In honor of the Jock Jams’ 20th anniversary.
July 25, 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the Jock Jams music compilation series. For the uninitiated (or those born after 1995) the premise behind Jock Jams sounds at best pretty silly and, at worst, nonsensical.
From 1995-1999, ESPN and dance label Tommy Boy Records collaborated on a series of compilation albums called Jock Jams, featuring the biggest sports anthems from the 80s and 90s.
Aside from a ton of airtime for cheerleader-laden, seizure-inducing commercials and its logo plastered on the covers of these compilations, ESPN's other main contribution was featuring on-air talent saying their trademark catch-phrases on the opening tracks of the albums. Michael Buffer, Dan Patrick, Chris Berman, and Dick Vitale all made guest appearances on album openers throughout the series' run.
While the concept may seem a little ludicrous, the albums were very, very successful. Four out of five of the volumes reached 30 or higher on the Billboard Top 200, with Volume 2 reaching number 10 on the charts.
Why did people buy these? Well, in addition to these ads playing during almost every commercial break on ESPN, MTV, and Nickelodeon, compilation albums used to be big business before the days of the mp3. See, purchasing compilation albums made economic sense for the buyer. Why drop $15 on a album where you know only one song vs. an album where you know more than half? It was this same strategy that once made movie soundtracks and the Now That's What I Call Music! series as big (if not bigger) than artists' own full-length albums.
For artists, inclusions on popular compilations served as advertisements for the rest of their music. This may have been why so many huge rappers and R&B artists willingly appeared on the Space Jam soundtrack. (Also money.)
Tommy Boy Records
20 years later, a generation of music buyers still fondly remember Jock Jams as the blood-pumping, ear-splitting soundtrack of their youth.
Jock Jams was the music you used to tailgate to, the music you scored your cheerleading routine to, the music that rocked the crowd at professional sporting events, and the soundtrack to psyching yourself up before a middle school soccer game. For some of us, myself included, Jock Jams served as a gateway to hip-hop when our parents wouldn't let us buy full rap albums due to their explicit content. They were a pop culture window and, believe it or not, a bellwether for what was cool. At least, cool to a sports-obsessed 10 year old.
So without further adieu, here are the Top 20 Jock Jams songs from throughout the series' five-year run.
Tommy Boy Records
Gary Glitter – "Rock and Roll Pt. 2 (Hey Song)"
From: Jock Jams Vol. 1
How did this tune defy the odds and become a sports classic? According to Sports Illustrated, it was a tradition started by the marketing director of the Colorado Rockies in the 1970s. From there, it ruled Denver pro sports, and eventually the New Jersey Devils came to adopt it as one of its anthems in the 1980s.
Why did it become a sports classic? Well that would be due to the low, low bar it sets when it comes to audience participation. You probably didn't know who performed this song or what its title was. But, so long as you know when to half-heartedly yell "HEY," little else matters.
