Van Halen‘s 80s stadium rock anthem ‘Jump‘ has been voted as the ‘most popular sporting song’ by a new poll.
PRS For Music asked its members for their top anthem with sporting associations, and found the 1984 worldwide number one single to be the favourite, with The Rolling Stones‘ ‘Start Me Up‘ and Jackie Wilson‘s Motown classic ‘(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher‘ in second and third place respectively.
Surprisingly, Queen‘s ‘We Are The Champions‘, such a staple and every major sporting event, only placed at #9, though the British band do have three tracks in total included in the rundown, with ‘Another One Bites The Dust‘ and ‘We Will Rock You‘ also proving popular.
“We are so excited about the Olympic Games and music plays such a classic role for both the spectator and participant,” PRS chairman Guy Fletcher has said.
“As a Brit I would have to vote for Spandau Ballet’s ‘Gold’ being a personal favourite. We have such a strong team of athletes this year too – I think we might get a few of those, fingers crossed.”
PRS for Music’s Top 20 sporting songs:
1. Van Halen – ‘Jump’
2. The Rolling Stones – ‘Start Me Up’
3. Jackie Wilson – ‘(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher’
4. Spandau Ballet – ‘Gold’
5. Michael Jackson – ‘Thriller’
6. Wham! – ‘Wake Me Up’
7. ABBA – ‘The Winner Takes It All’
8. Hawkwind – ‘Silver Machine’
9. Queen – ‘We Are the Champions’
10. Take That – ‘Shine’
11. Smokey Robinson – ‘Tracks of My Tears’
12. The Beatles – ‘The Long & Winding Road’
13. Survivor – ‘Eye of the Tiger’
14. Tina Turner – ‘Simply the Best’
15. House Of Pain – ‘Jump Around’
16. Rocky OST – ‘Gonna Fly Now’
17. Queen – ‘Another One Bites The Dust’
18. Journey – ‘Don’t Stop Believin’
19. Chariots of Fire
20. Queen – ‘We Will Rock You’