Although music is a universal language, European runners do not listen to it in equal amounts while running. In fact, a considerable amount of French, Dutch, and Belgian runners never play music whilst running:
‘I never listen to music while running’
The reasons to why people listen to music vary from speed to pace, length of time to concentration. Belgian and British runners, more than the other European countries, listen to music because it helps them run faster and for longer.
‘Music helps me run faster’
‘Music keeps me running for longer’
What keeps us going?
Different types of music keep different races running. Rock music is a popular choice across the board, with names such as Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Metallica, and AC/DC being regularly mentioned. Tunes from DJ Tiesto, The Prodigy, and 2 Many DJs are the most popular in the Dance genre. Every country cited the theme tune from Rocky as a good tune to run to, while Beyonce and Destiny’s Child (Survivor) were mentioned a few times.
Preferred music: the differences per country
Classical music is the preferred choice for the French, while rock and dance music follow in preference and are enjoyed in equal parts. The French tend to opt for genre as opposed to hits or big names.
In Germany, rock is more popular than house music. German rock (such as Rammstein) or hard rock (such as AC/DC) are particularly favoured during an intense run. ‘Schlager’ (sweet, highly sentimental ballads or light pop tunes) is also very popular with German runners.
Italian runners prefer rock over dance music, but the most popular choice is music from their own country (for example, Vasco Rossi and Luciano Ligabue). They prefer a much softer version of rock (such as Queen, Brian Adams, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, and U2) compared to the German preferences of AC/DC, Incubus, and Metallica.
Like the Italians, Spanish runners also prefer music from their own country (such as El Canto del Loco). They opt for rock above dance music, but, unlike the Italians, they do not mind whether it is hard or soft rock. U2 is a popular choice whilst running.
Muse, Eminem, and Queen are popular choices for the British runner, and some runners also opt for the beats of Bollywood music.
The Dutch are versatile as they like to run to music from national artists such as Nick & Simon as well as the relaxed tunes of surfdude Jason Mraz, or solid beats from rock legends Dire Straits and newcomers The Killers.
Bon Jovi is a popular choice for runners in Belgium. As well as this, the Belgians like to run to Rock and Roll music.