Beyond Queen: 10 Anthems to Celebrate Championships
Winning a championship is a momentous occasion, and the right soundtrack can elevate the celebration to new heights. While Queen's "We Are The Champions" is undoubtedly a classic, it can be very expensive to license. Most may think that the track will be played raw, in stadium during a live event, thus the PRO licenses will cover that play. While this is true, you would be limited to the play of the track, in that moment, and nothing more. If you want to share that moment via socials, your team will then need a sync license to share across socials.
It's not that the track is hard to license, it is expensive.
What do you do? Your team has reached the pinnacle of success and will be holding the trophy, or raising a banner. You need some music to accompany the moment, but the most iconic of tracks may not be in the cards. Here are 10 songs that are more affordable and can add a fresh, energetic vibe to the joyous atmosphere when your team emerges victorious.
DJ Khaled - "All I Do Is Win" The title says it all – this hip-hop anthem is all about winning and is sure to resonate with the winning team and its fans. HOWEVER, it’s a bit repetitive and you need to make sure you don’t have the explicit version.
Jay Rock - "Win" is another high energy track for a championship moment. It has great energy and lyric content, HOWEVER, ESPN played the heck out of it a few years ago so there is a bit of burn out, and you need to make sure you don’t use the explicit version.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - "Can’t Hold Us" has a ton of energy and its production is brilliant! It’s infectious and current, HOWEVER, there is still a bit of burn out with the track.
Josh Logan - "Good Time for a Good Time" is a country track with great energy, party lyrics and has a great feel for a championship, HOWEVER, country doesn’t fly in all stadiums or with all audiences.
Flyers - "Ride of our Lives" is massively positive and brings happy feels for anyone listening to it. HOWEVER, may not be enough energy for a moment on the field. Perhaps it’s a better post-game video/recap .
Three Days Grace - "Champion" brings outstanding energy, positive lyrics, and a good rock hook at the :41 mark. The chorus is great. HOWEVER, it’s a straight up rock anthem and that may not be appropriate in all venues.
Clement Marfo & The Frontline - "Champion" is OUTSTANDING! Great energy, victorious lyrics, and a strong hook (at the :40). HOWEVER, the verses bring more power than the chorus.
Stella Mwangi - "Icon" This track has attitude, strong beats, energy, and lyrics with massive swag. HOWEVER, the biggest drawback is that Stella Mwangi isn’t a household name. This is the only drawback I have with this one. If you aren’t afraid to try something new, this is THE track!
Clement Marfo - "Trophies" This track is STRONG! Great beat, strong feel to the track, well produced, awesome song! HOWEVER, can sound repetitive, but that’s not necessarily bad.
Joznez, Bazanji, Marvin Brooks - "Winning Time" is a great track with swag and strong beats. The chorus at the :44 mark is great! HOWEVER, it builds to the pinnacle of the track. It may be a better produced video than a track to play at the winning moment.
Upon reviewing all 10 tracks, I would hitch my wagon to Stella Mwangi “Icon” or Clement Marfo & The Frontline “Champion”. Both tracks are unique as they have not been overused, and easy to license for EVERYTHING you might need.
While Queen's "We Are The Champions" will forever hold its place in sports history, these 10 songs offer a diverse range to bring flavor and a different feeling to championship victories. Be prepared for the next time your team emerges triumphant. After all, a championship deserves a soundtrack as epic as the trophy.
Check out the tracks below.