Some suggestions for ASU’s fourth quarter song

On Sunday morning, ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham asked a simple question: What song should Arizona States play at the end of the third quarter?

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Song for the end of the 3rd quarter?

— Coach Dillingham (@KennyDillingham) July 14, 2024

When done right, the fourth-quarter song can set the tone for the end of the game, catapulting the crowd to new levels of exuberance and turning the home-field advantage up to 11.

Experience Wisconsin with “Jump Around”:

Goose flesh.

It’s a simple request: jump around. It doesn’t matter how the game goes or how many current students know who House of Payne is, it’s going to be an incredible environment.

Example 2:

Easy to follow song and the video features notable former musicians such as Ty Burrell and Marcus Marriota. A+ execution.

The best songs in this environment are high energy, easy to follow, and don’t force themselves into the role of “brand.” Virginia Tech and Enter Sandman have nothing to do with each other, and no one wants to replace this song with something related to a Hokie.

You have to score on Will Ferrell’s “gets people going” scale to make the film memorable (in a good way).

Arizona missed the mark for the 2021 season with Kenny Chesney’s “Happy Does.” It’s slow, mostly acoustic, and was only used for this line:

Some find it in the Bible or on a Polaroid picture
Or flip a coin, heads, you’re going to Tucson, Arizona

As someone who heard it a lot during Arizona’s 2021 season, I can promise you it was a worse loss for Jedd Fisch than her loss to NAU this year. It just didn’t work.

So let’s look at possible candidates:

Dillingham offered three options:

Van Halen’s “Running with the Devil”
Big Fireballs by Jerry Lee Lewis
Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire

Let’s first look at Van Halen.

Running with the Devil(s) – Van Halen

It’s a beautiful song that’s played regularly in the stadium. The fans throw out the pitchforks, usually at kickoff. It’s a cool moment, but I wouldn’t call it loud. The chorus is easy to understand. It’s a little slow. If it wasn’t for the Devils reference, no one would even think of playing it.

GTPG Rating: 5/10

Big Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis

Are the lyrics easy to understand? Not really. But the first line is great and the chorus is easy. People can pretend until they get to the chorus. It’s upbeat. Can the AV system make the piano loud enough to be loud enough over the crowd noise to increase the energy? Musicians or famous alumni pretending to play the piano would be good fodder for the video wall.

GTPG Rating: 7/10

Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash

I’m a Johnny Cash fan. The Man in Black is a legend, but does that add enough energy to slam the door in an opponent’s face or turn the tide if the Devils are trailing at the time? I think it’s maybe a little too slow. If they were a little more upbeat with the Social Distortion cover, would that be recognizable enough for fans of all ages?

GTPG Rating: 6.5/10

In general, this could work quite well, but there is no reason to force a theme if the goal is simply to drive the fans crazy.

Twist and Shout – The Beatles

This is a cousin of Oregon’s “Shout,” but it works. Highly recognizable and good for singing along. Just a fun song that gets the energy up in a tough game and keeps the energy up in a game where they’re winning. Maybe Dillingham can fill in for Ferris Bueller and recreate the famous scene from his day off? That could be a way to get the band involved, too.

GTPG Rating: 9/10

Rock Show – Blink 182

The 2022 Avalanche won the Stanley Cup powered by “All The Small Things,” and this group makes songs that are made for stadiums. I was at their show in Glendale a few weeks ago, and I know the millennial and Gen-Xer fans in the crowd would go crazy for it. I would think the other fans would get it too if they don’t know it.

This isn’t Blink’s biggest song, but it could be unique to the Sun Devils and create a great back-and-fo

GTPG Rating: 8.5/10

The Middle – Jimmy Eat World

The sing-along factor is huge for a local band. They played the song live during the Suns playoffs and it’s been very well-received. If CKD wants to continue the local trend, Jimmy Eat World could be the way to go.

GTPG Rating: 8.75/10

Powerless – Linkin Park

This one is particularly effective in Chester Bennington’s analysis of the opposing attacks:

Listen to me now
You will listen to me now whether you like it or not.

It’s a hard-hitting song. It might not be the most popular song by this group, but if you want the hard-hitting atmosphere to peak, this might be the song for you.

GTPG Rating: 8/10

Fireball – Pitbull

This is a must-have at every wedding I attend. It would work in a sports setting too. I can picture it already: Sparky comes in a tuxedo and pencil-thin mustache and brings the crowd to new heights at the crucial moment of the game. Haters will mock Pitbull, but once they get a drink or two, they’ll be ready to go. They could take on the Sun Devils and Fireballs and make a cool, quirky deal in the style of TCU “Hypnotoad.”

GTPG Rating: 10/10

Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses

CKD preaches that Tempe is paradise. This idea is taken a step further. At 90 seconds, the song kicks up a notch. They could have a famous alumnus dress up as Axl, hyping up the crowd even more.

GTPG Rating: 9/10

Mr. Brightside – The Killers

Does it make sense to play a song about a man who is worried that his better half is currently with another man? No. But it makes even less sense to play this song at a wedding. I’ve been to several weddings where it’s been played and people don’t care about the lyrical context, just the mood.

We have vibes with this song.

They also know how to read a moment. During their tour of England, they projected the England national team’s victory in the European Championship onto their video screen and started playing this song.

GTPG Rating: 8.5/10

Whistleblower – Too $hort

People could hurt themselves by getting too caught up in this song. If Too $hort released the first game of the year and reworked a line or two to make it “That’s Tempe Baby,” the GTPG rating would skyrocket even further.

GTPG Rating: 9/10

Bring Em Out – TI featuring Jay-Z

13-year-old Jordan would have loved to hear this at a football game. 21 years later, modern-day Jordan would still be excited. Could be another cool mix with the band playing the horns and the lyrics over the PA system.

GTPG Rating: 9.5/10

Can’t Stop – Red Hot Chili Peppers

There is some build up, but it doesn’t take too long to get to the point where you’re pumped up to the max. It’s easy to follow and sends the message that not only will the Sun Devils not stop, they can’t stop. It slows down after 2.5 minutes, but perhaps with some editing the upbeat parts can be turned right into a great guitar riff.

GTPG Rating: 8.5/10

It’s the perfect time to reimagine the stadium experience at Mountain America Stadium, and these songs and moments could play a major role in that.

Let’s do something crazy.