The Top Workout Songs of 2023, According to Feed.fm
Pop music is still a top genre for fitness consumers, but Feed.fm predicts two others will make waves soon
Feed.fm, a unified music system used by leading digital fitness apps to curate, stream and track music for fitness consumers, has released its 2023 workout music report, providing key insights on the music fitness enthusiasts desire as the soundtrack to their workouts.
The music licensing solution company, which streams over 750 million song players per year to millions of fitness app users, examined the top-streamed artists, songs and genres to identify workout music trends.
Here’s what Feed.fm found:
Top 10 Streamed Songs of the Year
Danceable pop made its mark on Feed.fm’s most-streamed songs of 2023, and as the top ten list reveals, talented cross-collaborations blending new and old resonated with listeners.
David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” landed in the number one spot, with the top track kicking it on back with the remix of 1998’s “Blue” by Eiffel 65, pleasing the ears of both young and older fitness enthusiasts.
Similarly, “Hold My Closer,” which draws upon inspiration from Elton John’s 1971 hit “Tiny Dancer,” was given new life with the help of Britney Spears.
The Power of Pop & Feel-Good Music
In spite of inflationary concerns, fitness app users were looking to escape into a blissful workout world with positive, upbeat and dance-driven pop in 2023. However, pop music is showing some changes, drawing influence from electronic dance music (EDM), a shift from 2022’s hip-hop infusion into the pop genre.
Latin artists also had a significant impact on pop music this year, with Feed.fm reporting a 3x increase in Spanish-language and Latin-music stations.
“We are at peak Latin this year, fully realizing the acceptance of the Latin culture in the US. With the popularity of Peso Pluma, Becky G, and countless others, the consumption of Latin music isn’t going anywhere. We may start to see the focus shift from the Caribbean to South America,” said Juan Hernandez-Cruz, Sr., sales curator at Feed.fm.
Female Artists Reign Supreme for Fitness Enthusiasts
Female artists dominated Feed.fm’s cumulative plays for 2023, with hit makers Beyonce, Taylor and Meghan Trainor leading the way. Women also led the way with the top three spots of most-streamed new releases (Shakira & Bizarrap’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” Miley Cyrus and Ellie Goulding’s “Like A Saviour.”)
Hip Hop’s Timeless Hits Lead the Throwback Genre
While the pop genre is still the leading music preference for fitness consumers, they also tended to enjoy the hits of yesteryear, reports Feed.fm — and throwback stations are almost entirely hip-hop based, according to the report.
50 Cent, Ja Rule and even the entertaining rhymes of Skee-Lo were fan favorites in 2023, marking the 50th year of hip–hop.
“Hip-hop has transported from the specific neighborhoods that birthed this music to the global stage, while communicating powerfully about the individual, often marginalized experiences of its creators,” said Eric “Stens” Stensvaag, director of curation at Feed.fm. “Streaming represents a partial return to the singles-oriented culture of hip-hop’s origins, with playlists extending the hip-hop mixtape tradition. Hip-hop’s vitality draws from the streets and from young people, for whom streaming offers unbeatable value combined with optimal access.”
2023 Saw Emerging Music Genres
Make way for Afrobeats, says Feed.fm. The end-to-end music solution for digital fitness apps says the success of “Calm Down,” a hit from Rema and Selena Gomez, shows the growing popularity of Afrobeats artists.
“Let’s be clear: this was Taylor’s year,” said Stensvaag. “That said, seeing an increased variety of charting music—more country, Afrobeats & K-pop, & an explosion of reggaeton & regional Mexican music—has been exciting.”
Leading Fitness Brands Fueled by Feed.fm See Results
Curated music experiences generate longer workouts, says Feed.fm. The report revealed Ergatta users row 5.5 times longer on average when listening to Feed.fm’s custom music stations.
This fall, global fitness brand Barry’s launched Barry’s X Radio, powered by Feed.fm, so live and on-demand class members can enjoy hits during their HIIT workouts.
“Since 1998, music has played an integral role in Barry’s signature immersive fitness experience known as ‘The Best Workout in the World,’” Joey Gonzalez, Barry’s CEO, said of that collaboration. “Feed.fm has not only provided our clients with more control over their music and playlists, it has also unlocked our growth potential, allowing us to scale Barry’s X globally.”
Feed.fm’s 2023 music report can be viewed in full here.
