List of Olympic songs and anthems

Olympic songs and anthems are adopted officially by International Olympic Committee (or by official broadcasters and partners selected by IOC), to be used prior to the Olympic Games and to accompany the games during the event.

They are used as theme music in TV broadcast and also used in advertising campaigns for the Olympic Games. Some songs and anthems are more popular and famous than official songs and anthems.

Summer Olympics

Official theme songs and anthems

Games Host
City
Title Language(s) Performer(s) Writer(s) and producer(s) Audio and Videos Live Performance
Montreal "Bienvenue à Montréal"
(Welcome to Montreal)
René Simard Music Video
Moscow "Олимпиада"
(Olympiad)
Tõnis Mägi, Mykola Hnatyuk David Tukhmanov
Robert Rozhdestvensky
Music Video
Music Video
"Стадион моей мечты"
(My Dream Stadium)
Music Video
Los Angeles "Reach Out"
(official song)
English Paul Engemann Giorgio Moroder Official Music Video
"Olympic Fanfare and Theme"
(official theme)[1]
New American Orchestra John Williams Opening Ceremony
Seoul "Hand in Hand"
- English Version
English Koreana Giorgio Moroder, Tom Whitlock (English lyrics), Kim Moon-hwan (Korean lyrics) Official Music Video Opening Ceremony
"손에 손 잡고"
- Korean Version
Korean Music Video
Barcelona "Amigos Para Siempre"
(Friends for Life)
José Carreras, Sarah Brightman Official Music Video Closing Ceremony
Atlanta "Reach"
(official song)
English Gloria Estefan Official Music Video Closing Ceremony
"Summon the Heroes"
(official theme)[2]
Atlanta Symphony John Williams Opening Ceremony
Sydney "Dare To Dream" English Olivia Newton-John, John Farnham Paul Begaud, Vanessa Corish, Wayne Tester Audio Opening Ceremony
Athens "Oceania" English Björk Official Music Video Opening Ceremony
Beijing "You and Me" Chinese and English Liu Huan, Sarah Brightman Qigang Chen Official Music Video
Music Video
London "Survival"[3] Muse Closing Ceremony
Rio de Janeiro "Alma e Coração"[4]
(Soul and Heart)
Thiaguinho, Projota Music Video
Tokyo "Colorful"[5] Japanese Ai, Motohiro Hata, Little Glee Monster, Daichi Miura, Perfume, Taemin, Miyavi, Nasty C, Sabrina Carpenter, Ayumu Imazu, Blue Vintage, Mizki, Sanari, Chikuzen Sato Ryosuke Imai Music Video
Paris "Parade"[6] Orchestre National de France Victor Le Masne Audio Live Performance

Medal ceremony theme songs

Games Host City Title Peformers Writer(s) and producer(s)
Beijing
London "Chariots Of Fire" N/A Vangelis
"Medal Ceremony"

- During Closing Ceremony

David Arnold
Rio de Janeiro "Brazilian Fantasy" Alexandre de Faria
Tokyo "Tokyo 2020 Victory Ceremony Theme" 144 people from top Japanese studio musicians and leading symphony orchestras - Recorded Version Naoki Sato
Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and Tokyo Symphony Chorus - Live Version
Paris "Parade" Orchestre National de France Victor Le Masne

Other notable songs and anthems

Games Host
City
Title Language(s) Performer(s) Writer(s) and producer(s) Audio and Videos Live Performance
Seoul "One Moment in Time"
- NBC Sports Broadcast Theme Song
English Whitney Houston Albert Hammond Official Music Video
"The Olympic Spirit"
- NBC Sports Broadcast Theme Music
John Williams
"You're Not Alone"
- Australian Official Olympic Team Song
English Official Music Video
Barcelona "Barcelona"
- Official Theme Song Candidate
- BBC Grandstand Theme Song
Freddie Mercury, Mike Moran
Atlanta "The Power of the Dream" Celine Dion Kenneth Brian Edmonds, David Walter Foster, Linda Diane Thompson Opening Ceremony
"Return to Innocence"
- Promotional Video Theme Song
Enigma Music Video
"Javelin"
- Official Bid Theme[2]
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Michael Torke Audio
Sydney "The Flame" English Tina Arena John Foreman (musician) Official Music Video Audio Opening Ceremony
"Heroes Live Forever" English Vanessa Amorosi John Gillard & Trevor White Audio Opening Ceremony
"Under Southern Skies" English Nikki Webster & Sing 2001 Choir Damien Halloran & Maria Millward Audio Opening Ceremony
Athens "Oceania" English Björk Official Music Video Opening Ceremony
Beijing "Forever Friends" Sun Nan, A-Mei, Coco Lee Giorgio Moroder Official Music Video
London N/A
Rio de Janeiro "Rise"
- NBC Sports Broadcast Theme Song
Katy Perry Official Music Video
Tokyo "Remember This"
- NBC Sports Broadcast Theme Song
Jonas Brothers Official Music Video
Paris "Hello World"[7] English Gwen Stefani, Anderson .Paak Ryan Tedder Official Music Video
"Butai ni Tatte"
- NHK Broadcast Theme Song
Japanese Yoasobi Ayase Official Music Video

Winter Olympics

Official theme songs and anthems

Games Host
City
Title Language(s) Performer(s) Writer(s) and producer(s) Audio and Videos Live Performance
Calgary "Winter Games"
- Instrumental Version
None
(Instrumental)
David Foster David Foster Official Music Video Opening Ceremony
Closing Ceremony
"Can't You Feel It"
- Vocal Version
English Audio
Albertville N/A
Lillehammer "Se ilden lyse (Fire in Your Heart)"[8] Norwegian (English) Sissel Kyrkjebø, English duet with Plácido Domingo Jan Vincents Johannessen, Svein Gundersen
Nagano N/A
Salt Lake City "Light the Fire Within"
(official song)
English LeAnn Rimes David Foster, Linda Thompson Opening Ceremony
"Call of the Champions"
(official theme)
Latin Utah Symphony, Tabernacle Choir John Williams Opening Ceremony
Turin "Because We Believe
(Ama Credi E Vai)
"[9]
Andrea Bocelli Closing Ceremony
Vancouver "I Believe" Nikki Yanofsky Stephan Moccio
Alan Frew
Phil Ramone
Jesse Harris
Official Music Video
Sochi N/A
Pyeongchang N/A[10]
Beijing N/A
Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo "Fantasia Italiana"[11] Dario Faini Behind the Scenes

Medal ceremony theme songs

Games Host City Title Peformers Writer(s) and producer(s)
Nagano
Salt Lake City "Call of the Champions" Utah Symphony, Tabernacle Choir John Williams
Turin Henoel Grech
Vancouver "Medals" The 2010 Vancouver Olympic Orchestra Dave Pierce
Sochi "VICTORY!" Petr Andreev, Nikolay Skvortsov, Dmitry Petrov,Margorita Mirmova, Il'ya Yudin[12] Maxim Bobkov
Pyeongchang "티어스 오브 글로리 (Tears of Glory)"[13] Cho Young-soo
Beijing
Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo "Fantasia Italiana - Gran Finale" Dardust (Dario Faini)

Other notable songs and anthems

Games Host
City
Title Language(s) Performer(s) Writer(s) and producer(s) Audio and Videos Live Performance
Pyeongchang "Let Everyone Shine"
- Torch Relay Promotional Song
Korean Insooni Official Music Video
Beijing N/A
Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo "Fino all'alba" Italian Arisa Official Audio

Albums

  • Summer Olympics
Games Host
City
Official Others Notes
Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics Album: One Moment in Time
Barcelona Barcelona Gold
Atlanta Rhythm of the Games: 1996 Olympic Games Album
Sydney The Games Of The XXVII Olympiad 2000: Music from the Opening Ceremony
Athens Unity: Official Athens 2004 Olympic Games
Harmony: The Official Athens 2004 Olympic Games Classical Album
Beijing The Official Album for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games AT&T Team USA Soundtrack
London Isles of Wonder
A Symphony of British Music (album)
Rio de Janeiro Rio 2016 (Olympic Themes & Anthems)
Tokyo Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: "Hoop" Lights Our Way
Paris Music from The Opening Ceremony of The Olympic Games Paris 2024
  • Winter Olympics
Games Host
City
Official Others Notes
Turin N/A
Vancouver Sounds of Vancouver 2010: Opening Ceremony Commemorative Album
Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Themes: Music for the Sochi Games (Anthems, Fanfares and Classical Favorites)
Pyeongchang N/A
Beijing N/A

See also

References

  1. ^ "IOC awards the Olympic Order to John Williams". Olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. 30 April 2003. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b Swed, Mark (18 July 1996). "The Best Music Doesn't Get 'Official' Nod". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Muse unveil official Olympic song". BBC News. 27 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2023-03-05.
  4. ^ Olympic Spirit Is Contagious in 2016 Official Theme Song Video: Watch
  5. ^ "J-pop Artists Join Forces on 'Colorful' Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics Theme Song". Billboard. Billboard Japan. 2021-07-21. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  6. ^ "Olympic Games Paris 2024: The Official Musical Theme of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, composed by Victor le Masne, for the ceremony". Paris 2024 Olympics. 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  7. ^ Lee, Eleanor (25 July 2024). "Olympic Games Paris 2024: Coca-Cola, Gwen Stefani, Ryan Tedder and Anderson .Paak celebrate the power of sport and music with official Olympics song 'Hello World'". Paris 2024 Olympics. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  8. ^ Aune, Oddvin; Flå, Ellen (11 February 2024). "Da «Se ilden lyse» med Sissel Kyrkjebø skulle bli en verdenshit". nrk.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). NRK. Archived from the original on July 21, 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  9. ^ 10 Best Olympic Winter Games Anthems
  10. ^ 평창동계올림픽, 공식주제가가 없다
  11. ^ ""Italian Fantasia" by Dardust is the official soundtrack of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026". Milano Cortina 2026. 29 December 2025.
  12. ^ VICTORY! Music for Victory ceremony of the Olympic Games (Sochi 2014), retrieved 2026-03-20
  13. ^ "'대한민국 저작권료 1위' 조영수 작곡가, "성공적인 올림픽에 일조했다는 자부심 크다" 감격 소감". iMBC 연예 (in Korean). 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2026-03-20.