Music has always been a unifying factor in sports.
Especially with football (soccer), chanting and singing are organic parts of
fandom, bringing people closer together toward a common goal, love of their
team and a desire for them to win. And with the 2018 World Cup in Russia in
full swing, there is a lot of celebratory music in the air.
Taking place every four years, the World Cup brings together
32 countries from all over the world to vie for football gold. That also means
that every four years, official World Cup anthems and songs are released to
rally fans and pump up teams for success. Usually loud, upbeat and festive,
these songs usually range from good to downright bad, but there are always a
few that stick out from the rest, becoming megahits and uniting the world in
musical enjoyment.
With the 2018 World Cup underway right now, Vinyl Bay 777,
Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at some of the more successful and
memorable songs made popular during the tournament. Here are six winning
anthems guaranteed to make you stand up and cheer.
1.
Ricky
Martin, “The Cup of Life”: With Ricky Martin’s burgeoning popularity in the
late 1990s, he was the perfect choice to come up with an official World Cup
anthem for the 1998 tournament in France. What transpired, “La Copa da Vida
(The Cup of Life)” became more than a uniting and uplifting sports anthem, it
became a massive hit. The song reached number one in many countries and helped
lead the way for the Latin pop explosion in the late 1990s-early 2000s. (video)
2.
Shakira,
“Waka Waka”: Coming out of the same Latin pop boom as Ricky Martin, Shakira was
already a well-known name when she was chosen to come up with a World Cup song
for the 2010 series in South Africa. Her entry, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),”
was built off the song “Zangalewa” by African group Golden Sounds, adding in
some hip-shaking Latin flair and lyrics meant to empower the players to fight
and win. The song gained massive ground, becoming a number one hit for Shakira
and one of the top songs of that year. (video)
3.
Arrow, “Hot Hot Hot”: Though not specifically
written for the World Cup, Arrow’s 1982 hit “Hot Hot Hot” became the official
anthem of the 1986 games in Mexico. From its first blaring call to action to
its danceable salsa beat, the song is perfect for getting a crowd riled up and
on their feet. (video)
4.
Nicky Jam, “Live It Up”: Recorded for this year’s
World Cup, Puerto Rican singer Nicky Jam’s reggae-infused anthem is destined to
become one of the biggest bangers in event history. Featuring Kosovar singer Era
Istrefi and the triumphant musical return of Will
Smith, the song is one heck of a party jam, seamlessly cutting between the
three artists with a beat that never lets up for a minute. (video)
5.
Shakira, “La La La (Brazil 2014)”: One of the
only artists who has written songs for multiple World Cups, Shakira returned in
2014 for the Brazil games with “La La La (Brazil 2014).” Originally written for
her tenth studio album, the song was reworked for the tournament. The new
version, spouting a message of “If you want it, I dare you to prove it,” is
much more dance-oriented than many World Cup songs of the last 20 years. (video)
6.
Queen,
“We Are The Champions”: Obviously not written for the World Cup, but “We Are
The Champions” was rereleased as one of the official songs of the 1994
tournament in the United States. The song’s triumphant grandeur has become
almost synonymous with sports over the years, especially when a team wins. So,
it’s really no surprise that a song so popular at games from one of the most
iconic US rock bands in existence would be chosen to create hype for the World
Cup. (video)
World Cup songs and anthems serve to bring people together
and get them hyped for the global football tournament ahead. The songs above
did just that and more for music and pop culture during their respective years.
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Find music from all over the world at Vinyl Bay 777. Long
Island’s favorite new independent record shop has thousands of titles in an array
of genres to satisfy most music fans. Browse their wide selection of new and
used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store
at their Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles
being added to their selection all the time, you never know what you might find
at Vinyl Bay 777.
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