CPR shuffle: The life-saving playlist you need

Every song on our list falls within the recommended 100 to 120 bpm range to perform CPR


Just like a good beat is required to properly dance, a steady rhythm is necessary when performing CPR. While "The Office" helped make the song “Staying Alive” a popular life-saving soundtrack, you might be getting tired of the Bee Gees. For a change of pace, we’ve compiled a list of songs ranging from 100 to 120 bmp, the recommended range to perform CPR.

Do you have a go-to song you hum when you’re administering compressions that we don't have? Let us know in the comments and we’ll add it to our list.

Read next: 5 steps to delivering high-quality CPR

Chest compressions should be administered using a rhythm of 100 to 120 bpm.
Chest compressions should be administered using a rhythm of 100 to 120 bpm. (Photo/Getty Images)

The CPR Shuffle

Add these songs to your music library, or listen with our Spotify playlist below. 

1. “Glory Days” – Bruce Springsteen: 117 bpm

2. “The Real Slim Shady” – Eminem: 105 bpm

3. “Bad Romance” – Lady Gaga: 119 bpm

4. “Purple Rain” – Prince: 113 bpm

5. “Billie Jean” – Michael Jackson: 117 bpm

6. “Rumor Has It” – Adele: 120 bpm

7. “Rock Your Body” – Justin Timberlake: 101 bpm

8. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana: 117 bpm

9. “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” – Toby Keith: 112 bpm

10. “All Star” – Smash Mouth: 104 bpm

11. “Everybody (Backstreet's Back)” – Backstreet Boys: 108 bpm

12. "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" – Whitney Houston: 119 bpm

13. “Eye of the Tiger” – Survivor: 109 bpm

14. “Ring of Fire” – Johnny Cash: 105 bpm

15. “Ice Ice Baby” – Vanilla Ice: 116 bpm

16. “Monday Morning” – Fleetwood Mac: 106 bpm

17. “Baby Shark” – Pinkfong: 115 bpm

18. “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” – Will Smith: 108 bpm

19. “Country Girl” – Luke Bryan: 106 bpm

20. "Can't Stop the Feeling" – Justin Timberlake: 113 bpm


Read next:

Read next:

How to care for lay responders who perform CPR

Diffusing and debriefing lay responders can mitigate traumatic stress and reduce the risk of post-traumatic injury from the experience of performing CPR


This article, originally published in July 2022, has been updated. 

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