synthpop
Barry put this on without asking - for once he wasn't wrong
By Rob Gordon
Barry put this on without asking - for once he wasn't wrong. I was three miles into what was supposed to be an easy run, already negotiating with myself about cutting it short, when "Whip It" kicked in. And here's the thing about DEVO that nobody talks about: they understood that humans are machines, and machines have rhythm. Your stride is a metronome. Synthpop gets that.
I spent the '80s pretending I was too cool for this stuff. Too invested in The Smiths and The Replacements to acknowledge that Missing Persons was doing something genuinely innovative. But on the Lakefront Trail at 6 AM, there's no room for that kind of posturing. Either the music works or it doesn't. And synthpop works because it was built - not played, *built* - for forward motion.
The drum machines are the secret. A human drummer speeds up, slows down, has feelings. A Roland TR-808 does not care about your feelings. It's locked in at 128 BPM and it will stay there until the heat death of the universe. When you're at mile eight and your brain is lying to you about needing to walk, that precision is everything. The sequencers and synth bass lines create this hypnotic framework that your legs just... follow. It's involuntary.
Dick argues that synthpop is emotionally cold, and he's half right. But that emotional distance is exactly what you need sometimes. The new wave stuff - your Depeche Mode, your Human League - processed real feelings through circuitry. Heartbreak at 120 BPM. Anxiety with a four-on-the-floor beat. It gives you just enough access to the emotion without drowning in it, which is perfect for running. You want to *feel* something, but you also need to maintain your pace.
This category isn't about nostalgia, though that's a nice bonus. It's about recognizing that some of the best running music was accidentally created thirty years before anyone was making playlists for interval training.
Top 10 Synthpop Running Songs
These tracks appear across multiple curated synthpop running playlists.
- 1. Ghost Town — The Specials
- 2. Los Angeles — X
- 3. Mental Hopscotch — Missing Persons
- 4. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction — DEVO
- 5. 52 Girls — The B-52's
- 6. Age of Consent - 2015 Remaster — New Order
- 7. Alternative Ulster — Stiff Little Fingers
- 8. And Your Bird Can Sing — The Jam
- 9. Another Nail In My Heart — Squeeze
- 10. Apocalypse Morning — The Black Queen
Frequently Asked Questions
What pace works best for synthpop running playlists?
Most synthpop sits between 110-140 BPM, which maps to everything from easy conversational pace to tempo runs. DEVO's "Whip It" is around 128 BPM - that's roughly an 8:30-9:00/mile pace if you're hitting every beat. But here's what makes synthpop brilliant: the layered sequencers mean you can lock into half-time or double-time depending on how you're feeling. Mile three of an easy run? Cruise with the bass line. Mile three of a tempo run? Chase the hi-hat pattern. Same song, different engagement.
Is synthpop too repetitive for long runs?
Look, if you think synthpop is repetitive, you've never actually listened to it while running ten miles. The repetition is the *point*. It's meditative. Missing Persons will loop the same synth riff for three minutes and your mind just... goes somewhere else. That's not boredom, that's flow state. Compare that to running long to some jam band where every song is a journey and nothing resolves - that'll make you crazy. Synthpop's structured repetition gives your brain something to hold onto without demanding too much attention. Perfect for when you need to disappear into the miles.
Which synthpop artists should I start with for running?
DEVO. Start with DEVO. They show up in two of these playlists for a reason - "Whip It," "Girl U Want," the whole Freedom of Choice album is pure kinetic energy. Then Missing Persons, because Dale Bozzio's voice cuts through everything and Terry Bozzio's drum machine programming is relentless. From there, hit the new wave crossover stuff - Human League, Depeche Mode, New Order. But honestly? Just queue up the '80s NEW WAVE playlist and let it run. You'll know within two miles if this works for you or if you're Dick.
Does synthpop work for interval training?
It's hit or miss. The problem with synthpop for intervals is that most tracks maintain the same energy throughout - there's no build and release like you get with, say, post-punk. That said, if you're doing consistent-pace intervals (400s or 800s all at the same speed), the metronomic quality is perfect. You're not waiting for a drop that never comes. The tempo is the tempo. I've done threshold intervals to Soft Cell and it worked because the consistency kept me honest. But if you need drama and crescendo for your workout, look elsewhere.
Why does synthpop sound better running outside versus on a treadmill?
Because synthpop was made for movement through actual space, not stationary suffering. The sequenced arpeggios and forward-driving bass lines create this sense of *traveling* - you can hear it in the production, all those swooshing synth pads and phased effects. On a treadmill, that spatial quality fights against the fact that you're going nowhere. It creates cognitive dissonance. But on the Lakefront Trail with the city sliding past? The music and the movement sync up perfectly. Synthpop is fundamentally optimistic about forward motion. Treadmills are nihilistic. They're incompatible.