When performing CPR chest compressions, the best way to maintain the optimal speed is to follow the beat of a popular song. If you have taken a CPR course or are ready for any tutorials on the subject, you’ve probably heard the Bee Gees Stayin’ Alive used as a popular example. It is a good example and an easy beat to follow. The song clocks in at a steady 104 beats per minute. CPR should always be performed at a pace between 100 and 120 beats per minute.
But as iconic as it is, Stayin’ Alive is almost 45 years old, and it’s not everyone’s go-to jam. A lot of younger people aren’t even familiar with it. With that in mind, we decided that it is time to update the playlist. If disco isn’t your genre, or if you don’t know your Bee Gees, we’d like to present a comprehensive list of other popular songs to do CPR to.
How to choose the best Songs for CPR
We were very selective about the songs on our list. You may have noticed that we have not included songs like “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga, “Rumor Has It” by Adele, and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper. These are all great tunes, but we did not include them because they are right around 120 beats per minute.
Songs to do CPR To
- All Star – Smash mouth [104 bpm]
- Cecilia – Simon & Garfunkel [103
- Crazy in Love – Beyonce & Jay-Z [99]
- Dancing Queen – Abba [100]
- December 1963 (Oh What a Night) – Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons – [104]
- Forget Me Too – Machine Gun Kelly ft. Halsey [100]
- Heartbreaker – Mariah Carey feat. Jay-Z [100]
- Hips Don’t Lie – Shakira [100]
- Jump Jive an’ Wail – The Brian Setzer Orchestra [101]
- Life is a Highway – Tom Cochrane / Rascal Flatts [103
- Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson [100]
- Master of Puppets – Metallica [105]
- MMMBop – Hanson [105]
- Paradise City – Guns N Roses [100]
- Riders on the Storm – The Doors [104]
- Rock your Body – Justin Timberlake [101]
- Say You’ll be there – Spice Girls [107]
- Semi-Charmed Life – Third eye Blind [102]
- Shining Star – Earth, Wind & Fire [103]
- Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel [102]
- Sorry – Justin Bieber [100]
- Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking for – U2 [101]
- Superstition – Stevie Wonder [101]
- Tempo – Lizzo [107]
- Two Princes – Spin Doctors [104]
Finding the Beat
When using a song as a guide for CPR chest compressions, it’s very important to follow the beat accurately. You’re not delivering compressions in time with the melody or the vocals. The beat is the steady, consistent pulse of the song. Think of an imaginary metronome that ticks in time with the music. If you can tap your feet or clap your hands to it, you have found the beat. This is the same kind of steady, consistent pace you want to keep when delivering CPR. If finding the beat is hard and does not come naturally to you, we recommend investing in an automated external defibrillator (AED). Popular AEDs have a built-in metronome that keeps the beat for you. And even if you don’t need help with CPR chest compressions, an AED can still be a lifesaver.
Finding More CPR Songs
If you are not in love with the songs on our list, you can easily find missions of songs that serve as a suitable CPR guide. For example, if you use a streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music, you can search for playlists that contain only 100 bpm, 105 bpm, or 110 bpm songs. Browse these playlists to find your favorite tune. You can also use websites like SongBPM.com to search artists and songs and instantly find the beat of all your favorite jams.
Sources:aedleader.com, List of Popular CPR Songs
procpr.org, Chest Compressions: At what rate do you perform CPR compressions?
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