What gets you amped up for the big game? Maybe it’s a pre-kickoff run. Maybe it’s a bucket full of Red Bull. Or maybe it’s some kooky superstitious chant that your friend swears by. (Hey, we don’t judge!)
For the mayors of the two Super Bowl teams, it’s great music — tunes that represent their respective cities and make them swell with pride.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Seattle Mayor Ed Murray have each compiled playlists of the songs that get them in the fighting spirit and will rev up Broncos and Seahawks fans across the country before the main event on Sunday.
No matter who you root for, we say fire up those speakers, as there’s something for everyone in the mayors’ Spotify picks: The lists span many decades and genres, showcasing the culture, music, and attitudes of each city, not to mention the mayors’ eclectic musical tastes!
For instance, Hancock’s go-to list includes the official state song of Colorado, John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High,” paired with the Queen classic “We are the Champions,” (which was also the Broncos’ victory song for their 1998 Super Bowl win over the Packers). Alicia Keys and Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” makes the list too, in a nod to the big game’s location this year, of course.
On Murray’s list? Sir Mix-a-Lot’s homage to Seattle “Posse on Broadway,” hometown icon Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” and Phish’s “Wilson,” in honor of Seattle fans’ chants whenever their beloved quarterback Russell Wilson takes the field. Seattle’s own Macklemore and Ryan Lewis cleaned up at the Grammys, and their totally danceable hit “Thrift Shop” had to make the list as well.
Click to listen to the Spotify playlists from the mayors below. And let us know what song gets you fired up!
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s Broncos Playlist
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s Seahawks Playlist
Alesandra Dubin is a Los Angeles-based writer and the founder of home and travel blog Homebody in Motion. Follow her on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.