Throughout the sports world, there are quite a few songs that get fans pumped up for a television or radio broadcast. Or just some that are great to get fans excited due to camaraderie. So it's pretty difficult to come up with a list of only 10 songs that spur a fan’s pandemonium. So I thought I'd take a bit of a turn here with this list and put in my top 10 list of most recognizable sports songs.
Certainly, this is a personal list. But I think I've covered quite a bit of ground with the choices below. I know some of you may disagree, or feel slighted because I didn't pick your particular team's fight song. Or you may feel that the list ignored your favorite sport. But that is what's so great about these lists. You can take what I've presented, and expound your own in the comments. If the participation is high enough, I may put in some polls, where you the fans can vote on whether some of my entries should be removed and replaced by a better more recognizable tune.
There are several categories of sports music, I think, one being broadcast television or radio themes. There are many to choose from, and I had to think long and hard whether to include one or not. Some didn't make the list because I felt it was too generic and cliché, such as the ESPN SportsCenter theme, or the NFL Films theme. I had to restrain myself in wanting to put in some that people from other countries probably wouldn't recognize. Though, I'm sure there are a few on my list.
Another category of sports music is the Fight Song. I understand that this where the fan and reader will probably have the most disagreement. That's why I wanted to go with the most recognizable list. Some fight songs are just incredible, but not very universal. Or a fight song is a reproduction of a commercial song, or a remake of an old classic song. I think Manchester United's (English Soccer team) "Glory Glory Man United" is a perfect example of this. Don't get me wrong... It's a great fight song, but it's a remake.
So without further ado, here is my Top 10 Most Recognizable Sports Songs:
10. "Rocky Top" (University of Tennessee fight song) - Ok, this is a total homer pick. I’m a huge UT sports fan. To non-fans of the Tennessee Volunteers, this is one of the most annoying fight songs in collegiate sports. But to a true fan, nothing beats 105,000 of your closest friends all yelling "Wooo" in Neyland Stadium. And how can you not like a fight song where it talks about moonshiners and tax collectors that just disappear?
Watch/Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKbOtWeAEnY
Purchase this song: http://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Top-Live/dp/B001C3E866/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1251166900&sr=1-4
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9. ABC’s Wide World of Sports theme – This is a classic, I remember watching this show as a kid, and it was a great way to keep up on some of the more obscure sports that you never got to see on television. This was before ESPN made sports coverage so ubiquitous. It’s not the catchiest theme, but the video that rolled with the theme made it one of the most memorable sports show themes ever.
Watch/Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8VPHUvCHHI
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8. "Get Ready for This" by 2 Unlimited – I don’t think any game played during the 1990s or the early 2000s went without using this song more during intermissions or openings than this song. The opening line, "Ya’ll ready for this" and the catchy early 90s techno riff would get even the most blue-haired live sports fan wiggling in their seats.
Watch/Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KUmAphvThQ
Purchase this song: http://www.amazon.com/Get-Ready-For-This/dp/B001DAKA6U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1251166684&sr=1-1
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7. "Notre Dame Victory March" (University of Notre Dame fight song) – Since this list is in reverse order, I’ll have to explain this song’s placement in the top 10. I really don’t like Notre Dame, or it’s fight song, but it is one of the most recognizable fight songs in all of collegiate sports. Now, I do consider the next pick to be more recognizable, but it has nothing do with fandom.
Watch/Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z5hKzDFE5A
Purchase this song: http://www.amazon.com/Notre-Dame-Victory-March-Live/dp/B001C3CP8O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1251166771&sr=1-1
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6. "Hail to the Victors" (University of Michigan Fight song) – I believe this to be the most recognizable fight song in all of colligate sports. But you may be wondering why (if you skipped ahead) that is when there is another one ranked higher. You’ll just have to keep reading, won’t you?
Watch/Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5p3HQfm5LI
Purchase this song: http://www.amazon.com/The-Victors-Live/dp/B001C3C3UO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1251166727&sr=1-1
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5. "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" (Written by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer) – This is easily the most recognizable song in all of baseball. This is typically played during the seventh inning stretch. Should it be higher on the list? I don’t think so. How about you?
Watch/Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4-gsdLSSQ0
Purchase this song: http://www.amazon.com/Take-Me-Out-Ballgame/dp/B000QLP92W/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1251166623&sr=1-11
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4. "War Chant" (Florida State University/Atlanta Braves fight song) – Now this is an interesting pick. The War Chant is very simple, but it gets complete crowd participation. That’s why it’s so high on the list when it comes to collegiate fight songs (for Florida State), and high on the list for baseball. Honestly, I would put the number 5 pick higher on a list of the most recognizable songs of baseball. But because of it’s dual-use nature with Florida State (who did it first Braves fans, by the way), it gets a higher nod over Take Me Out To The Ballgame. This isn’t a true "fight song" in my opinion… it’s more of a chant. But it’s extremely recognizable.
Watch/Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2p2vjeLgXc
Purchase this song: http://www.amazon.com/Florida-State-War-Chant/dp/B001718S2S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1251166802&sr=1-2
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3. "Ole!" by the Bouncing Souls – Although this song isn’t a real fight song either… once again, it’s more of a chant. Billions of soccer fans across the globe definitely recognize this song/chant. I’m not sure where it began, but it probably started as the thing to yell as in Bullfighting. In bullfighting, the crowd would yell out "Ole!" as a sort of "bravo" or vocal cheer when the bullfighter did something worthy. As a soccer chant, it can either be extremely uplifting or annoying depending on which side of the pitch you are rooting for. If you want to know why I selected the Bouncing Souls’ version of it, well, I just like it.
Watch/Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KABUQxllGbk
Purchase this song: http://www.amazon.com/Ole/dp/B0012QJYQC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1251166855&sr=1-1
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2. "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" by Queen – No other pair of songs has done more for sports fans than these two. The "stomp-stomp-clap" of We Will Rock You is synonymous with sports, in my opinion. It’s got great crowd participation potential, and let’s be honest… it’s just plain fun. As for We Are The Champions, this song is the quintessential epic tune for a team that has just won a championship. And Queen is a band that deserves this lofty placement.
Purchase this song: http://www.amazon.com/We-Will-Rock-You/dp/B00138COL6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1251166511&sr=1-1
Purchase the other song: http://www.amazon.com/We-Are-The-Champions/dp/B00138ETJG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1251166511&sr=1-2
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1. "Bugler's Dream" Composed by Leo Arnaud – Nothing says Olympics or sports achievement quite like this song. It’s a shame that we only get to listen to this beautiful sports theme only every 2 to 4 years. I don’t think anyone can doubt it’s effect on people in anticipation of watching the finest athletes in the world compete.
Watch/Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IizWc4cJwbw
Purchase this Song: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0025TNFM4/
So what do you think. Make your opinion known in the comments!
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