🎸 From Rock Stages to Football Pitches
When The Rolling Stones first released “Start Me Up” in 1981, they could not have imagined the song would echo across stadiums decades later—not just at rock concerts, but at the world’s biggest sporting event: the FIFA World Cup. Originally written as a reggae track and shelved for years, the riff-driven anthem exploded into one of their most enduring hits, powered by Keith Richards’ unmistakable open-G guitar groove and Mick Jagger’s swaggering vocals.
But over time, “Start Me Up” became more than a hit single. It became the sound of anticipation, the soundtrack to moments when adrenaline surges and the crowd holds its breath before the action begins. And in the global language of football, it found new life.
🌍 Music as a Global Language
Football and rock & roll share a common spirit: rebellion, passion, and unifying energy. Both are spectacles that transcend language, race, and geography. When “Start Me Up” blasted from stadium speakers before a kickoff, it was not just entertainment—it was a call to arms, a reminder that history was about to unfold.
By the 1990s, the Stones’ catalog was already a staple in arenas worldwide, but “Start Me Up” fit the energy of football perfectly: urgent, pulsating, endlessly repeatable. It captured the moment when fans, players, and nations collectively held their breath for the whistle.
⚡ The Stones at the World Cup
One of the most iconic uses of “Start Me Up” came during World Cup broadcasts and official events in the early 2000s. Broadcasters from ESPN to ITV latched onto the song’s pounding riff as a pre-match hype track. In Germany 2006, for example, it was used repeatedly in promotional spots leading up to matches.
For many fans, hearing Keith’s opening chords became as recognizable as the roar of a goal. Even those who didn’t know the Stones well associated the song with the World Cup’s electricity. The Stones had unknowingly joined Pelé, Maradona, and Zidane in the cultural pantheon of football.
🎤 Mick Jagger – From Rock God to Football Fan
Mick Jagger himself has always been an ardent football fan. Though often teased in the press for his “jinx” of supporting losing teams at World Cup matches, Jagger’s presence at games kept the Stones tied to the event in spirit as well as in sound. Cameras frequently caught him in VIP boxes, singing, clapping, and embodying the same restless energy that defined him on stage.
When Jagger cheered, the world noticed. And when “Start Me Up” blared across stadiums, it was as if his voice and Keith’s guitar became part of the sport itself.
🎶 Why “Start Me Up” Works for Sport
There’s a reason certain songs translate so well to stadiums, and “Start Me Up” is a perfect case study:
-
Instant recognition: The opening riff is just three seconds long but unmistakable. Fans know what’s coming immediately.
-
Driving rhythm: Charlie Watts’ steady drumming creates a relentless forward motion, mimicking the heartbeat of a tense crowd.
-
Universal lyrics: “Start me up” is more than a phrase—it’s a command. In football, it’s the spirit of kickoff, of igniting passion.
-
Chantability: Stadium crowds need something they can shout in unison. “Start it up!” became a natural chant.
It’s no accident that the song has been licensed for countless sports broadcasts, commercials, and even official FIFA promos.
🏟️ Beyond the World Cup – Stones and Sports Culture
While football embraced the Stones most vividly, their reach in sports went far wider. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” blasted in baseball stadiums. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” pumped through basketball arenas. “Paint It Black” found its way into NFL promos.
Yet “Start Me Up” remained the jewel in the crown—synonymous not just with sports, but with the moment before history. In fact, Microsoft famously licensed it for the launch of Windows 95, proving the song’s adaptability to any global event that needed an anthem.
🌐 A Global Anthem for Generations
From Johannesburg to Rio de Janeiro, from London to Tokyo, “Start Me Up” has played in stadiums before goals, after goals, and during trophy lifts. For many younger fans, the song is less a memory of 1981 and more a timeless soundtrack to footballing drama.
And so, the Rolling Stones achieved something rare: they transcended even their own era of rock. They became embedded in the emotional soundtrack of sport itself.
🎸 The Stones’ Eternal Kickoff
Even now, more than 40 years after its release, “Start Me Up” feels as urgent as ever. When the guitar riff cuts through the roar of a stadium, it’s as if Keith Richards is kicking the ball himself, as if Mick Jagger is urging players to sprint, to strike, to start it up.
The World Cup will always belong to footballers, but in a strange way, it also belongs to the Stones. Their music doesn’t just entertain—it ignites.