Stadium anthem

Last updated

Stadium anthems or sports anthems or arena anthems are terms to refer songs that are played over the public address systems at stadiums and arenas during breaks in the action to rally the fans. Unlike college fight songs, most stadium anthems were not written primarily for use at sports events, though compilations such as ESPN Presents Stadium Anthems and the "Jock" series occasionally feature remixed versions of these songs designed to segue together or to accentuate the rhythm or other elements of the songs. Some football events have their own anthems, which are not played during breaks, but rather as entrance music, the most notable being the FIFA Anthem and the UEFA Champions League Anthem. [1]

Contents

Stadium anthems are characterized by a catchy uptempo rhythm and a repeated vocal call-response catchphrase, often a statement of pride (such as "We Will Rock You", "We Are the Champions" and "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen). [2] [3] Most stadium anthems are drawn from popular rock and roll, dance or rap hits. At college football games, the schools' marching bands often add stadium anthems to their repertoires. In baseball, many stadium anthems are used as entrance music for various ballplayers. For example, AC/DC's "Hells Bells" was the entrance music for Trevor Hoffman and Metallica's "Enter Sandman" filled the same role for Mariano Rivera.

Some stadium anthems are popular in a particular region, or with a specific team because of a reference in the song's lyrics. Gerry and the Pacemakers' version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" is the club anthem of Liverpool F.C. [4] The 1968 Beatles song "Hey Jude" is the club anthem for London club Brentford F.C. [5] [6] "Just idag är jag stark" by Kenta is the club anthem of Hammarby Fotboll, while "When We Were Young" was the anthem of Cork Hibernians. [7] The Dallas Cowboys made heavy use of "Should've Been a Cowboy" by Toby Keith in the 1990s, while sports teams in Alabama often use "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. In a rare example of a team actually being mentioned in a song's lyrics, the University of Alabama marching band often plays "Deacon Blues" by Steely Dan due to the school being referred to as one of "the winners in the world", even though the reference was intended to be sarcastic.

Association football

Australian Rules football

Versatile

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UEFA Champions League</span> European association football tournament

The UEFA Champions League is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competition winners through a round robin group stage to qualify for a double-legged knockout format, and a single leg final. It is the most-watched club competition in the world and the third most-watched football competition overall, behind only the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup. It is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football, played by the national league champions of their national associations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Are the Champions</span> 1977 single by Queen

"We Are the Champions" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released from the band's sixth album News of the World (1977). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems. The song was a worldwide success, reaching number two in the UK, number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, number three in Canada, and the top ten in many other countries. In 2009 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was voted the world's favourite song in a 2005 Sony Ericsson world music poll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revolution (Beatles song)</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Revolution" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Three versions of the song were recorded and released in 1968, all during sessions for the Beatles' self-titled double album, also known as the "White Album": a slow, bluesy arrangement included on the album; an abstract sound collage that originated as the latter part of "Revolution 1" and appears on the same album; and the faster, hard rock version similar to "Revolution 1", released as the B-side of "Hey Jude". Although the single version was issued first, it was recorded several weeks after "Revolution 1", intended for release as a single. A music video for the song was shot using the backing track from the single version, their appearances reflecting the song's atmosphere, along with live-sung lyrics that more closely resemble the album version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Jude</span> 1968 single by the Beatles

"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in August 1968. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single was the Beatles' first release on their Apple record label and one of the "First Four" singles by Apple's roster of artists, marking the label's public launch. "Hey Jude" was a number-one hit in many countries around the world and became the year's top-selling single in the UK, the US, Australia and Canada. Its nine-week run at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 tied the all-time record in 1968 for the longest run at the top of the US charts, a record it held for nine years. It has sold approximately eight million copies and is frequently included on music critics' lists of the greatest songs of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerry and the Pacemakers</span> British band

Gerry and the Pacemakers were an English beat group prominent in the 1960s Merseybeat scene. In common with the Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein, and were recorded by George Martin. Their early successes alongside the Beatles were instrumental in popularizing the Merseybeat sound and launching the wider British beat boom of the mid-1960s.

<i>The Club</i> (1980 film) 1980 Australian film

The Club is a satirical film based on the play of the same name by the Australian playwright and dramatist David Williamson. It follows the fortunes of an Australian rules football club over the course of a season, and explores the clashes of individuals from within the club. It was inspired by the backroom dealings and antics of the Victorian Football League's Collingwood Football Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You'll Never Walk Alone</span> 1945 song from the musical Carousel

"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. In the second act of the musical, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the male lead, stabs himself with a knife whilst trying to run away after attempting a robbery with his mate Jigger and dies in her arms. The song is reprised in the final scene to encourage a graduation class of which Louise is a member. The now invisible Billy, who has been granted the chance to return to Earth for one day in order to redeem himself, watches the ceremony and is able to silently motivate Louise and Julie to join in with the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football chant</span> Song or chant usually sung at association football matches by fans

A football chant or terrace chant is a form of vocalisation performed by supporters of association football, typically during football matches. Football chanting is an expression of collective identity, most often used by fans to express their pride in the team they support, or to encourage them, and to celebrate a particular player or manager. Fans may also use football chants to slight the opposition, and many fans sing songs about their club rivals, even when they are not playing them. Sometimes the chants are spontaneous reactions to events on the pitch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theme music</span> Musical composition written specifically for some other work

Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at some point during the program. The purpose of a theme song is often similar to that of a leitmotif.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerry Marsden</span> English singer-songwriter and musician (1942–2021)

Gerard Marsden MBE was an English singer-songwriter, musician and television personality, best known for being leader of the Merseybeat band Gerry and the Pacemakers. He was the younger brother of fellow band member Freddie Marsden.

The use of music at sporting events is a practice that is thousands of years old, but has recently had a resurgence as a noted phenomenon. Some sports have specific traditions with respect to pieces of music played at particular intervals. Others have made the presentation of music very specific to the team—even to particular players. Music may be used to build the energy of the fans, and music may also be introduced in ways that are less directly connected with the action in a sporting event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trident Studios</span> British recording facility

Trident Studios was a British recording facility, located at 17 St Anne's Court in London's Soho district between 1968 and 1981. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield, drummer of the 1960s group the Hunters, and his brother Barry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Those Were the Days (song)</span> Song about lost youth and romantic idealism

"Those Were the Days" is a song composed by Boris Fomin (1900–1948) but credited to Gene Raskin, who put a new English lyric to Fomin's Russian romance song "Dorogoi dlinnoyu", with words by the poet Konstantin Podrevsky. The song deals with reminiscence upon youth and romantic idealism. It also deals with tavern activities, which include drinking, singing and dancing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Liverpool</span> Part of the Merseyside regions cultural scene

Liverpool has a lengthy tradition of music both classical and pop. It is well known for the Beatles. Its pop and rock music scene has also been important in the development of a number of other bands and artists since the 1950s.

The UEFA Champions League Anthem, officially titled simply "Champions League", is the official anthem of the UEFA Champions League, written by English composer Tony Britten in 1992, and based on George Frideric Handel's Zadok the Priest. It was also the official anthem of the UEFA Women's Champions League from its creation in 2001 to the 2021 creation of an independent anthem. The complete anthem is about three minutes long, and has two short verses and the chorus. The lyrics are in UEFA's three official languages: English, French, and German. The chorus is set to the exclamations "Die Meister! Die Besten!Les grandes équipes! The champions!"

"Bro Hymn" is a song by American punk rock band Pennywise. It is the last track on both their 1991 self-titled debut album, and 1997's Full Circle as "Bro Hymn (Tribute)". Its lyrics are about the death of bassist Jason Thirsk's friends Tim Colvin and Carlos Canton, and Tom Nichols.

"This Is Our House" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was originally written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child and recorded in 2009. Originally intended as an exclusive track for the forthcoming National League Super Bowl season, it became a hit with Bon Jovi fans who asked for it to be including on the band's new hits collection. Greatest Hits had already been pressed to disk and it was too late to include the song of a physical format but it made its debut proper as a bonus track if one downloaded Greatest Hit from the band's website. The song was also released as a bonus track on the iTunes edition of their Greatest Hits collection in the UK and Europe, but was released as a digital single in September 2011. Bon Jovi opened many shows in 2010-2012 with This Is Our House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Where Have You Been (All My Life)</span> 1962 single by Arthur Alexander

"Where Have You Been " is a song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hala Madrid y nada más</span> 2014 single by Real Madrid feat. RedOne

"¡Hala Madrid!...y nada más" is the popular anthem of Spanish football club Real Madrid. It was written by RedOne and Manuel Jabois and released in celebration of Real Madrid's 10th win of the UEFA Champions League in 2014. It was recorded by Real Madrid squad for the 2014 UCL final. It reached number one in the Spanish chart after the win. The anthem is now regularly played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium with fans chanting the chorus, and a short clip of the tune is played in celebration whenever Real Madrid score a goal at the stadium.

<i>The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present</i> 2021 non-fiction book by Paul McCartney and Paul Muldoon

The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present is a book released in November 2021 by the English musician Paul McCartney and the Irish poet Paul Muldoon. It is published by Penguin Books Ltd in the United Kingdom, W.W. Norton/Liveright in the United States of America and C.H. Beck in Germany.

References

  1. "From Handel to Hala Madrid: music of champions". UEFA. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  2. "Freddie Mercury's isolated vocals from 'We Are The Champions' prove he was one of the finest tenors in history". Classic FM. Retrieved 11 June 2021. We Are the Champions" is a bombastic monument of an anthem. Its soaring, triumphant melody is known at sporting events and award ceremonies the world over
  3. "Was there ever a time when We Will Rock You did not exist?". The Guardian . 16 August 2007. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  4. Hart, Simon (25 October 2013). "Anfield's 50 years of never walking alone" . The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-24. Retrieved 6 April 2015. Gerry and the Pacemakers' version hit No 1 in October 1963, it was picked up by the Kop and the game's greatest anthem was born
  5. "Why Brentford fans sing 'Hey Jude', lyrics & video to Beatles song | Goal.com". www.goal.com. 2022-08-15. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  6. Harris, Jay. "Premier League: Why Brentford fans sing Hey Jude". The Athletic. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  7. "Obituary: Pat Lynch". Independent.ie. February 11, 2018.
  8. The entire stadium singing together just gave me goosebumps (via @ninaceciliaa) . Retrieved 2024-06-21 via www.youtube.com.