Through Daniel’s Lens: The Greatest Sports Anthems EVER!

Ask anyone who watches sports and they will tell you that nothing gets a team more pumped up for gameplay than a good tune. In this week’s article I will venture off script for a change and look at some of my favourite Sports anthems in music.

1. Gear Jammer by George Thorogood & The Destroyers

Although not a hit upon it’s release, this song became a well known staple at NASCAR games and due to overwhelming popularity it became used at some Hockey games due to it’s hard edged guitar riffs

2. Bang On The Drum All Day by Todd Rundgren

This song is known primarily by it’s opening chorus ‘I Don’t Wanna Work’ and has been a game time staple for many teams and clubs at both the amateur and professional levels.

3. Sirius by The Alan Parsons Project

this song is mainly an instrumental but instantly recognizable by it’s opening melody. It is widely used in the NHL and some other leagues

4. TNT by AC/DC

This song gets you pumped there is no getting around that and Angus Young’s hard edged guitar work makes you want to dance along and do air guitar along with it.

5. We Will Rock You by Queen

What sports list would be complete without this catchy anthem and Freddie Mercury’s driving vocals that declare ‘You’ll be a big man someday’ all melded with Brian May’s guitar solo

6. Doing It Right by April Wine

Originally a blues based song by Powder Blues Band, this hard edged rocking update by the Canadian quintet is a great foot tapper that has been used at countless games and events

7. On Broadway by George Benson

Although there isn’t widespread use for this funky remake of the Drifters classic, it does deserve a mention as I heard it at a few junior level games in my early years

8.  Turn Up The Radio by Autograph

although their time in the sun has ended, Autograph’s best loved song with it’s hard licks and the driving bass work of Randy Rand delivers enough punch to make everybody do the wave.

9. Fame ’90 (Remix) by David Bowie

Recorded at the height of the Ziggy Stardust era this gem has been played at countless games due in part to it’s infectious groove and Carlos Alomar’s amazing guitar work

10. Sunshine Of Your Love by Cream

Widely regarded as one of Cream’s most creative songs combining Eric Clapton’s guitar work and Jack Bruce’s vocals it has been a staple on the playlists of arenas everywhere.

11. Midnight Blue by Lou Gramm

The Original Foreigner frontman’s first solo outing with his album Ready Or Not turned up this gem with an amazing guitar and drum driven melody that has been used at some professional and school level games

12. Feels Like The First Time by Foreigner

Notable mentions should go to Gramm’s former band for this amazing song that gets people in the mood having been used at countless games as well as in a number of TV commercials.

13. Tequila by The Champs

This infectious instrumental although simplistic with the only word being ‘Tequila’ spoken twice has been used as a warm up song by countless clubs and organizations to get the players ready.

14. Surrender by Cheap Trick

Another amazing anthem that gets the crowd riled up and doing the wave. It has been used at a lot of sports events

15. Frankenstein by The Edgar Winter Group

another instrumental which was produced and played on by guitar wizard Rick Derringer it’s opening riff is one that has been used at a lot of clubs and has continuous airplay on the radio to this day

16. Free-For-All by Ted Nugent

The Motor City Madman delivers an outstanding guitar edged riff that is played at a lot of sports events and is one that has a lot of airplay on countless classic rock stations.

17. No More Mr. Nice Guy by Alice Cooper

What list wouldn’t be complete without a nod to Shock Rock pioneer Alice Cooper, this particular anthem is a foot stomper that has received accolades at countless games.

18. Shattered by The Rolling Stones

the english hard rockers churned out this gem with the release of their Some Girls album in 1978 that has been used at a lot of games and sports as a victory song

19. Big League by Red Rider

When Tom Cochrane wrote this he met a man at one of his concerts who just lost his son, a budding hockey player in an accident. (hence the line ‘Hit A Truck Doing Seventy’) it has since blossomed into a sports anthem of it’s own being played at countless games as a song to get the crowd on it’s feet as well as a victory song.

20. Pump It Up by Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Released initially on his album ‘This Year’s Model’ backed up by his band The Attractions, ol’ Elvis Costello kicks out the jams into high gear asking listeners to Pump It Up, If they can feel it. Mainly used as a warm up song

21. Stop The Rock by Apollo Four Forty

This gem from the 90’s electronica group got people on their feet ‘Shaking Their Paranoia’ and ‘Dancing like Madonna into the Groove’ having been played at countless games

22. American Pie by Don McClean

Originally written about the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & The Big Bopper which became known as the Day The Music Died this song, although in McClean’s own words is more Americana than sports it still deserves a nod having been played at several games I have seen on TV.

23. The Natural Edge by David Wilcox

Canada’s own Blues kingpin has a staple on the Arena circuit which is the title track from the last album he recorded with Capitol records with it’s infectious groove and amazing licks.

24. The Hockey Song by Stompin’ Tom Connor

what list would be complete without this arena staple that declared ‘It’s Hockey Night Tonight’ It was so popular that during the days of the 2009 NHL Lockout, a parody was created by a couple of guys in protest.

25. Black Sunshine by White Zombie

Rob Zombie’s thundering vocals combined with a mesmerizing riff is definitely a crowd pleaser to any game

26. Paranoid by Black Sabbath

Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi blend wonderfully in this metal anthem that has been played at more games than I can count.

27. Radar Love by Golden Earring

The dutch quintet’s hard rocking anthem that makes you wanna dance with the hard driving drumming it has been used at more games than I can remember

28. The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats

Montreal’s Doruschuk brothers Ivan & Stefan gave us this arena staple that says We Can Dance If We want To, demand was so great that a remixed extended version was released in the mid 90’s almost 20 years after the release of Rhythm Of Youth.

29. Who Are You by The Who

Not just the theme song to CSI, this hit by the British rock legends has garnered admiration from countless teams and coaches. Ironically this was on the last album that Keith Moon played on, he would be proud.

30. Running On Empty by Jackson Browne

although not widely as used as say Van Halen or The Eagles, this gem from the album of the same name with it’s amazing Piano Solo is one that deserves a nod as being one of the songwriter’s best