Punk Your Run: Best 2025 Tracks from AltPress

Where scene-kid credentials meet stride cadence—a curated running playlist filtered for function, sourced from the magazine that raised you.

December 2025 12 min read Running Playlists, Punk, 2025

The Problem: Your Playlist Is Stuck in a Loop

Here's an uncomfortable truth: you've probably run to "Sugar, We're Goin Down" approximately 847 times. Not because you chose it—because the algorithm did, back in 2019, and it hasn't had an original thought since.

Streaming platforms are brilliant at keeping you engaged, but they're optimizing for something other than you. They want session length, not personal growth. The result? Your emo pop-punk running playlist 2025 sounds suspiciously like your 2021 one, with occasional intrusions from whatever Ed Sheeran collaboration the major labels are pushing this quarter. It's an echo chamber, but the echoes are getting tired.

This isn't an anti-algorithm screed—AI and automation are genuinely useful. The problem is incomplete solutions. Spotify knows your listening history, but it doesn't know that you need 150+ BPM for tempo runs, or that you've evolved past scene-phase nostalgia into something with more teeth. Human curation and smart filtering aren't enemies. They're complements. You just need to use them together.

The Shortcut: Year-End Lists + Smart Filtering

The method is simple: start with human expertise, let technology handle the heavy lifting.

Alternative Press has been the scene's paper of record since 1985, navigating every mutation from D.C. hardcore through Warped Tour hegemony to fifth-wave emo's current renaissance. They're not chasing trends—they're documenting a community. Their readers are lifers: people who remember when Fall Out Boy played basements, who've watched Turnstile graduate from DIY shows to Grammy nominations, who understand that "alternative" isn't a marketing category but an identity.

Their 50 Best Albums of 2025 list is a masterclass in scene coverage. This year's picks span Hayley Williams' surprise solo drop Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, Turnstile's genre-defying NEVER ENOUGH, AFI's goth-revival Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…, Scowl's alt-rock pivot on Are We All Angels, and Pinkshift's cathartic screamer Earthkeeper. It's ambitious, diverse, and genuinely exciting.

But critical acclaim doesn't guarantee running suitability. A gorgeous shoegaze ballad might be album-of-the-year material and absolutely useless at mile six. So we built a playlist inspired by AltPress's coverage—a selection of 2025 tracks with the energy and rhythm that actually work for running. The filtering was easier using Song2Run, which quickly identifies BPM and energy curves across any batch of songs. (If you want to try it yourself with a different source—Pitchfork's list, your friend's recommendations, whatever—you can chat with it directly.)

The Playlist

17 tracks, 54 minutes of high energy rock songs filtered from AltPress's 2025 coverage.

Listen on Spotify: S2R Best Emo Pop-Punk 2025

Here's what made the cut—and why it'll carry you through that final kilometer.

Lambrini Girls – "Cuntology 101"

Brighton's most unapologetic punk duo opened 2025 with Who Let The Dogs Out, a debut that critics called "a fantastically violent album" full of riot grrrl energy and Le Tigre-adjacent electro-punk. "Cuntology 101" is two and a half minutes of feminist reclamation built on Moog synthesizers and razor-wire guitars. Phoebe Lunny and Selin Macieira don't ask permission; they demand space.

For running: The track's relentless momentum makes it perfect for interval starts—that moment when you need to launch rather than gradually accelerate. Use it when you've been coasting and need a psychological reset.

L.S. Dunes – "Violet"

The post-hardcore supergroup (Anthony Green of Circa Survive, Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance, Travis Stever of Coheed and Cambria, plus Thursday's rhythm section) dropped their sophomore album Violet in January. Producer Will Yip helped craft something more hopeful than their pandemic-era debut—themes of forgiveness replacing despair, without sacrificing the visceral impact.

For running: At 178 BPM, this is essentially a sprint track disguised as an emo anthem. The tempo markings classify it as "presto"—very, very fast. Deploy it for tempo runs when you need to push pace without thinking about it.

Scowl – "Special"

Kat Moss and company followed their hardcore roots into vibrant alt-rock territory on Are We All Angels. The Santa Cruz band's sophomore album shows a willingness to stretch borders while maintaining emotional urgency.

For running: The track's energy builds methodically—ideal for mid-run momentum when you need sustained push rather than explosive starts.

Turnstile – "LOOK OUT FOR ME"

Baltimore's hardcore ambassadors released NEVER ENOUGH to universal acclaim. The album features collaborations with Dev Hynes (Blood Orange), Hayley Williams, and Shabaka Hutchings, pushing their sound into dreamy, cinematic territory while retaining mosh-pit credentials—described as "all rush, all urgency, a crushing avalanche of sensation."

For running: At around 154 BPM, "LOOK OUT FOR ME" sits in that golden zone for sustained tempo work. The track's extended ambient outro means you'll want to queue something punchy afterward, but the driving core is pure kinetic fuel.

DRAIN – "Living In A Memory"

Santa Cruz hardcore meets crossover thrash. DRAIN deliver exactly what the name promises—exhausting catharsis through sheer force.

For running: This is your "final push" track. When the finish line is visible but your legs have filed a formal complaint, DRAIN's relentless aggression provides external motivation when internal reserves are depleted.

Pinkshift – "Don't Fight"

The Baltimore trio's Earthkeeper found healing through screaming—a theme AltPress highlighted as one of the year's emotional throughlines. Pinkshift balance pop hooks with genuine heaviness, never quite settling in either camp.

For running: Mid-tempo with dynamic shifts, this works best for long runs where variety matters more than strict cadence matching. Let the quiet-loud-quiet structure dictate your effort levels organically.

Rico Nasty – "TEETHSUCKER (YEA3x)"

Genre boundaries don't apply here. Rico Nasty's punk-adjacent hip-hop brings chaotic energy that transcends classification—exactly why it fits an AltPress-sourced playlist.

For running: When you're bored of four-chord progressions, "TEETHSUCKER" is a pattern interrupt. Use it to reset your brain during longer efforts when monotony becomes the enemy.

Joey Valence & Brae feat. Rebecca Black – "SEE U DANCE"

The retro-rap revivalists team up with Rebecca Black (yes, that Rebecca Black, now a genuinely interesting artist) for high-energy nostalgia that somehow sounds fresh.

For running: Pure fun fuel. This is your track when running starts feeling like work and you need to remember that movement can be joy.

AFI – "Holy Visions"

Thirty years in, AFI refuse to stay comfortable. Silver Bleeds the Black Sun… dives into '80s goth and new wave territory—think Sisters of Mercy filtered through three decades of punk credibility. Davey Havok's operatic vocals hit notes he's never reached, while Jade Puget's guitar work channels The Cure and Killing Joke. AltPress noted it as one of the year's most impressive shapeshifts.

For running: At 150 BPM, "Holy Visions" maintains a driving pulse that works for sustained tempo efforts. The danceable rhythm section (courtesy of Hunter Burgan and Adam Carson) provides reliable cadence guidance without feeling robotic.

Coheed and Cambria – "One Last Miracle"

The prog-rock storytellers continue their sprawling conceptual universe with characteristic ambition. Claudio Sanchez's voice remains one of rock's most distinctive instruments.

For running: The track's dynamic range means variable pace—useful for fartlek training where you alternate intensity based on musical cues rather than strict timing.

Deftones – "infinite source"

2025 saw Deftones deliver what fans describe as some of their most atmospheric work yet. The Sacramento band's ability to balance heaviness with beauty remains unmatched.

For running: More suited to recovery runs or cool-downs than all-out efforts. The track's dreamy quality helps transition from exertion to rest.

Die Spitz – "Sound to No One"

Emerging from the current hardcore renaissance, Die Spitz represent the scene's willingness to experiment while honoring tradition.

For running: Solid mid-run energy maintenance. Not your starter, not your finisher, but reliable momentum through the middle miles.

End It – "Anti-Colonial"

Baltimore hardcore outfit End It examined class structure and societal decay on Wrong Side of Heaven—one of AltPress's highlighted thematic albums of the year. Pure aggression, zero compromise.

For running: Hill repeats. Intervals. Anything requiring anger as fuel. This track doesn't understand the concept of "junk miles."

Ho99o9 – "LA Riots"

The genre-demolishing duo (pronounced "horror") blend punk, hip-hop, and industrial into something genuinely dangerous-sounding. They're what happens when you stop asking "what genre is this?" and start asking "does this hit?"

For running: Chaotic energy for when traditional structure feels constraining. Best for short, explosive efforts rather than steady-state cadence work.

Jane Remover – "Dreamflasher"

The hyperpop-adjacent artist brings glitchy, maximal production to the alternative space—proof that "emo" as an emotional register transcends any single sonic template.

For running: Electronic textures provide rhythmic consistency beneath layered chaos. Useful when you want intensity without traditional guitar-driven structure.

Militarie Gun – "Fill Me With Paint"

God Save the Gun ranked among 2025's best punk releases, described as "lyrically more tortured and musically all over the place"—ranging from bright power-pop to acoustic emo ballads. "Fill Me With Paint" captures the band's ability to write hooks that stick.

For running: The power-pop influence means genuine catchiness—useful for maintaining effort when you'd rather stop, because you'll be too busy internally singing to notice your suffering.

Yellowcard – "Better Days"

The pop-punk veterans returned after nearly a decade with an album AltPress readers called criminally underrated. Proof that the genre's elder statespeople still have something to say.

For running: Nostalgic energy that connects current effort to years of scene history. When running feels like too much now, "Better Days" reminds you of the long game. Cool-down material, or easy recovery pace.

Build Your Own

Different runners need different sounds. Maybe you're more Hot Mulligan than Ho99o9, more Arm's Length than AFI. The principle holds regardless: find critics whose taste aligns with yours, then filter for function.

Song2Run can process any source—not just AltPress. Feed it your favorite publication's year-end list, your friend's recommendations, your own library. Human curation identifies what's interesting. Smart filtering finds what works. Neither alone is enough. Together, they're how you stop running to the same fifteen songs forever.

Your legs deserve better than algorithmic inertia. So does your taste.

Ready to Build Your Perfect Punk Playlist?

Don't settle for generic running playlists. Tell Song2Run your favorite bands, your running goals, and let it filter for optimal tempo and energy.

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Sources & Further Reading

Continue Reading

Complete Guide to Best BPM for Running

Debunking the 180 BPM myth and finding your ideal running cadence music.

Rock Running Songs

More high-energy rock tracks curated for running performance.

BPM & Cadence: The Science

Deep dive into rhythm entrainment and why music syncs with your running.

Best BPM for Different Runs

Optimal tempos for recovery, tempo, intervals, and race day.

Playlist filtered by Song2Run. Source material from Alternative Press's 2025 coverage.