The Best Uses of EDM in Sports
You don’t have to go very far to hear EDM blasting out of someone’s speakers, as long gone are the days that people would only hear it playing in a club.
Music is so versatile now; you can often hear it coming from cars, people’s homes, and gyms. The sounds are usually uplifting and inspiring, and it’s no better demonstrated by how much sportspeople use it to rev them up or celebrate their successes.
Before a boxing match in particular, as mentioned by Sporting News, the pugilists love nothing more than a thumping, rousing tune to get the blood flowing through their veins. Not only did the walk-out music originate in boxing, but it’s also a vital part of the preparation to this day, and it was recently highlighted ahead of the Kell Brook v Amir Khan fight over in the UK. Although the tracks had the crowd dancing, it also got tongues wagging as social media was awash with comments, and journalists even mentioned the music in the post-fight reports.
Although EDM wasn’t the choice for the boxers on that occasion, it is a popular choice across many sports, and here’s our pick of the five best EDM tracks being used in sports to get fans and athletes pumped and ignite the crowd during the big events.
Tyson Fury – Freed From Desire
The world heavyweight champion used the track to get him hyped before the first fight in the trilogy of bouts between the Brit and Deontay Wilder back in 2018, and it’s been synonymous with the boxer ever since. The crowd lapped it up, and now the fans even sing their own version by changing the lyrics to ‘Fury’s on fire,’ and well, who can argue as he’s still unbeaten!
Chris Perez – Firestarter
This was the perfect track for the controversial former MLB pitcher Chris Perez to walk out to. The rousing beats by the Prodigy just summed him up perfectly; he was a firestarter. He often did the job on the mound, as proven in 2012 when he earned 39 saves and was selected for successive American League All-Star teams. But he certainly knew how to live up to his reputation off the ballpark, but that’s a whole different story.
Cardiff City – Right Here, Right Now
Cardiff were in the Premier League when they started to use Fatboy Slim’s iconic tune, but the latest Coral odds see them more likely to be relegated to the third tier than promoted again. Maybe it’s time to find something a bit more motivational, as Right Here, Right Now feels a bit more like ‘Back Then, Not Now’ for soccer’s Bluebirds. The Fatboy Slim song might be better employed by his hometown team, Brighton and Hove Albion, who are riding high in the Premier League. They were even sponsored by his record company Skint Records back in the late nineties, which was ironic as at the time, they were broke and in the bottom division of the Football League.
Dan Jennings – More Than You Know
The MLB pitchers love a bit of EDM as the second on our list is former Washingtson Nationals man Dan Jennings. He was part of the roster in 2019 in the lead-up to them winning their one and only World Series title to date, and no one predicted that they would get to the final, never mind win it. Maybe Jennings was trying to tell everyone something with his song choice as he knew more than everyone else.
Boston Bruins – Zombie Nation
Last but not least, this absolute thumping track has become synonymous with the Bruins, and ice hockey in Boston as the crowd loves to sing and bounce along. It’s even been remixed with their audio in there! After being used for over two decades, there’s absolutely zero chance of Zombie Nation leaving the arena, as it’s a true stadium anthem.