17 Best Volleyball Warm Up Songs

So, you need songs to hype up your volleyball team? As long as you’re not blasting Barry Manilow (no disrespect to one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century, but not exactly a producer of get-hyped music), you’ve got a lot of choices.

You need a thumping beat that makes people’s hindquarters want to move, and if you can also have a chorus that encourages a team to shout it out loud together, that’s a plus. These tunes, some of the best volleyball warm up songs ever, fit the bill.

1. “Jump Around” by House of Pain

Song year: 1992

“Jump Around” is a high-energy hip-hop song that gets a lot of mileage out of a sample from Bob & Earl’s “Harlem Shuffle.” The lyrics are about partying and dancing, and the song’s catchy beat makes it a great choice for a volleyball warm-up song. The song reached number three on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

2. “8 Mile” by Eminem

Song year: 2002

Eminem snagged himself an Oscar for “8 Mile,” the title track from the film’s soundtrack. The lyrics are about Eminem’s life growing up in Detroit. As such, they can serve as inspiration, and a David-and-Goliath matchup would be the perfect setting for the David team to use during warmup. The song itself is pretty intense, too, so the beat will help drive emotions as the team preps for battle.

3. “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor

Song year: 1982

One-hit wonder? Who cares. Survivor released possibly the ultimate sporting event prep song in “Eye of the Tiger.” The lyrics are about fighting to overcome obstacles, a great mindset for athletes must have to excel.

Survivor won a Grammy for the song, as it was part of the soundtrack for Rocky III. It was also a global hit, reaching the top spot on charts in multiple countries. Even people who never saw any Rocky movies know this song.

4. “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled

Song year: 2010

What better idea to put into a volleyball team’s collective head than that they win consistently? Chalk it up to visualization or putting good thoughts into the universe, but even if you don’t buy into that stuff, can it hurt to pump up your team with “All I Do Is Win”?

The upbeat tempo will get hearts pumping, and the sing-along nature of the chorus can unite a team in belting it out to the heavens.

Release date: 2010

“All i Do It Win” was a top 40 hit and featured a murderer’s row of artists: Snoop Dogg, T-Pain, and Ludacris, among others, make appearances.

5. “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera

Song year: 2011

It’s super catchy, which is an important aspect of a good warm-up song. “Moves Like Jagger” also has the requisite quick tempo. Who wants to warm up to a ballad, right? And talking about Mick Jagger and his ubiquitous dance moves may be a recipe for getting athletes to dance around, which can hype up just about anyone.

6. “Super Bass” by Nikki Minaj

Song year: 2011

Nikki Minaj lacks nothing in the confidence department, and that self-assured air she carries with her everywhere is on full display in “Super Bass.” Play this during a warm-up session, and the chances are good that some of Minaj’s swag will rub off on the athletes.

7. “Get Low” by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz ft. Ying Yang Twins

Song year: 2003

Lil Jon, the Ying Yang Twins, and some heavy low-end sounds make “Get Low” a great song to get players hyped up. Its high energy is enough to do the job, but coupled with the actual beat and Lil Jon’s delivery make it a real crowd-pleaser that’s sure to amp up any team. Any player whose seen The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift or The Hangover will instantly recognize this track.

8. “Top Back” by T.I.

Song year: 2006

T.I.’s “Top Back” is another great choice for a volleyball warm-up song. Players can easily get into the zone with the hypnotic nature of the driving beat. T.I.'s rock-solid confidence is on display in the lyrics, too. “Top Back” reached the top 40 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

9. “Don't Stop the Music” by Rihanna

Song year: 2007

Rihanna is pretty good at coming up with hooks that stick in your ear for a long time. “Don’t Stop the Music” carries on that tradition. The lyrics call on the listeners to keep dancing and not let anything interfere with the music. This single-mindedness can translate to athletes and help them focus on the task at hand.

The song sampled Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” which on its own provides a pretty hype vibe for a pre-game ritual. Adding Rihanna to the mix makes it even better.

10. “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)” by A. R. Rahman and the Pussycat Dolls

Song year: 2008

Allusions to the film Slumdog Millionaire might be of great use to a team facing a volleyball match in which they are the underdogs. Since “Jai Ho!” comes from that film (and won an Oscar for Best Original Song), even if the listeners don’t understand Urdu or Hindi— the two languages that make up the song’s lyrics— the feeling is undeniable.

The hook is catchy, and the beat is pulsing, and you can tell that it’s a song about victory even if you only speak English.