Day 7, another blog from the archives. It's a Friday and some of us are still working so let's finish this week strong. I’m a big music guy. I’m a bigger sports guy. And I’m a BIG music paired with sports kinda guy. The list of songs is seemingly endless when it comes to the emotions brought out by sports. There’s celebratory songs, crowd singalong favorites, and even stadium staples (Sweet Caroline at Fenway and Take Me Home, Country Roads at West Virginia to name a few). This got me thinking, what are the best songs that get fans and players fired up for the big moments? I’m talking bottom of the 9th with two outs and down by three with the bases loaded, 4th and 1 on the goal line with 3 seconds left to win the game, 4 seconds left on the clock to inbound the ball and go the length of the floor for a buzzer beater moments. Stadium Jams.
Let's ride.
Honorable Mention
The Actual List
10. Welcome to the Jungle– Guns N Roses
It doesn’t get much better than Slash shredding on guitar to open up the song. One year my PeeWee hockey team skated out to this song before every home game and I was ready kill the other team. GNR has you ready to rip someone’s head off by the by the time it gets to the drums and Axl Rose’s signature war screech.
9. Rock and Roll Part 2– Gary Glitters
I’m an old school guy. I love this song, especially when its used in the stadium. A go-to goal horn song in the NHL, everyone has to admit whether they like it or not that its damn-near impossible to not say “Hey!” along with thousands of other fellow fans. Quick fun story: Whenever CBraz was put in at backup QB during junior year of high school and they were either blowing a team out or getting blown out, he would stretch out the cadence as long as he could just to let the band play as much of this song as possible.
P.S.. Gary Glitters, NOT a great guy…
8. Let’s Get Ready to Rumble– Space Jam Ft. Michael Buffer
I mean come on… COME ON! No explanation for why this is on the list. Every player and fan of this generation gets fired up listening to all-time great boxing announcer Michael Buffer get the rumble started. And the fact that it’s the staple of the Space Jam soundtrack? A+. When I was 4 I owned the Jock Jam Volume 1 CD that had this song and I would listen to it on repeat on my Walkman in the car to get in the right mindset for whatever high school athletic event we were going to watch.
7. Joker and the Thief– Wolfmother
If you claim you aren’t playing air drums at the beginning of this song every time it comes on, I’ll call you a liar. I think Joker and the Thief used best coming out of a time out or a lull in the game, and the fans need to get back into it. I can already see the rally towels twirling… the injured players and benchwarmers on the team doing the classic “I’m gonna throw my arms in the air repeatedly so that I feel important too”… and the fans screaming along with the easy and repetitive lyrics. The song has also been used in some pretty comical cinematic moments too. I really wanted to use the clip of Shrek 3 with this song, but nothing tops Alan getting red hot at the blackjack tables and making bank in The Hangover.
6. Seven Nation Army– The White Stripes
Pretty sure you live under a rock if you haven’t heard this one. The challenge for me was to decide where to put it, and although it is a little tough leaving it this high at number 6, I think its justifiable due to the sheer number of the times its played. It’s heard at every sporting event imaginable, and it extends beyond the field/court/rink as well. I've seen some frat dudes chanting this one at their Tuesday afternoon dartys. You do you, Delta Tau. I don’t want to downplay by any means though, this song gets the people going, myself included. It has to be played in the really clutch moments of the game, and it can’t be drawn out for too long, but follow this recipe and you’ll be generating a lot of excitement in no time. Professor Mike use to rock the hell out of this song when he played bass for the Redskin pep band at BHS.
5.) We Ready – Archie Eversole An oldie but a goodie, this song SLAPS as the kids say nowadays. The video of the high school team singing this in the locker room pregame was the hypest thing I’d ever seen when it first came out. They had to have won by 70 points that night despite a probable running clock halfway through the second quarter. Also shoutout to the one year that this song was a focal point to the Madden sound track.
4. Till I Collapse– Eminem
I would be doing an absolute disservice to this list as a Detroit sports fan if I left off Michigan’s own Marshall Mathers. A lot of good Eminem songs to choose from, and a lot of people would make the argument forLose Yourself, but I have to go with my personal favorite of his. You talk about a song that would get the fans on their feet for a key play, this’ll have them jumping out of their seat and bopping the second the synthesizer hits. Always gets my blood flowing when the bell tolls 3 times, then this song drops as the scoreboard shows Jim making his last pregame speech before the Wolverines take the field. Fun fact:Till I Collapse was also Justin Verlander’s walk up song when he’d take the mound for the first inning as a Tiger.Sigh… We miss you JV <3
3. Thunderstruck– AC/DC
An absolute classic right from the get-go. It’s universal too, fitting in well at any sports venue. The bass makes your heart start to pound and the buildup to the first “THUNDAH” is just epic. Makes me think of an entire stadium filled with shaking pom-poms right before kickoff. Nothing like striking fear into your opponent and letting ‘em know they’re in for 60 minutes of hell. This was another big time song on my PeeWee hockey team's pregame playlist, for obvious reasons.
2. Enter Sandman – Metallica Just watch the video. Chills. ‘Nuff said. And I guess shoutout to Mariano Rivera (Skip to the 2-minute mark to watch the magic happen)
1. We Will Rock You– Queen
Had to do it. Not only is it arguably my favorite song of all time, but it’s also performed by one of the greatest bands of all time. The stomp, stomp, clap is contagious. The stadium shakes, the fans belt the chorus, and you know the players will go balls out for that game-winning play. Hell,We Will Rock You has been firing up fans and players alike since the 1300s, when people were dropping dead with the plague and guys were risking CTE from a 12-foot lance to the head while riding full speed on a horse for sport.
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