Jump to content

Most iconic songs played by a drum corps


Recommended Posts

From an anecdotal perspective, I am very curious to hear what the legacy drum corps fan believes would be the top 3 most iconic songs in the drum corps literature. I am very Interested to read the opinions of the community here as well any reasoning behind your selection. Thank you for reading and taking the time to respond!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kilties: Auld Lang Syne

Lancers: Danny Boy

Santa Clara: Bottle Dance

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Troopers How the West Was Won

Boston Conquest

KIlties Auld Lang Syne

Cavaliers Somewhere Over the Rainbow or Bully are both favorites but not quite as iconic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would have to say Big Dale has probably nailed it, though I would have to admit I think of SCV's "Bottle Dance" in terms of the movement rather than the music, though if at finals in 2012 they added "The Bottle Dance" to "Music of the Night" the crowd would have had to be peeled off the ceiling of the domed Lucas Oil Stadium. I know it would not have made sense from a design point of view, but everyone would have loved it.

Now if I had to choose a replacement for "Bottle Dance" it could be difficult. Some strains of "Conquest" have made it into just about every BAC show I can remember (sometimes you have to train your ear to hear it which makes it even better). But "Greensleeves" by Guardsmen, Cavies "Softly as I Leave You," Bluecoats "Autumn Leaves" Madison's "The Way we Were" are all iconic and of course "Let It Be Me" by Spirit of Atlanta, but if I had to pick just three:

"Danny Boy" by 27th. People who were not even born when 27th competed love this and those of us who remember it go wild. Even non-27th fans often admit to loving this ending.

"Auld Lang Syne" by Kilts. Last heard in finals in 1978 and since 79 was the beginning of some rapid fire changes for many corps, it's almost a last hurrah of corps of another age.

"Let it Be Me" by Spirit of Atlanta. I did not know Jim Ott when he was tragically killed in a car accident in 1980. I remember reading of his passing Drum Corps News or Drum Corps World and if memory serves me correctly, there was a moment of silence for him a few weeks after he died when Spirit performed for the first time in New England at a 27th Lancer show. I was going into my senior year in high school and I'm sure I thought it was too bad, but now when I see the video taken at the show where Spirit performed after learning of his tragic death that morning and see the pure emotion the corps had that night, knowing their hearts were breaking, and knowing how the staff and volunteers had to put their grief aside to console the kids, I almost loose it. Age of course gives you that perspective, but if that's not iconic, I'm not sure what is.

Edited by Tim K
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Crown Imperial, 27th Lancers

Through The Eyes Of Love (from Ice Castles), Madison Scouts

Ghost Riders In The Sky, Troopers

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

From an anecdotal perspective, I am very curious to hear what the legacy drum corps fan believes would be the top 3 most iconic songs in the drum corps literature. I am very Interested to read the opinions of the community here as well any reasoning behind your selection. Thank you for reading and taking the time to respond!

"Battle Hymn of the Republic" by many corps over time is an iconic tune not attached to one particular corps...the Troopers version might be the best example to see/hear. It was part of Garfield's show two of the three years I marched there, 70 and 71.

"Malaguena" is pretty iconic, esp by both the Scouts and Caballeros...and then by hundreds of marching bands over time.

Music from West Side Story has been played ad nauseum by many corps, so I'd put that in there...though it is not one individual tune. Is that cheating with your question???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the entire drum corps idiom, I'd say the three most iconic songs ever used are-

Malaguena, Music of the Night, and Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor. Both three songs that pretty much any drum corps fan, no matter how new to the activity can pick out from just a small sample of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Madison Scouts "You'll Never Walk Alone"

Troopers "Battle Hymn of the Republic"

SCV "Send in the Clowns"

Crusaders "Conquest"

27th Lancers "Danny Boy"

Yes, and the Cavaliers,.. the older vets anyway... would want to include" Somewhere"/

" I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" to this iconic list of Drum Corps songs, imo.

Edited by BRASSO
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...