'Rocky Top' ranked No. 1 fight song in America

This image shows what the stands at Neyland Stadium will look like during the Vols' play Florida.
Contibuted Image/Spencer Barnett
This image shows what the stands at Neyland Stadium will look like during the Vols' play Florida. Contibuted Image/Spencer Barnett
photo This image shows what the stands at Neyland Stadium will look like during the Vols' play Florida. Contibuted Image/Spencer Barnett

'Rocky Top,' Tennessee's beloved tune, has been named the nation's top fight song by USA Today.

The song isn't technically the Vols' official fight song. That distinction belongs to the lesser-known 'Down the Field.' 'Rocky Top' was first played at Tennessee games in 1972. It has been one of Tennessee's nine state songs since 1982.

"Rocky Top" has been played at Tennessee football games since 1972, but before we get there, let's talk about how the song came to be. It sprung from the minds of Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, a husband-and-wife country songwriting duo that penned hits "All I Have to Do Is Dream," "Wake Up Little Susie," "Bye Bye, Love," and "Love Hurts." For a stretch in 1967, the Bryants stayed at the Gatlinburg Inn in Gatlinburg, Tenn., while they worked on a record for Hee Haw star Archie Campbell.

Read more from our news partners at The Tennessean.

Upcoming Events