Rock 1980

Hells Bells as a Walkup Song

by AC/DC

Preview

Is "Hells Bells" a good walkup song?

The slow tolling bell that opens the song is one of the most recognizable sounds in baseball. It builds menace for 30+ seconds before the song really kicks in — exactly the length of a long closer entrance. The pacing matches the bullpen-to-mound walk so well that no other closer entrance song has the same theatrical weight.

Notable players who've used it

Trevor Hoffman's signature song. He used it as the Padres' closer from 1996 through 2008 and rode it through 601 career saves — second-most in MLB history. The song became so synonymous with him that the Brewers immediately set it up when he was traded to Milwaukee. To this day, Padres fans associate the AC/DC bell with every Hoffman save.

How to trim "Hells Bells" for a walkup

Start at 0:00, run for 25 seconds. The tolling bell is the entire point — start from second zero so the bell is the first thing the crowd hears.

The trim point is the difference between a great walkup song and a great walkup. A song's first 15-20 seconds rarely happen to be the best 15-20 seconds — most popular tracks have a build, an intro, or a bridge before the hook lands. Pick the slice that hits hardest. The last second of your trim window should land on a peak, right as the player steps into the box.

Best for

• Closers
• Pitchers

Clean / explicit version notes

"Hells Bells" has no explicit content — it's safe for any age and any league. No need for a clean version or careful trimming. Pick the song, set the trim, lock it in.

Songs that pair well with "Hells Bells"

If "Hells Bells" is on your shortlist, these are the walkup songs players most often consider alongside it. Same vibe, same energy, same kind of moment at the plate.

• Enter Sandman — Metallica
• For Whom the Bell Tolls — Metallica
• Welcome to the Jungle — Guns N' Roses

How to set up "Hells Bells" for your team

Setting up a walkup song requires three things: an app that handles per-player audio, custom trim points, and one-tap playback on game day.

1. Build your roster in Walkup Pro — assign "Hells Bells" to the player who picked it
2. Scrub to 0:00 and set the trim duration to 25 seconds
3. Connect a Bluetooth speaker at the field (a JBL Charge or similar will cover any youth field — see our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers for a baseball field)
4. On game day, tap to play as the player walks to the box

For a complete game-day setup walkthrough, see how to play walkup songs at baseball games. For more on what makes a great walkup work, see the anatomy of the perfect walkup song.