48 Motivational and Inspirational Songs for Workouts, Work and Life

What are the top 5 motivational songs?

The five songs that top almost every list are "Lose Yourself" by Eminem, "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, "Hall of Fame" by The Script featuring will.i.am, "Unstoppable" by Sia and "Rise Up" by Andra Day. Several hip-hop picks on this list have explicit lyrics, so choose the clean edits for work or school.

The most motivational songs of all time

1. "Lose Yourself", Eminem: about seizing one chance.
2. "Eye of the Tiger", Survivor: the ultimate comeback song.
3. "Stronger", Kanye West: built on a famous Daft Punk sample.
4. "Hall of Fame", The Script featuring will.i.am: about becoming legendary.
5. "Remember the Name", Fort Minor: a sports-arena staple.
6. "Can't Hold Us", Macklemore and Ryan Lewis: pure energy.
7. "Believer", Imagine Dragons: turning pain into power.
8. "Whatever It Takes", Imagine Dragons: doing what it takes.
9. "Unstoppable", Sia: confidence when you need it.
10. "Rise Up", Andra Day: rising again and again.

Songs about success

11. "Gonna Fly Now", Bill Conti: the Rocky theme.
12. "We Are the Champions", Queen: for the win.
13. "Don't Stop Me Now", Queen: unstoppable joy.
14. "Feeling Good", Michael Bublé: a new day, a new start.
15. "One Moment in Time", Whitney Houston: the Olympic anthem.
16. "Wavin' Flag", K'naan: the World Cup song about rising up.
17. "The Champion", Carrie Underwood featuring Ludacris: a sports anthem.
18. "On Top of the World", Imagine Dragons: celebrating the win.

Motivational workout songs

19. "Till I Collapse", Eminem: the gym classic.
20. "Power", Kanye West: big, bold and loud.
21. "Thunderstruck", AC/DC: the riff that starts every game.
22. "Uprising", Muse: a stomping rock anthem.
23. "Can't Stop", Red Hot Chili Peppers: relentless energy.
24. "Pump It", Black Eyed Peas: the title says it.
25. "Jump Around", House of Pain: impossible to sit still.
26. "Centuries", Fall Out Boy: an epic modern rock song.
27. "The Final Countdown", Europe: for the last set.
28. "Run the World (Girls)", Beyoncé: a power anthem.

Inspirational songs with meaning

29. "Man in the Mirror", Michael Jackson: change starts with you.
30. "Heroes", David Bowie: for everyday heroes.
31. "Greatest Love of All", Whitney Houston: believing in yourself.
32. "Firework", Katy Perry: you have something to show the world.
33. "Roar", Katy Perry: finding your voice.
34. "Born This Way", Lady Gaga: being yourself.
35. "This Is Me", from The Greatest Showman: standing tall.
36. "I Lived", OneRepublic: a life lived fully.
37. "The Climb", Miley Cyrus: the journey matters.
38. "Unwritten", Natasha Bedingfield: a whole new story ahead.
39. "Don't Give Up", Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush: for the lowest moment.
40. "Good Life", OneRepublic: gratitude as motivation.

Focus music for studying

41. "Time", Hans Zimmer: the slow build from Inception.
42. "Experience", Ludovico Einaudi: minimalist piano.
43. "Weightless", Marconi Union: famously calming.
44. "Comptine d'un autre été", Yann Tiersen: the piano piece from Amélie.

Country songs that motivate

45. "Live Like You Were Dying", Tim McGraw: about making every day count.
46. "I Hope You Dance", Lee Ann Womack: take the chance.
47. "Humble and Kind", Tim McGraw: a reminder of what matters.
48. "Don't Blink", Kenny Chesney: life goes fast.

Motivational songs for students

For exam season, mix focus music for studying with a few pump-up songs for breaks: "Hall of Fame", "Whatever It Takes", "Unstoppable" and "The Climb". For graduation, see our list of graduation songs.

Motivational songs for work

For a team meeting, a sales kickoff or a big launch, choose clean, upbeat songs: "Don't Stop Me Now", "On Top of the World", "Hall of Fame" and "We Are the Champions". Save "Lose Yourself" for the clean edit or the car ride.

Motivational songs for runners and athletes

For a run, match the tempo to your stride: "Can't Hold Us", "Uprising" and "Remember the Name" keep a steady pace, while "Gonna Fly Now" is for the last hill. Many athletes keep one pre-game song that never changes, a ritual that tells the body it is time to perform. For a team, let each player add one song to the locker-room playlist.

Songs to motivate someone who is struggling

When someone you love is going through a hard time, an anthem can feel like too much. Gentler songs like "Fix You", "Keep Holding On" and "Lean on Me" may land better. See our list of songs about hope for more.

How to build a motivational playlist

• Start strong: one song you love that instantly changes your mood.
• Match the tempo to the task: fast for workouts, steady for work, calm for focus.
• Refresh it: swap in new songs every few weeks so they keep working.
• End with meaning: finish with a song that reminds you why you started.

A motivational song written for someone

For a friend starting a new job, an athlete before a big game or a student facing exams, a personalized song can be the most motivating of all: their name, their goals, their strengths and the people cheering them on.

How to create a motivational song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: rock, hip-hop, pop, country and more.
2. Add their name.
3. Share their goal and three strengths that will get them there.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $24.99, or $29.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Give someone the push they need: create a song and hear four previews for free.