The first two weeks of COVID-19, I was able to use my basement as a mini workout area and do 20-minute workouts that I found on YouTube or whatever.
But that only goes so far. My latest attempt as working out consistently through the pandemic is to jog and walk every other day. The goal is to jog at least 2 miles one day and then walk at least 2 miles the next and continue that until I get my weight back to where I want it.
This is all weather pending of course. It's been nice out lately so I was able to get two good runs and two walks in the last four days.
The fact is, when I have certain songs hit the headphones, it motivates me even more. So here is a top 20 favorite songs to workout to right now.
I say right now because I think this list would honestly change each week or month. I love rock music and I have so many songs that just make me go.
The original thought to today's blog was to give you my 10 favorites but that's almost impossible.
If you haven't heard some of these songs, give them a shot and let me know if they fire you up like they do me.
The list I am about to give you is in no particular order and I will even throw in some honorable mentions at the end.
1. "Blue on Black" remake by Five Finger Death Punch
This one wouldn't have made my list 5 years ago because it didn't get released until 2019. Blue on Black by Kenny Wayne Shepherd was regarded as the best rock song of 1998 by several media outlets.
In 2019, Shepherd teamed up with heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch, along with country singer Brantley Gilbert and Queen guitarist Brian May for a reworked version of "Blue on Black."
While I love the original and there is nothing wrong with it, I actually think I like the 5FDP version better. It hits harder, there's no doubt about that.
Five Finger Death Punch is one of my favorite heavy metal bands out there right now. There will be a few of their other songs on my honorable mention list. And seeing them live as one of the main acts for Lazer Fest in 2010 was awesome. I think the 5FDP drummer is one of the best in the business.
2. "Trenches" by Pop Evil
I admit I was a little late to the party on Pop Evil, but they are too are one of my top rock bands right now. I have seen them twice live, the second time as one of the openers for Nickelback at the Iowa State Fair a few years back.
I could have listed a few other songs by Pop Evil in my top 20 but they will definitely make my honorable mention list.
Pop Evil won the Radio Contraband Rock Radio Award for Song of the Year for "Trenches" in 2013. In June 2013, the band that was formed in Michigan in 2001 scored their first national No. 1 single on Rock Radio with "Trenches."
3. "Indestructible" by Distbured
Disturbed is and always will be in my top five of heavy metal bands. The Chicago-based group led by front man David Draiman started in 1994 and five of their seven studio albums debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 list.
I could have listed about 10 songs for which pump me up during a workout. Some will make my honorable mention list but with this blog, I am trying to list 20 songs from 20 different groups.
"Indestructible" was the title track from their fourth studio album. And it hits the spot when I am on the final part of my workout. It gives me the extra motivation to go a little harder.
4. "One Step Closer" by Linkin Park
Like Disturbed, Linkin Park has been a staple of mine since high school and college days. I still remember the only time I saw Linkin Park was with one of my very best friends in Omaha. They rocked the house that night. And every night I imagine.
"One Step Closer" was on the band's first big album titled Hybrid Theory, which was released back in 2000. The band started in 1996 as Xero and then changed its name to Hybrid Theory before switching to Linkin Park for good around 2000.
That's when lead vocalist Chester Bennington came on board. With Bennington and founding members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave Farrell, Joe Hahn and Rob Bourdon, Linkin Park is one of the best selling bands of the 21st Century, selling more than 100 million records worldwide.
The band is considered alternative rock but the music has a heavy metal, hard rock, hip hop and electronica feel to it.
I don't think there's been another band in music history that has mixed those four things into one. It's truly remarkable and unfortunately may not be heard of in the same way after Bennington committed suicide back in 2017.
The band did announce on April 28 of this year that new music is coming.
5. "Sugarcoat" by Breaking Benjamin
I discovered Breaking Benjamin when I lived in Texas during the mid-2000s. I worked at my first daily newspaper in Big Spring. Texas, and one of the reporters there also played guitar in a heavy metal rock band.
I supported the band as much as I could even to the point where I would attend practices at their old building on the outer edge of town. One of that band's influences was Breaking Benjamin so I heard a lot of their music and fell in love with their sound.
It's not a perfect band. The lead singer is Benjamin Burnley and he is the only member left from the original group. The band took a hiatus in 2010 because of illnesses Burnley couldn't shake. There were legal issues in 2014 and that leads us to why he's the only original left.
There are plenty songs to workout to, but my two favorites are "Sugarcoat" and "Shallow Bay," which are both from the 2002 album titled Saturate. It's their best album overall in my opinion.
"Shallow Bay" will make my honorable mention list but so will "Red Cold River," which is one of their latest songs from the 2017 album Ember.
Outside of Burnley, the band is different, but Burnley carries the group through their angst-heavy lyrics. The opening notes from "Sugarcoat" and "Shallow Bay" bring me in and I never leave.
I have seen BB once in my life. I went with a college friend, who picked me up in his 4-wheel drive truck in the middle of a snowstorm. I am lucky I made it back to my girlfriend's (current wife) apartment that night.
6. "Click Click Boom" by Saliva
Saliva is another band I absolutely loved in my college years. I have seen them live a few times. The band was formed in 1996 and they became mainstream in 2001 with singles "Click Click Boom" and "Your Disease."
Those two songs were both from their most popular album Every Six Seconds. "Click Click Boom" and another one of their songs appeared the original The Fast and the Furious.
I stopped following the band when lead singer Josey Scott left the band in 2011 to pursue a solo Christian music career. The band announced in October 2019 that Scott was reuniting with Saliva for a tour and new studio album.
If that is the case, I might have to get back on board.
7. "Burn it to the Ground" by Nickelback
The most polarizing rock band on the planet might be Nickelback. You either love them or you hate them. I don't hear a lot of folks between that.
I have always loved the Canadian rock band. Chad Kroeger and company have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide starting all the way back in 1996.
Nickelback takes a bad rap because of the songs most of you folks hear on the radio. Well I've got news for you, their best songs are probably ones you have never heard because you won't give them a chance.
I know every word to Rockstar. And Photograph was severely overplayed on Top 40 radio. There are some other songs that resemble a soft rock band. That's not who Nickelback is to me. If you look up the band on Wikipedia, it will tell you that they are known as a lot of different genres. Their earlier music was classified as grunge.
The songs that hit for me are the one I listed above in "Burn it to the Ground" as well as "Bottom's Up," "Animals," "Never Again," "Figured You Out," and Something in Your Mouth." If you listen to those songs and think they are soft rock band, then you can't be convinced otherwise.
You don't suck if Billboard calls you the "most successful rock group of the decade" in 2009.
My wife and I don't agree on music too much but we both attended this concert at the state fair recently and had a good time. She liked the sing-a-long songs and I liked the harder rock songs. It was the best of both worlds for us.
But Nickelback was a bucket list concert for me that I got to check off. I heard from a former co-worker that they were fantastic live. That is an accurate statement.
8. "Blood" by In This Moment
In This Moment was formed in 2005 but it's a fairly new band to me. They are known to be heavy metal or gothic metal and is fronted by lead singer Maria Brink.
I saw this band in person a few years back with the same college friend who picked me up in a snowstorm to see Breaking Benjamin.
I discovered the band, and this song to be more specific, from a former boss about 5 years ago and have been a fan every since.
9. "Rollin'" by Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit takes me back to high school days. They formed in 1994 and came out with their debut album when I was a sophomore in high school. The first song I remember hearing was "Faith," the remake of the song made famous by George Michael.
I don't even know if Limp Bizkit is even making music anymore, but Fred Durst made rap rock famous back in the 1990s. "Nookie" and "Rollin'" just hit differently for me. And for this exercise, I have to include "Rollin'" on my top 20 list.
10. "Blackout" by Hed PE
This song has some sentimental value to it. I first heard this song while cruising with some of my very best friends during our college years.
A buddy of mine knew the type of music I listened to and thought it would be one I liked. He was right. I don't think I even know another song by Hed PE. Certainly not another one that hits like this. But this one has to be on my list.
11. "Hell Yeah" by Rev Theory
If I am struggling to finish a workout or a run and this song comes on, it's instant energy. This song gets going from the opening note and never slows down. It's just one of those songs that I like because of the tempo.
Rev Theory is known for having music on video games mostly I think. "Hell Yeah" was the opening theme song in Blue Mountain State.
12. "More Human than Human" by White Zombie
Another one from my high school days. This song will always been one of my favorites. The band lasted 13 years before Rob Zombie formed his own group and came out with a few more bangers who will make my honorable mention list.
13. "Boom" by P.O.D.
I attended the first-ever Lazer Fest and P.O.D. was one of the headliners. It was nice all day but when P.O.D. hit the stage it started pouring rain. The show went on and we had a great time. I was a fan ever since.
I don't listen to them much anymore. I don't know if they are making new music. But they had a stretch in the late 1990s and early 2000s when they rocked the house.
"Boom" is my favorite song to workout to, but "Alive," "Satelite," and "Youth of the Nation" also were some of my favorites.
The author of "Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music" has described P.O.D. as "one of the most biggest success stories in recent Christian music."
14. "Monster" by Skillet
Skillet is another Christian rock band that I saw play at a Lazer Fest back in the day. The band is fronted by husband and wife John and Korey Cooper and their stage performance is really good.
I had a hard time picking between "Monster" and "Hero" as which song I like better but "Monster" is better to workout to in my opinion.
I remember "Hero" live featured John and Korey Cooper on moving podiums. They moved up and down with the music and it was awesome.
15. "Diamond Eyes" by Shinedown
I had to get a Shinedown song in here somewhere. I could have picked "Bully" as well but "Diamond Eyes" is a non-stop, fast-paced song after about 30 seconds. The tempo gets me every time and allows me to push through those last few reps. Or get the workout started on a high note.
While "Second Chance" is wildly believed to be Shinedown's most popular song, "Diamond Eyes" is a better song to workout to.
I have seen Shinedown play several times live. And they never disappoint.
16. "Happy" by Mudvayne
I am not a huge Mudvayne fan in general. I like some of their songs. They are known for wearing body and face paint or masks when they perform. That is similar to Iowa's own Slipknot, which is better than Mudvayne but they don't have a song as good as "Happy" to me.
"Happy" has been one of my favorite workout songs for about 15 years now. And I like the band enough to see them in concert.
17. "A Warrior's Call" by Volbeat
Yes, I first saw Volbeat play at one of the Lazer Fest shows that I attended. And as soon as lead vocalist Michael Poulsen shouts "Lets' get ready to rumble" I am hooked.
The Danish rock band has produced some other hits but this one is by far my favorite jam to workout to. It's my favorite song overall, too, even though a quick google search tells me that most fans think "Still Counting" is more popular.
18. "Black" by Sevendust
Sevendust is one of those bands I have listened to since it released "Black" on the first album back in 1997. They are known for heavy riffs and angry vocals, which is what I enjoy the most.
"Black" was the band's opening song in just about every concert they hosted until 2004. It's by far my favorite song by this band and a really good song to workout to.
I can't believe fans picked "Black" as it's sixth best song though. That's dumb.
19. "One" by Creed
Creed was one of my favorite bands in high school and college. They had some huge hits back in the day before Scott Stapp decided his ego was too big for the band to continue. At least the most popular opinion out there at the time.
"One" is my favorite Creed song. "Bullets" is a great one to work out to also.
If you gave me a choice of one person to start my rock band with and then build around him or her, it would be Mark Tremonti, who was the lead guitarist for Creed and now Alter Bridge.
20. "Metalingus" by Alter Bridge
Of course, Tremonti moved over to Alter Bridge after Creed disbanded and he made an even bigger mark. "Metalingus" is the best song to workout to in my opinion and is still the entrance music for WWE's Edge. That started back in 2004.
In fact, several songs from that album One Day Remains established an affiliation with the WWE.
The band has so many great hits and the best thing about it is Tremonti has a featured solo in every song. They really make sure he is heard in the music and that is fine by me.
If you haven't heard Alter Bridge before, check them out. They have plenty of hits I think most rock fans will enjoy. And the lead singer and guitarist Myles Kennedy has a lot of talent, too.
Honorable Mention
"Bad Company" by Five Finger Death Punch
"Jekyll and Hyde" by Five Finger Death Punch
"Be Legendary" by Pop Evil
"Footsteps" by Pop Evil
"Bully" by Shinedown
"Devour" by Shinedown
"In The End" by Linkin Park
"Shallow Bay" by Breaking Benjamin
"Red Cold River" by Breaking Benjamin
"Hero" by Skillet
"Ten Thousand Fists" by Disturbed
"Are You Ready" by Disturbed
"Liberate" by Disturbed
"Animals" by Nickelback
"Bottoms Up" by Nickelback
"Whore" by In This Moment
"Your Disease" by Saliva
"Superbeast" by Rob Zombie
"Dragula" by Rob Zombie
I probably missed a few. But that list is pretty much what I am into. I have worked all day on this one and I am ready to be done.
Enjoy.
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