Our latest study has examined the music that people listen to while on the bike. Whether it’s training, attending a spin class, or simply going out for a ride, music is a popular go-to for many cyclists. On Spotify alone, there are more than thousands of playlists dedicated to cycling.

For this study, we analyzed 13,344 playlists across 18 search terms and keywords, reviewing a total of 3,252,027 songs. We then analyzed these results to create a popularity score based on the number of time each song is featured in one or more playlists. We also examined the Beats Per Minute (BPM) and duration of the most popular songs to find the top 100 songs overall, the top 10 for indoor cycling and the top 10 for outdoor cycling.

Key Findings

• Thunderstruck by AC/DC is the most popular song in cycling playlists, scoring 23.56 on our popularity rating, followed by Prada by Cassö and I'm Good (Blue) by David Guetta.

• AC/DC is the most popular artists in people’s playlists, scoring 69.39 in our popularity score, followed by David Guetta and Calvin Harris.

• The average BPM of the most popular cycling songs is 127.98, matching heart rates in the moderate to vigorous exercise intensity range.

• A typical cycling playlist features 13 hours, 57 minutes, and 44 seconds of songs, with the average playlist containing 244 songs at an average duration of 3 minutes and 26 seconds.

Why are people listening to music while cycling?

Numerous studies have shown a correlation between listening to music and physical performance, whether that be running, gym work, or cycling. Music and the right beats per minute (BPM) can help increase stamina and improve your mood during challenging workouts.  

A 2011 study found that a tempo of 125 and 140 beats per minute (BPM) helps to achieve the best performance for cycling, while a 2019 study reiterated the findings. The 2019 study found that listening to songs with a tempo above 130 beats per minute (BPM) improved a person's perceived exertion, prolonged exercise, and boosted heart rates and breathing rates, all of which are important when training for high-intensity cycling.

Putting this into practice, many spin instructors and trainers spend hours creating playlists that match the cadence, a.k.a. rotations per minute (RPM), and tempo required for their sessions, often employing a ratio of 2:1 when it comes to beats per minute (BPM) and RPM. 

For example, if a spin instructor or trainer wants to train a session (or a period of a session) with a pedal cadence of 85 to 90 RPM, they’ll choose songs that have a BPM of 170 to 180. 

A 2013 study even found that listening to music while cycling can help urban cyclists better cope with riding in a dangerous environment, as it calms the sensory overload people can experience while cycling in cities and other urban areas.

Note that if you plan to cycle with headphones, it pays to first check what’s allowed where you live. In the US, each state has its own rules and regulations regarding cycling while wearing headphones, and regulations can differ significantly in most countries. The UK, for instance, has no blanket ban, but if an incident occurs, a rider could be prosecuted for not riding with due care and attention.

Based on these studies, if you’re training for race day, in the gym, or in a dedicated cycling space, you’ll likely find that your performance is higher while listening to a playlist. So what are people listening to?

The most popular cycling songs

Our study of over 3.2 million songs, across over 13,000 playlists, found that the most popular song, which appears over and over again, was “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC. The 1990 classic, which has a BPM of 134, is 42% longer than the average song in the top 100, making it an outlier in length.

“Prada” by Cassö was found to be the second most popular song in people’s playlists, with an average BPM of 142 BPM, while “I'm Good (Blue)” by David Guetta was found to be the third most popular song (128 BPM).

Overall, the top 10 songs in our analysis had an average beats per minute of 142.5 BPM, with an average of 127.98 BPM for the top 100.

Top 10 most popular songs on cycling playlists

We also found that the top 10 varied depending on whether playlists were intended for indoor or outdoor workouts (based on playlist descriptions). While the most popular song for indoor cycling playlists was "Prada" by Cassö, the top outdoor playlist was "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC.

Our examination of the two top 100 lists - indoor and outdoor - showed that the majority of the top 100 indoor cycling tracks are dance, house, or electronic music variations. In contrast, the outdoor cycling tracks are predominantly rock and alternative.

The top 10 outdoor cycling songs

As the table shows, all but one of the top 10 songs in the ‘outdoor’ playlist category are rock music variations, with many in the hard and alternative rock genres.

The top 10 indoor cycling songs

In comparison to the ‘outdoor cycling’ analysis, all but one of the ‘indoor cycling ’ top songs are a version of dance, EDM, or house. 

The top 100 songs people cycle to

Listen to the top 100 cycling tracks

Want to hear what the top 100 most popular tracks sound like as a single playlist? We’ve put them all into one playlist for your next ride or cycling training session.

Listen to the top 100 cycling tracks on Spotify

Using music to help you train

As our study shows, the average BPM of the top 100 cycling playlist songs is 127.98. This correlates with a steady cadence of 64 (based on a ratio of 2:1). But is this the right cadence (and playlist) for you?

Jim van den Berg, tour-level cycling coach and founder of the JOIN cycling training app, says: “Your ideal cadence depends on conditions, intensity, and the type of cycling you’re doing. Your most efficient cadence is around 60 RPM because oxygen consumption is lower, but this isn’t the ideal cadence for most people.”

Jim states that: “Ideal cycling cadence is a very personal thing and what’s best for you is likely to be what’s most comfortable. Listen to your body and you’ll quickly figure out your ideal cadence.”

“When training, it’s best to use a mix of slow and fast cadences so that you can build both muscle and cardiovascular endurance. Lower cadence help build muscle while higher cadences build for cardio and endurance. You need both to become a stronger cyclist.” 

The table below provides a rough guide to the average BPM needed for different types of pedaling, ranging from mashing (pedaling slowly and with a lot of force) to spinning (pedaling fast with low resistance).

As our analysis revealed, the BPM that people listen to can vary significantly. The top 10 in our overall rankings have a BPM variance of 72 beats per minute, suggesting that there’s a big range of ideal BPM amongst cyclists.

However, very few tracks in the top 100 hit BPMs of 180 to 200, suggesting that cyclists are optimizing their playlists more for building muscle and less for fast cycling on the flats.

When you’re putting your playlist together, keep in mind the type of cycling you plan to do and your average cadence. This will help you pick tracks that work best for the type of cycling or training you’ll be doing.

To be on the safe side, be sure to include Thunderstruck by AC/DC in your playlist. Something that works for so many cyclists can never be a bad choice, even if the BPM is lower than your target.

Methodology

Our study analyzed 13,344 playlists across 18 search terms, such as “road cycling” and “spin class.” Using the Playlist Miner tool, we reviewed 3,252,027 songs, with the playlist miner providing the top 100 songs for each search term. This process was repeated three times across each search to ensure adequate coverage. The figures were then averaged to provide a top 100 list for each term.

These individual top 100s for each term were then collected and averaged by the number of terms searched (18) to provide an overall playlist score. We sub-categorised the playlist terms for obvious indoor and outdoor to help provide insight into what people listen to while training indoors compared to outdoors.

To reveal the BPMs and average length of the top 100 songs, we used SongBPM to review the beats per minute and timings for the top songs. We then compared these to academic articles [1] to provide insight into the tempo people often listen to.

Sources:

http://playlistminer.playlistmachinery.com/index.html

https://songbpm.com/