With Super Bowl LIX this Sunday, millions will hear these iconic NFL theme songs. But where did these melodies really come from? Let’s take a listen…

Giddy Up!

The classic NFL on FOX theme song always sounded a little suss (did I use that right?) to me. Every time I heard it I would hum “Giddy Up! Giddy Up! Let’s Go!” from Bing Crosby’s 1948 Christmas classic “Sleigh Ride” (Originally composed in 1948 by Leroy Anderson). The NFL theme, written by Scott Schreer was first used in 1994 as the official NFL on Fox theme.

Have a listen to these two parts!

Game On!

This lawsuit that I posted about in 2019 with a (sensationally titled) NY Post article title “Singer says Carrie Underwood stole ‘Sunday Night Football’ theme song” had been dropped seemingly that same year. Here’s the original post:

In a suit filed in Manhattan federal court against Underwood, NBC and the NFL, Heidi Merrill, a country singer who found some success a few years ago with a song for the Nebraska Cornhuskers college football team, alleges that she and her team penned her version of “Game On” in 2016 and that it was featured in March 2017 during a broadcast of CBS’ “Inside College Basketball.”

Sam Israel, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said that in August 2017 the plaintiffs passed the song along to Underwood’s producer to pitch to Underwood.

Israel said that an assistant for Underwood’s producer told the plaintiffs that “we’re going to have to pass” on Merrill’s song.  Read more at NY Post

The lawsuit seemed to have been dropped according to this article “Songwriter Drops Lawsuit Against Carrie Underwood Over NFL Sunday Night Football Song”

I had a few listens. It seems maybe the line “Game On” is somewhat similar. But I guess that if Merrill’s team pitched this to Underwood then it’s a bit suspect, i mean suss. Listen for yourself:

Chorus:

Full Songs:

Heidi Merrill – “Game On” (2017)

Carrie Underwood – “Game On” (2018)

See also:

Other songs that made it to court