Jock Jams are defined in two ways: a) as the ’90s phenomenon of music compilations released by Tommy Boy Records and ESPN, or b) in the broader sense of music played at sports venues. No matter which definition you rock with, the hits are all the same.
From Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” to ESPN’s “Jock Jam Megamix,” the Jock Jams canon spans genres and generations, but only one can be the ultimate champion. And according to Billboard, that honor goes to a certain enduring 1970s-era rock band led by the greatest frontman of all time.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives on Getty Images
That’s right, when it comes to Jock Jams, Queen is king. More specifically, the band’s clap-stop anthem, “We Will Rock You,” was ranked the greatest Jock Jam of all time.
The 1977 track is “still the song at the very epicenter of your brain’s Venn diagram of sports and music,” the outlet wrote, adding, “You’re already mentally stomp-clapping, aren’t you?”
Originally released in October 1977 as a double A-side single with “We Are the Champions” and reissued on this day (June 29) in 2015 as the official anthem for the inaugural Asteroid Day, “We Will Rock You” is a primal, pulsing gem that transcends language barriers, unifies crowds, and ultimately gets the heart pounding.
It rallies the homers, intimidates the visitors, and gets everyone in earshot going—which was exactly the goal songwriter and legendary Queen guitarist Brian May had intended.
Taking inspiration from the old Boston Garden, May wrote the song in three stages, each one highlighting a facet of life: childhood (“Gonna be a big man someday”), adulthood (“Gonna take on the world someday”), and seniorhood (“Gonna make you some peace someday”).
According to American Songwriter, May recalled the thunderous sound fans made on the venue’s wooden floors and beams. That experience, coupled with another band-changing moment that happened during a Queen concert at Bingley Hall in Stafford, England, when fans began chanting “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at the band, birthed May’s “We Will Rock You” and its companion anthem penned by frontman Freddie Mercury, “We Are the Champions.”
“We were just completely knocked out and taken aback,” May told BBC Radio 1 about the Bingley Hall moment, “it was quite an emotional experience really, and I think these chant things are in some way connected with that.”
Both anthems appear on Queen’s sixth studio album, News of the World. Together, they reached No. 2 on the U.K.’sOfficial Singles Chart and No. 4 on the U.S.’s Billboard Hot 100.
Nearly five decades later, the song remains a timeless power anthem, rocking everything from stadiums and arenas, to natatoriums and clay courts.
“‘We Will Rock You’ will always work because at its core it’s just BOOM BOOM CLAP—which stadiums would probably find some way of doing anyway,” Justin Baker, the Memphis Grizzlies’ click effects operator, said, per Billboard. “Add to that the majesty of Queen’s legacy … and you have what is probably an immortal anthem.”
Related: 1970 Supergroup Hit, Featuring a Legendary Classic Rock Cameo, Became a Timeless Anthem
This story was originally published by Parade on Jun 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.