songs to promote sports (or teams)


So. I love sports. And I love the teaser commercials teams do to promote themselves as well as the network promos. The recent College Football Game Day use of country music’s Big & Rich “Comin’ to your City” was awesome.

But. The standard for sports music is high. Very high.

The first song I remember was awesome. Electric Light Orchestra “Fire on High.” Most of you are going “huh?”  Yup. ELO Fire on High.

(here is full version. It is about 2:40 mark you get what was used on TV):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3Ufx7SmZ5E )

It was on ABC Wide World of Sports. “The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat” and that amazing music underneath those words and the images of athletes striving for success and sometimes winning and sometimes not reaching it (the skier crashing video under agony of defeat line is still embedded in my mind as one of the all time sports TV moments).

I was lucky to once encourage an agency team to present “Boom” by rock/rap band POD for a professional football team we were creating an advertising campaign for (and the team owner loved the song and bought the campaign).

I would use Boom anytime and anywhere for an NHL or a NFL or I even think it would be neat for a soccer campaign. It is a kick ass song.

Boom (not the official video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMzuzMD6eF4&feature=related

Next song. Adrenaline.

The song I would kill to use for let’s say a Tennis Federation campaign would be “Adrenaline” by Gavin Rossdale. I thought of it for tennis because Gavin is a tennis fan as well as it is kind of in your face which tennis sometimes doesn’t seem (and you know me and contradictions but I love if tennis could own that ‘etiquette’ aspect tennis already has and add a ‘sweaty edge’ to it which I think would bring a nice appeal to the game). But. Adrenaline would be awesome for a football campaign also.

Adrenaline: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5yQPR9ZmXU&feature=avmsc2

But what made me want to write this post was a new song I now have added to my list of “boy I wish I could find someone to use this song for some athletic/sports campaign.”

“You’re Going Down” by the young Australian rock band the Sick Puppies. Man oh man this is a fucking kick ass song (with an unfortunately wimpy video) that showcases a kind of Linkin Park type rock riff combined with an in your face “someone is gonna go down and it ain’t gonna be me” verse and delivery. Someone has to use this song.

You’re Going Down: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2bohKixLt8&feature=avmsc2

This is a fun post for me. Any time I can combine music and sports I am a happy camper.

Written by Bruce