New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Sports and music do not always go hand in hand. Did we ever really need more than one Shaquille O’Neal album, after all? Or even just one? But stirring anthems work perfectly with the really big sporting events and that is why the FIFA World Cup has had an official anthem ever since the 1962 event in Chile.
Not all of the anthems over the years have been memorable. But there are a few that can instantly transport you back to the year in question. Online sportsbooks will be concentrating on who will win soccer’s showpiece event in Qatar later this year. But we thought we would remind you of five of the best World Cup anthems - in no particular order.
Waka Waka - 2010 South Africa
Still heard at soccer stadiums today as fans of various teams change the words to suit their own favorite players, this 2010 classic from Shakira lives long in the memory. The vibe this track evokes was perfect for the first World Cup taking place in Africa.
The song was supposed to be a celebration of the continent and it certainly lifted the spirits - even after Ghana was cruelly knocked out of the tournament by Uruguay. Somewhat ironically, Shakira’s then boyfriend - Gerard Pique - ended up with a World Cup winner’s medal when Spain lifted the trophy in South Africa.
Gloryland - 1994 USA
Eyebrows were raised around the world when the USA was awarded the 1994 tournament. There wasn’t even a national league at that point and many soccer fans regarded the host nation as something of a joke in the sport. The US was expected to put on a good show though.
Although the USMNT ultimately exited the tournament in the round of 16, Daryl Hall (of Hall and Oates fame) and Sounds of Blackness blended gospel, choirs and soul to perfectly represent what the US was supposed to be all about. A perfect anthem for a brand new beginning for US soccer.
We Are One (Ole Ola) - 2014 Brazil
There was no such need to win over a skeptical public in 2014. Brazil virtually owns the World Cup after winning the competition a record five times. By this time the World Cup was a bona fide media event and the anthem had to be part of the bigger spectacle.
So, choosing Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte was a genius move. There is plenty of energy on show as some of the biggest names in music at the time came together to provide the highly polished mood of a finals held in a country that lives for good times.
La Copa de La Vida - 1998 France
There may have been 60 years of World Cup anthems but, for many, Ricky Martin’s effort for the tournament in France in 1998 is the anthem. Never one to disappear into the background, Ricky Martin is at his hip-swiveling best as he exhorts the jubilation of the competition.
The response to La Copa de la Vida was so good that the artist included it on his best-selling album the year after. It is not very often that even the very best sports anthems and songs achieve that kind of crossover appeal - but this ode to soccer is probably the finest example.
El Rock del Mundial - 1962 Chile
Where else to round off our trip through the musical history of the World Cup but with the very first anthem? Recorded by Los Ramblers for the 1962 tournament, El Rock del Mundial is exactly what you would expect a rock ‘n’ roll song from the early 1960s to sound like.
With Spanish lyrics designed to get the fans excited about a World Cup in South America, this burst of classic early rock still stands up even today. Around 80,000 copies were sold that year and millions have been bought in the years since.
