Memorable Moments When Music and Sports Have Met

Throughout history, music and sports have gone hand in hand. Whether through major performances at sporting events, athletes who have invested in musical careers, partnerships to promote artists, or even sports that are intrinsically linked to the arts, there have been many moments that have marked the relationship between these two areas.

Here, the focus will be on some of the most memorable moments of this relationship. Some sports, such as basketball, have an even closer connection to music, with several athletes becoming artists throughout their careers. Knowing these particularities of sports culture can even help those who want to bet on basketball online, as it gives an even broader understanding of the sport. Here are some moments when sports and music came together.

How to grasp the strong connection between sports and music

Understanding the connection between two areas that seem so distinct broadens cultural horizons. This is even more relevant for those who love music and sports. Thus, it is possible to enhance both passions and expand your repertoire, discovering new music through sports and also learning about other sports through music.

One way to do this is to follow the musical tastes of your favorite athletes. In some sports, such as skateboarding, this is much easier, since the connection between the sport and art is very close. In other sports, such as football, it is necessary to follow the players on social media to learn about their preferences.

For those who are fans of both areas, another way to connect their passions is by following sports that cannot exist without music. The two main examples are artistic gymnastics and breaking.

In addition, there are also marketing strategies that focus on the connection between sports and music. By understanding them, you can come up with creative ideas to bring the two themes together in your daily life.

Here are several moments when music has come close to sports. This will help you understand how the two areas are interconnected.

Barcelona promotional activities

Barcelona has the music streaming service Spotify as its master sponsor, and this has led to some great encounters between music and football. There are several promotional activities with world-renowned artists. As many know, the clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona is one of the biggest classics in the world. And the Catalan team has been using these games for many of its musical activities.

The team takes to the field wearing customized uniforms with the artists’ brands on the main space of the shirt. In addition, special collections are launched with unique shirts that are always a huge sales success, considering that they are extremely limited edition items. Several musicians have already been featured:

• Travis Scott
• Rosalía
• Drake
• Coldplay
• The Rolling Stones
• Karol G

In addition to the promotional uniforms, the partnership between Spotify and Barcelona has also yielded many other benefits. In 2023, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Ronaldinho Gaúcho’s arrival at the team, the company launched a playlist entitled “Barça Legends: R10,” with songs selected by the Brazilian star. In addition to the marketing opportunity, this was also a great way to bring the fans closer to their idol.

Shaquille O’Neal’s career as a rapper

Shaquille O’Neal was one of the most remarkable players in NBA history, both for his undeniable talent and his charisma. One of the athlete’s distinguishing features is that he divides his life between being an athlete and a musician. He made his NBA debut in 1992, and by 1993, he had signed with a record label and released the classic album Shaq Diesel, which was a huge commercial success.

Throughout his career as an artist, Shaq released five studio albums and was also featured on two compilations. In addition, he also had a soundtrack album. Unlike many other athletes who rely on their sporting fame to release less relevant albums, Shaquille O’Neal established himself as a rapper recognized for his talent, achieving significant milestones in his musical career.

Memorable performances at the Super Bowl

Even those who don’t care about American football and don’t understand anything about the NFL end up watching the halftime shows of the championship finals, known as the Super Bowl. After all, the event’s organizers are always on the lookout for the most popular artists of the moment to invite prominent musicians and provide memorable shows that are broadcast around the world.

Super Bowl shows always have enormous potential to shake up pop culture. The last one, starring Kendrick Lamar, had a huge impact due to the performance of Not Like Us, with tennis player Serena Williams dancing throughout the performance. In addition to him, there are dozens of other memorable shows at the event, such as:

Show Year

Bruno Mars and Red Hot Chili Peppers 2014

Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan 1999

The Weeknd 2021

Michael Jackson 1993

Madonna 2012

Paul McCartney 2005

The Rolling Stones 2006

Lady Gaga 2017

Beyoncé 2013

Prince 2007

Rihanna 2023

U2 2002

From this list, it is easy to see how the names invited to the Super Bowl have an extreme impact on the music world. As a result, many people only turn on the TV during halftime and don’t care about the game at all. In addition, every year the event leaves millions of fans eager to find out which show will be selected.

Olympic opening and closing ceremonies

The Olympic opening and closing ceremonies are spectacular episodes that always mark the biggest event in world sports. It is customary for organizing committees to mix world-renowned artists with musicians who represent the local culture of the host country.

The latest edition, Paris 2024, featured a large number of memorable shows. Examples of the fusion of local and global culture were the performances by Lady Gaga and Céline Dion, as both sang French music classics.

At the closing ceremony, the number of musical performances is always greater. After all, there is always a connection between the edition that is ending and the one to come. That is why, in 2024, there was a link between Paris and Los Angeles. On the American side, there were special shows in California with big artists: Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre.

The musical career of the King of Football

Pelé is known as the Athlete of the Century and also as the King of Football. With over 1,000 goals in his career, he still holds several historic records in the sport.

In addition to being the greatest football player of all time, Pelé also has an extensive musical career, and even appeared in cinema — a side of his life that few people know about.

The King’s musical career began in 1969, when he was at his peak on the football field, about to win his third World Cup for Brazil. He recorded with big names in Brazilian music, such as Elis Regina, Jair Rodrigues, Roberto Carlos, and Sérgio Mendes. One difference is that several of his songs were about football, which ended up generating some anthems for fans of the sport.

Theme songs that marked an era

It is common for major sporting competitions to have theme songs for television openings. In some cases, this becomes extremely memorable, and songs that were already famous become even more popular and take on another meaning.

A recent notable case occurred with the FIFA Club World Cup, held this year. The organization chose the song Freed From Desire, a 1990s classic by Italian singer Gala, as its theme song. The song had already gained popularity among football fans who used parodies to celebrate victories, but it became practically an anthem for world football in 2025, largely due to the success of the competition. The “na-na-na-na-na” chorus stuck in the minds of everyone who followed the World Cup.

Another example of success is the UEFA Champions League theme song. It is common to see players who are making their debut in the competition get emotional when the anthem is played before matches.

Music in skateboarding culture

Skateboarding became an Olympic sport in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics, gaining popularity among many who were unfamiliar with the sport. As a result, everyone became aware of the intrinsic connection between skateboarding and music.

It is common for athletes to enter their performances listening to music on headphones, which is practically impossible in other sports. As a way to enhance their relationship with fans, many skateboarders share which songs they listened to during the series with the audience, which is quite striking in the relationship between the sport and music.

In addition, skateboarding has several musical genres that have marked the history of the culture. The sport became very popular after the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series of games, which always had very memorable soundtracks that marked the musical trajectory of many people.

Memorable choreography in artistic gymnastics

Artistic gymnastics cannot exist without music. The performances of great athletes on the floor have been responsible for immortalizing many songs, and usually, the more successful the athletes are, the more the soundtrack is marked in the history of the sport.

In addition, the songs are also capable of presenting much of the athletes’ identity. At the 2024 Olympics, for example, three of the greatest gymnasts used songs by singer Beyoncé: Rebeca Andrade, Simone Biles, and Jordan Chiles. As black women, this connection helps to reinforce representation in the sport.

Inclusion of Breakdancing in the Olympics

 In Paris 2024, breakdancing entered the Olympic program. So, this has undoubtedly become the sport in which music plays the most important role in all the Olympics. After all, it is essentially a dance. This also marked the consolidation of hip-hop culture as something that has gained worldwide prestige and moved from the periphery to the center of culture.

Olympic Breaking featured all the traditions that came from the streets, with DJs, MCs introducing the athletes and a challenge format between competitors. The sport is regulated by the World DanceSport Federation. Japan and Canada stood out in the sport, taking home the gold medals.