The Ultimate Gym Playlist

Music and movement go hand in hand, and for many gym-goers, the right playlist can mean the difference between calling it quits early or pushing through a tough session. To understand what fuels people's workouts, we surveyed over 1,000 Americans about their fitness music habits and analyzed more than 185,000 songs from Spotify workout playlists. It turns out your playlist might be the most powerful workout partner you have.

Key Takeaways

• Americans' favorite artists to work out to are Kendrick Lamar, Metallica, and Taylor Swift.
• 58% feel that music makes their workouts significantly more effective, boosting motivation (62%), reducing boredom (60%), and improving focus (45%).
• People who listen to metal while working out are most likely to "max out" on lifts.
• EDM, hip-hop/rap, and R&B are tied as the top genres for helping people hit new personal records (PR).
• Apple Music listeners are more likely than Spotify ones to hit a PR in the gym (43% vs. 39%).
• Drake, Taylor Swift, and Kanye West top workout playlists on Spotify, with Drake leading overall across all gym-related playlists analyzed.

How Music Motivates Workouts

Music plays a big role in how people work out, from staying motivated to hitting new goals. These survey insights show just how much it matters and who they like to tune into the most.

Americans' Favorite Artists To Work Out To

1. Kendrick Lamar
2. Metallica
3. Taylor Swift
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers
5. Beyoncé

Most Motivating Music Genres To Work Out To

1. Rock: 47%
2. Hip-hop/Rap: 44%
3. Pop: 42%
4. EDM/Electronic: 31%
5. Metal: 17%

• 58% of Americans believe music makes their workout significantly more effective. They say the top benefits are:
  
  • Increased motivation (62%)
  • Reduced boredom (60%)
  • Better focus (45%)

• EDM, hip-hop/rap, and R&B tied as the top 3 genres for helping listeners hit new PRs.

• Metal and EDM/electronic listeners tend to work out the longest, averaging 49 and 46 minutes per session, respectively. Metal fans are also the most likely to "max out," lifting as much weight as possible for one rep. 

• Spotify is the top choice for workout music streaming (52%), followed by YouTube (37%) and Apple Music (18%).

• Apple Music listeners are more likely to hit a personal record (43%) at the gym than Spotify users (39%).

• 22% have skipped a gym workout because they forgot their headphones.

• Just 6% never listen to music when they work out.

Most Popular Workout Songs on Spotify

We analyzed over 185,000 songs from public Spotify playlists tagged for gym and workout use to see which tracks people rely on most during their sweat sessions. Here's what we found.

• The top workout song is "Stronger" by Kanye West.

• "Till I Collapse" by Eminem and Nate Dogg is a close second, proving it's still a go-to hype track after more than two decades.

• With confident lyrics and a strong beat, "Humble" by Kendrick Lamar takes third.

Most Featured Artists and Genres

We also looked at which artists show up the most in workout playlists, and some clear favorites stood out overall and by genre.

• Drake, Taylor Swift, and Kanye West appear most frequently across all gym-related playlists, with Drake taking the top spot overall.
  
  
• Hip-hop/rap and pop are the most dominant genres in gym playlists. Within hip-hop/rap, the top artists are Drake, Kanye West, and Future. The leading pop artists are Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Ariana Grande. Other top artists by genre include:
  
  • Rock: AC/DC
  • Metal: Metallica
  • EDM/Electric: Avicii
  • Country: Morgan Wallen

Methodology

This analysis was based on a custom Spotify dataset containing 185,798 tracks, scraped from public playlists primarily curated for workout and gym-related activities. Playlists were identified and selected using keyword searches such as "gym," "workout," and "running."

To ensure consistency in genre analysis, Spotify's niche genres were cleaned and mapped into broader umbrella categories. In cases of ambiguous genre assignment, priority was given to the genre most historically associated with the artist. For example, Taylor Swift was classified under pop, Lil Baby under hip-hop/rap, and Metallica under metal.

We also surveyed 1,000 Americans to explore music listening habits while working out.

About Levity

Levity is redefining weight care by combining clinical oversight with breakthrough treatments like GLP-1 medications. Whether you're using semaglutide (Wegovy or Ozempic) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro), Levity helps you reach your goals with personalized support every step of the way.

Fair Use Statement

We welcome the sharing of these findings for noncommercial purposes. If you do share this content, please include proper attribution with a link back to Levity.