Welsh music which can help save a life – BHF harnesses the nation’s listening habits on Spotify to teach lifesaving CPR 

Classic tracks from Welsh rock bands the Manic Street Preachers and Stereophonics can help music lovers across the nation to learn lifesaving skills while listening to their favourite tunes thanks to an innovative new campaign by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

The leading heart charity has launched Lifesaving Beats on Spotify, a campaign to inspire the public to learn CPR to their favourite songs – all in just 15 minutes.

Powered by the BHF’s RevivR training tool, millions of listeners can learn CPR online to any song with a rhythm of 100-120 beats per minute. Building on the success of the BHF’s past campaign that inspired the public to learn CPR to the rhythm of Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees, this collaboration expands the potential for music to teach people CPR. This time – it’s to your favourite tracks, whatever your taste.

Every user can choose their own unique CPR soundtrack and their lifesaving beats. The Manics’ You Stole the Sun from My Heart and Motorcycle Emptiness, plus the ‘Phonics A Thousand Trees are included in the list of 250 most popular tracks in the playlist. From Kate Bush to Kasabian and Lizzo to Liam Gallagher, songs from all genres and decades can be used to help learn CPR.

At lifesavingbeats.com, users will be able to generate a playlist of their most listened to songs at the right tempo for CPR, select a track, and then enter the 15-minute CPR training. Users can also search for songs or other users’ CPR playlists, and share their playlists, as well as RevivR, on social media. Non Spotify users can choose to access specially curated playlists by the BHF in six genres.

Urgent need to boost CPR skills

Head of BHF Cymru, Rhodri Thomas said: “There are around 2,800 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in Wales, but only one in 20 people survive. Immediate CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival in some cases – yet surveys suggest that over a third of adults across the country have never undertaken any form of CPR training.

“There is an urgent need for more people to learn CPR, and we are determined to reach as many people as possible.”

BHF’s innovative CPR training tool RevivR is easy, quick and free – all anyone needs is a mobile phone and a cushion. In 15 minutes, the training tool teaches the user how to recognise a cardiac arrest, gives feedback on chest compressions and outlines the correct steps of defibrillator use, giving anyone the confidence to step in and save a life in the event of the ultimate medical emergency. Thousands have so far used RevivR to learn this life saving skill.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: “Ever since Stayin’ Alive became the song that inspired so many people to learn CPR in our advert with Vinnie Jones years ago, we’ve known the potential music has to help teach people CPR. This brilliantly innovative campaign enables people to discover their own lifesaving beat and learn CPR to a tune they love.  My own personal favourite song to learn CPR to is Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill.

“But this fun way of learning has a serious message -with over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in the UK and a survival rate of less than one in 10, there is an urgent need for people to learn CPR in an accessible and engaging way – BHF’s Lifesaving Beats will enable thousands of people across the country to do just that.”