What are the best songs that have been adapted into football chants? We explore in this guide.
Waka Waka, Shakira & Freshlyground
A Spanish and English and arguably gibberish-speaking song featuring a Colombian singer, a South African band, and all made for a South African FIFA World Cup: that sums up the spirit of the World Cup quite nicely.
What does “Waka Waka” mean? Who knows? That World Cup was also the introduction of the rest of the world to vuvuzelas so anything musical was a go. You might even say it was an event defined by its music. Waka Waka, unlike a lot of made for purpose songs, has withstood the test of time and is still played at parties.
You’ll Never Walk Alone, Gerry and the Pacemakers
Did you know You’ll Never Walk Alone is a show tune from the 1945 musical Carousel? It’s amazing what football fans will identify with – and show’s they’ve got broader taste than the stereotype would have you think.
However, it’s not two women weeping in an alley that come to mind when football fans sing You’ll Never Walk Alone. Its popularity comes from the Scouse group Gerry and the Pacemakers, who re released the song in 1963, gaining popularity very quickly and soon becoming the chant of the Liverpool Football Club.
Since then, the anthem has become a vital vein in Scouse identity, and like other vital veins in the Scouse, it has expanded beyond its initial intention. Nowadays, You’ll Never Walk Alone is sung for football teams, for medical staff and first responders, and is almost considered a gospel hymn in the great city of Liverpool.
Tubthumping, Chumbawamba and other poker anthems
Is there any song more uplifting than Tubthumping? You’ll be thumping something while you listen to it. Much like the most popular songs about poker, such as The Gambler, it’s a vague thesis of struggling to victory that can be applied to anything. You’ll get knocked down, but you’ll get up again, and ain’t nothing going to keep you down. New parents have been reciting these wise words to their offspring since its release in 1997, but it’s also the anthem of just about any underdog, such as, say, a football team that hasn’t made it far in the Premier League for a while. To really cement this, it appeared on the FIFA World Cup 1998 game, and apparently the band turned down a million-dollar offer from Nike to play it on World Cup marketing. Considering it was a bit of a one-hit wonder, perhaps they should have taken it.
The Best, Tina Turner
It’s there in the title. It’s a love song to the team and the game. Tina Turner’s The Best, or Simply the Best to the rest of us, has been adopted by Rangers FC for its very simple and very clear message: this team is simply the best. This has been the case pretty much since its release in 1989 and isn’t about to stop now that the Queen of Rock and Roll isn’t with us anymore. In fact, the day of her death, May 24th 2023, was commemorated by Rangers fans singing as soon as the game started that day.
Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, Baccara
Another viral moment that cemented a song with a club took place in 2020. A simple celebration of the Scottish national football team making it to the UEFA Euro championship in the locker room soon went viral. Someone put on the first thing that sounded upbeat, and before you know it, everyone on the street was singing the Baccara 70’s classic. The word on the street is that Aberdeen defender Andrew Considine was seen in drag singing the song years ago, and the song became popular with the team. So, there’s an inside joke added to the lore of this particular chant. Did it make sense to anyone who didn’t know the lore? Not really, but it’s a great song to have gone viral.
Honourable mention: Club Foot, Kasabian
Honourable mention because 1. This song hasn’t been adopted as a chant, and 2. If it did football fans would simply be singing “Wahoh ah ahah!” The hook is really the selling point of Kasabian’s debut single, Club Foot, which went on to be added to just about every football channel’s ad breaks. If you were watching a quick highlight of the week’s football games on ITV or Sky in the late 00’s, you were hearing Club Foot in the background. And it’s easy to see why. It captures the action and fiery nature of the game quite succinctly.
