The Paris 2024 Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, will run from July 26 to August 11, 2024, in Paris, France.
The Olympic Games are more than a showcase of athletic prowess; they celebrate culture, unity, and the human spirit. Music has always played a significant role in the Olympics. In ancient Greece, music was integral to the Games, with trumpeters often signaling the start of competitions.
In modern times, the 1984 Los Angeles Games marked a shift in using music at the Olympics, featuring Lionel Richie’s live performance of “All Night Long” during the opening ceremony. This trend continued with iconic performances like Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé’s “Barcelona” at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
The official song of Paris 2024 is “Parade” by Victor le Masne, which debuted on May 8, 2024, when the Olympic flame arrived in Paris.
To celebrate Paris 2024, here are some song suggestions for your cycling classes, each with Olympic or sporting history. (Click here for our six bucket playlists and three Olympic-themed profiles from our archives.)
Olympic Athlete Pump-Up Tunes Playlist
The International Olympic Committee created an ultimate Paris 2024 playlist featuring 25 songs chosen by the world’s top athletes from around the world, including Italy, Germany, Canada, France, America, Great Britain, and Australia. This Spotify playlist includes iconic tunes perfect for your classes.
Song Suggestions for Your Classes
Chariots of Fire, Vangelis, 136 bpm, 3:23
The 1981 movie Chariots of Fire tells the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice. The song won an Academy Award for Best Original Score. Use this as a hard progressive climb toward the end of your ride. The imagery of running on a beach can help motivate your riders to push through to the finish line.
We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You, Dolly Parton, 95 rpm, 3:52
Dolly Parton’s rendition, created for NBC’s coverage of the Paris Olympics, is perfect for a warm-up or flat road. Start your class with this song to set a triumphant tone.
Hello, Martin Solveig & Dragonette, 128 bpm, 3:11
The music video for “Hello” features a tennis match at Roland Garros, the venue for the Paris Games’ tennis competition. In the video, Solveig is at match point against fellow French DJ Bob Sinclair when Novak Djokovic arrives to challenge the line judge’s call, dramatically altering the course of the match. Use this for a climb with standing intervals at 0:30–1:00 (30s), 1:44–2:07 (23s), and 3:21–4:06 (45s).
Low Light, Pearl Jam, 155 bpm, 3:44
Surfing, introduced in the 2020 Olympics, returns in 2024 on the French Polynesian Island of Tahiti. The music video stars Jock Sutherland, a surfing champion. Incorporate this song into a moderate climbing segment, imagining riding the waves.
Anyone, Justin Bieber, 116 bpm, 3:11
The song and its video, featuring Bieber as a boxer, embody hope and resilience. Use it as a recovery song, allowing your riders to focus on steady, rhythmic pedaling.
Work It, Missy Elliot, 102 bpm, 4:23
Breakdancing debuts at the Paris Olympics, and “Work It” features iconic street dancer Stefan “Mr. Wiggles” Clemente. This song works well for a flat-road segment at a moderate or slightly higher intensity.
Games Without Frontiers, Peter Gabriel, 96 bpm, 4:07
Written before the US boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics, this song highlights the childish behavior of adults during competitions. The video includes film clips of Olympic events. Fun fact about this song—the lyric repeated at the beginning and end is “jeux sans frontieres,” which is French for “games without frontiers.” It is frequently misheard as “she’s so popular.”
Change, Taylor Swift, 96 bpm, 4:39
Recorded for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, this song is perfect for warming up or for a flat road. Start your ride with this inspirational track to set the stage.
Home, Phillip Phillips, 121 bpm, 3:30
The unofficial theme song of the 2012 US Women’s Gymnastics team, “Home” is versatile as a climb or a powerful finish, helping your riders push home.
If you want to dig deeper into what music the Team USA Olympic athletes are listening to, check out this video.
The Olympics inspire excellence, and as we watch athletes strive for gold, let that spirit inspire your riders to find their excellence in the cycling studio. Enjoy these musical moments and drive your classes to new heights.