Victory songs of Western music: world-famous classics and popular hits.
Thanks to events like the WBC and boxing, sports are once again booming in popularity in Japan.
What’s great about sports, above all, is how they let us ride the emotional ups and downs of victory and defeat.
This time, we’ve picked out Western songs that add color to that essential element of sports: victory!
Each track features energetic lyrics and melodies, so just listening to them is sure to get you fired up.
If you love sports, or if you’re an athlete struggling to relieve stress due to an injury, please take your time and enjoy this to the very end!
Victory songs of Western music. World-famous and popular songs (1–10)
Lose YourselfEminem
Eminem’s classic “Lose Yourself.” It’s a famous hip-hop track that even non-heads know.
Rather than simply expressing victory, this piece portrays the attitude of someone who seizes it.
In short, it’s a song about rising to the top, but Eminem’s lyrics are so original that many people may find their impression changes when they read a Japanese translation.
In any case, it’s a work with incredible vibes, making it a perfect fit for a victorious moment.
Sacrifices ft. MigosBig Sean
One of the leading figures in alternative hip-hop, Big Sean.
Lately, he’s been incorporating trap—the mainstream sound in today’s hip-hop—showcasing even greater musical depth.
The track where he teams up with another great rapper, Migos, is Sacrifices ft.
Migos.
It’s a song about the thrill of achieving success and victory.
While it carries a dark vibe, it’s wrapped in an overall refreshing flow.
Be sure to check it out.
The DistanceCake
A song about a race car driver who is eager for victory.
Written by Greg Brown, the band’s guitarist until 1998, it is known as one of Cake’s most popular songs.
The track was used in the cartoon The Simpsons.
Good FeelingFlo Rida
Flo Rida is the rapper who helped spark the global EDM boom.
His music—unusually for rappers at the time—incorporated house and electro, which went on to have a major influence on today’s EDM scene.
Among his tracks, the one that’s especially perfect for victory is Good Feeling.
It brilliantly captures that incredible rush you get when you achieve something, and its style—distilling R&B house into EDM—leaves a strong impression.
Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus, Act III: "See, the Conquering Hero Comes"NEW!Georg Friedrich Händel
When you hear “the awards ceremony song,” isn’t this the melody many people think of? This famous tune, beloved in settings ranging from school sports days to many other occasions, was written in the 1740s by the Baroque master George Frideric Handel.
In fact, within the oratorio Judas Maccabaeus, this piece is performed as the people greet a hero returning victorious from battle with jubilant celebration.
Not only does it have a background perfectly suited to award scenes, but its dignified, stately melody impressed even Beethoven, who wrote a set of variations on its theme.
It’s said that Handel originally composed it for a different work, then incorporated it into this piece himself as a confident showpiece.
A song that proclaims the glory of victory in resounding tones—truly a triumphant march worthy of the name.
WinnerPet Shop Boys
A single from Pet Shop Boys’ 11th album, Elysium.
It was released to coincide with the 2012 London Olympics.
The music video is a mini-documentary about transsexuality, created by Dirty Diana, a female roller derby player.
Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us NowMcFadden & Whitehead
The soul duo McFadden & Whitehead, who were hugely active in the ’70s.
They were one of the duos that helped boost the globally spotlighted genre of Philly soul at the time, and they had a major influence on today’s R&B and funk music.
Among their works, the song that’s especially perfect for celebrating victory is Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now.
Its lyrics convey a message like “We’re feeling on top of the world right now,” and the melody matches that sentiment—funky and dazzling.