Feel the vibe of the late 90s on the mats with this electronic music playlist for BJJ that captures the spirit of the era through a blend of classic anthems, rediscovered gems, and modern tracks that party people in 2025 will recognize.
This collection of uppers creates the vibe of a drug-fuelled rave or nightclub party where you're in the moment, full of energy, having fun, and intensely focused on the present—an emotional state perfect for BJJ, no questionable chemical compounds required.
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The tracks here have been carefully chosen for their tempo and energy levels. Most songs are 120-130 BPM, optimal for a consistent pace on the mats. The electronic genre’s characteristic build-ups and drops mirror the intensity changes from warmups to technique to rolls, helping you stay motivated through the ups and downs of a couple of hours at the gym.
Full Track Listing
Atom Bomb (Atomix 1) - Fluke
Rude Boy Rock - Lionrock
Trickshot - Ceasefire
That Elvis Track (Radio Edit) - Sol Brothers
To Get Down (Radio Mix) †- Timo Maas
Exploration - The Karminsky Experience Inc.
Policeman Skank (The Story Of My Life) - Audioweb
Seize the Time - Fuselage
Push Up (Radio Edit) - Freestylers
Operator (feat. Blake Lewis) - DJ Dan & Uberzone
Am I Wrong? - Etienne de Crécy
Diesel Power - The Prodigy
Dragon Lounge - Cirrus
Red Alert - Basement Jaxx
Name of the Game - The Crystal Method
History Repeating (feat. Miss Shirley Bassey) - Propellorheads
Party People - Alex Gopher
Whatever, Whenever - Groove Armada
Cassius 1999 (Radio Edit) - Cassius
Casino "Sans Pareil" - The Wiseguys
Basstrap - Overseer
Safe and Sound - Justice
A Fine Way to Die (feat. Orlando Napier) - GRiZ
D.A.N.C.E. (Logic Reprise) - Logic & Justice
It Evolves on Its Own - Lunatic Calm
Organ Donor - DJ Shadow
Rocket Girl (feat. Betty Who) - Lemaitre
Loungemeister - Ugress
Out Of Control (Radio Edit) - The Chemical Brothers
Don't Give Up (Radio Edit) - Chicane
The Boys of Summer - DJ Sammy
Call on Me (Radio Mix) - Eric Prydz
Crusher (feat. Saffron) - Junkie XL
Matator - Skeewiff
It Just Won't Do (feat. Sam Obernik) [Radio Edit] - Tim Deluxe
Poor Leno - Röyksopp
For an Angel (Radio Edit) - Paul Van Dyk
Kalimba - Mr. Scruff
Toca's Miracle (Radio Edit) - Fragma
Man With the Red Face (Radio Edit) - Mark Knight & Funkagenda
Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh) - Lumidee
I'm Gonna Shock You, Daddy - Ursula 1000
Insomnia (Radio Edit) - Faithless
Kernkraft 400 (Original Radio Edit) - Zombie Nation
One More Time - Daft Punk
All I Want - Cyantific & T & Sugah
Rocket Fuel (feat. De La Soul) - DJ Shadow
What It Is - Freddy Fresh
I Want Your Soul (Radio Edit) - Armand Van Helden
Eez-Eh - Kasabian
Bodyrock - Moby
†To Get Down (Radio Mix) by Timo Maas doesn't appear to be on YouTube/YouTube Music at this time
The Uppers
The late 90s and early 2000s were an era in electronic music I look back upon fondly.
Growing up on 80s radio rock and later becoming a teenage metalhead in the 90s kept me stuck in a particular lane of music. Hip hop exploded over the same time, but unless I was watching MuchMusic or hanging out with friends, I didn’t give it much attention.
The late 80s and 90s saw an explosion of Eurodance, but after an initial infatuation, the thump-thump-thump-thump rhythm and mainstream themes wore thin and weren’t compatible with how I was listening to music at the time. The style’s imagery appealed to my teenage metal sensibilities even less.
Nearing the close of the decade, a new sound began to emerge:
Big Beat.
(Named after the Big Beat Boutique nightclub in Brighton, co-founded by Fatboy Slim.)
An electronic style built on heavy breakbeats and synthesizer loops, fusing elements from rock, metal, punk, hip-hop, and dance music, bands like the Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, and Fluke hooked me and opened the gates to music that had never clicked before: House (a favourite since then), Jungle, Drum n Bass, and Eurodance.
I had a serious amount of CDs by then and fortunately for my wallet and the little remaining space in my small basement bedroom at my parents’ house, this was happening just barely post-Napster and P2P file sharing was everywhere. The radio edits of the tracks I liked were suddenly much easier to find—the 60 seconds added to a three minute song at the front and the back of every track, placed there for DJs beat matching was a major hurdle that was suddenly gone.
I opened the post above describing the playlist as an attempt to capture the emotional state at a club or rave, where we’re focused on being in the moment. It’s a tribute to the times I started having fun at nightclubs with friends, and I’ve tried to capture the energy and vibe with music that’s good for any time you need high, but focused like our other playlists for the mats.
Want More Electronic Music Playlists For BJJ?
If you’re into the above playlist and are looking for more electronic music, check out our genre-focused Session playlists:
What Did I Miss?
If you’ve looked through the track list above (or actually gave the thing a listen), what’s missing? Anything obvious?
The second Uppers Session playlist is well underway, but you get bonus points if you can name something essential and obvious that’s not here, or on any of the other four playlists above.
What’s your favourite electronic music track for BJJ?
Leave a comment below and let me know.