What is the most common BPM? Frequently Asked Questions

BPM (or Beats Per Minute), is the unit used to measure the speed, otherwise known as tempo, of a song. It is a major part of the music industry. It has a place in all kinds of music, but Popular music is where you'll find the closest thing to a "common BPM". However, as with most things in music, not every piece of music conforms to any kind of standard when it comes to the tempo involved.

Beats per minute are more noticeable on fast paced music. For example, some high intensity drum and bass music will have an incredibly fast pace to it. This tempo will be characterized by well over 100 beats per minute, if not closer to 200. This is not the most common BPM in popular music though, because popular music has songs within it that are very similar in approach and tone. A pop song usually follows the current trend in music, so will aim or actively try to match the tempo of current music.

The modern pop song

This means that the most common, if we can call it that, beats per minute amount in the modern pop song is around 120 bpm. This of course can change as styles and trends vary, but it's generally seen as being an acceptable BPM for modern pop music. And because modern pop music involves creators wanting to appeal to the mass audience, everyone who makes modern pop music is creating the same level of tempo.

As stated earlier, you can never really identify a ‘most common’ BPM, because music styles and tastes change. Pop music is mass-market, and this genre is where we’ve identified the closest thing to common.