Top 5 England Football Songs
The Jules Rimet is still gleaming. Welcome to WatchMojo UK and today we'll be counting down our picks for the top 5 England football team songs.
For this list, we're belting out some classic tracks, with every song released to help spur the Three Lions on to great things at the FIFA World Cup or UEFA European Championship. We're including official and unofficial singles and, while the team hasn't always performed well, these records always hit the back of the net.
Special thanks to our user WordToTheWes for submitting the idea on our interactive suggestion tool: WatchMojo.comsuggest
#5: “All Together Now” (2004)
The Farm
First released in 1990 and later used by Everton as soundtrack to their 1995 FA Cup final, “All Together Now” enjoyed a second wind when it entered the charts as the England anthem for Euro 2004. Inspired by the events on Christmas Day in 1914, when British and German troops played a game of football on no-man’s land, the song is an all-out celebration of the beautiful game. The 2004 tournament ended badly for England, with penalty defeat to Portugal, but this track often crops up during TV coverage of international matches.
#4: “Vindaloo” (1998)
Fat Les
The result of arguably the strangest collaboration in modern pop music, Fat Les saw Blur bassist Alex James, actor Keith Allen and artist Damien Hirst join forces for one of football’s finest sing-alongs. An unofficial song for France ‘98, “Vindaloo” was initially created as a parody of other cliched football chants - the fans loved it though. The instantly recognisable refrain was soon sung from the terraces, and the trio had a number two hit on their hands. And the Verve-inspired music video is truly something to behold.
#3: “Back Home” (1970)
The England Squad
This song inspired a new tradition, as England players sang on the record. “Back Home” may boast some pretty patchy vocals, but the song stormed to the top of the charts in 1970 - with a rousing chorus and marching band. Of course, England were reigning world champions at the time - although they couldn’t retain their crown. But, “Back Home” wasn’t forgotten, and was famously resurrected as the intro music for Baddiel and Skinner’s ‘90s footy talk show, “Fantasy Football League”.
#2: “World In Motion” (1990)
New Order
New Order might’ve seemed an unconventional choice when they were enlisted by the FA to record a track for the 1990 World Cup in Italy, but they duly delivered an undisputed classic. “World in Motion” is another example of pitch perfect player involvement, with the video remembered for Gazza’s boyish grin. But John Barnes is the real star of this show, delivering a now-legendary rap before the final chorus.
The track reached number one in the charts and inspired England to the semi-finals.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“We’re on the Ball” (2002)
Ant & Dec
“This Time (We’ll Get It Right)” (1982)
The England Squad
#1: “Three Lions” (1996)
Baddiel, Skinner and The Lightning Seeds
Surprisingly, today’s winner wasn’t actually the official song for England at Euro ‘96 - Simply Red’s “We’re In This Together” took that honour - but Baddiel and Skinner are the ones we all remember. Teaming up with the Lightning Seeds, the comedy double act created a football phenomenon when the European Championships were staged on home soil. With spot-on sentiment and a standout hook, it scored an easy number one. And it demanded a re-release (with fresh lyrics) for France ‘98, when it topped the charts again.
