emo

For when your heart rate matches your heart hurt

By Rob Gordon

Dick was right about the original pressing of "Tell All Your Friends" - it sounds different, tighter, more desperate - and I realized something while we were arguing about it: that desperation is exactly why emo works for running.\n\nLook, I'm not talking about sad-sack bedroom confessionals here. I'm talking about Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, Fall Out Boy, Alkaline Trio - the bands that took vulnerability and strapped it to power chords and drums that won't quit. That's the magic formula. You get the emotional catharsis of screaming along to someone else's heartbreak while your legs are doing something that actually hurts in a measurable, accomplishable way.\n\nI've been running the Lakefront Trail to this stuff for years, and here's what I've figured out: emo occupies this perfect middle ground between pop-punk's sugary optimism and post-hardcore's rage spiral. It's fast enough to push you - most of this stuff sits between 150-180 BPM - but it's not trying to murder you the way hardcore does. The tempo drives you forward without demanding you sprint yourself into oblivion.\n\nAnd the emotional component? It matters more than people want to admit. Miles 4 through 7 of a run are where your brain starts bargaining with your body, and that's exactly when you need Matt Skiba singing about Chicago winters or Jesse Lacey working through whatever existential crisis he's on today. The music gives you something to feel that isn't just your screaming quads.\n\nThe six playlists in this category know what they're doing. "RIOT RUN" and "SIX AM" understand morning runs when you're still half-asleep and emotionally vulnerable. "ALKALINE TRIO RUN" is pure Chicago winter energy. These aren't background music - they're running partners that understand what you're going through, even if what you're going through is just a Tuesday 10K and some lingering regrets about how you spent your twenties.

9 playlists

Top 10 Emo Running Songs

These tracks appear across multiple curated emo running playlists.

  1. 1. Liar (It Takes One To Know One) — Taking Back Sunday
  2. 2. Sending Postcards From a Plane Crash (Wish You Were Here) — Fall Out Boy
  3. 3. Seventy Times 7 — Brand New
  4. 4. Sic Transit Gloria ... Glory Fades — Brand New
  5. 5. A Favor House Atlantic — Coheed and Cambria
  6. 6. After the Party — The Menzingers
  7. 7. All Downhill From Here - Live From Chain Reaction, Anaheim, CA/2013 — New Found Glory
  8. 8. Anthem For The Unwanted - Live From Chain Reaction, Anaheim, CA/2013 — New Found Glory
  9. 9. Antidote — Bad Nerves
  10. 10. Applause — Liily

Frequently Asked Questions

What pace does emo work best for?

Honestly? Your tempo runs and steady-state efforts. Most emo sits between 150-180 BPM, which maps perfectly to that uncomfortable-but-sustainable pace where you're working but not dying. Taking Back Sunday and Fall Out Boy are built for 7:30-8:30 miles - fast enough to feel accomplished, controlled enough to last. If you're doing easy recovery pace, this is probably too aggressive. If you're doing intervals, you might want something harder. But for that middle zone where you're testing yourself? This is it.

I'm new to emo - which artists should I start with for running?

Start with Fall Out Boy's early stuff - 'Take This to Your Grave' era. It's catchy, it's fast, and you probably know half the words already even if you don't think you do. Then move to Taking Back Sunday for more guitar-driven intensity. Once you're comfortable, Brand New will destroy you in the best way - 'Deja Entendu' for moody long runs. Alkaline Trio if you're from Chicago or just appreciate bleakness with a beat. Don't start with the deep cuts. Build your tolerance.

Is the BPM too fast for longer runs?

Depends on your pace and your tolerance for punishment. Yeah, 160-180 BPM is aggressive for a casual 10-miler, but here's the thing: you don't have to match the tempo exactly. Your stride rate stays around 170-180 anyway if you're running properly. What matters is whether the energy level matches your effort. The 'LOVERS ROCK' and 'SIX AM' playlists in this category have figured out the balance - they mix the faster anthems with mid-tempo burners that give you breathing room without killing the vibe.

Does emo work for speed intervals or just steady runs?

Emo is honestly better for sustained efforts than true intervals. The songs are structured for building and releasing tension over 3-4 minutes, not exploding for 90 seconds. If you're doing 400m repeats, you want something harder and more aggressive. But 800s, mile repeats, or tempo intervals? Perfect. 'RIOT RUN' would absolutely destroy on a workout with 3x2 miles at threshold. The emotional arc of these songs matches the suffer-and-recover rhythm of longer intervals. Just don't expect Alkaline Trio to carry you through a track workout.

Why does sad music make me run faster?

Because you're not weak, you're human. Look, there's actual research about this - minor keys and emotional lyrics create psychological distance from physical discomfort. When Matt Skiba is singing about loss and you're grinding through mile 8, suddenly your tired legs aren't the biggest problem in your universe. Plus, emo isn't really sad - it's cathartic. Brand New and Taking Back Sunday aren't moping, they're processing. That forward momentum, that building energy? Your legs respond to it. It's not about being sad, it's about feeling something real while doing something hard.