Most hockey fans know the importance of good songs to get them pumped up for their team. There are hundreds of songs that have been officially approved by the NHL and its players to be played during team introductions, warm-ups, intermissions, and video games. Many fans also use unofficial anthems to get into the right mood to support their team. With the 2020 NHL season rapidly approaching, it is a good idea to be familiar with the latest updates on the subject.
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NHL Officially Approves Songs For Hockey
The NHL has finally addressed the issue of which songs should be played during the 2020 season. The league announced its official playlist on April 15, calling it the “NHL 20s”. The league wanted to ensure that fans have plenty of songs to choose from and that the music is of good quality so that everyone can enjoy it. The best part of the announcement is that the list is actually dominated by Canadian artists, which is no surprise, considering that most of the songs were written by Canadian creators. The top-rated song on the list is “Too Much Joy” by Marjorie Merriweather Post. The song was number one on the Billboard Top 100 in 1929 and won the first Grammy Award for music in 1931. “Too Much Joy” has long been a popular choice among jazz fans and is also the unofficial theme song of the Canadian band Hedley. The second-highest-rated song is “Stand Up” by Chvrches, which was the United Kingdom’s entry for the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. The song is a classic power ballad and was originally released in 2013. Interestingly, Marjorie Merriweather Post is not the only songwriter on the list. Several other songs were also written by professional musicians, including:
- The Impossible Dream by The Beatles
- I’m In Love by The Zombies
- Jungle Rot by The Screamers
- Losing My Religion by Rufus Wainwright
- Tequila by Steve Winwood
- Bike Ride by The Meters
- Black Coffee by The Ventures
- Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet by Henry Mancini
The NHL has also approved several other songs for use during the next season, although they have not yet been released. These include:
- Run Away by Raffi
- Never Alone by Jonny White
- Let It Go by Passenger
- In the Bleeker By The Ocean by Jonny White
- Dance With Your Eyes Closed by Passenger
- Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones
NHL Players Choose Their Own Songs
While the NHL has approved several songs for use during the upcoming season, it has not dictated which ones the players will choose. The NHL Players’ Association recently published its list of approved songs for players to choose from. This is different from the NHL’s list, which was based on musical history and popularity. The top-rated songs on this list are:
- Born To Fly by BTS
- Torn by Scorpions
- Wonderful Life by Steve Winwood
- Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones
- In Dreams by Chris Young
- Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of These) by Eiffel 65
The most surprising thing about this list is that many of the songs were not written by professional musicians, but instead were curated by fans, based on the players’ personalities. For example, Chris Young’s “In Dreams” is one of the most popular songs on the list, while Steve Winwood’s “Wonderful Life” is one of the least-known songs on the list. All the songs on this list were written and recorded before 2010.
Why Are Good Songs Important?
Songs are an essential part of any sport. They help fans get into the right mood to support their team while also providing an opportunity for the players to express themselves and show off their personalities. Many professional hockey players have said that they find it difficult to play certain songs before games, because they get too nervous or excited. This is why it is important for the NHL to approve songs for use during the season, so that players can choose their own songs preference and play them before games.
The unofficial anthem for the Nashville Predators is “All For You” by Simple Plan. The song is a collaboration between Jack Griffonte, who is the group’s lead singer, and Ryan Dull, the head of game operations for the Nashville Predators. “All For You” was first played before a game between the Predators and Anaheim Ducks in Nashville on October 23, 2017. The song has been a guaranteed crowd pleaser, as the fans have repeatedly shown their support for the song by dancing and singing along while it plays. Most notably, one fan even started a YouTube dance-along competition where fans can try and imitate the moves of popular musicians while singing along with the song’s melody. Most of the YouTube videos feature several generations of a family group dancing together. It is clear that the song has resonated with fans, as it was the second-highest-rated song on the NHLPA list.
The Nashville Predators have also chosen to use “Body Movin’” by Miley Cyrus as their walk-up song. This is a collabration between Cyrus and Ryan Dull, the head of game operations for the Nashville Predators. “Body Movin’” is a song about dancing and being active, which fits perfectly with the Preds’ identity as a team that likes to celebrate physical activity.
It is evident that the NHL has paid close attention to what fans want, as they have approved several new songs that the fans can get excited about. This shows that the NHL is still responsive to feedback from its fans, which is essential for a beloved league that is constantly striving to improve the fan experience.