The Best 80s Workout Songs

What is the best music from the 80s for exercising and working out?

The best 80s exercise and workout songs have great rhythms that keep you moving. They are timeless hits that that have steady tempos and strong rhythms. Chosing the right tempo of music can be very important as your body will naturally move itself to that tempo. Choose a tempo that is too slow or too fast, and you may spoil your workout. For that reason, an approximate beat per minute (BPM) has been listed beside each song.

Here is a basic guideline of which tempos are good for different workouts:

• Under 100 BPM: Slower paced workouts and during warm ups and cool downs
• 100 to 130 BPM: Walking and portions of your workout that are a little faster paced
• Over 130 BPM: Higher impact exercise and cardio
• 135 to 140 BPM: Power walking
• 135 to 155 BPM: Jogging
• 150 to 175 BPM: Running
• Over 175 BPM: Fast running and sprinting

Pick music that will gradually increase your tempo until you reach your optimum speed and then gradually decrease your tempo at the end of the workout. This will ensure that you are warming up and cooling down properly. Below you will find different a variety of disco music that is good for exercising. For your convenience, we have included links to the music on Amazon, iTunes, and Rhapsody.

Rhapsody provides both music subscriptions as well as individual mp3s for sale in WMA format. ITunes only provides MPEG-4 audio files for sale. However, Amazon is now offering mp3s that are compatible with both windows media player and iTunes. For more information about where to purchase music online, we provide it on our Music Downloads page or our Music Subscriptions page.

NEW! Listen to a sample and/or purchase the songs from Amazon by clicking the play button on the box below.

1. "Back on the Chain Gang" by the Pretenders Est. BPM: 154
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
2. "Beat It" by Michael Jackson Est. BPM: 135
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
3. "Black Cat" by Janet Jackson Est. BPM: 116
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
4. "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson Est. BPM: 120
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
5. "Bust A Move" by Young MC Est. BPM: 118-120
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
6. "Chariots of Fire" by Various Est. BPM: 62
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
7. "Come Dancing" by the Kinks Est. BPM: 152
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
8. "Come on Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners Est. BPM: 106
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
9. "Cum On Feel the Noize" by Quiet Riot Est. BPM: 143
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
10. "Dancing With Myself" by Billy Idol Est. BPM: 176
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
11. "Do You Wanna Touch Me" by Joan Jett Est. BPM: 126
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
12. "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson Est. BPM: 123
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
13. "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung Est. BPM: 130
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
14. "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor Est. BPM: 110
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
15. "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins Est. BPM: 165
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
16. "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper Est. BPM: 135
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
17. "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake Est. BPM: 85
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
18. "Hungry Like The Wolf" by Duran Duran Est. BPM: 130
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
19. "I Love Rock 'N Roll" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Est. BPM: 96
     Find it on:       
20. "Jump" by Van Halen Est. BPM: 133
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
21. "Karma Chameleon" by Boy George Est. BPM: 186
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
22. "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince & the Revolution Est. BPM: 98
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
23. "Mickey" by Toni Basil Est. BPM: 150
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
24. "Modern Love" by David Bowie Est. BPM: 180
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
25. "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John Est. BPM: 124
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
26. "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic Est. BPM: 126
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
27. "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol Est. BPM: 160
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
28. "Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats Est. BPM: 105
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
29. "Shock The Monkey" by Peter Gabriel Est. BPM: 148
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
30. "Take On Me" by A-Ha Est. BPM: 169
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
31. "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell Est. BPM: 143
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
32. "The Warrior" by Scandal Est. BPM: 140
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
33. "We Got The Beat" by the Go-Go's Est. BPM: 150
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
34. "Vacation" by The Go-Go's Est. BPM: 158
     Find it on:     
35. "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham! Est. BPM: 163
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
36. "Walk This Way" by Run-D.M.C & Aerosmith Est. BPM: 110
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
37. "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses Est. BPM: 123
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
38. "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi Est. BPM: 124
     Find it on:        Rhapsody

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