Every year gives you a new opportunity to celebrate music’s past in a fresh way by going back 50 years and revisiting the hits that defined that moment in time. It’s a fun and meaningful tradition you can bring to your classes: once a year, highlight the songs from half a century ago, weaving them into a ride that sparks memories and stories. For riders who lived through that decade, it’s a chance to relive their youth. For younger participants, it’s a way to connect with the roots of the music they know today. You’ll not only give them a workout but also a cultural experience they won’t forget.
Finding those songs is easier than ever. Start by Googling the “top hits of [year]” or checking out Billboard’s year-end charts. Spotify and other streaming platforms also offer numerous curated playlists organized by year—some focusing on rock, pop, or disco, while others encompass the entire Billboard Hot 100. If you want to dig deeper, explore B-sides, deep cuts, or albums released that year for hidden gems your riders may not expect. Once you’ve got your favorites, drop them into a “bucket playlist” for that year—your personal collection to pull from whenever you want to build a themed profile. And don’t feel like you’re limited to using it only once; a great 50-year playlist can be resurrected any time you want to celebrate the music of the 1970s.
To make the experience even richer, add a little trivia to your 50-year anniversary ride. A quick Google search or a ChatGPT prompt for “interesting trivia about [song] by [artist]” can uncover fascinating stories behind the music your riders are sweating to. You can also look up the most iconic cultural or social happenings from that year to sprinkle in between songs. These fun nuggets of history keep riders entertained, spark conversation, and turn your class into more than just a workout—it becomes a journey back in time.
And now, for the very first stop on our 50-year flashback tour…drumroll please…welcome to Vintage 1975!
1975 was a monumental year for music—and for pop culture as a whole. The world was buzzing with creativity and change: disco was heating up, rock was at its peak, and singer-songwriters were adding new emotional depth to the charts. The year gave us anthems that still feel fresh five decades later—songs like Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon”—tracks that defined a generation and continue to inspire movement and emotion today.
Bringing these iconic songs into your ride blends nostalgia with high-energy motivation. They’re living history, and their timeless grooves and epic lyrics make them perfect fuel for every climb, sprint, and recovery. Sweat to music that’s truly stood the test of time.
🎉 Fun Facts About 1975
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Music Milestones: Queen released A Night at the Opera, featuring “Bohemian Rhapsody,” while Bruce Springsteen cemented his legend with the Born to Run album. “Love Will Keep Us Together” by Captain & Tennille was the #1 song.
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Pop Culture Firsts: Saturday Night Live premiered, changing comedy forever. Jaws hit theaters, inventing the “summer blockbuster.”
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Tech on the Rise: The first home video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey, paved the way for gaming culture. Pong, anyone?
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Fitness Trendsetters: Jogging became a fitness movement, and exercise pioneers like Jack LaLanne were inspiring people to get fit at home.
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Style Snapshot: Bell bottoms, platform shoes, and colorful patterns ruled fashion, reflecting the decade’s free-spirited vibe.
Looking for a fresh way to design your next playlist? Building a class around the music of a single year is a creative way to tell a story through song. Whether it’s a milestone year, a rider’s birth year, or a cultural turning point, choosing tracks released in that year creates instant nostalgia and a unique theme that resonates with your riders. You can weave in fun facts about the artists, iconic albums, and musical trends of the time, turning the ride into both a workout and a trip down memory lane. This approach works for any year in music history, giving you endless opportunities to celebrate everything from classic rock anthems and disco grooves to pop favorites and hidden gems—all while keeping your riders engaged and energized.
You could build an entire themed ride around these tracks—we’ve got over 70 rideable tracks in our Songs from 1975 bucket playlist to choose from. Or, simply sprinkle in a few favorites for a quick dose of nostalgia. Adding a fun fact or bit of history before each song is a great way to engage and entertain your riders while they work.
Whether you go all-in on a retro playlist or sprinkle these tracks throughout your season, honoring the music of 1975 is a reminder that great music is timeless, and that a driving beat, no matter its age, will always make your riders move.
🔥 Our Favorite 1975 Song Picks
Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen, 4:30, 146 bpm
Ride a steady flat road and explode into standing accelerations on each chorus to capture that sense of breaking free. Hit these intervals: 0:48–1:03 (15s), 1:39–2:10 (31s), 2:38–3:00 (22s), and 3:54–4:22 (28s). Encourage riders to imagine the wind in their hair and the thrill of hitting the open road.
Fun fact: Springsteen spent six months perfecting this anthem—he wanted it to sound like “the greatest record ever made.”
Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen, 5:54, 144 bpm
Use the dramatic shifts in tempo to cue different efforts—seated climbs, surges, standing pushes, and recoveries. Here is one way to use this song: Start in a seated Zone 3 climb. Add resistance to high Zone 3 and stand at 2:22–3:03 (19s). Sit and hold resistance in high Zone 3 at 3:03–3:37 (30s). Surge legs +5–10 rpm to Zone 4/Zone 5 at 3:37–4:07 (30s). Add resistance to Zone 6 at 4:07–5:07 (60s). Recover at 5:07 to the end (~45s).  (We featured this song as a Friday Favorite.)
Fun fact: This 6-minute epic was considered too long for radio play, yet it became Queen’s signature song and one of the most iconic tracks in rock history.
Rhiannon, Fleetwood Mac, 4:13, 129 bpm
Settle into a smooth, steady seated climb at 65 rpm and let the hypnotic rhythm carry you upward.
Fun fact: Stevie Nicks was inspired to write “Rhiannon” after reading a novel about a Welsh witch—she would often introduce it in concert as “a song about a mystical lady.”
Love Will Keep Us Together, Captain & Tennille, 3:25, 130 bpm
A bright, feel-good pop hit. Climb in Zone 3 at 65 rpm, and add resistance and/or surge legs to Zone 5 at 0:47–1:10 (23s), 1:39–2:03 (22s), and 2:33–3:17 (44s). This is pure 1975 cheesiness—but important! Encourage riders to smile, sing along, or add a playful pop of energy to the pedals.
Fun fact: This was the biggest song of 1975, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and winning the Grammy for Record of the Year.
Kashmir, Led Zeppelin, 8:28, 162 bpm
A progressive, mostly seated fast climb with six gradual increases over 8 minutes. Start in high Zone 2. Add resistance to low Zone 3 at 1:06. Add resistance to mid-Zone 3 at 3:10. Add resistance to high Zone 3 at 5:13. Add resistance to low Zone 4 at 6:07. Add resistance to high Zone 4 at 7:00. Add resistance to to low Zone 5 at 7:46, standing to the end if desired. Encourage riders to focus on smooth, consistent pedal strokes despite the evolving resistance—this one is about stamina and mental focus
Fun fact: Despite the name, “Kashmir” was inspired by a road trip through Morocco, not the region in Asia. Plant called it Led Zeppelin’s defining song.
Fame, David Bowie, 4:15, 96 bpm
This is a funky flat road at 96 rpm—smooth, steady, and dripping with attitude. Keep riders in the saddle and encourage them to focus on fluid pedal strokes that match the groove. You can also play with subtle accelerations during the chorus, asking riders to add just a touch of speed or resistance to mirror the song’s edgy, syncopated energy.
Fun fact: “Fame” gave Bowie his first U.S. #1 hit, co-written with John Lennon (who also sang backing vocals) and guitarist Carlos Alomar. Talk about a superstar collaboration.