Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger is King of the Commuter Playlist

The rail industry has polled the nation’s commuters and discovered the top tracks that accompany our journeys into work, with 1982 rock anthem Eye of the Tiger by Survivor (36%) topping the list.

Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 (28%), Happy by Pharrell Williams (24%), Black-Eyed Peas’ I Gotta Feeling (24%) and Manic Monday by The Bangles (24%) also feature in the top 20, along with I’m Still Standing by Elton John (23%), Sabrina Carpenter’s smash hit Espresso (21%), and Rihanna ft. Drake’s Work (22%).

The aptly named I Want to Break Free by Queen (23%) also made an appearance in the top 30 list, alongside the iconic 1978 Gloria Gaynor hit I Will Survive (22%).

In fact, the research, commissioned by the rail industry, found that the average commuter listens to a staggering 360 hours of music over a year, with train commuters the most avid music listeners, clocking up 492 hours a year immersing themselves in their favourite tracks – the equivalent of travelling from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley almost 114 times.

Pop (65%), rock (40%) and hip hop (30%) are the most popular genres to accompany us on our way to work, according to the study, while on the way back, we’re more likely to listen to more mellow genres like country (16%), indie (14%) and classical music (11%).

When it comes to which professions listen to what, people who work in HR (43%) like to “vibe” to R&B tunes, IT experts are more likely to listen to electronic and instrumental music (67%), while those who work in PR and marketing (22%) prefer indie tracks to boost their creativity.

Builders like to bust a move to disco (23%), while 1 in 10 bankers listen to metal to kick-start their day.

One in three (31%) rely on the grooves to wake them up, with a further 30% turning to tunes to get them ready for the day ahead and improve their mental health (26%).

Music not only plays an important role in gearing the nation up for the day ahead, but it also helps us face any challenges that might come our way in the workplace. Pop (45%) and rock (31%) are the top choices for psyching yourself up for a presentation, while hip hop (18%) and R&B (16%) are go-tos when building yourself up for a difficult conversation.

Dr Michael Bonshor, Programme Director, MA Music Psychology in Education, Performance and Wellbeing at the University of Sheffield, explains how music can enhance your train commute and the health and wellbeing benefits of exploring new genres: “Listening to familiar music on the train is often enjoyable because it can create pleasurable feelings of relaxation and nostalgia. We associate past experiences with particular songs, so we choose tracks that we know will be uplifting, relaxing or help us prepare for our working day. Through our regular listening habits, we learn which music will help us to create our desired mood, so we choose that music more often.

“But if we are too familiar with the music, it might become boring and less immersive. At this point, we could explore other music to stimulate our interest, and to develop some new ‘favourites’ to help us continue being able to benefit from ‘getting in the zone’ on our train commute.”

Despite being a nation of music-lovers, three quarters (75%) admit they listen to the same music on repeat, with 1 in 4 (25%) confessing they NEVER listen to new artists on their commute. To bring the joy of live music to commuters and provide them with a unique opportunity to discover new and upcoming musical talent for their commuter playlist, the rail industry has launched a series of surprise live gigs at train stations across Britain.

The first in the series of pop-up gigs took place at London Paddington Station on Wednesday 29 January 2025, where commuters were treated to a live performance from rising star and jazz and neo-soul inspired North London artist Ashaine White.

Jacqueline Starr, CEO of Rail Delivery Group, commented: “Our research shows that music is a favourite way for many of our customers to pass the time on their journey, whether it's to energise them on the way to work or help them relax on the way home. To celebrate 2025 marking 200 years since the birth of the modern railway we’re making it easier for commuters to discover new music for their commuter playlists, and the health and wellbeing benefits that comes with listening to a variety of music on your train commute.”

Further live gigs will be popping up over the next few weeks, introducing commuters travelling through key commuter hubs across the country to unique and up-and-coming musical talent.

Nothing beats discovering new music for your train commute. To learn about the benefits of listening to different types of music on your train commute and to discover new musical talent for your commuter playlist – including an exclusive 30% discount to Sofar Sounds Shows – visit nationalrail.co.uk/topofthetracks. Nothing beats being there.