Why is Neil Diamond’s mega-hit ‘Sweet Caroline’ so popular among sports fans? During this summer’s Euros, one thing is certain: Diamond’s 1969 hit will be everywhere. But how did it become so beloved by England fans? Jimmy McIntosh investigates.
At the Euro 2024 tournament, a few things are guaranteed – warm lager thrown in the air with each goal, the highs and lows of penalty shootouts, and the inevitable playing of Neil Diamond’s 1969 hit ‘Sweet Caroline’ in pubs, clubs, and fan parks across England.
The track’s rise to popularity among English sports fans is well-documented: at Euro 2020, following England’s 2-0 victory against Germany at Wembley, DJ Tony Perry was tasked with energizing the crowd after the traditional post-match play of Baddiel and Skinner’s ‘Three Lions’. Initially considering ‘Vindaloo’ by Fat Les, Perry instead chose ‘Sweet Caroline’ because “it just felt right,” as he told the Daily Mirror in 2023. His intuition was spot on. The stadium erupted in a chorus of “BA BAAA BUM,” and the song became an unofficial anthem for the rest of the tournament. By the time the Lionesses won the Women’s European Championship the following year, the song had become entrenched in the English sports culture – today, it’s hard to spend an evening in a provincial town without hearing someone sing it at karaoke.
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