The three rock anthems below are popular, to be sure, but they aren’t always mentioned in the same conversation as the quick-draw crowd-pleasers that might be on a basic party playlist. These hits are just as adept at igniting a crowd as any stadium rock song, though they aren’t always given credit for it.
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Videos by American Songwriter
“Let’s Go Crazy” — Prince
We don’t always think of this Prince song as a stadium rock anthem. It’s got far too much funk for that. But it functions the same, firing up a crowd in nanoseconds. The instant you hear that droning intro, you know you’re in for a raucous listen.
“If you don’t like / The world you’re living in / Take a look around / At least you got friends,” the lyrics read, instantly generating a sense of togetherness. It strikes just the right tone for a crowd-pleasing anthem, getting the crowd riled up with a sense of youth and frivolity.
“Surrender” — Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick’s “Surrender” is as much an anthem as any rock song ever has been. The chorus line “Mommy’s alright, Daddy’s alright / They just seem a little weird” is singalong fodder. This is one of those songs you may not even realize has crept into your bones. If it plays in a crowd, you’re guaranteed to start singing along. It’s impossible to avoid its effects.
This song turns teenage rebellion on its head. Just like the wild youth, their parents had their fair share of indiscretions. “Then I woke up, Mom and Dad are rollin’ on the couch / Rollin’ numbers, rock and rollin’, got my KISS records out,” the lyrics read later on in the song, painting a picture of a carefree life no matter what age you’re living in.
“All Right Now” — Free
Slightly less head-banging and more mid-tempo, Free’s “All Right Now” does wonders in getting a crowd amped up. “I said, ‘Hey, heh, what’s your name, baby? / Maybe we can see things the same / Now don’t you wait or hesitate /Let’s move before they raise the parking rate,’” the lyrics to this suggestive rock anthem read. It might not have the same energy as the first two songs on this list, but it’s powerful just the same.
You’ll have trouble staying still when this one comes on. It’s got just the right amount of vigor to get your blood pumping.
(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
More The List
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English singer-songwriter Paul McCartney rehearsing with his band Wings before their British Tour, 7th April 1973. (Photo by Jack Kay/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
American Rock and Pop musician Tom Petty (1950 – 2017) plays electric guitar as he performs, with his band the Heartbreakers, during the 'Southern Accents' tour at Brendan Byrne Arena (later known as Meadowlands Arena), East Rutherford, New Jersey, June 15, 1985. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images) -
Photo by Barham/Tony Eyles/Mirrorpix/Getty Images -
Country and Western singer Jeannie C. Riley sings at a Country Music Festival. (Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) -
Portrait of British band Echo and the Bunnymen as they pose backstage at the Park West Auditorium, Chicago, Illinois, March 21, 1984. Pictured are, from left, Les Pattinson, Will Sergeant, Ian McCulloch, and Pete de Freitas (1961 – 1989). (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) -
HEYENNE, WY – JULY 1987: Randy Bruce Traywick, better known as Randy Travis, performs at the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo grounds on July, 1987 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. A country and gospel musician, singer, songwriter and an actor, Travis won six Grammy awards prior to a massive stroke in 2013. (Photo by Mark Junge/Getty Images)
