Teamwork songs: 36 songs about working together
Team songs that are really about sticking together, sorted by the moment you need one. No love songs in disguise.
Most lists of teamwork songs are padded with love songs that happen to say “together”. These 36 were picked for what they're actually about: friends who show up, crews that pull together, and people getting along. Each has the artist of its best-known recording, the year it came out, a line in our own words on what it's about, and no lyrics. They're sorted by use: the classics, meeting openers, walk-ons, thank-yous, songs with a team story behind them and kid-safe picks. For pump-up, Monday and focus music, see our 100 songs about work.
6 classic teamwork songs everyone knows
The songs people expect on a team playlist, each with a moment to play it.
- Lean on Me · Bill Withers (1972)
A friend offering to carry part of the load. Play it at the retro after a crunch week, when people covered for each other.
- We Are Family · Sister Sledge (1979)
Disco about a group so close it feels like kin. Cue it while the team photo is taken at the offsite.
- Count on Me · Bruno Mars (2010)
A breezy promise to come through whenever a friend calls. Easy background for a new hire's first team call.
- You've Got a Friend in Me · Randy Newman (1995)
It plays over the opening of Toy Story, a pal's promise to stick around. A fit for launching a buddy or mentor program.
- We're All in This Together · The High School Musical Cast (2006)
The finale where the whole school dances as one. Pure cheese, which is exactly why it works to close a kickoff.
- You've Got a Friend · Carole King (1971)
A quiet promise to come running when a friend needs you. Play it on the farewell call for someone moving on.
6 teamwork songs to open a meeting
Warm, easy songs to play while people join the call or find a seat. Each one is about people pulling together.
- Get Together · The Youngbloods (1967)
A gentle folk-rock call for everyone to set differences aside and get along.
- Put a Little Love in Your Heart · Jackie DeShannon (1969)
Upbeat pop about small kindnesses adding up to a better place for everyone.
- Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand) · Diana Ross (1970)
Her first solo single, about reaching out to the person next to you. In concert she had crowds join hands.
- Give a Little Bit · Supertramp (1977)
A bright acoustic strum about giving a little of yourself to the people around you.
- Same Boat · Zac Brown Band (2021)
Easygoing country about how much people have in common once you stop to look.
- Join Together · The Who (1972)
Pete Townshend's open invitation to come and be part of the band, good for a week with new hires.
6 walk-on songs for a kickoff or offsite
Big openings for the first minute of an all-hands, a sales kickoff or a team's entrance at an offsite. Planning the whole day? See our sales kickoff ideas.
- Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) · Shakira featuring Freshlyground (2010)
The official 2010 FIFA World Cup song, a pep talk for players heading out onto the field.
- We Are One (Ole Ola) · Pitbull featuring Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte (2014)
The official 2014 FIFA World Cup song, with singers from the US and Brazil sharing one stadium chorus.
- Centerfield · John Fogerty (1985)
A player begging the coach to put him in the game. Perfect for someone who wants a bigger role.
- Hey Brother · Avicii (2013)
Bluegrass vocals over a dance beat, about siblings who promise to have each other's back.
- Love Train · The O'Jays (1972)
Despite the title, it's a call for people of every country to join hands. A Hot 100 number one.
- Everything Is Awesome · Tegan and Sara featuring The Lonely Island (2014)
The Lego Movie's chirpy song about being part of a team. The film teases blind conformity, so play it with a wink.
6 songs to thank a teammate or say goodbye
For a farewell, a work anniversary or the end of a hard project. Every one is about friendship, not romance. Planning the send-off too? Our farewell party ideas have the rest.
- Wind Beneath My Wings · Bette Midler (1988)
From Beaches, a film about lifelong friends: a thank-you to the person who stood behind you.
- Friends Will Be Friends · Queen (1986)
A swaying Queen anthem about the friends who turn up when everything else goes wrong.
- If I Didn't Have You · John Goodman and Billy Crystal (2001)
Sulley and Mike, coworkers on the Monsters, Inc. scare floor, admitting they need each other. It won the Oscar.
- I'll Be There for You · The Rembrandts (1995)
The Friends theme: about the people who show up on your worst week. Everyone knows the clap.
- Some Things Never Change · Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff (2019)
From Frozen II: friends promising to stick together while everything around them shifts. Good for a reorg.
- For Good · Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel (2003)
From Wicked: two friends saying goodbye and admitting the other changed them. The farewell song.
5 songs about working together, with a story behind them
Songs where the recording itself was a group effort, or the band was the point. Tell the story before you press play.
- We Are the World · USA for Africa (1985)
Dozens of stars recorded it together in one overnight session for famine relief. The original group effort.
- That's What Friends Are For · Dionne Warwick & Friends (1985)
Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder sang it together to raise money for AIDS research.
- I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony) · The New Seekers (1971)
It grew out of a 1971 TV commercial jingle into a hit about the whole world singing together.
- Ebony and Ivory · Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder (1982)
Two stars using the black and white keys of one piano as a picture of people living in harmony.
- Everyday People · Sly and the Family Stone (1968)
A number one about different people getting along, from one of the first big bands with a mixed lineup of race and gender.
7 kid-safe team songs for a family day
Film and TV songs about friends and crews, clean enough for a company picnic or a family day with kids in the room. More for the day itself in our company picnic ideas.
- Friend Like Me · Robin Williams (1992)
Aladdin's Genie showing off everything he can do to help. Pure energy for a room with kids.
- We're Going to Be Friends · The White Stripes (2001)
A quiet acoustic song about meeting a new friend at the start of the school year. Sweet for a first week.
- Heigh-Ho · Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs cast (1937)
Seven coworkers marching home from a shift at the mine together: the original team work song.
- Be Our Guest · Angela Lansbury, Jerry Orbach and cast (1991)
A whole castle staff putting on one big show to welcome a guest, from Beauty and the Beast.
- All for One · The High School Musical Cast (2007)
The High School Musical 2 finale, with the whole summer crew on stage together.
- We Know the Way · Opetaia Foa'i and Lin-Manuel Miranda (2016)
From Moana: a whole crew of voyagers reading the stars and steering their boats together.
- True Friend · Hannah Montana (2007)
A bouncy pop thank-you to the friend who sticks with you through everything.
Songs that sound like teamwork songs but aren't
These turn up on most team playlists. Each is a great song, but check what it's about before it opens your all-hands.
Come Together · The Beatles (1969)
The verses are John Lennon's wordplay about a mysterious stranger, not a call to unite.
We Can Work It Out · The Beatles (1965)
One partner pleading with the other in a relationship argument.
Better Together · Jack Johnson (2005)
A love song to one person, not a song about a team.
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now · Starship (1987)
A romantic duet, used as the theme of the romantic comedy Mannequin.
Whenever, Wherever · Shakira (2001)
A love song promising to cross any distance for one partner, not a whole crew.
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You · Bryan Adams (1991)
The love theme from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, sung to one person.
Eye of the Tiger · Survivor (1982)
One boxer's comeback from Rocky III. A pump-up song for one person, not a team.
Make the team song a team activity
A song on its own is background noise. Four ways to get the whole team involved, from five minutes to an hour.
- Vote on a team anthem. Post five songs from this page in the team channel and let people vote with emoji for a day. Play the winner at the start of the next all-hands.
- One song each, then guess who picked it. Everyone adds one song that means team to them, with one line on why. At the next meeting, play 20 seconds of three songs and guess who picked each one before they explain.
- Give every presenter a walk-on. At an offsite, each team picks one song from the walk-on list and gets 15 seconds of it as they come up to present.
- Turn the list into music bingo. A host plays clips and everyone marks songs off a card. It's the easiest way to get a quiet team singing along.
Want a cheer to go with the song? Our team mottos are short enough to chant, and our teamwork quotes work for the slide before it.
Let a host run the music game
Want someone to run it for your team? Pick by setting. On a video call, a DJ host plays clips for 45 minutes while everyone marks a digital card in Music Bingo, which runs on Zoom only. For a team that likes a quiz, Mystery Mixtape is a one-hour show broadcast live from London, with each player answering from a phone. In the office, our hosts bring Music Bingo to 17 US cities. Teams split across time zones can book two sessions. Book about 2 weeks ahead, and earlier for December, when dates fill first. See every format on our virtual bingo page, or more online party games you can run yourself.
Three hosted music games, with today's prices. Get a free quote with your date and headcount.
