5,000-Step Movie Hits Playlist
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There’s just so much to love about summer. The temperatures rise and the sun comes out, making it a great time to get out and explore. Some people love spending their days at the beach—or their community pool. Some take time off for family vacations. For those of us who love movies, it also means summer blockbusters—those big-budget crowd-pleasing movies that tend to make a boatload of money at the box office.
In my other life, I write about (and talk about) movies—so it’s no surprise that I love all things movie-related. Like movie soundtracks. So for our latest summer playlist, we’re going to get our 5,000+ steps in while listening to some classic movie tunes!
Throughout today’s playlist, I’ve also included links to check out the movies on Prime Video, in case you feel the need to go back and watch the movies after walking to the songs.
A little more about the playlist:
I’ve included a number of different ways to listen. I’ve got YouTube videos posted below. If you want to download the MP3, I’ve also got links to find them on Amazon. Or you can listen to the whole thing by playing the Spotify playlist.
For each song in this playlist, I’ve listed the beats per minute, the pace (in minutes per mile) that you’ll be walking if you’re walking to the beat, and the number of steps that you’ll take during the song if you keep up that pace. We’ll start with an easy pace and work our way up, finishing with a cool-down. The songs here eventually build up to a pretty brisk pace, but take it at a pace that works for you—whether that means moving faster or slower. You’re totally allowed to dance and sing your way through this playlist, too (in fact, it’s almost guaranteed). But if you follow the pace of each song, you’ll be over 5,000 steps by the time you reach the end.
1) “Independent Women (Part 1)” – Destiny’s Child
The warm-up song for our movie playlist might have a slower pace, but this Destiny’s Child hit from 2000’s big screen adaptation of Charlie’s Angels (starring Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu) is so packed with girl-power energy that it’s guaranteed to get you ready to get moving.
Find it on Amazon
Beats per Minute: 98
Pace: 20:24
Steps: 361
2) “Eye of the Tiger” – Survivor
No collection of movie hits would be complete without Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.” It’s a pump-you-up, get-up-and-get-moving kind of song that will make you feel like a champion, even on the dreariest of Monday mornings. If it worked for Rocky Balboa in Rocky III, it’s sure to work for you, too.
Find it on Amazon
Beats per Minute: 109
Pace: 18:21
Steps: 447
3) “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” – Simple Minds
Did you know that Simple Minds almost turned down the chance to record this iconic movie hit? Keith Forsey, who wrote the song for 1985’s The Breakfast Club, asked the band to record it for the soundtrack, but they didn’t want to record something they hadn’t wrote themselves. Fortunately, John Hughes helped them understand the film and its vision, and the rest is movie soundtrack history.
Find it on Amazon
Beats per Minute: 111
Pace: 18:01
Steps: 487
4) “Can’t Stop the Feeling” – Justin Timberlake
(Trolls – 2016)
When Trolls came out in 2016, DreamWorks made a big award season push for the animated film and its soundtrack—which meant that they sent CDs of the soundtrack to critics for award consideration. At the time, my daughter was four—and I don’t think I need to tell you that we listened to that album over and over and over again. We loved this song then, and we still can’t hear it without singing and dancing along.
Find it on Amazon
Beats per Minute: 113
Pace: 17:42
Steps: 446
5) “Ghostbusters” – Ray Parker, Jr.
I didn’t see the original Ghostbusters in theaters when it came out in 1984. But thanks to the hit song and the merchandising and the Saturday morning cartoon series, we all knew about the movie…and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man…and the lovably slimy green ghost. And when someone asked “Who you gonna call?” we all knew the answer. Even now, I can’t help but sing along whenever I hear the movie’s classic theme song.
Find it on Amazon
Beats per Minute: 116
Pace: 17:14
Steps: 309
6) “Back in Time” – Huey Lewis and the News
It was a toss-up between this Huey Lewis hit from the 1985 classic Back to the Future or “The Power of Love,” the other Huey Lewis hit from the 1985 classic Back to the Future. It was a great year for Huey Lewis—as well as for Michael J. Fox and Deloreans. The movie may be nearly 40 years old (YIKES!), but it’s still a favorite in our house—and the songs always remind me of the fun and adventure of the movie.
Find it on Amazon
Beats per Minute: 120
Pace: 16:40
Steps: 518
7) “What a Feeling” – Irene Cara
1983’s Flashdance was another one of those movies that I was way too young to see when it came out in theaters (and, admittedly, when I finally did see it, I was completely underwhelmed). But it didn’t matter that it was an R-rated movie—all of the kids in school knew about it because you couldn’t turn on the radio (or go to the school’s roller skating party) without hearing the hit songs. When I hear this song or “Maniac,” it makes me want to put on some pink legwarmers and dance in the rain. Or maybe just go for a walk.
Beats per Minute: 122
Pace: 16:24
Steps: 498
8) “A View to a Kill” – Duran Duran
Every James Bond movie comes with its own hit theme song, performed by one of the hottest artists of the time. For 1985’s A View to a Kill (with Roger Moore as the iconic Agent 007), they chose Duran Duran. This beloved theme song is one of my favorite Bond themes
Beats per Minute: 125
Pace: 16:00
Steps: 454
9) “Danger Zone” – Kenny Loggins
As we pick up the pace, we’re heading into the Danger Zone—not just because the pace is now so fast that you might trip over your own feet but because…well…that’s the name of the song. This Kenny Loggins hit from 1986’s Top Gun will make you think of fighter planes and Tom Cruise while you race toward the end of our movie playlist.
Beats per Minute: 157
Pace: 12:44
Steps: 563
10) “Lose Yourself” – Eminem
Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” is like the 2000s equivalent of “Eye of the Tiger.” It’s the ultimate movie pump-up song (albeit with some NSFW lyrics—which is why the Amazon link below goes to the clean version). But there’s just something about this song—and any time it starts playing, I can’t help but get up and move. I hope it has the same effect on you as we get in one last fast-moving track before our cool-down.
Find it on Amazon (clean version)
Beats per Minute: 171
Pace: 11:42
Steps: 929
11) “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” – Starship
Once the action and suspense have built to breath-taking levels, it’s time for everything to resolve itself in the film’s conclusion. As our movie playlist comes to an end, we’re wrapping things up with an easy-going track from 1987’s Mannequin. And hopefully you’re feeling like nothing can stop you after your 5,000+ steps to the movie hits today.
Beats per Minute: 96
Pace: 20:50
Steps: 432
Total Time for Today’s Workout: 45:45
Total Steps: 5,444
And with that, we’ve come to the end of our closing credits. Thanks for taking a walk with me through the musical hits of movies past! Now that you’ve gotten your steps in, feel free to curl up on the couch with a good movie. You’ve earned it!
If you’re up for more fun-filled walks, be sure to check out my other playlists!
