10 Famous (and Infamous) Meetings of Sports and Music

How is it that music and sport became so intertwined? Did the Romans burst out into an aggressive, jaunty tune while their Gladiator heroes were being bothered by lions? Was there a floor show at the first modern Olympiad? Beats me. One thing I CAN tell you is that it has become difficult to separate the song from the event on occasion. Occasions like...(in no particular order).

1. Take Me Out To The Ball Game (Norworth and Von Tizler) 1908
It shouldn't trouble you that these fellows didn't see a real baseball game until about 20 years AFTER they wrote the song. All you should know is that during every 7th inning stretch, some local celebrity (famously, at Wrigley Field in Chicago, but also elsewhere) will take the preverbial "swing", usually followed by a "miss". It's a nice tradition. And it's a mere coincidence that the Cubs of Chicago won the World Series last in...1908. These guys also wrote "Shine On, Harvest Moon".

2. The Notre Dame Fighting Song (Brothers Michael and John Shea) 1908
Along with USC, Michigan, and Tennessee, Notre Dame's fight song is instantly recognizable. Come September, almost incessant. A little annoying, frankly. But it's pervasive for a reason, borrowed by other sports and teams with different lyrics and such.

3. The Star Spangled Banner (Key)
Written during the War of 1812 by Francis Scott Key, this little ditty is sung before every sporting event in the country (but NEVER after), and it's not an easy song to sing. It has a whopping octave and a half range, which in layman terms means it's got very low notes and very high notes as well. The poor young guy or girl with the mic in their hand is probably thankful that everyone in the crowd is singing, too. Lots of folks forget the words. And recent interpretations by pop stars of the day render the original melody indecipherable at times. I think they're going off the Hendrix version.

4. We Will Rock You / We Are The Champions (May/Mercury) 1977
Most people agree. First, warn your opponent that you're going to rock them. Then rock them. Then, if all goes well, you become, from that rocking, champions. Then, you sing about being champions. Queen's anthems from the album "News of the World" set the stage for larger than life celebrations, all set to the music of a larger than life singer. In fact, Freddie Mercury wrote "We Are The Champions" with soccer in mind.

5. Rock and Roll (pt 2) (Glitter/Leander) 1972
A mostly instrumental track, except for the word "Hey!!". I could have done that. But I didn't, and that's why I'm talking about him and not him me. And it still amazes me that it took two people to...oh never mind. Look, you've heard it, you love it. It suffered in popularity recently due to Glitter's legal troubles, but I'm sure he's still getting royalties from it.

6. We're Gonna Win That Cup (written by Tommy Calandra, sung by Donna McDaniel) 1975
If you're an old Buffalonian like me, you consider this the non plus ultra of local sports songs. That year, 1975, the Sabres played in their first Stanley Cup final. It was so exciting that a group of local musicians put out this little slice of heaven for the hungry fans. This, along with the Jim Schoenfeld album of a few seasons before (Schony) completes the Buffalo Sabres discography as far as I know.

7. Bang The Drum All Day (Rundgren) 1982
It's from the appropriately titled album "The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect". If YOU had been slaving meticulously over a sound board for almost two decades with only the occasional hit, and THIS song was the one to put you over to future generations of sports enthusiasts, I bet it would torture you a litte, too. It fits handily within almost every sport, though, especially baseball, where stops and starts in the game's flow allow for the brevity of relief that this song provides. Thanks, Todd.

8. Welcome to the Jungle (Rose/Slash) 1987
That primal wail at the beginning of the song makes (or made) a perfect introduction for boxers, arm wrestlers, jungle entering enthusiasts, and cricket sides. Teams. Whatever.

9. Who Let the Dogs Out (Douglas) 1998
Originally a theme for a carnival season, the song soon found its way to The Baha Men, who won a Grammy Award for asking the question that still begs an answer. The question being "Who bought this record?" Not to be confused with the Francis Scott Key song of the same title. To this date, the perpetrator has not confessed to his/her malfeasance.

10. Hells Bells (Young/Young/Johnson) 1980
Played often at professional football game kickoffs, wrestling matches, rugby scrums, equestrian...things...and, of course, at "Hell's Bells", Mike Hell's bell shop down on Churton Street. It plays every time someone opens the front door. Boy, that can get annoying. I mean, it plays the whole thing! Not just the bells or the guitar intro part. Can you imagine? The Australian band AC/DC recorded it in 1980. It is often used, to dazzling effect, to intimidate the other team, who, it is to be assumed, do not use it as their own theme song back home. That would be confusing.