Game Day and Tailgate Playlist
Game day music is about energy and crowd noise. This list uses stadium staples, hard rock and a few country songs for the parking lot. It builds toward kickoff and settles into a sing-along postgame.
The playlist
Pregame
Warm up the lot.
- Sweet Home Alabama — Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Start Me Up — The Rolling Stones
- Taking Care of Business — Bachman-Turner Overdrive
- Fortunate Son — Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Down on the Corner — Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Born in the U.S.A. — Bruce Springsteen
- Friends in Low Places — Garth Brooks
- Cotton Eye Joe — Rednex
- Wagon Wheel — Darius Rucker
Kickoff
The loudest songs of the day.
- We Will Rock You — Queen
- Seven Nation Army — The White Stripes
- Thunderstruck — AC/DC
- Back in Black — AC/DC
- Welcome to the Jungle — Guns N' Roses
- Enter Sandman — Metallica
- Crazy Train — Ozzy Osbourne
- Smoke on the Water — Deep Purple
- Jump Around — House of Pain
- Whoomp! (There It Is) — Tag Team
- Eye of the Tiger — Survivor
- Gonna Fly Now — Bill Conti
- Sirius — The Alan Parsons Project
- Lose Yourself — Eminem
- Till I Collapse — Eminem
- Stronger — Kanye West
Postgame
Win or lose, finish together.
- We Are the Champions — Queen
- Livin' on a Prayer — Bon Jovi
- Sweet Caroline — Neil Diamond
- Mr. Brightside — The Killers
- Party Rock Anthem — LMFAO
- Can't Hold Us — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
- Shout — The Isley Brothers
- Let's Get It Started — Black Eyed Peas
- Pump It — Black Eyed Peas
Tips for your game day and tailgate music
- Use a weatherproof speaker and carry a backup battery.
- Check your stadium rules. Many lots limit speaker volume.
- Keep the same few songs ready for big moments, such as a touchdown or a win.
- Skip long songs. Short songs keep the energy high.
- Share the queue with your group so everyone can add songs while you handle the grill.
Let guests vote instead of playing DJ
A tailgate has many people and one speaker. Start a Jukebox session, tape the QR code to the cooler, and let your group vote and request songs. The most-voted song plays next, so fans hear their favorites without a fight.
Here is how it works. The host starts a session from Apple Music. Guests join by 6-digit code, QR code or by being nearby. They vote on songs, request their own and vote to skip. The most-voted song plays next. Guests need no account, and only the host needs Apple Music.
Frequently asked questions
What songs get fans pumped for game day?
Stadium staples such as We Will Rock You, Seven Nation Army and Thunderstruck.
Can I use Jukebox at a tailgate with no Wi-Fi?
Guests need a phone connection to vote, and the host needs Apple Music access. Test your cell signal at the lot before game day.
How do I share control of the music in the lot?
Use voting. Guests join with a QR code and vote, so the whole group picks the songs.