I am trying to build a playlist too.  I am a raving fan of classic rock music, from which it will be more difficult to cull songs that would be appropriate.  Here are some that I know will work (and I am open to suggestions!):

1)   A Hard Day's Night  - The Beatles

2)   I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles

3)   Give Me Some Lovin'  - The Spencer Davis Group

4)   Birthday  - The Beatles

5)   Angry Young Man  - Billy Joel

6)   James Dean  - The Eagles

7)   Back in the USSR  - The Beatles

8)   Slow Down  - The Beatles

9)   I'll Cry Instead  - The Beatles

10) I've Just Seen a Face  - The Beatles

11) Paperback Writer  - The Beatles

12) 25 or 6 to 4  - Chicago

13) Oh Atlanta  - Little Feat

My apologies for this list being Beatle-heavy, but their music is my passion.  I would love to receive other suggestions from this genre.

We just did a post on our favorite songs and there are a few member comments with songs below the post: http://momsrunthistown.blogspot.com/2011/03/music-for-running.html

Always changing but my current set:

As the Rush Comes (EnMass Breaks Mix Radio Edit)    3:16    Motorcycle    As the Rush Comes - EP    Electronic        4
Ashes In The Fall    4:37    Rage Against The Machine    The Battle Of Los Angeles    Alternative & Punk        2
Backatown    2:47    Trombone Shorty    Backatown (Bonus Track Version)    Alternative        8
BALTIMORE_notNina    7:06                    4
Believe    3:46    The Bravery    The Sun and the Moon    Alternative        2
Best of You    5:03    Foo Fighters    Skin and Bones (Bonus Track Version)    Alternative       
Bleed It Out    2:44    Linkin Park    Minutes to Midnight    Rock        2
Blood    2:51    Sons and Daughters    Love the Cup    Rock       
Blood Undone    4:45    Dozer    Through the Eyes of Heathens    Alternative       
Blueprint    3:53    Fugazi    Repeater & 3 Songs    Alternative       
Boe Money (feat. the Rebirth Brass Band)    3:16    Galactic    Ya-Ka-May    Alternative        5
Born Of A Broken Man    4:41    Rage Against The Machine    The Battle Of Los Angeles    Alternative & Punk       
Breaking the Habit    3:16    Linkin Park    Meteora (Bonus Version)    Rock        4
Bullet With Butterfly Wings    4:18    Smashing Pumpkins    Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness    Alternative       
Bury Me    4:48    Smashing Pumpkins    Gish    Alternative        2
Cashout    4:25    Fugazi    The Argument    Alternative & Punk       
Caught Up    3:45    Usher    Confessions (Special Edition)    R&B/Soul       
The Cave    3:36    Mumford & Sons    Sigh No More    Rock        7
Christine    3:31    Luscious Jackson    Luscious Jackson: Greatest Hits    Alternative        10
The City    4:27    The Dismemberment Plan    Emergency & I    Alternative       
Come Back    7:50    Foo Fighters    One By One    Alternative & Punk       
Dancing On Our Graves    3:26    The Cave Singers    Dancing On Our Graves - EP    Singer/Songwriter        4
Daughters    3:58    John Mayer    Heavier Things    Rock       
Daydream    3:08    Smashing Pumpkins    Gish    Alternative        1
Everlong    6:35    Foo Fighters    Skin and Bones (Bonus Track Version)    Alternative       
Ex-Spectator    4:19    Fugazi    The Argument    Alternative & Punk       
Fade Into You    4:56    Mazzy Star    So Tonight That I Might See    Rock        2
Fashionably Uninvited    3:51    Mellowdrone    Box    Pop        2
Fast As You Can    4:40    Fiona Apple    When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King...    Rock       
Fire On the Bayou    4:10    The Meters    Fire On the Bayou    R&B/Soul        2
The First    3:11    Tegan and Sara    This Business of Art    Alternative        1
Fix You    5:39    Coldplay    LeftRightLeftRightLeft            1
Float On    3:28    Modest Mouse    Good News for People Who Love Bad News    Rock        1
Fly from the Inside    3:55    Shinedown    Leave a Whisper    Rock        6
Friends of Science    1:17    Galactic    Ya-Ka-May    Alternative        1
Given Up    3:09    Linkin Park    Minutes to Midnight    Rock        2
Going to California    3:32    Led Zeppelin    The Complete Led Zeppelin (Remastered)    Rock        9
Good Grief    4:01    Foo Fighters    Foo Fighters    Rock        1
Guerilla Radio    3:26    Rage Against The Machine    The Battle Of Los Angeles    Alternative & Punk        1
Hallelujah    4:09    Rufus Wainwright    Hallelujah - Single    Alternative        2
Hang You from the Heavens    3:38    The Dead Weather    Hang You from the Heavens / Are Friends Electric? - Single    Rock       
Hard Sun (Main)    5:24    Eddie Vedder    Into the Wild (Music for the Motion Picture) [Deluxe Version]    Soundtrack        6
Heart of the city    4:33                    3
Here to Stay    4:13    Kermit Ruffins, Kermit Ruffins with the Rebirth Brass Band & Rebirth Brass Band    Throwback    Jazz        2
Home    4:53    Foo Fighters    Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace    Alternative        1
Home    5:05    Marc Broussard    Carencro    Rock        3
Hurricane Season    3:20    Trombone Shorty    Backatown (Bonus Track Version)    Alternative        10
Hurt    3:37    Johnny Cash    American IV - The Man Comes Around    Country       
I Am One    4:07    Smashing Pumpkins    Gish    Alternative        2
I and Love and You    5:01    The Avett Brothers    I and Love and You    Rock        4
The Ice of Boston    4:55    The Dismemberment Plan    The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified    Alternative       
Idioteque    5:09    Radiohead    Kid A    Alternative & Punk        1
In the End    3:37    Linkin Park    Hybrid Theory (Bonus Version)    Rock        3
Infinity Guitars    2:32    Sleigh Bells    Treats    Alternative Rock        1
iSt. James Infirmary (King Britt Remix)    3:19    Preservation Hall Hot 4    St. Peter Street Serenade    Jazz        3
Jigsaw Falling Into Place    4:09    Radiohead    In Rainbows    Rock       
Keep Me in Your Heart    3:28    Warren Zevon    The Wind    Rock        2
Ladyfingers    3:28    Luscious Jackson    Luscious Jackson: Greatest Hits    Alternative        10
Lakini's Juice    4:59    Live    Secret Samadhi    Alternative        1
Let's Go Get 'Em    4:50    Bo Dollis, Dr. John, Earl Turbinton, Erving Charles, Lawrence "Lil Crip" Adams, Mike Marshall & Willie Tee    The Mardi Gras Indians Super Sunday Showdown    Singer/Songwriter        2
Let It Die    4:05    Foo Fighters    Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace    Alternative        1
A Life of Possibilities    4:35    The Dismemberment Plan    Emergency & I    Rock       
Little Lion Man    4:05    Mumford & Sons    Sigh No More    Rock        6
Marigold    3:20    Foo Fighters    Skin and Bones (Bonus Track Version)    Alternative       
Me, My Yoke, And I    5:58    Damien Rice    9    Rock        1
Mile High    3:02    Morphine    B-Sides and Otherwise    Rock       
Monkey Gone to Heaven    2:57    Pixies    Doolittle    Alternative       
My Hero    4:51    Foo Fighters    Skin and Bones (Bonus Track Version)    Alternative        1
My Number    4:09    Tegan and Sara    This Business of Art    Alternative        1
My S**t's F****d Up    2:46    Warren Zevon    Life'll Kill Ya    Rock        1
Naked Eye    4:10    Luscious Jackson    Luscious Jackson: Greatest Hits    Alternative        8
The National Anthem    5:52    Radiohead    Kid A    Alternative & Punk        1
New Pony    3:57    The Dead Weather    Horehound    Rock       
Numb    3:08    Linkin Park    Meteora (Bonus Version)    Rock        2
O-o-h Child    4:28    Kermit Ruffins    Kermit Ruffins - Live At Vaughan's    Jazz        1
Optimistic    5:16    Radiohead    Kid A    Alternative & Punk       
Palm Court Strut    6:22    Kermit Ruffins    Kermit Ruffins - Live At Vaughan's    Jazz        2
playoffs    3:36                    4
The Power Is On    3:14    The Go! Team    Thunder, Lightning, Strike    Alternative       
The Rain Song    7:39    Led Zeppelin    The Complete Led Zeppelin (Remastered)    Rock        8
Ramble On    4:23    Led Zeppelin    The Complete Led Zeppelin (Remastered)    Rock        4
Reckoner    4:50    Radiohead    In Rainbows    Rock       
Riot Rhythm    2:37    Sleigh Bells    Treats    Alternative Rock        1
Saints (Rock Remix) 2011    3:52    Dat Boi Pantha    Saints (Rock Remix) 2011 - Single    Hip Hop/Rap        2
The Saints Are Coming (Live from New Orleans)    3:29    Green Day & U2    The Saints Are Coming - Single (Live)    Rock        2
Save Me    4:35    Aimee Mann    Magnolia (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)    Soundtrack       
Savory    4:12    Jawbox    My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents    Alternative       
Serpentine Fire    3:50    Earth, Wind & Fire    Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits    R&B/Soul        1
Sleep Now In The Fire    3:26    Rage Against The Machine    The Battle Of Los Angeles    Alternative & Punk        1
Somewhere I Belong    3:34    Linkin Park    Meteora (Bonus Version)    Rock        3
Spider Cider    3:05    Man Man    Six Demon Bag    Alternative        1
Stainless Steel Providers    5:51    Revolting Cocks    Beers, Steers and Queers    Rock       
Stones    7:07    Sonic Youth    Sonic Nurse    Alternative       
Talk    5:11    Coldplay    X & Y    Alternative        2
Tennessee    4:33    Arrested Development    3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days In the Life Of...    Hip-Hop/Rap       
Testify    3:31    Rage Against The Machine    The Battle Of Los Angeles    Alternative & Punk        1
That's the Way    5:37    Led Zeppelin    The Complete Led Zeppelin (Remastered)    Rock        7
Tiny Dancer    6:16    Elton John    Elton John's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2    Rock        2
Treat Me Like Your Mother    4:10    The Dead Weather    Treat Me Like Your Mother - Single    Rock        1
Typical    4:12    Mute Math    Mute Math    Rock        1
Uninvited    4:36    Alanis Morissette    Alanis Morissette: The Collection    Pop       
Unsung    3:57    Helmet    Unsung: The Best of Helmet 1991-1997    Alternative       
Want to Be Bad    3:53    Tegan and Sara    If It Was You (Bonus Track)    Alternative        1
War Within A Breath    3:37    Rage Against The Machine    The Battle Of Los Angeles    Alternative & Punk       
Where Do We Go from Here    5:35    Filter    The Amalgamut    Rock        1
Where Is My Mind?    3:53    Pixies    Surfer Rosa    Alternative        1
Wonderwall    4:10    Ryan Adams    241 - Single    Rock        1
Would?    3:28    Alice In Chains    Alice In Chains: Greatest Hits    Alternative       
Zero    2:40    Smashing Pumpkins    Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness    Alternative       
3rd Eye Landslide    5:10    Monster Magnet    Powertrip    Rock       

Wow, where to start?  Mostly anything Rock or with a good, fast beat.

Now, being a Marine I of course enjoy listening to Marine Corp Cadence, which gets me motivated.  I also listen to

Highway to Hell--AC/DC

Running on Empty-- Jackson Browne

Danger Zone-- Kenny Loggins

One Vision-- Queen

Final Countdown-- Europe

Right Round-- Flo Rida

We Didn't Start the Fire-- Billy Joel

Those are my favorite running songs, I have a different list for my workout songs.

It's fun to have a variety of tempos and intensities on your 'pod and let the music dictate your run. Yesterday, I had on a recent playlist (called "run amok"), and the gods of randomness favored me with the following back-to-back-to-back-to-back tracks to take me right up to my doorstep in a fine lather:

Social Distortion--When She Begins

Roy Orbison--Ooby-Dooby

Stiff Little Fingers--Suspect Device

Guitar Wolf--Jet Generation

It felt great! So did stopping.

I don't wear headphones when I run outside, but at the gym my favorite running songs are:

Rihanna- S & M (great beat)

Lady Gaga- Alejando

Katy Perry- ET

Michael Franti- Hey hey hey

Kat Deluna- Run this Show

Panic at the Disco- Time to Dance

So interesting to see what others choose... My iPod has a wide variety of genres on it and my "Running" playlist is heavy on the irony--many of the titles are like a private joke to myself. This isn't the entire list, but it's a pretty good representation.

The End of the Line -- Travelling Willburys

A Galope -- Azúcar Moreno ("At a gallop" flamenco music, women singers from Spain)

Roam --B-52's

Run -- Benton Paul

One, Two, Three, GO! -- Belanova (in Spanish)

The Great Escape -- Boys Like Girls

Wonderful -- Gary Go

That's Some Dream -- Good Old War

Running on Empty -- Jackson Browne

Be Good to Yourself -- Journey

Onda -- Los Lonely Boys

Arráncame el Corazón -- Maná (Spanish)

Not Falling Apart -- Maroon 5

How Far We've Come -- Matchbox 20

Abran Fuego -- The Mills (Spanish)

Steer -- Missy Higgins

Your Wildest Dream -- The Moody Blues

We Are Not Going to Make It -- The Presidents of the United States

Under Pressure -- Queen

Keep Yourself Alive -- Queen

It's the End of the World as We Know It -- R.E.M.

Dance the Night Away -- VanHalen