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On gameday music can be an even bigger motivator then a coach's speech
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Photo Steve Kashishian: Saints got their own rockin theme song
Here it is a quarter of the way through football season and for every sports fan their main concern is whether their team is 3-1 or 1-3. But after watching all four Baltimore Ravens games (sorry not a Redskins fan) and also while watching other games it became impossible to escape the impact music has on the weekly games. Seriously imagine what the game would be like without music playing during timeouts so the crowd is entertained. Imagine the players not running out on the field to a signature tune. Think of no song playing when the teams kick off to start the 2nd half and for men seriously would the cheerleaders be as entertaining without music to gyrate and flip to, never mind don't answer that one. While many people probably wish marching bands would break away from the standard catalog more often and not play songs like "Land of 1000 Dances," or "Gimme Some Lovin" so much, even that part of the spectacle is entertaining. The teams that have bands do actually add a certain color and enjoyment to the games.
Yes music isn't the biggest draw in a game it is of course the teams but it does add an extra something. There are some teams that have their own team songs too. There are the good like "Hail To The Redskins" and how the Minnesota Vikings are known to play Led Zeppelin’s "Immigrant Song," which is so perfect and regardless of whether a person likes or loathes Brett Favre that's pretty awesome. There was also the unofficial theme song for the New Orleans Saints post-Hurricane Katrina when the U2/Green Day collaboration on "The Saints are Coming" became a huge favorite and rally cry with those who were fans of the fleur de lis wearing team and non-Saints fans alike. But there is also the bad, sorry Chargers fans, but will somebody please do a remake of the "San Diego Super Chargers" song because every time it plays it sounds way too much like a Village People song. Heck when the Baltimore Ravens were making their 2000 super bowl run "Who Let The Dogs Out" by Baha Men was the teams signature song. But it goes beyond all this because often famous songs have select riffs played at a game and really get the team fired up. There are a few artists who must be reaping the royalties rewards mightily since their songs are played pretty much at every stadium. Seriously how many times per game, per day is that one part of "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne played? It works too because many teams kickoff to this song and it does get the crowd pumped. "Welcome To The Jungle" is also a popular favorite especially the part where Axl offers up his signature howl.
A personal favorite is whenever the referees are reviewing a play at the booth during the Baltimore Ravens and they play "Tell Me Something Good" by Rufus and Chaka Khan. While rap, R&B and pop gets played quite a bit just look at "Let's Get It Started" by the Black Eyed Peas, Bring Em Out" by T.I., "Let It Rock" by Kevin Rudolf and yes even "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga which are being played quite often, rock music especially classic rock seems to be the chosen genre. AC/DC and Queen get played heavily. On any given Sunday or Monday and sometimes Thursdays or Saturdays you could hear AC/DC's "Thunderstruck," "TNT," "You Shook Me All Night Long," "Back In Black" but especially “Hell’s Bells” where those bells do toll a lot at many games. Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" is always a popular favorite but even more so when a team is victorious can anyone ever imagine "We Are The Champions" playing and of course what is a sporting event without "We Will Rock You." Metallica's "Enter Sandman," The Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop," Bush's "Machinehead" and Prodigy's "Firestarter" usually get the one riff treatment too due to their blazing guitar and electronic sounds. That one line in the Ramones song that goes: "Hey Ho Let's Go" is definitely a crowd pleaser. When a team is victorious the music on the stadium speakers could tell the losing team "Na na na na na na na na na Goodbye" courtesy of the band Steam or James Brown's "I Feel Good" could be played. U2’s “Beautiful Day” and “Where The Streets Have No Name” are already played quite often at Ravens games wouldn’t “Sunday Bloody Sunday” be a good choice?
While most of these artists probably didn't create these songs to be sports anthems they inevitably became that. If every song that is played to either fire up a crowd or keep them entertained was listed this would take days. Listening to some of the newer tracks too some of those seemed destined to be taken out of context and have small segments of the song used at NFL stadiums around the country. It could be due to the upbeat sound like for instance parts of "She Wolf" by Shakira have already been used. I mean come on how many people didn't expect "Boom Boom Pow" by Black Eyed Peas to get played. Or the song could get played due to one phrase that just works like how long do you think it will be before the one line from Muse's "Uprising" that goes "they will not control us we will be victorious" will start getting the pigskin treatment. But music adds an extra layer of drama, depth and fun to games be it watching them from a bar or on your couch but especially at the stadium.
Just walk around any tailgate lot or down to the stadium and music is everywhere. Then once in the stadium the game starts off with the national anthem being belted out while people watch with hat in hand. At the end of the season a good portion of people anticipate the halftime performer almost as much as the commercials at the Superbowl. Not to mention before each season even starts there are countdown to kickoff concerts that take place throughout the country featuring a wide variety of genres. So along with the all natural sounds of the game like whistles being blown, crowd noise, the sound of impact between two players hitting each other and more music may be the MVP in some cases at the games. Now if only yours truly who bleeds purple and black could get "Start Wearing Purple" by Gogol Bordello to become the unofficial Baltimore Ravens theme song to go with their official song. Either that or “Purple Haze” by legendary Jimi Hendrix who has that song and “All Along The Watchtower” in constant rotation. But seriously music can actually be a bigger motivator on game day then any speech a coach or player could give and that says something.
Below is a list of some other popular favorites that were listed in a recent poll, these songs get the stadium treatment quite often. Brace yourself because music is very popular at games and seriously this isn't even the tip of the iceberg. But feel free to add personal favorites or songs that should be used at stadiums but are shamefully being overlooked.
A LIST OF OTHER SONGS THAT ARE POPULAR AT NFL GAMES:
- “All Star” Smashmouth
- “Bad To The Bone” George Thorogood
- “Bang the Drum” Todd Rungren
- “Bust a Move” Young MC
- “Celebration” Kool & The Gang
- “Come On Ride It (The Train)” Quad City DJ's
- “Cotton Eye Joe” Rednex
- “Desire” U2
- “Eye of the Tiger” Survivor
- “Final Countdown” Europe
- “Gettin' Jiggy With It” Will Smith
- “Great Balls of Fire” Jerry Lee Lewis
- “Hip Hop Hooray” Naughty by Nature
- “Hit The Road Jack” Ray Charles
- “Hot In Here” Nelly
- “Hot, Hot, Hot” Buster Poindexter
- “House is Rockin” Stevie Ray Vaughn
- “I Like To Move It” Reel To Reel
- “I Wanna Rock” Twisted Sister
- “I'm a Believer” Smashmouth
- “Jump” Van Halen
- “Jump Around” House Of Pain
- “Lets Go Crazy” Prince & The Revolution
- “Louie Louie” The Kingsmen
- “Mony, Mony” Billy Idol
- “Na Na Na Na (Kiss Him Goodbye)” Steam
- “Old Time Rock & Roll” Bob Seger
- “Panama” Van Halen
- “Play That Funky Music” Wild Cherry
- “Pump It Up” Elvis Costello
- “Pump Up The Volume” M/A/R/R/S
- “R.O.C.K. In The USA” John Mellencamp
- “Ready To Go” Republica
- “Right Here Right Now” Fatboy Slim
- “Right Now” Van Halen
- “Rock & Roll, Part II” Gary Glitter
- “Rock This Town” Stray Cats
- “Rock You Like A Hurricane” Scorpions
- “Runnin' Down a Dream” Tom Petty
- “Shout” Otis Day & The Nights
- “Start Me Up” The Rolling Stones
- “Stranglehold” Ted Nugent
- “Strike It Up” Black Box
- “Takin' Care of Business” BTO
- “Tears of a Clown” Smokey Robinson
- “Tequila” The Champs
- “That's The Way I Like It” KC & The Sunshine Band
- “The House Is Rockin” Stevie Ray Vaughn
- “The Power” Snap
- “The Rockafeller Skank” Fatboy Slim
- “This Is How We Do It” Montel Jordan
- “Tuff Enough” The Fabulous Thunderbirds
- “Twist & Shout” Beatles
- “Unbelievable” EMF
- “Walkin' On Sunshine” Katrina and the Waves
- “We Are Family” Sister Sledge
- “We Got the Beat” The Go Go's
- “What I Like About You” Romantics
- “Whoomp! There It Is” Tag Team
- “Wooly Bully” Sam The Sham & The Pharoahs
- “YMCA” Village People
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