power pop

Three minutes, three chords, and the perfect tempo

By Rob Gordon

This is why I do this - the music and the miles. Because somewhere between the second chorus of a Cheap Trick song and the third mile of a Tuesday morning run, I figured out that power pop might be the most underrated running music ever created.

Here's the thing about power pop that nobody talks about: it's engineered for forward motion. These songs don't meander. They don't have five-minute guitar solos or ambient interludes. They come in hot, hit you with a hook in the first fifteen seconds, and they're out before you've had time to overthink your pace. That's exactly what you need at mile four when your brain starts suggesting you walk.

The Replacements understood this. Big Star understood this. Matthew Sweet, Teenage Fanclub, Fountains of Wayne - they all got it. Power pop is punk rock's melodic younger sibling, the one who figured out that aggression and sugar can coexist. You get the energy without the chaos, the drive without the dissonance. It's music that propels.

I've been running the Lakefront Trail for years now, and I keep coming back to power pop for anything between 5K and half marathon pace. Why? Because the BPM sits right in that sweet spot - usually 140-170 - where your legs want to turn over quick but controlled. And because these songs are fundamentally optimistic, even when they're about heartbreak or frustration. There's something about that combination - upbeat tempo, bittersweet lyrics, massive hooks - that makes mile six feel less like suffering and more like... I don't know, purpose?

You want to know the real genius of power pop for running? Every song is a perfect interval. Three minutes of full commitment, then it's done. Next track. Next mile. The format matches the effort. That's not an accident - that's why this works.

8 playlists

Top 10 Power pop Running Songs

These tracks appear across multiple curated power pop running playlists.

  1. 1. Mental Hopscotch — Missing Persons
  2. 2. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction — DEVO
  3. 3. 302 — The Lippies
  4. 4. 52 Girls — The B-52's
  5. 5. A Pack Of Wolves — Black Eyes
  6. 6. Alternative Ulster — Stiff Little Fingers
  7. 7. American Nightmare - New Found Sounds Studios 1981 — Misfits
  8. 8. And Your Bird Can Sing — The Jam
  9. 9. Another Nail In My Heart — Squeeze
  10. 10. Applause — Liily

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of pace does power pop work best for?

Tempo runs and threshold efforts, hands down. Power pop lives in that 140-170 BPM range, which translates perfectly to that uncomfortable-but-sustainable pace where you're working but not dying. I'm not saying you can't use Big Star for an easy run, but you're wasting it. Save The Replacements for when you need to hold 7:30 pace for six miles and your brain is trying to negotiate. That's when 'Alex Chilton' becomes a performance-enhancing drug.

What's the typical BPM range for power pop running playlists?

You're looking at 140-170 BPM for most classic power pop, which is why it works so well for running. Cheap Trick, Matthew Sweet, Teenage Fanclub - they're all hovering in that zone where your cadence wants to be anyway. Some of the punkier stuff - your Buzzcocks, your early Replacements - can push toward 180, which is great for pickups or faster efforts. But the sweet spot is that 150-160 range. It's fast enough to keep you honest, melodic enough to keep you sane.

Which power pop artists should I start with for running?

Start with The Replacements - 'Let It Be' is essential. Then Big Star's '#1 Record' for when you want something slightly more polished but still urgent. Cheap Trick's 'Live at Budokan' is the secret weapon - live energy, perfect tempo, hits that land harder when you're at mile eight. Matthew Sweet's 'Girlfriend' works for steady-state runs. Teenage Fanclub for long runs when you need consistency. Look, you can explore deeper cuts later, but those five artists will cover 90% of your running situations.

Is power pop better for intervals or long runs?

Honestly? Both, but for different reasons. For intervals, power pop's song structure IS the workout - most tracks are 2:30-3:30, which makes them perfect for hard efforts with short recoveries. Each song is a rep. For long runs, you need the melodic stuff - Teenage Fanclub, Big Star, later Replacements. The consistency of tempo keeps you locked in without beating you over the head. Just avoid the super-punk adjacent stuff on recovery days. Nobody needs Buzzcocks at conversational pace.

Why isn't power pop more popular for running playlists?

Because people confuse 'energetic' with 'aggressive' and think they need metal or EDM to run hard. Power pop doesn't announce itself - it's not trying to intimidate you in the gym. But that's exactly why it works. It's confident without being obnoxious, fast without being frantic. The hooks do the work. Also, let's be honest: power pop has a marketing problem. Calling it 'pop' makes people think it's soft. Calling it 'power' anything sounds like an '80s workout video. But put on Cheap Trick's 'Surrender' at mile five and tell me it doesn't work. You can't.