[Sports Day Cheer Songs] A roundup of classic cheer songs and recommended tracks for parody versions
Cheer songs and background music are essential for sports days and athletic festivals! Classic staples that make you want to start running the moment you hear them are a given, but it’s also long been common to rewrite the lyrics of popular J-pop songs and sing them as parodies.
In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of Japanese songs that are perfect for cheering at school sports events! Of course, we’ve also picked out songs that will hype up the crowd even if you sing them as-is.
Be sure to read through to the end!
- Top Songs to Hype Up Sports Day and Athletic Festivals [2026]
- Cheer songs to hype up the sports day! A collection of motivational tracks recommended for kids
- Recommended cheer songs for elementary school students: popular tracks to listen to when you want a boost
- Songs that hype up Sports Day and Athletic Festivals: Japanese Music / J-Pop Artist Rankings [2026]
- Carefully selected J-pop to liven up sports days and athletic festivals! Also great as entrance songs.
- Get hyped! A collection of Vocaloid songs to energize your sports day and athletic festival
- [Dance Songs] Recommended for school sports days and athletic festivals! A curated selection of popular tracks that are fun to dance to
- Sports Day/Athletics Festival: Crowd-Pleasing Cheer Battle Ideas and Performances
- [Youth Songs] Songs that liven up sports days and athletic festivals. Music that adds color to the event.
- Recommended cheer-up songs for middle schoolers: Classic Japanese hits that will empower student life
- [To All Athletes] Inspirational Sports Anthems & Empowering Theme Songs
- Before a match or when you feel like giving up! Cheer songs to keep you going in club activities
- Let's send our teammates a powerful cheer! A roundup of cheer calls for sports day.
[Sports Day Cheer Songs] A roundup of classic cheer anthems and recommended tunes for parody versions (91–100)
ROOFTOPS feat. Satoshi Fujiwara (Official HIGE DANDism)KERENMI
This track features Satoshi Fujihara from Official HIGE DANDism, who’s on a hot streak, as part of a project by Koichi Tsutaya, one of Japan’s leading producers.
The laid-back yet dynamically expressive arrangement builds a sense of exhilaration.
It’s very stylish, yet somehow feels like it would fit any scene.
In particular, it would blend in perfectly at a school sports day—right before each event’s climax would be an ideal moment to play it.
It’s great as background music, and the uplifting feel should help keep the competitions fun and energetic.
Trace OrionUNISON SQUARE GARDEN
This piece was written specifically as the opening theme for the anime TIGER & BUNNY.
It’s a song by the rock band UNISON SQUARE GARDEN, also known for “Sugar Song and Bitter Step,” and it was released as a single in 2011.
The high-energy, fast-paced band sound alone is enough to lift your spirits.
The lyrics convey a strong will to keep moving forward toward tomorrow.
No matter which part you take, it can be introduced as a rousing anthem that sets your heart ablaze.
Aim to be a Pokémon MasterMatsumoto Rika
A heart-pounding song filled with passion for dreams and adventure, highlighted by Rica Matsumoto’s powerful vocals.
It delivers a youthful, positive message, singing of the courage to face hardship and the bonds with friends—perfect for boosting excitement at school sports days and athletic festivals.
Released as a single in June 1997, it was used as the opening theme for a TV anime.
It won the Work Award at the Heisei Anisong Grand Prize and garnered widespread support, reaching as high as No.
7 on the Oricon charts.
Even when practice time is limited for a sports-day cheer song, its simple, easy-to-remember melody and lyrics mean the whole class can start singing it right away.
Mela!Ryokushokushakai
If you’re looking for a cheer song that fits every scene of a sports day, “Mela!” is highly recommended.
It’s included on the 2020 album “SINGALONG” by Ryokuoushoku Shakai, a pop-rock band known for their high-level musicianship and vocals.
Many of you may know it from the original dance that went viral on TikTok.
Its jazzy sound, carried by a light, catchy rhythm, is addictive.
This colorful, genre-defying pop track is sure to elevate the excitement of any sports day.
Further awayRemioromen
It’s a perfect song by the popular band everyone knows, Remioromen, for cheering at a sports day! The tempo is a bit relaxed, but the powerful vocals in the chorus are sure to fire you up! It’s a song that gets you moving energetically along with the lyrics, so I highly recommend it!
Share The LoveSandaime Jē Sōru Burazāzu fromu Eguzairu Toraibu
This is a song by the dance-vocal group Sandaime J Soul Brothers from EXILE TRIBE.
It was released in 2015 as a digital-only single.
Its EDM-style buildup makes sports days and athletic festivals even more exciting.
Many people probably remember it being used in a Pocky commercial.
If everyone imitates the dance and performs it together, it creates a sense of unity and lifts everyone’s spirits!
Effeminate; overly sentimental; being clingy/whiny (context-dependent)Gōruden Bonbā
Familiar from TV and the NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, this song captures a heartbroken man’s feelings with a light, upbeat melody.
Its message—lingering attachment to an ex, regret, and the wish to be together again—has resonated with many people.
Released in October 2009, the song has had new “buzzword” versions made almost every year, reflecting the spirit of the times.
In fiscal 2013, it won the JASRAC Gold Award, a remarkable achievement for an indie release.
It was also used in House Foods’ “Mega Shaki” commercial, making it popular across a wide audience.
It’s perfect for pumping up sports days and dance events, and has gained attention as a track that kids and adults alike can enjoy dancing to.
It’s also ideal for cheer-style parody lyrics!