhythm.

Frances Dunnery: Too Much Saturn is still the most entertaining and witty song I've ever heard and it is also great to run to.

Chumbawmba: Come on now! Every running list has to have Tubthumping on it.  If not, then something is very wrong.

G. Love & Special Sauce: G. Love with Jack Johnson on guitar. Rodeo Clown is one of my favorite songs. How could it not be?

Metallica: What can I say? I like an occasional heavy metal song. Enter Sandman is great to run to.

New Order: I've been listening to Love Vigilantes for years. It wasn't until I added it to my running list that I actually listened to the lyrics. It is about a ghost returning home from war watching his widow open the telegram about his death. Depressing but a great running song nonetheless.

Simple Kid: Staring At the Sun is the only song I know by this band, but I love the guitar riff. The change in tempo throughout the song doesn't bother the running. I am not sure why.

Obscure:
I don't know what is obscure really. Perhaps these bands are household names. I just don't know if anyone else I know are familiar with these bands.

Brad Sucks: This is a great name for a band. I know nothing about them. They aren't even on Wikipedia. Check out Dirtbag.

David Kirton: Green Camouflage is a reggae song about peace. What else do you need to know? Add it to your list now.

Plants and Animals: These guys are from Montreal & Halifax. I can say only one thing about The Mama Papa: More cowbell!

Mother Mother: Another Canadian band, Let's Fall in Love and Touch Up are fantastic.

Pigeon John: Money Back Guarantee is about meeting a woman in a bar and not knowing what to say to her. It is very witty and fun to run to.

Ryan Shupe & The Rubberband:  Yes, another banjo song, Banjo Boy. It is self referential and endearing.

Noah & The Whale: L*I*F*E*G*O*E*S*O*N will have you spelling out loud on your run.

The Speech Writers LLC: I heard this song, Chbb, on Pandora about a decade ago and I immediately bought it. I don't understand the song title but it is a great upbeat song.

Now you have no excuse not to go running.