NFL TV themes: The evolution of musical drama
Pat Summerall and John Madden (Photo by © Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
NFL on CBS (1982 and 1986)
These two songs were the soundtrack to the NFC at the NFC’s height of ass-kicking. I mean listening to these two songs sets the tone for a cold day in Solider Field and the Meadowlands or a long day trying to corral a potent Joe Montana offense in San Francisco. CBS just killed it with these two classics.
NFL on NBC (1986)
Look, I know the AFC struggled to win Super Bowls after 1983 but come on, this theme for a SUPER BOWL?!? This feels like something you’d use for the World Cup not the Super Bowl. SMH glad you got better NBC.
NFL on CBS (1992)
This, this right here is the pinnacle for NFL themes for me. When I was a small child, this was my first exposure to the NFL so hearing this takes me back to those Sundays after church watching the NFC East bloodbaths, Deion Sanders as an Atlanta Falcon and doubleheaders with John Madden and Pat Summerall. *grabs tissues* No, you’re crying. Stop crying!!
NFL on FOX (1994)
This song needs no introduction. I’m sure at one point in time some of you had this as a ringtone. The only drawback to this classic theme is that FOX has decided to use it for every sport they show on the network. You know if FOX ever got the rights to Wimbledon this what they’d use. Yeah, now you wanna see that don’t you.
NFL on NBC (1997)
NBC was going to no longer have the NFL after the 1997 season but they still gave us a great theme that helped set the tone for every game. Especially those Chiefs-Broncos epics in the late 90s.
NFL on CBS (2003)
After the NFL went back to CBS in 1998, it took the network a while to gain a solid theme and they found one with the hard hitting and intense them composed by E.S. Posthumus. It’s possibly my favorite of the newest ones out there.
NFL on NBC (2015)
Rounding out our themes has to be the iconic “Waitin all day for Sunday Night” theme from Carrie Underwood or as my Twitter timeline would probably call it it the “Carrie Underwood National Anthem”
So many great themes, a few clunkers and a whole lot of great memories.