From the marching band at your high school pep-rally, to those timeless NFL fight songs, there is nothing like a good old rousing tune to get a crowd on its feet and into the action. But does a good team anthem really lead to results on the field?
As fans, we are all familiar with those great sports anthems that never fail to get us pumped up. It doesn’t matter whether you’re blasting Wiz Khalifa in Pittsburgh or Neil Diamond in Boston – whatever gives your team that competitive edge. Here is a look at some of the most successful sports anthems of all time:
In 2012 the Baltimore Ravens adopted a modern anthem all their own. Before the 2012-2013 began, the team left it up to their fans to vote on a new Ravens fight song. After a hotly contested vote, Raven’s fans decided to go with The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army. At every home game, each of the thousands of fans packed into M&T Bank Stadium chanted along to the song’s rhythm. The song created a buzz from the crowd unrivaled by any other NFL fan base. Even sportscasters on TV often found themselves drowned out by the boisterous Ravens fans unleashing their melodic cheer in unison. Seven Nation Army became not only an anthem but a rallying cry for Ravens fans around the country. Perhaps it was a coincidence that the Ravens went on to be Super Bowl champions – but you might want to keep reading before making that call.
The Boston Red Sox certainly drew on the enthusiasm from their fans on the way to their shocking World Series title in 2004. But did those fans have a secret weapon as well? That’s right, you guessed it – an anthem. Two months before the World Series in August of 2004, Boston based Celtic-rock band Dropkick Murphys released an EP entitled Tessie. The EP’s title track, Tessie, was a remake of a traditional Red Sox fight song, which helped the Red Sox (then known as the Boston Americans) win the 1903 World Series. Both the original Tessie, as well as the Dropkick Murphy’s remake were important rallying cries for fans of Red Sox nation during the two championship runs.
It is no secret that hip-hop artists love to infuse a little hometown pride in their music. This is exactly what Jay –Z and Alicia Keys did when they collaborated on their song Empire State of Mind, a song that will forever be attached to the Yankees 2009 World Series championship run. The song was played on what seemed to be a non-stop loop during the Yankees time in the postseason, and was even preformed live on the float of the Yankees victory parade.
Empire State of Mind may be the most well received Yankees anthem, but it certainly was not the first. In fact there was a time when both New York baseball clubs had their own “dueling” anthems. During the subway series in 2000, Lou Bega’s Mambo #5, and Baha Men’s Who Let the Dogs Out were both at the top of the pop charts. This lead to some spirited, although largely regrettable, Yankees/Mets song parodies. B.O.M.B. Faktory was first giving us the unforgettable Yankee Mambo, which was quickly countered by Who Let The Mets Out. Surprisingly, Baha Men agreed to record the Mets themed track themselves. Both songs were featured on local New York radio stations in addition to being played at their respective stadiums between innings. The Yankees would eventually come out on top in 2000, ending the debate as to who had the better song. The two songs still make for an enjoyable yet slightly embarrassing walk down memory lane for New York baseball fans.
Of course, no sports anthems anthology would be complete without mentioning the infamous Super Bowl Shuffle, recorded by the Chicago Bears Shufflin Crew in 1985. The song featured a variety of different Bears players raping, while other teammates provided assorted instrumentals. A huge success on the Billboard charts, the track was actually recorded three months before the Bears even won Super Bowl XX.
While not as well revered as Super Bowl Shuffle”, the San Francisco 49ers had made their own record the year before in 1984, titled We’re The 49ers. The 1984 49ers also went on to win the Super Bowl that year. The New York Mets followed suit in 1986, taking a page out of the NFL playback by recording their own track Get Metsmerized! The plan worked perfectly; as the Mets went on to win the 1986 World Series.
As it stands right now, it is still early to tell who will be the Super Bowl or World Series Champions. But for what it is worth, my money is on the first team that gets off the practice field and into the studio.
