Top 10 Songs That Make You Want to Jump

Building on the sound set forth by Iron Maiden, a bay area band thrashed out in 1983 by creating a classic that’s perfectly capable of making you trounce around like a madman or madwoman. “Jump in the Fire” was actually co-written by Dave Mustaine, the would-be frontman for Megadeth, and while’s it lyrically repetitive at times, the overall musical aesthetic is perfect for the gym and/or displaying your most thrashing air guitar. This song isn’t pronounced “Jump in the Fire.” No, it’s pronounced, “JUMP… in the FIIIYAH!”

From devilish demons of rock to a group of glorious angels from R&B heaven. Back in the late '90s, Beyoncé had yet to completely take over the solo charts, but she and her squad had people movin’ and groovin’, large in part to this dynamic single from their sophomore release. For the most part, “Jumpin’, Jumpin’ keeps you bobbing from left to right, but once the chorus drops, well, then you’re on the tips of your toes and probably throwing one single hand in the air. And that’s because DC knows how to make us bounce, shake and twist that thang.

While the late Mr. Nilsson wasn’t exactly a master of the album title, considering this track came from a release called Nilsson Schmilsson, he did, in fact, know how to make people jump, evidenced by the funky “Jump into the Fire”. The song essentially set off a collective party upon release, as it’s just got that gritty aesthetic; one that makes your face contort as your legs flail away into an all-out, unadulterated jig. It’s your different kind of jump song, both bizarre and poignant at the same time.

As a modern Canadian/American/British collaboration, this is the track that makes ravers let loose at music festivals as they shake about and jump maniacally as only ravers can. “Tsunami” is a legitimate party-starter - an electro jolt to the senses, complemented by the lyrical spitting from the one and only Tinie Tempah. Could you identify DVBBS and Borgeous in public? No, probably not, but you damn well know a good jumping song when you hear one such as this.

In the mid-50s, one didn’t simply jump around in public, mainly because such antics weren’t the accepted norm in a pre-Elvis world. So just imagine when ol’ Louis Prima came along and made daddy’s sweet little princess gyrate her hips and do the unthinkable: jump while dancing to music! The track saw a resurgence in popularity throughout the late 1990s when it was featured in a Gap advertising campaign, but the song reached a new peak when The Brian Setzer Orchestra took home a Grammy for their cover in 1999. Surely a pivotal moment in the history of jump songs!

As seen in numerous films, ranging from Martin Scorsese’s “Mean Streets” to Terry Gilliams’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, it’s clearly evident that folks love them some “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” The bluesy musical aesthetic infuses the track with pure grit, and with the addition of Mick Jagger’s snarling vocals, well, the result creates an infectious feeling that just makes one want to jump. It’s a landmark track of the rock and roll genre and immediately identifiable if you’re an old school hippie or a millennial classic rock enthusiast.

Feel that drum machine and respect the synth. This is one fine example of a potent '80s pop song that could not only uplift the spirits, but actually lift one off the ground thanks to the power of The Pointer Sisters. It’s just a bit more Top 40-friendly than something like “Jumping Jack Flash,” and even the slower section towards the end still has that undeniable edge that keeps the body workin’. Originally titled “Jump,” the final three words of the title were added to distinguish it from a certain other jump song released around the same time...

Released just a few months before The Pointer Sisters’ production, this rock song is what you might call a classic of the genre. In fact, “Jump” is so inherently sublime that it’s become a staple of sporting hype songs all over the globe. Just look at David Lee Roth in the music video, and tell us that he doesn’t know exactly what’s on our minds. It’s just a beautiful, slow buildup of emotion that fuels the soul while stretching the soles of your sneakers. Oh and then comes that solo and even MORE synthesizer.

Mac Daddy and the Daddy Mac. While one can never tell who will transcend the label of “one hit wonder,” one surely knows the driving force of this iconic hip-hop classic. Although it reminds us that, yes, backwards clothing was a thing –“Jump” is more than just your typical novelty song with a catchy hook. It’s a supremely-produced track by noted producer Jermaine Dupri, and hey – how many teenagers do you know that can rhyme like this? All in all, Kris Kross came through with “Jump,” which still has us “Totally Krossed Out” whenever the joint blasts through the speakers.


Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Jumpman” (2015)
Drake and Future

“Jumpin’ Jive” (1981)
Joe Jackson

“Jump Hi” (2013)
Lion Babe feat. Childish Gambino

“Jump” (2009)
Flo Rida feat. Nelly Furtado

Years before Everlast told us what it’s like to have the blues, he showed us how to set if off with a musical assault on every jump song that had come before and that would come after. With it’s unmistakable opening horn and perpetual squeal, the best part of “Jump Around” has to be the lyrical style of Everlast and the subsequent chorus that takes it to the next level, as seen in the 1993 flick “Mrs. Doubtfire”. Regardless of your familiarity with hip-hop as a whole, it only takes one listen to recognize that “Jump Around” is undeniably the most powerful jump song ever recorded.

So, do you agree with our selections? What song makes you want to JUMP? For more exuberant Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.