I’ve been attending lots of high school sporting events of late–football games, basketball, wrestling, etc. Much of the time, the public announcement system will play random music prior to the start of the competition, but you’ll often know when the game’s about to kick-off when you hear that familiar riff from the band AC/DC:

You’ve been…thunderstruck!

I’m certainly happy to see the nods to songs of my youth–I’m always trying to get my children to appreciate the songs I grew up with. However, Thunderstruck can’t be the only song of its type to fire-up the fans for the upcoming contest. What are the attributes of the song that make it the go-to tune for these sort of events?

  • Upbeat, driving rhythm. Thunderstruck starts off at a fast tempo with driving guitar and drums and builds up into the opening verse and chorus, helping to energize competitor and fan alike.
  • Long introduction. The overall instrumental introduction is long, clocking in at 1 minute, 4 seconds until the first verse kicks in. This long introduction allows sports announcers time to welcome the crowd, introduce the athletes, and provide sundry details.
  • Somewhat innocuous subject matter. Given that these are school events, whatever entertainment material used should be “safe for school”. While some of the lyrics of Thunderstruck are certainly questionable, they are generally obscure and viewed by most in attendance as benign. To some degree, the song does extol the importance of personal fortitude, so there are probably bonus points to be had for lyrical subject matter that lauds competition and perseverance.

With these attributes in mind, what other song might be a decent substitute for this AC/DC classic? Perusing my own catalog, I’ve come up with several potential alternatives:

Guns n’ Roses — Welcome to the Jungle (45 second intro)

Let’s go ahead and get this one out of the way: Welcome to the Jungle is the common alternative you’ll hear at sporting events in place of AC/DC.

AC/DC — Hard as a Rock (43 second intro), Burnin’ Alive (49 second intro)

AC/DC has repeated their Thunderstruck formula multiple times throughout their career. Here are two examples from their 1995 album, Ballbreaker.

Aerosmith — Back in the Saddle (25 second intro)

This Aerosmith classic doesn’t have the a very long lead-in time until the chorus kicks in, but the musical build-up is sure to energize the crowd.

Armored Saint — Left Hook From Right Field (1:14 intro)

Armored Saint provides some great options for these occasions, although several of their songs can be a little explicit, so do your homework.

Cinderella — If You Don’t Like It (46 second intro)

I count Cinderella as one of my favorite 80s bands.

Helmet — Unsung (40 second intro)

While the intro’s a little shorter than ideal, the guitar and drums are driving and sure to set a nice, competitive atmosphere.

Led Zeppelin — Immigrant Song (18 second intro)

Like Guns n’ Roses, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this Led Zeppelin classic. My guess is AC/DC has found new popularity due to the band’s inclusion in the various Marvel movies. The same could be said of Led Zeppelin. Immigrant Song would likely strike a chord in the hearts of both the young and not-so-young in attendance.

Powerman 5000 — Top of the World (44 second intro)

Like their name, Powerman 5000 delivers high octane tunes sure to invigorate sports fans and participants alike.

Queen — One Vision (38 second intro)

A great classic from the Iron Eagle soundtrack that needs mentioning.

Saxon — Solid Ball of Rock (1:16 intro)

Saxon is the author of several, hard, driving ditties sure to rile up the masses.

Tesla — Modern Day Cowboy (37 second intro), Ez Come Ez Go (56 second intro)

Another of my favorite 80s bands, Tesla has produced some heavy, inspirational tunes worthy of sports competitions. An interesting note is the band’s mention of “the U.S.S.R.” in Modern Day Cowboy.

Honorable Mentions

So, these are my thoughts on potential Thunderstruck replacements from my own song collection. Thoughts? Other suggestions?