"Grove St. Party" became a staple of the Mark Stoops era of Kentucky Football, and most everyone in the Big Blue Nation had a hoot with that song at one point or another. When it was a party at Kroger Field, at the peak of Stoops' tenure, there was nothing better than hearing that blast over the speakers.
But things are changing under Will Stein and, at least to me, it would feel a little weird blasting the same song for a completely different staff and team - it just doesn't feel right, right? Stein himself confirmed back in June that he has ideas for a walkout song.
So, as a result, Kentucky Football should be taking notes from some of the best hype songs in the SEC on the journey to their own new tune. A handful of conference rivals, as much as we may hate to admit it, have some real bangers in their own traditions. The Cats can, and should, follow suit.
"Sandstorm" - South Carolina
"Sandstorm," by Darude, is a legendary piece of electronic music that the Gamecocks have basically claimed. You've heard it just about everywhere at one point or another, but South Carolina fans bumping it before a conference showdown is about as big-time as it gets.
This is a bit of an unconventional pick, and I'm not sure how I'd feel about dubstep at Kroger Field, but it's undeniably made home games for the Gamecocks among the best in the conference, even when the team is at their worst. It's hard to win there, and "Sandstorm" lights the fuse for that hostile environment.
"Dixieland Delight" - Alabama
This one, like "Grove St. Party", generally takes place towards the end of any given contest. But when the fourth quarter rolls around and the Crimson Tide crowd all chime in to the tune of "Dixieland Delight," I'm not sure college football in the south has a better experience to offer.
It helps that the band's name is literally "Alabama." That's a shoe-in choice for the football team, but it absolutely helps juice up the stadium and has become a memorable staple for one of the SEC's most premier programs.
"Rocky Top" - Tennessee
I hate to admit this as much as you hate reading it. I don't even like "Rocky Top," but it fits Tennessee Football all too well, and few (if any) fanbases get as into their songs as the orange and white do with this one.
Much like the "Dixieland Delight," this one also fits Tennessee as a state-specific song, too. There's a reason it's become so synonymous with the experience at Neyland Stadium; it may grate your ears, BBN, but it's a hard to beat example of this phenomenon at its best.
What should Kentucky respond with? Well, I'll leave that up to you, but I myself would never be against instituting "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" on a full-time basis. I mean, we've already had Patty Loveless play it live on the field - go with the fan-favorite pick and join the aforementioned ranks of the best hype-song traditions in the SEC.
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