As much as I enjoy expressing my uninformed opinions about sports, I would like to take a moment to address a topic that I’m actually somewhat qualified to discuss: pop music.
I have been attending sporting events for a few weeks now, and I couldn’t help but pay an undue amount of attention to the musical interludes that the loudspeakers broadcast between plays.
I’m guessing the overall selection in this playlist varies based on whatever is popular at the moment (“Some Nights,” “Starships,” etc.), but there does seem to be a few consistencies, notably the inimitable “Power” by Kanye West.
“Power” stands to join the ranks of ubiquitous stadium staples such as “We Will Rock You,” “Who Let the Dogs Out?” and “Seven Nation Army,” which is a distinct but bizarre honor. These songs have a life of their own in arenas where fans gleefully clap and chant along with them, probably oblivious to genre, era, artist or any other signpost that gives a song pop-cultural context.
What quality do these wildly diverse songs share that makes them all popular with a certain crowd at a certain event? What could the Baha Men and the White Stripes possibly have in common? What turns a pop song into a sports song?
Is it the same combination of catchiness and originality that makes a song a hit on the charts? That explanation sounds plausible, but it can’t always be the case — “Seven Nation Army” only ever made it to #76 on the Billboard Hot 100, and not every chart-topper makes the crossover to the arena. “Call Me Maybe” might have what it takes to dominate iTunes, but it doesn’t quite belong at a football game.
It could have something to do with lyrical content. Maybe there’s a common message of strength and determination behind each of the athletic anthems. “Power” certainly fits that bill, but the portion of the song that usually plays is just the intro, which doesn’t even include Yeezy’s boasts about being the master of the 21st century.
There must be an enduring trait beyond lyrics and catchiness that keeps a song playing in the stands longer than it’s played on the radio. There must be some underlying tension-building, blood-pumping, rhythmic warrior-whoop quality that gives these songs their status.
What exactly is the magic recipe and how does one emulate it? It might be as impossible to predict the next big stadium anthem as it is to predict the next big thing in music.
I can’t explain why certain songs make it to the stadium and others don’t, but I’m glad that “Power” has found a home among the face paint and foam fingers at sporting events. Its rallying-cry hook and larger-than-life performer make it an appropriate theme song for riled-up sports fans.
I suppose it’s possible that the teams find the prominence of “Power” on the game-day playlist as annoying as diehard music fans might, but until the day Kanye starts demanding royalty checks, I think the song belongs.
Haylee Pearl is a sophomore studying journalism, a novice sports viewer and a copy editor for The Post. Are you tired of hearing Kanye West at sporting events? Tell her why at hp208310@ohiou.edu.
