100 motivational songs about work, teamwork and big days
Songs about working hard, teamwork songs and pump-up picks, sorted by the moment they fit. Every one is clean and safe to play at work.
The best motivational songs for work are the ones the whole team already knows. These 100 songs about work are sorted by the moment they fit: songs about working hard, teamwork songs, pump-up songs for a pitch, walkout songs for an event, songs about leadership, Monday and Friday songs, and instrumental picks for focus. Each is a well-known recording with its artist and the year it first came out, and each is safe to play at work: no explicit tracks. We describe every song in a line of our own instead of quoting lyrics.
16 songs about work and working hard
Songs about the job itself: shifts, paychecks, long days and the people who keep things running.
- 9 to 5 · Dolly Parton (1980)
The office anthem, written for the comedy film about three coworkers who get even with a terrible boss.
- Working Man · Rush (1974)
Heavy guitar riffs about clocking in day after day, for the rock fans on the team.
- Workin' Day and Night · Michael Jackson (1979)
Fast disco funk about long hours, made for a hard push to a deadline.
- She Works Hard for the Money · Donna Summer (1983)
A salute to people who work long shifts and rarely hear a thank you.
- Car Wash · Rose Royce (1976)
The theme from the film of the same name, about a crew having fun through a long shift.
- A Hard Day's Night · The Beatles (1964)
That famous opening chord, then a song about coming home worn out after a long day.
- Workin' for a Livin' · Huey Lewis and the News (1982)
Punchy rock about paychecks, bills and showing up anyway.
- Sixteen Tons · Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955)
The deep-voiced coal mining classic and one of the best-known work songs ever recorded.
- Working in the Coal Mine · Lee Dorsey (1966)
New Orleans R&B about a shift underground, with a beat that makes hard work sound like fun.
- Five O'Clock World · The Vogues (1965)
A whole workday spent waiting for the hour when real life starts again.
- Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) · Styx (1978)
A rock song about wanting steady work and being ready to do any of it.
- Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger · Daft Punk (2001)
Robot vocals over a steady beat, a fitting soundtrack for a productivity sprint.
- Livin' on a Prayer · Bon Jovi (1986)
A dockworker and a diner waitress holding on through hard times, made for a loud sing-along.
- Allentown · Billy Joel (1982)
A steel town story about working people when the jobs start leaving.
- Wichita Lineman · Glen Campbell (1968)
Jimmy Webb's song about a county lineman working alone out on the lines.
- Whistle While You Work · Adriana Caselotti (1937)
Snow White's chore song from the 1937 Disney film, the original case for making work fun.
14 teamwork songs
Songs about having each other's backs. Good for a team kickoff, a farewell or a thank-you post.
- Team · Lorde (2013)
A single from her debut album about the crew you stick with, for teams that like their anthems understated.
- We Are Family · Sister Sledge (1979)
The go-to song for a team that feels like a family, written by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards.
- Lean on Me · Bill Withers (1972)
A gentle promise to help each other through the hard stretches.
- All Together Now · The Beatles (1969)
A sing-along so simple anyone can join in, which is the whole point.
- You've Got a Friend in Me · Randy Newman (1995)
The Toy Story song about loyalty, for teams with a sense of humor.
- Stand by Me · Ben E. King (1961)
A classic about having someone beside you when things get rough.
- Count on Me · Bruno Mars (2010)
A cheerful ukulele song about showing up for the people around you.
- We're All in This Together · High School Musical cast (2006)
Cheesy, upbeat and hard to dislike at a team event.
- United We Stand · Brotherhood of Man (1970)
An old-school pop ballad about strength in numbers.
- Bridge over Troubled Water · Simon & Garfunkel (1970)
About being the support someone needs when work or life gets heavy.
- You've Got a Friend · Carole King (1971)
From Tapestry, a warm reminder that help is one call away.
- Ain't No Mountain High Enough · Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (1967)
A duet about showing up no matter the distance, a fit for teams spread across time zones.
- Thank You for Being a Friend · Andrew Gold (1978)
Best known as the Golden Girls theme, and a sweet thank-you for a teammate.
- Reach Out I'll Be There · Four Tops (1966)
Motown at full power, about being there the moment someone needs you.
Motivational songs for a big day
Songs about motivation for the days that matter: one list for the way to a pitch or deadline, and one that opens an event with a bang.
16 pump-up songs for a pitch, launch or deadline
Play one on the way to the meeting that matters.
- Eye of the Tiger · Survivor (1982)
Written for Rocky III and still the default song for training for anything.
- Don't Stop Believin' · Journey (1981)
The big sing-along for the night before a launch.
- Roar · Katy Perry (2013)
A pep talk in pop form about finding your voice.
- Fight Song · Rachel Platten (2015)
Built to play right before a presentation you're nervous about.
- Hall of Fame · The Script featuring will.i.am (2012)
A big, earnest anthem about being great at whatever you do.
- The Climb · Miley Cyrus (2009)
From Hannah Montana: The Movie, about the effort mattering more than the finish line.
- Hold On · Wilson Phillips (1990)
A soft-rock reminder that hard stretches end.
- Titanium · David Guetta featuring Sia (2011)
A soaring dance track about not letting criticism knock you down.
- Rise Up · Andra Day (2015)
A slow, powerful soul song for a team in a rough patch.
- Brave · Sara Bareilles (2013)
The nudge to say the thing you were going to keep to yourself in the meeting.
- Whatever It Takes · Imagine Dragons (2017)
Driving rock for the final push on a big project.
- Unwritten · Natasha Bedingfield (2004)
About a fresh start, for a new quarter or a first week in a new job.
- Survivor · Destiny's Child (2001)
Confident R&B about coming out of a setback stronger.
- Unstoppable · Sia (2016)
A confidence anthem for the morning of a pitch.
- Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now · McFadden & Whitehead (1979)
A disco celebration of momentum, for a team on a winning streak.
- Shake It Off · Taylor Swift (2014)
The cure for a harsh piece of feedback.
10 walkout songs for an all-hands or event entrance
Songs that work in the first 15 seconds, for awards, speakers and the opening of an event.
- We Will Rock You · Queen (1977)
Stomp, stomp, clap: the room joins in before the singing even starts.
- We Are the Champions · Queen (1977)
For the moment the quarter's results go up on the screen.
- The Final Countdown · Europe (1986)
That synth riff is the countdown to any launch.
- Celebration · Kool & the Gang (1980)
The classic award walk-up song, guaranteed to get people clapping.
- Chariots of Fire · Vangelis (1981)
The slow-motion running theme, for a grand entrance played half as a joke.
- Sirius · The Alan Parsons Project (1982)
The instrumental the Chicago Bulls made famous for player introductions.
- Seven Nation Army · The White Stripes (2003)
The riff stadiums chant, for instant crowd energy.
- Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) · C+C Music Factory (1990)
For a stretch break or a high-energy start to the day.
- Can't Stop the Feeling! · Justin Timberlake (2016)
From the Trolls soundtrack, it gets people on their feet at a party or kickoff.
- The Best · Tina Turner (1989)
For recognition moments, as the winner walks up.
12 songs about leadership and courage
Songs about speaking up, standing firm, changing course and supporting people through hard weeks.
- I Won't Back Down · Tom Petty (1989)
A plain, steady song about holding your ground on what matters.
- Hero · Mariah Carey (1993)
About finding strength in yourself when nobody else can carry you.
- Respect · Aretha Franklin (1967)
The definitive song about being treated with respect, at work or anywhere.
- This Is Me · Keala Settle (2017)
From The Greatest Showman, about showing up as yourself.
- Let It Go · Idina Menzel (2013)
From Frozen, about dropping other people's expectations.
- Changes · David Bowie (1971)
A song for a reorg, a new strategy or any big change a leader has to explain.
- Say · John Mayer (2007)
About saying the hard thing out loud, which is most of leadership.
- True Colors · Cyndi Lauper (1986)
About seeing people for who they are and letting them be seen.
- You'll Never Walk Alone · Gerry and the Pacemakers (1963)
The football stadium anthem about support through a storm.
- Fix You · Coldplay (2005)
For a manager helping someone through a rough time.
- Greatest Love of All · Whitney Houston (1985)
About believing in yourself before you ask anyone else to.
- Don't Give Up · Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush (1986)
A duet about a man who loses his job and the person who keeps him going.
Songs for Monday morning and Friday afternoon
A song pick is an easy weekly ritual: one person posts it, the next person picks next week. Our Monday motivation messages pair well with the Monday list.
12 songs for Monday morning
Bright, easy songs for the first coffee and the first meeting of the week.
- Manic Monday · The Bangles (1986)
The Monday song, written by Prince under a pen name.
- Monday, Monday · The Mamas & the Papas (1966)
A sunny harmony classic about the day nobody quite trusts.
- Rainy Days and Mondays · Carpenters (1971)
For the gray Mondays. Karen Carpenter makes even the blues sound kind.
- Monday Morning · Fleetwood Mac (1975)
The upbeat opener of their 1975 album and a bright start to the week.
- Here Comes the Sun · The Beatles (1969)
George Harrison's gentle song for easing into a new week.
- Beautiful Day · U2 (2000)
Big guitars about deciding the day is good anyway.
- Happy · Pharrell Williams (2013)
From Despicable Me 2, and nearly impossible to stay grumpy through.
- Lovely Day · Bill Withers (1977)
Easy, sunny soul for the first coffee.
- Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go · Wham! (1984)
Pure energy for anyone still waking up at the first meeting.
- Three Little Birds · Bob Marley & the Wailers (1977)
Calm reggae reassurance for a Monday with a long to-do list.
- Don't Worry, Be Happy · Bobby McFerrin (1988)
Recorded a cappella with McFerrin layering his own voice, and it lightens any inbox.
- Feeling Good · Nina Simone (1965)
A slow build into full confidence, made for a fresh week.
10 Friday and weekend songs
For the last hour of the week, the out-of-office reply and the Friday before a long weekend.
- Friday I'm in Love · The Cure (1992)
The cheeriest song The Cure ever made, about the best day of the week.
- Friday on My Mind · The Easybeats (1966)
A whole week of work spent dreaming about Friday night.
- Working for the Weekend · Loverboy (1981)
The arena-rock case for getting through to Saturday.
- Bang the Drum All Day · Todd Rundgren (1983)
A joyful protest against doing any work at all. Save it for 4:59 on Friday.
- Saturday in the Park · Chicago (1972)
Horns and sunshine for talking about weekend plans.
- Fun, Fun, Fun · The Beach Boys (1964)
Surf rock for the drive out of the parking lot.
- Good Times · Chic (1979)
The bass line everyone knows: Friday afternoon in one groove.
- Holiday · Madonna (1983)
For the Friday before a long weekend or a vacation.
- Vacation · The Go-Go's (1982)
The unofficial soundtrack to setting your out-of-office reply.
- September · Earth, Wind & Fire (1978)
Pure celebration that works on any Friday, not just in September.
10 focus-friendly instrumental picks
No words to pull your attention, so they stay in the background while you write, plan or read.
- Clair de lune · Claude Debussy (1905)
Soft solo piano that stays in the background while you write.
- Gymnopédie No. 1 · Erik Satie (1888)
Slow, sparse piano for reading and careful work.
- The Four Seasons · Antonio Vivaldi (1725)
Four violin concertos with steady energy for a long admin session.
- Goldberg Variations · Johann Sebastian Bach (1741)
An aria and 30 variations, long enough to cover a whole deep work block.
- Music for Airports · Brian Eno (1978)
The first album in Eno's Ambient series, made to fade into the room.
- On the Nature of Daylight · Max Richter (2004)
Slow strings from The Blue Notebooks, for calm on a stressful day.
- So What · Miles Davis (1959)
The opener of Kind of Blue: cool jazz with a steady pulse.
- Take Five · The Dave Brubeck Quartet (1959)
Jazz in an unusual five-beat time that still feels relaxed.
- Experience · Ludovico Einaudi (2013)
Modern piano that builds slowly, good for planning and sketching.
- Time · Hans Zimmer (2010)
From the Inception score, a slow build for finishing a hard task.
Want more than ten tracks? These genres hold up for hours of focus:
- Baroque. Bach, Vivaldi and Handel: steady tempos and no surprises.
- Solo piano. Satie, Debussy and modern composers like Einaudi.
- Ambient. Long, slow pieces that barely change, made to sit under other sounds.
- Film scores. Built to support a scene without stealing it, which is what you want at a desk.
- Lo-fi beats. Mellow, looping hip-hop instrumentals; most streaming services have long playlists of them.
- Cool jazz. Quiet, unhurried small-group jazz from the late 1950s.
How to build a team playlist
A shared playlist costs nothing and gives quieter people an easy way to share something about themselves. Here is how to keep one going past the first week.
- Start one shared playlist. Use a collaborative playlist on whatever streaming service most of the team already has, and post the link in the team channel.
- Set two rules. Clean versions only, and two songs per person per month. The cap keeps one superfan from taking over.
- Run a Monday song pick. One person posts the week's song with one line on why they picked it, then names who picks next Monday.
- Add walk-up songs at the all-hands. Each presenter picks 15 seconds of an instrumental intro to walk on to. It takes the edge off presenting and gets a laugh.
- Play guess who added it. Once a month, play five tracks from the playlist and let the team guess who added each one.
- Start fresh each quarter. Archive the old playlist with the quarter in its name. A year later it's a small time capsule of the team.
Music etiquette in a shared office
- Headphones by default at desks. A speaker only in a room where everyone said yes.
- Keep shared playlists to clean versions, even when the original is a classic.
- No music on video calls unless it's the point of the call.
- Quiet hours stay quiet: if the team protects focus time, the speaker stays off.
- Let anyone skip a track without explaining why.
Planning a show rather than a playlist? Our talent show ideas include lip sync rounds, and the music questions in our pop culture trivia test who really listens.
Turn the playlist into a music game
Want someone to run it for your team? A live host turns music into a game on your video call. Music Bingo is a 45-minute game with a DJ host and digital bingo cards, and it runs on Zoom only. Mystery Mixtape is an hour-long music quiz hosted live from London: players answer on their phones, and the results come up instantly at the end. In the office, our hosts run Music Bingo in person in 17 US cities. See every format on our virtual bingo page, and book about 2 weeks ahead.
Three music games, with today's prices. Or get a free quote.
Looking for more ways to make the week lighter? See our fun activities at work, from five-minute games to a full day.
