From New York to London
In 1963, Billboard ranked 'Surfin' U.S.A.' the number one song of that year. It remains emblematic of the California Sound and helped elevate surfing from a recreational activity to a top-tier watersport.
Queen released 'We Are the Champions' in 1974, and the song has since become an anthem for victories at sporting events around the world.
Madonna recorded 'This Used to Be My Playground' for the 1992 sports comedy drama 'A League of Their Own.' The movie is a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which existed from 1943 to 1954.
This sentimental ballad by Whitney Houston was the first single from the compilation album '1988 Summer Olympics Album: One Moment in Time,' the soundtrack for the Games. The song's overall theme is about achieving that one great moment of a lifetime, and struck a chord with many athletes striving for gold at the Summer Olympics held in Seoul that year.
Rapper LL Cool J was among the cast of the 1986 sports comedy film 'Wildcats.' He also contributed towards the soundtrack, describing football as, "The sport of kings, better than Diamond Rings."
A co-founder of influential swamp rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Fogerty scored a hit in 1985 with 'Centerfield.' It's one the best-known baseball songs, commonly aired at games across the United States.
Released as the theme song to 'Rocky III' (1982), the third installment in the 'Rocky' film series, Survivor's 'Eye of the Tiger' is synonymous with the character "Rocky" Balboa and boxing in general.
Recorded by Bob Dylan in 1975 in reaction to the imprisonment of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, who had been wrongly convicted of murder, 'Hurricane' remains one of Dylan's greatest protest songs.
'Mr. Touchdown, U.S.A.' is one of sport's earliest anthems. Originally conceived as a poem in the 1930s, it was later sung to music by a number of artists, including Percy Faith in the late 1950s. It's his version that remains a popular set piece for college bands to perform before, during, and after Saturday games.
First performed by Edward Meeker way back in 1908, 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball. The song features in the 1949 movie of the same name, a musical starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra.
No less than 25 famous basketball players get a mention in rapper Kurtis Blow's musical tribute to the game. Compelled to write the song by his passion for the sport, 'Basketball' was released in 1984, taken from his album 'Ego Trip.'
'One Shining Moment' was written by David Barrett in 1986 and is closely associated with the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Several versions are out there, notably that recorded by Luther Vandross shortly before the singer suffered a debilitating stroke in 2003.
In 1974, the martial art known as kung fu was all the rage, thanks to Bruce Lee and the popular television series starring David Carradine. Jamaican vocalist Carl Douglas had a hit with 'Kung Fu Fighting' the same year, a disco number complete with an Oriental riff and intermittent grunts and groans.
When FIFA requested a World Cup anthem from Ricky Martin in 1998, the Puerto Rican singer came up with 'The Cup of Life.' His song stood out from other World Cup anthems in that is was primarily a Spanish language samba-rooted Latin pop tune that carried a soccer-heavy message full of positive lyrics.
The stirring theme to 'Chariots of Fire' remains one of the best-known pieces of movie music in recent cinema history. Written by Vangelis as an instrumental, it has been covered by numerous performers and used for various television programs and sporting events.
'Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)' is the tale of Buddy, a Canadian farm boy who finds his destiny as a hockey goon. It was penned in 2002 by Warren Zevon, a singer-songwriter known for his dry wit and sense of the absurd.
Roy Harper is one of English folk music's most respected performers. In 1975, he released 'When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease.' While essentially a metaphor for death and what has passed, the song, inspired by cricket poetry, which romanticizes the sport and its culture, is beloved by followers of the game.
'World Cup Willie' is regarded as the first World Cup soccer anthem. Written by skiffle legend Lonnie Donegan, it was released in 1966 to help promote England's campaign. The song, which refers to the team's mascot, gained even greater prominence after England hoisted the coveted trophy. Pictured is Bobby Charlton with England's mascot.
Manchester indie band James released 'Goal Goal Goal' in 1994 hoping the track would be put forward as the England song for the 1994 World Cup. While it didn't qualify, the song was included on the official 1994 World Cup album 'Gloryland.'
Perhaps only Kraftwerk could write a song about sport's most famous cycling competition. 'Tour de France' was first issued in 1983 and is a celebration of cycling in general. It also revealed the German electronic band's previously unknown interest in the sport.
'The Race' by Swiss electronic band Yello was released in 1988 as a single, taken from their album 'Flag.' The track features the roar of racing car engines throughout, and was used extensively as a trailer for Eurosport.
Written by Eric Clapton and used as the theme song for the 1968 film 'The Savage Seven,' 'Anyone for Tennis' was promoted by Cream in the US on 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,' with a filmed middle section in which they all carry tennis rackets.
Recorded with Buddy Cole and his orchestra in 1958, Bing Crosby's anthem to golf reflected his love of the game. The crooner is credited with creating the original pro-am golf tournament and was a member of no less than 75 golf clubs, according to Golf Digest.
'Rumble in the Jungle,' recorded in 1996 by American hip-hop group Fugees for the documentary film 'When We Were Kings,' depicts the historic boxing bout in Zaire in 1974 between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
English pop rock duo Chas & Dave released 'Snooker Loopy' in 1986 as a novelty song celebrating snooker, which at that time was enjoying nationwide television coverage. The track featured several professional snooker players on backing vocals, including Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor (pictured).
In 1960, The Harry Simeone Songsters recorded 'It's a Beautiful Day for a Ball Game.' Sixty-plus years after its release, it's still played prior to the first pitch in many baseball stadiums across the United States.
There's a song about a Zamboni ice resurfacer vehicle? Seriously? Yes, ice hockey gets another look-in on this list by way of a track recorded by the Gear Daddies for the 1999 movie 'Mystery, Alaska,' starring Russell Crowe and Burt Reynolds.
Sources: (Bleacher Report) (The Afterword) (Songfacts) (Golf Digest)
A lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, the Pearl Jam vocalist released 'All the Way' in 2008 on the 100th anniversary of the club's then most recent World Series crown. The song's lyrics fondly look forward to the Cubs' next World Series victory, which eventually happened in 2016.
The opening track on side two of Fleetwood Mac's mega-selling 'Rumours' album, 'The Chain' achieved particular fame in the United Kingdom, where the instrumental section was for many years used as the theme tune for the BBC and Channel 4's television coverage of Formula One.
"Ooh, I go swimming, swimming in the water / Swimming in the river, swimming in the sea," sang the former Genesis front man in 1983. More about swimming as a lifestyle rather than sport, Gabriel played this upbeat ditty many times live during the 1980s. In fact, it appears on his 'Plays Live' double album.
Sport is a well-versed theme in popular music. The ambition and determination to succeed demonstrated by athletes strikes a chord with many singer-songwriters, their music also helping to promote a particular sport or sporting competition. And the field is varied, with baseball, basketball, golf, boxing, and so on among the sports immortalized in song. But what are the most memorable tracks that celebrate sport, and who performed them?
Click through for a playlist of champion tunes!
Champion tunes! Memorable songs about sport
Songs that represent the themes of competition and success
MUSIC Entertainment
Sport is a well-versed theme in popular music. The ambition and determination to succeed demonstrated by athletes strikes a chord with many singer-songwriters, their music also helping to promote a particular sport or sporting competition. And the field is varied, with baseball, basketball, golf, boxing, and so on among the sports immortalized in song. But what are the most memorable tracks that celebrate sport, and who performed them?
Click through for a playlist of champion tunes!