The Olympic games are inspiring events filled with drama, dedication and pure athletes. Every four years an official Summer Olympics song is chosen for the games that captures the drive and determination from the Games.
Singers are chosen from the hosting country, and, in 2012, Muse has been chosen to represent the London Games with its song "Survival." The song has a nice Olympic build-up that transitions into the familiar rocker territory Muse is known for. Expect to hear it a lot this summer as you watch the competitions unfold.
Four other songs have captured the Summer Olympics spirit and are still memorable today.
"Reach" - Gloria Estefan
At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia fans at the closing ceremonies were treated to a performance of Gloria Estefan's "Reach." The official song featured a simple message about reaching for your goals. The slow melody has a nice build that fit with the games nicely and could still be used today. A Spanish version of the song was also created.
"Barcelona" - Freddie Mercury
With the distinct sound of Queen, Freddie Mercury delivered an amazing Olympic track with the epic drums and vocals in his song "Barcelona." Created for the 1992 Summer Olympic games, Mercury sang with Opera singer Montserrat Caballé in a back-and-forth duet that stands out as an original hit even more than an official Olympics song.
"Reach Out" - Giorgio Moroder
Another song about reaching was released for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The ballad has the 1980s written all over it, but it fits well with the times and is a great retro track that captured sport themes of the time. The track is perfect for those slow-motion montages of your child's first year in Little League.
"The Flame" -Tina Arena
Australian sensation Tina Arena was chosen for the official song of the 2000 Summer Olympic games in Sydney. "The Flame" is not the greatest Olympic song, but it directly captures the feelings and themes that come along with the Olympic torch. It has a feeling of unity for the world that the Olympics have tried to capture every four years.
Alan Donahue has written hundreds of pop-culture and sports articles. His favorite athletes include Eli Manning, CM Punk and Kobe Bryant.
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