It hits you the second the distorted guitar riff of "We're No Here" by Mogwai kicks in. You see Missy Peregrym’s Haley Graham riding her bike through a construction site, pulling off stunts that would make a pro skater sweat, and you just know. This isn't your typical sparkly leotard movie. The Stick It movie soundtrack didn't just provide background noise for a 2006 gymnastics flick; it essentially redefined the "teen sports movie" aesthetic by trading in bubblegum pop for a grittier, bass-heavy blend of hip-hop, punk, and breakbeat.
Honestly, it’s rare to find a soundtrack that captures a specific subculture so perfectly while remaining incredibly listenable two decades later. Most movies from that era relied on whatever was topping the TRL charts that week. Stick It went a different route. It chose songs that felt like chalk dust and calloused hands.
The unexpected genius of the Stick It movie soundtrack
Music supervisor Manish Raval and director Jessica Bendinger (who also wrote Bring It On) clearly weren't interested in playing it safe. If you look at the tracklist, it’s a chaotic, high-energy mix. You’ve got the Beastie Boys rubbing shoulders with blink-182. You’ve got Missy Elliott’s "We Run This" providing the literal rhythm for a floor routine.
It works because gymnastics is a sport of contradictions. It’s graceful but violent. It’s disciplined but, in Haley’s case, deeply rebellious. The music reflects that. When the judges are being "judgy," the music feels oppressive and sharp. When the girls are finally taking back the sport during the finals, the music explodes.
Most people remember the big hits. "Shake It" by Kane and "One Type of People" by Mojo Monkeys are staples of the film’s upbeat moments. But the real meat of the Stick It movie soundtrack lies in the tracks that feel a bit more underground. Take "Nu Nu" by Fannypack. It’s weird. It’s catchy. It’s exactly the kind of thing a bunch of elite athletes would blast in a gym to stay sane during ten-hour practice sessions.
The movie treats the music like a character. It’s not just "cool songs for a montage." The editing is so tight that the flips often land exactly on the snare hits. If you watch the scene where Haley is training alone at night, the atmosphere is built entirely on the track "Hittin' The Switches" by Big Boi. It’s moody. It’s focused. It’s about the grind.
Why the Missy Elliott connection changed everything
You can't talk about this soundtrack without talking about Missy Elliott. "We Run This" is basically the anthem of the film. It samples the Apache beat—the "Incredible Bongo Band" classic—which is the DNA of hip-hop. By putting that at the center of a gymnastics movie, Bendinger was making a statement. She was saying that these girls aren't just "pixies in sparkles." They are athletes with swagger.
The song appears during the final competition, and it's iconic. It’s the moment the rigid, old-school world of the VGA meets the modern, unapologetic energy of the athletes.
Interestingly, the soundtrack release itself was a bit of a mess. If you try to find the "Official Soundtrack" on Spotify today, you'll notice things are missing. Licensing for 2000s movies is notoriously difficult. Some tracks like "Hollaback Girl" or the Green Day songs used in the film didn't always make it onto every version of the physical CD or the digital streaming platforms. This has led to a lot of fan-made playlists that are actually more "complete" than the official one.
The punk rock influence you probably forgot
While the hip-hop tracks get the most glory, the Stick It movie soundtrack is surprisingly punk. Or at least "pop-punk adjacent." You have "Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued" by Fall Out Boy. It’s fast. It’s loud. It fits the rebellious "burn it all down" attitude that Haley brings to Vickerman’s gym.
Then there’s "Anthem" by blink-182. It’s a song about teenage frustration and wanting to escape. For a girl who was forced back into a sport she tried to quit, it’s the perfect sonic backdrop.
- The Jury's Choice: "Fire Fire" by M.I.A. adds a global, frantic energy.
- The Emotional Core: "Crowded" by Jeannie Ortega (feat. Papoose).
- The Deep Cut: "Break It On Down" by Greyboy.
The variety is actually wild. You have Jurassic 5's "Game" bringing that old-school lyrical flow, and then suddenly you're listening to the synth-heavy "Love Song" by 77 or the alt-rock vibes of "Holiday" by Green Day. Most soundtracks today feel curated by an algorithm. This one feels like it was curated by someone who spent a lot of time in a garage or a basement.
Finding the missing tracks
If you’re trying to recreate the full experience of the Stick It movie soundtrack, you have to do a little digging. The official CD release only had about 14 tracks. The actual movie has closer to 30.
For instance, "If I Only Knew" by Tom Jones plays during a particularly hilarious scene involving the "judgy" judges. It’s not on the soundtrack. Neither is "Doctor Doctor" by Robert Palmer. To get the true vibe, you really have to look for the "Music From the Motion Picture" lists that include the incidental tracks.
Why does this matter? Because the soundtrack is a time capsule. It represents that specific window in the mid-2000s where genres were starting to bleed together. It was before everyone had an iPhone, back when you’d burn a CD for your workout.
The energy is relentless. It’s one of those rare albums where you don't want to skip any tracks. Even the slower moments, like "Professional Widow" (the Armand Van Helden Remix) by Tori Amos, have a driving beat that keeps your heart rate up.
The legacy of the music in gymnastics culture
Talk to any gymnast who grew up in the mid-2000s, and they will tell you that Stick It changed the "vibe" of floor routines. Before the movie, music was often classical or very safe instrumental pop. After the Stick It movie soundtrack dropped, everyone wanted something with a beat. They wanted to "stick it."
The film showed that you could be an elite athlete and still have an edge. The music was the vehicle for that message. It gave permission to a whole generation of girls to be loud, to be messy, and to be themselves.
Is it "high art"? Probably not. But it’s effective. It’s a masterclass in how to use licensed music to elevate a script. Without the Beastie Boys' "Root Down," would the training montages be as cool? No way. Without "Brainstew" by Green Day, would we feel Haley's teenage angst as deeply? Highly doubtful.
How to use this soundtrack today
If you’re looking to kill it at the gym or just need a boost while cleaning your house, the Stick It movie soundtrack is the gold standard.
- Start with the high-bpm tracks. Put on "We Run This" or "Shake It" to get your blood moving.
- Move into the rock stuff. Let Fall Out Boy and blink-182 carry you through the "I want to quit" phase of your workout.
- End with the moody stuff. "Hittin' The Switches" is the perfect "cool down but still feeling like a boss" song.
The reality is that Stick It remains a cult classic for a reason. It wasn't just a movie about sports; it was a movie about integrity. And integrity sounds a lot like a heavy bassline and a distorted guitar.
If you want to experience the full list of music used in the film, don't just stick to the official soundtrack. Search for "Stick It Complete Score" or look up the IMDB soundtrack credits. You'll find gems that never made the radio but make the movie what it is. It's a loud, proud, and slightly chaotic collection of songs that reminds us that sometimes, you have to break the rules to win the game.
Actionable Next Steps
To get the most out of this nostalgia trip, go beyond the standard 14-track digital album. Start by searching for the "Stick It Complete Movie Song List" on music streaming platforms—many fans have painstakingly reconstructed the entire 30+ song sequence, including the background tracks used during the training sessions. Next, if you're an athlete or coach, analyze how the beats in "We Run This" or "Root Down" align with the tempo of a floor routine; there's a reason these tracks are still used as references for high-energy choreography today. Finally, watch the film's "training montage" sequence again, but this time, pay attention to the sound engineering—the way the foley of the gym (the thud of the mat, the snap of the bar) is mixed into the percussion of the soundtrack is a masterclass in rhythmic editing.