Back to School Playlist Songs

Set the tone for the new year with a back to school playlist! These songs are school-themed and fun for all ages.

Ready or not, it’s time to head back to school. Whether you’re a parent or teacher, if you’re looking for fun songs to motivate your kids, try this playlist!

A few years ago, I made a joke about waking my kids up for school by kicking down their doors and blasting Smash Mouth’s All-Star, Shrek-style. As teens, they weren’t exactly morning people (and hey, they get that from me). Going from sleeping in during the summer to waking up early for school can be harsh.

I put together a playlist and blasted it in the morning. There were plenty of grumpy faces, but the peppy music did work to get everyone moving.

If you too need a little musical motivation, I put together a playlist of songs about school and education, plus a few about friends and relationships.

And if you’re planning one last hurrah before summer is over, check out my 90s pool party playlist.

School playlist

You can listen to this playlist below or save it on Spotify. It includes 20 songs, about an hour long.

Note: I originally included Oxford Comma by Vampire Weekend, but it’s explicit so I removed it in case anyone wants to use this playlist in the classroom.

Favorite back to school songs

Here’s what I included:

• School Day – Chuck Berry
• Be True to Your School – The Beach Boys
• We’re Going to Be Friends – The White Stripes
• Schooldays – The Kinks
• School Days – Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
• Teenage Dirtbag – Wheatus
• Rock ‘n’ Roll High School – Ramones
• Back to School – A Great Big Pile of Leaves
• Word Crimes – Weird Al Yankovic
• Graduation (Friends Forever) – Vitamin C
• ABC – The Jackson 5
• She Blinded Me with Science – Thomas Dolby
• (What A) Wonderful World – Sam Cooke
• Istanbul (Not Constantinople) – They Might Be Giants
• The Elements – Tom Lehrer
• Middle Schooler – Hello Sister
• I Don’t Want to Go to School – The Naked Brothers Band
• What I Go to School For – Jonas Brothers
• Daydream Believer – The Monkees
• Yakety Yak – The Coasters

Printable playlist

I also like to add playlists to my planner. If you use a school planner, this would make a fun theme! Write out your song titles on this watercolor playlist page, then pick one to be the song of the month all year long.

What’s next? Try these other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:

• Printable Ultimate Back-to-School Checklist
• Printable Binder Cover Coloring Pages
• Back to School Movie Night Ideas