Track List - #totalrequestride, Wednesday, February 12, 2015

1. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & Goon Rock
2. Crazy In Love - Beyonce' featuring Jay-Z
3. I Lived ([RED] Remix) - OneRepublic
4. Living For Love (Dj Paulo & Jackinsky dub mix) - Madonna
5. Lips Are Movin - Meghan Trainor
6. Style - Taylor Swift
7. Heartbeat Song (Dirty Pop Deconstruction remix) - Kelly Clarkson
8. Whitney Megamix - DJs Jody den Broeder and Warren Rigg
9. Would I Lie To You - Eurythmics
10. I Put A Spell On You - Annie Lennox
11. I'm Not The Only One - Sam Smith

After giving a little "behind the scenes" look at what goes into making a track list for one of the Ride with Tommy! classes a few weeks ago, I thought this morning's track list called for another occasion to provide a little more insight into my song choices. This morning's Ride, like my last "behind the scenes" peek, started with the requests for the #totalrequestride class. Each week, Crunch members can tweet their requests to @crunchgym followed by the hashtag, #totalrequestride. Diane in the Crunch corporate offices in New York, compiles the top 3 requests and then sends them out to the instructors across the country! This class really provides a reflection of a sign of the times. Think about it. Anyone in any city in any state where there are Crunch gyms, can use their cell phone to request their favorite song or video which, if in the top 3 of that week, can be played at any one of the Crunch gyms in the country that week! The ability to share and communicate as widely and immediately as we do now with technology and social media at our fingertips is really kind of amazing. In addition to the very cool aspect of playing the top 3 requested videos, it is so cool to consider that Crunch gyms everywhere will have a sense of consistency and continuity throughout the country. I compare this to McDonald's. If you step into a McDonald's restaurant anywhere in the world, you will expect to experience the same principles that are instilled throughout the corporation from the top management down to the hourly worker: quality, service, cleanliness and value. Crunch is actively trying to streamline and improve the Ride (indoor cycling) program, as well as the entire gym experience, throughout all of its gym locations. Crunch is founded on ideas where fitness meets entertainment. Now, much like McDonald's, anyone who steps into a Crunch gym, can expect the same opportunities for an intense workout while having a lot of fun doing it. And that person that stepped into any Crunch gym will know what to expect because of that consistency instilled in the ever and fast growing number of locations across the United States and the world! So, the first 3 songs of my track list are provided as a part of the incredible process that can start with a single member in any Crunch location anywhere. So cool! This weeks top 3 requested videos are: "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO, "Crazy In Love" by Beyonce featuring Jay-Z, and "I'm Not The Only One" by Sam Smith. And these 3 videos lead into a reason for my selection of some of the other songs. I always try to tap into the current "pop culture" when a big event or happening takes place such as the Grammys this past Sunday. Therefore, I included Madonna's new song, "Living For Love", which she performed live on the broadcast, as well as the requested Sam Smith single, "I'm Not The Only One". Meghan Trainor and Taylor Swift presented at the Grammys, so I also included their new songs. But probably one of the most talked about show-stoppers of the night was (current Crunch member!) Annie Lennox! She was (and always has been!) an amazing performer! So I not only included her new single that she performed with Hozier, "I Put A Spell On You", but I also reached back to a song from her Eurythmic days, "Would I Lie To You" which provided a great run to end the challenge portion of class. I always jump at the chance to support or highlight awesome charities, so when I came across OneRepublic's new single, "I Lived" as a remix on the [RED] section of iTunes. The [RED] organization is an amazing movement trying to create an AIDS-free generation. I LOVE OneRepublic and this is another great song by them. And this remix includes a sample of the old Coca-Cola jingle, "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing". Amazing! And speaking of charities, my husband, Rich, are very active in the Family Equality Council, an organization that works for equal rights for families that are made up of parents that are part of the LGBT community. So when the awesome Kelly Clarkson included a gay couple in her most recent video for her new single, "Heartbeat Song", I just had to include it. I mean, I love the song, and I love Kelly, but the way that she included more than just your historically "typical" couples in a video about relationships without much sensationalism, I think, is truly amazing. Awesome! Finally, I felt it was just a small tribute to a huge talent that left this world way too early, but today is the third anniversary of the death of Whitney Houston. She provided us with so many incredible songs that I so often played in my Rides. So, I wanted to once again play a megamix of some of her greatest hits that provided the score to a 20-turn hill! Thank you Whitney! Thanks to everyone who gave their all on such a challenging 20-turn hill and throughout class!

Whew! See? It is not that easy putting together a cohesive, smooth-transitioning, high-energy, powerful, intense, challenging and fun track list. A lot can go into it. I hope this helps you see a little more of the passion that can exist by an instructor that cares about their responsibility as an instructor and motivator. I hope to see you in class soon so that we can share an amazing experience together!

In good health!

tommy