Nobby Styles dancing on the Wembley turf in 1966, Marco Tardelli’s screaming celebration after that 1982 strike, Gazza’s tears following England’s agonising defeat in Turin at Italia ’90; the World Cup has always provided its fair share of iconic images down the years; but if a picture paints a thousand words then a TV theme tune can jog a few memories too.
Along with the World Cup panel, for many the TV theme tune is as much part of the four-yearly football-fest as dodgy decisions, glorious goals and sublime skill with a few living in the memory long after the broadcasting bonanza has left our airways.
So here’s a reminder of some of the best televisual tunes which have gone on to become the soundtrack of all our summers past.
Nessun Dorma: Italy, 1990 - BBC
Highest UK Singles Chart Position: 2
It may seem like a masterstroke now but the BBC decided in their wisdom not to commission a special theme tune for their coverage of the 1990 World Cup but instead use a tried and tested number in the form of Nessun Dorma, performed by opera star Luciano Pavarotti.
As it turned out this power ballad of Pelé like proportions, combined with England’s most successful World Cup since 1966, provided the ultimate theme tune to not just a football tournament but a four-week period which for those who experienced it is still remembered as one of the greatest of their lives and not surprisingly surged up the UK singles chart in June of that year.
Aztec Gold: Mexico 1986 - ITV
Highest UK Singles Chart Position: 48
Aztec Gold, performed by Silsoe, perfectly encapsulated all the fun and excitement we witnessed during the feast of football which took place in South America during the summer of 1986, thanks to Rod Argent’s distinctive pop-synth sound which led to this track becoming the sound of soccer on ITV for years to come.
Such was its popularity that the broadcaster decided to use the music for their flagship Saturday afternoon show Saint and Greavsie for the next six years while also making it the anthem to their live league coverage for several seasons too, somewhat over-egging the pudding in the process.
Glory Land: USA, 1994 - ITV
Highest UK Singles Chart Position: 36
More than likely due to the success of Nessun Dorma four years previously the BBC once again chose to use a timeless classic in the form of Leonard Bernstein’s America from Broadway hit West Side Story for the World Cup of 1994 in the USA; only for ITV to opt for the incredibly cheesy but equally memorable Glory Land.
Originally an instrumental and an unofficial US anthem for the tournament, which was to be held in the States for the first time, the addition of lyrics such as: “It started with a feeling and a dream was born in you,” belted out by Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates fame ensured the record reached number 36 in the UK singles chart.
Argentine Medley: Argentina, 1978 - BBC
Highest UK Singles Chart Position: 14
The World Cup of 1978, held in Argentina, provided many iconic images; the ticker tape celebrations, the classic blue and white stripes of the home nation along with an array of attacking superstars and, in BBC’s Argentine Medley composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the BBC had a theme tune to do the tournament justice.
Performed by San Jose featuring Rodriguez Argentina, also known as Rod Argent who would also go on to perform the instrumental tune "Aztec Gold" eight years later for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, this infectious instrumental obviously caught the attention of the British public despite only Scotland qualifying for the tournament as it reached number 14 in the charts.
Tutti Al Mondo: Italy, 1990 - ITV
Highest UK Singles Chart Position: 81
Somewhat overshadowed by the giant presence of Senor Pavarotti it’s easy for ITV’s offering for the 1990 World Cup to slip under the radar; but Tutti Al Mondo has to be given the credit it deserves as one of the more memorable offerings from yesteryear.
Once again relying on the services of Rod Argent, along with Peter Van Hooke, this atmospheric anthem doesn’t just conjure up memories of one of the most memorable World Cups for years it also captures the distinctive late ‘80s synth sound and early ‘90s dance beat which dominated chart music at that time with more than a nod to the classics too, despite only reaching 81 in the UK charts.
Rendez-Vous: France, 1998 - ITV
Highest UK Singles Chart Position: 12
Not for the first time the battle of the World Cup TV tunes saw the Beeb opt for a more classic composition in the form of Gabriel Faure's Pavane while ITV chose something a little more contemporary in the form of Jean-Michel Jarre's 1986 single Rendez-Vous, which had been remixed by Apollo 440.
And once more ITV’s offering hit the mark with an up-tempo Euro-pop ditty which perfectly captured a thoroughly exciting tournament in all of its glory and also meant this Merseyside quartet with the help of an ageing French synth-rocker, notched up another hit as the record reached number 12 in the UK singles chart.
