Top 10 Best Artists to Add to a Workout Playlist

There are specific songs that get you pumped up to go sprint or lift some weights. Once you start making your workout playlist, it's common to see it filling up with a full album or two from a single artist instead of just single songs. Whether you're making a Pandora station based around the artist or just picking specific songs, some artists just have too many good options to choose from.

Here are the artists who have enough good songs that you could just about pick any one of them and be pumped up for your planned exertion.
The Top Ten
1 Eminem Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, is an American rapper, actor and music producer born on October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri. Eminem has sold over 300 million records making him the bestselling hip-hop artist of all time. In addition to his solo career, he is a member of D12 and (with Royce da 5'9") half of the hip-hop duo Bad Meets Evil... read more

If any artist was known for giving a lyrical middle finger to their listeners, Eminem might be on top of a very short list. With enough beat thumping to bob your head to and intelligent lyrics to sing along to (maybe just in your head depending on your surroundings), Eminem is always a great choice.

2 Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy Metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. The most critically acclaimed period for the band was from 1983-1989. With vocalist Bruce Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, lead guitarist Dave Murray, rhythm guitarist Adrian Smith, and drummer Nicko McBrain. Smith left the band in 1989 and was replaced by Janick Gers... read more
3 AC/DC AC/DC are a Australian hard rock band, formed in November 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, who continued as members until Malcolm's illness and departure in 2014 . They were fronted by Bon Scott until his untimely death due to alcohol poisoning in 1979, after which they hired Brian Johnson to front the band. Commonly referred to as a hard rock or blues rock band.
4 Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. They rose to fame with their 1986 album Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the big four of thrash metal bands, the others being Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax... read more
5 Metallica Metallica is an American Heavy/Thrash Metal band formed in 1981. The original lineup was James Hetfield (Vocalist and Rhythm guitarist), Dave Mustaine (Lead Guitar), Lars Ulrich (Drums), Ron McGovney (Bassist). The group came into mainstream from their Self-Titled album and the hit single "Enter Sandman"... read more
6 Five Finger Death Punch Five Finger Death Punch, often shortened to Five Finger or Death Punch, also abbreviated as 5FDP or FFDP, is an American metal band from Las Vegas, Nevada. Formed in 2005, the band's name comes from the kung fu movie The Five Fingers of Death.

A bit more gravelly of a sound but still lyrical enough to get the blood pumping without feeling yelled at. Perhaps the best thing about this band is that they aren't AC/DC.

7 System of a Down System of a Down, formed in 1994, is an Armenian-American alternative metal group from Glendale, California. The band name is sometimes shortened to System or SOAD. They've always been a very political band since their inception. Often being against genocide and war most notably in songs like: Pluck, Holy Mountains, and BYOB (Bring Your Own Bombs). Serj is an active activist who wants to change the... read more

Somewhere between nostalgia and new-and-improved, System of a Down has enough good songs that you just seem to know already - making it perfect to not distract you while going for your 1 Rep Max.

8 Pantera Pantera was an American heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul. The band started out as a glam metal act in the 1980s with little success. After discarding their original lead vocalist and enlisting Phil Anselmo, the band signed a major record deal with Warner Music Group via Atco Records. Around this time, Pantera underwent a major change in their musical... read more
9 Three Days Grace Three Days Grace is a Canadian post-grunge/alternative rock band formed in Norwood, Ontario in 1992 with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer and backing vocalist Neil Sanderson, and bassist Brad Walst. Their original name was Groundswell until they changed it to their current name in 1997. In 2003, the band's current guitarist Barry Stock was recruited to the... read more

With very few slow songs but nothing so fast and hard that you lose the melody, Three Days Grace gives just the right amount of Rock without the whining of Metal.

10 Sia Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, referred to mononymously as Sia, is an Australian singer and songwriter. She released her debut album in 1997 but mainly gained mainstrem attention in the 2010s. In 2021, she released the highly controversial film "Music". The film has received negative reviews online.

Sia isn't known for her fast tempos necessarily but of all the artists to sing about personal triumphs (Pink would be in that list too), Sia is able to pump up your ego and sense of self-worth with a voice unmatched by any other. Give her newest album a listen to and try not to puff your chest out a little.

The Contenders
11 Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine is a rap metal band formed in Los Angeles, California. The band consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk.

A perfect blend of funk, rap, and rock makes Rage Against the Machine the perfect addition to any workout playlist. You really can't go wrong with any song from any album.

12 Judas Priest Judas Priest are a British heavy metal band that formed in Birmingham, England, in 1969. They are often referred to as one of the greatest metal bands of all time, and are even commonly called “The Metal Gods”, after one of the songs on their 1980 album “British Steel”.

They are known for several of their hit songs, which include “Painkiller”, “Breaking The Law”, You’ve Got... read more
13 Michael Jackson Michael Jackson (Michael Joseph Jackson; August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, dancer, and songwriter. He passed away from cardiac arrest caused by a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose on June 25, 2009. He donated (at least) a remarkable 500,000,000 dollars to charity. Michael is also known as The King of Pop (a title given to him by Elizabeth Taylor) or under the initials MJ... read more
14 Explosions in the Sky Explosions in the Sky is an American post-rock band from Texas. The quartet originally played under the name Breaker Morant, then changed to the current name in 1999. The band has garnered popularity beyond the post-rock scene for their elaborately developed guitar work, narratively styled instrumentals, what they refer to as "cathartic mini-symphonies," and their enthusiastic and emotional live shows... read more

No lyrics, no heart-pounding beat or guitar, and no mainstream radio play gives Explosions in the Sky a limited listener base but there's a reason they almost exclusively handled the soundtrack to Friday Night Lights. You'll be hard pressed to find a motivational video on YouTube that doesn't borrow a song from these guys.

15 Macklemore Ben Haggerty, (born, June 19, 1983) known by his stage name Macklemore and formerly Professor Macklemore, is an American singer and songwriter from Seattle, Washington.
16 Marilyn Manson Marilyn Manson is an American rock band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by frontman Marilyn Manson and Daisy Berkowitz, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early 1990s.

The name of the band comes from famous sex symbol Marilyn Monroe and famous criminal Charles Manson. Manson... read more
17 Aesop Rock Ian Matthias Bavitz, better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American hip hop recording artist and producer residing in Portland, Oregon.

Gritty, speedy, intelligent, all while delivering smoothly. Aesop Rock will have you listening even after the workout is done just so you can try to memorize the lyrics.

One of a select few rappers whose work I enjoy. I don't like music while I'm working out, but if I did, I'd certainly consider adding him to a playlist.

18 Primal Fear Primal Fear are a German metal band formed in 1997 by Ralf Scheepers and Mat Sinner. They play heavy metal, power metal and speed metal. Primal Fear remind of Judas Priest but Primal Fear are faster and heavier. They use twin (dual) lead guitars. Ralf Scheepers voice reminds of Rob Halford.
19 The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. The first settled line-up consisted of Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Ian Stewart (piano), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar), Bill Wyman (bass) and Charlie Watts (drums).

Their best works include songs like Paint it Black, Sympathy for the Devil, Satisfication (Which ranked no. 2 in The Rolling... read more

Start me Up is the best example.

20 Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American alternative rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The current members include Mike Shinoda (vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar), Brad Delson (guitar), Dave "Phoenix" Farrell (bass), Joe Hahn (DJ), and Rob Bourdon (drums). Linkin Park is associated with a mixture of alternative rock, hip hop, and techno. Some of their influences include Nine Inch Nails, Deftones,... read more
21 Van Halen Van Halen was an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. From 1974 until 1985, the band consisted of guitarist Eddie Van Halen, vocalist David Lee Roth, drummer Alex Van Halen, and bassist Michael Anthony.
22 Immortal Technique Felipe Andres Coronel, better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper and urban activist from Lima, Peru. He was born on February 19, 1978

You'll enjoy both the hard-hitting beat as well as the lyrics that'll get you mad at the world. What better way to get pumped before, during, and after a workout than to listen to someone tell you all about the injustices in the world.

23 The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace, born May 21, 1972, better known by his stage name The Notorious B.I.G (sometimes Biggie Smalls or just simply Biggie), is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York. On March 9, 1997, he was murdered in a drive by shooting in Los Angeles, California at the age of only 24. To this day it’s unknown who murdered him... read more
24 Queen Queen are an English rock band formed in London in 1970. The original lineup was Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), and John Deacon (bass guitar, vocals). Before forming into Queen, Brian May and Roger Taylor had played together in a band named Smile. Freddie Mercury was a fan of Smile and encouraged them to experiment with more elaborate... read more

Only three or four songs that would be considered good workout songs

25 Death Death was an American death metal band formed in 1983 by Chuck Schuldiner. Death is considered to be one of the most influential bands in heavy metal and a pioneering force in death metal. Its debut album, Scream Bloody Gore, has been widely regarded as the first death metal record, while the band's driving force, Chuck Schuldiner, is acknowledged as the "Godfather of Death Metal." Death released... read more

Nothing is better than Death Metal to lift weights!

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