I still “run”, but have slowed down a lot and do well to go a couple of miles three or four times a week. Music is an essential component. The tempo dictates my pace so, the faster, the better.

For most of my running career, playlists I created were the soundtrack for my run. Sooner or later, I’d tire of the playlist and have to create a new one. Even after getting Spotify, I used my own playlists for a while. Over time, Spotify playlists went from an occasional choice to my go-to.

Keeping up with new music (or movies, tv shows, etc.) is a challenge. Award shows are a thing of the past for me. For decades, I haven’t heard of most–if not all–of the nominees. Streaming services help to fill some of the void.

I started my Spotify journey with the music of my salad days. Over time, I progressed from the 1970s through the 80s and into the 90s. For various reasons, I’m less failiar with music of the early 2000s up to maybe 2020.

Spotify has tons of ready-made, created-just-for-you, and shared playlists for running, cardio, and exercise across every type of music. Whatever my choice, new and unfamiliar artists pop up occasionally. Some I skip. Others become favorites. I don’t know what younguns listen to these days, but here are some of my favorite contemporary artists.

Purple Disco Machine (PDM) is my new favorite. He collaborates with numerous artists to create new disco that’s both fresh and nostalgic. Many songs start off sounding like covers of old-time favorites before morphing into something unexpected. ‘Substitution’ got me hooked. ‘Paradise,’ ‘In the Dark’ and ‘Hypnotized’ are great too. I highly recommend PDM to anyone who loved to dance in the disco era. I struggle to keep from breaking into dance on my runs.

Sam Smith has changed. I liked his early stuff, but the new tunes are edgier, more danceable, and (almost) imeediately recognizable as his. ‘Desire’ gets my heart rate up. I had to stop and look to see who was singing his rendition of Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’.

Chappell Roan snuck up on me. She’s quirky with a great voice. ‘Pink Pony Club’ first caught my ear. ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ grew on me before I knew it was hers. ‘HOTTOGO’ is her hit too. I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of her.

Dua Lipa provided the soundtrack for my runs for a couple of years. I’ve since moved on (songs I run to have short life spans), but she’s well worth checking out. Virtually all of her songs were my favorite at one time or another.

I’ve also loved a lot of Miley Cyrus songs. ‘Nothing Breaks Like a Heart’, ‘Midnight Sky’ and ‘Flowers’ still appear on the playlist of songs I listen to most maintained by Spotify. I especially like the ‘Midnight Sky’ mix with Stevie Nick’s ‘Edge of Seventen’.

Last, but not least, is Sia. I was aware of her when she first hit the scene for hiding her face–not for her music. Some of her songs I heard for the first time on American Idol or The Voice (‘Chandelier’ and ‘Alive’). Some I attributed to other artists (Rihanna for ‘Cheap Thrills’). I live for singalongs in the shower with Sia.

Spotify provides an ever-evolving soundtrack for my runs based largely on what I like. Maybe one of my suggestions will strike your fancy. As always, thanks for stopping by.