Sports Sounds Catalog

A compendium of sounds and songs heard at sporting events

Sound IDs

Double Hit

History: New York Giants football fans started the first “de-fense” chant during a close game in the 1956 NFL season; it became a staple of their home games to support their dominant defensive unit. The chant eventually made its way into basketball arenas, where it was supplemented by an organist; Double Hit is that musical accompaniment.

Notes: Traditionally prompts a "de-fense" chant. Can be instrumental, solely percussion, or both. If instrumental, the melody can be static or rise by half-steps every one, two, or four bars

Triple Hit

History: Based on the percussion from Queen’s 1977 song “We Will Rock You”

Notes**: Prompts a "let's go [name]" chant for single-syllable team or player names and/or stomps & claps. The timbre of the third hit often differs from the first two, mimicking the original song**

Key

* = This sound’s origin is unknown, but it was likely first played by a mid-20th century baseball organist such as Gladys Goodding or one of her contemporaries

** = This sound is a portion of a longer composition, often played as a loop of either the original recording or a cover with similar instrumentation

Sources

‍Double Hit
Jack Cavanaugh, "Giants Among Men", 2008. Page 92
https://books.google.com/books?id=7qTPJDJizCoC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/where-did-dee-fense-sports-chant-come-from.htm

Triple Hit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Will_Rock_You
https://youtu.be/-tJYN-eG1zk?si=KIl3D-N6WpTNsQX1