The euro is finally here after five years of waiting, and we have knocked out the playlist ‘COME ON ENGLAND (Or which country you support)’ we have done on Spotify.
The football world has long been linked to the mysterious art of music, with players changing career paths to become failed rappers, or simple football players being forced to record an anthem before the tournament that will never be erased from the annals of history.
This crossover has produced some absolute stinks, as you can imagine – but we have also dug out the odd gem. The World Cup is known for its musical skill, but the European Championships? Not so much.
We have selected 10 of the best songs that are linked to the European Championships that you can enjoy – or not, you decide.
Does this have anything to do with football? Enrique Iglesias released ‘Can You Hear Me’ as the official Euro 2008 song, although we are not entirely sure what inspired this poppy-noughties bang.
There’s a guy who does some freestyle moves with a football in the music video, but lyrically I’m not convinced. However, the Spaniards will hold this song high as it drew them to European glory at the summer tournament. A classic hit song, but not very football-y.
Is a list complete without Chris Kamara singing 4 England? No, no it’s not. Unfortunately for Kammy, his appearance comes quite early in this selection of songs, because frankly, this song is not that good.
And for those of us who have no connection to England, it is frankly bizarre and a little strange. If I say so, the man is a legend, and if he stood up and did a karaoke interpretation, you know we will all be there. Unbelievable!
Shaggy is on this list. The famous (?) Rapper supported Trix and Flix – I mean two male foxes with giant hands? I’m not quite sure what they are, but they’s damn good with a ball at their feet.
The rhythm is beatalicious, and even if you can not really understand anything that Shaggy says, you find yourself swinging hypnotic from side to side, with your head tilted in the opposite direction. It’s not good, but there are worse songs in the world – obviously.
When she’s not a maneater, Nelly Furtado shouts Força! for the Euro 2004 tournament in Portugal! It’s a pop classic and a bit folky too. It’s more of a foot-drop than a proper singalong and “throw your hands in the air” atmosphere, but we will all shout Força! with her.
The video helps cement the song’s place in this list, as it teaches us to work together and achieve our dreams. The boy is happy to have his ball back at the end, so we are also happy.
Shaggy is on this list twice. The bar is very, very low. In the name of justice, it’s not terrible. Like most Shaggy songs, it’s pretty captivating, and then he raps the beat and you mumble and pretend to catch a word of what he’s saying.
In a very European theme, the main character swings a Jamaica shirt, but as with most things Shaggy does, it makes no sense, but it just works. In addition, he always has a smile on his face, and he encounters some places in this selection process.
We are in this togetherrrrr, hear our hearts beat TOGETHER! The battle cry for Euro 2016, created by Zara Larsson and David Guetta, shows how far the music has come – whether it is good or not, we can not be sure.
It’s one that makes the parents say ‘Ooh they do not make music like they did in my time, this is just noise’. If your parents utter these words, refer them back to some of the previous efforts in this list and ask them to be careful what they want.
It’s spicy, it’s cheerful, it’s a bunch of English fighters stretching out some karaoke as if it’s Christmas Eve in their local tavern. Tony Adams pumps iron to the beat of the melody, and he also sits in a race car and pulls a funny face.
It has a lot. Not to mention that it preceded England’s 1988 Euro tournament, where the Three Lions lost all three group games and crashed out with zero points. We go all the way yyyyyy – home. An absolute belt though, in fairness.
This one hits you directly in the emotions – Darius Vassell strikes home to the sound from 1991. Farm’s anthem was re-released and mixed by DJ Spoony in preparation for the European Championships in 2004, which gives it a bit more of a foot-filled / England theme.
You can not argue with the quality of the song, and as far as its longevity goes, it has the legs to pass the test of time. Unfortunately, when I think of this song, I see flashbacks of Wayne Rooney breaking his foot and breaking my heart at the same time. All together now, everyone.
The dramatic harmonies in the beginning. The only boot crushes a football. The drums. This is a classic. The Campione song is something we all know, but this dance song takes it to completely new levels.
The song is a touch whiny, and the strange facial close-ups ruin the video. But the classic Campione Ole Ole Ole is iconic. There can only be one!
Everyone seems to know the point. They’ve seen everything before. They just know! They are so safe! No matter how much time passes, this song will forever be iconic.
It’s like looking into a mirror of anxiety when you look at these boys grimacing in despair over the state of English football, just to hope to be able to overwhelm them. Released in 1996, this song welcomed our sport’s return to its homeland. 25 years later, a European final will adorn Wembley’s sacred grass … it’s coming home. Certainly not?
