Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home) was the most played UK national football anthem ahead of the European Championship, according to new data.
The 1996 track, written by comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner with the Lightning Seeds, topped a list compiled by royalty collection society PRS for Music marking the start of the delayed Euro 2020 games.
Twenty-five years since its original release, the song, with its popular “It’s coming home” lyric, has spent a total of 45 weeks in the singles chart, peaking at number one.
The track continues to be an anthem for England fans during major tournaments and saw a resurgence in popularity during the 2018 World Cup.
New Order’s World In Motion, written for the 1990 World Cup, is in second place while This Time (We’ll Get it Right) by the 1982 England World Cup squad is third.
The list ranks the official Football Association, Fifa World Cup and Uefa Euro songs for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, based on streams and downloads across online music and video-on-demand platforms in 2020.
In fourth is rock band Manic Street Preachers’ effort for Euro 2016, Together Stronger (C’mon Wales), while We’re On The Ball by presenting duo Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, written and recorded for the 2002 World Cup, is in fifth.
Scotland’s official song for the World Cup in 1998, Don’t Come Home Too Soon, performed by Del Amitri, is eighth on the chart.
Song-writing trio Stock Aitken Waterman’s contribution for Euro 88, titled All The Way and featuring the England football team, is at number 12.
Also featured is Sing 4 England by former footballer and pundit Chris “Kammy” Kamara featuring Joe Public Utd for Euro 12.
Northern Ireland’s 1982 World Cup song Yer Man, performed by Dana and the Northern Ireland squad, is at number 15.
Despite the widespread success of tracks such as Sir Rod Stewart’s Purple Heather and Jerusalem by Fat Les, cover songs are not included in the chart as they were not originally written for football tournaments.
South London hip-hop duo Krept & Konan have written an England football anthem for the ongoing European Championships.
PRS’ Most played UK national football anthems chart
1 – Three Lions – Baddiel, Skinner and the Lightning Seeds – Euro 96
2 – World in Motion – ENGLANDneworder – 1990 World Cup
3 – This Time (We’ll Get it Right) – England World Cup Squad ‘82 – 1982 World Cup
4 – Together Stronger (C’mon Wales) – Manic Street Preachers – Euro 2016
5 – We’re on the Ball – Ant and Dec – 2002 World Cup
6 – World at Your Feet – Embrace – 2006 World Cup
7 – Back Home – England World Cup Squad ’70 – 1970 World Cup
8 – Don’t Come Home Too Soon – Del Amitri – 1998 World Cup
9 – We Have a Dream – The Scottish World Cup Squad – 1982 World Cup
10 – We’ve Got The Whole World at Our Feet – England World Cup Squad ‘86 – 1986 World Cup
11 – Big Trip to Mexico – The Scottish World Cup Squad – 1986 World Cup
12 – All the Way – England football team featuring the ‘sound’ of Stock, Aitken & Waterman – Euro 88
13 – Sing 4 England – Chris “Kammy” Kamara featuring Joe Public Utd – Euro 2012
14 – (How Does it Feel to Be) On Top of the World – England United – 1998 World Cup
15 – Yer Man – Dana and the Northern Ireland World Cup Squad – 1982 World Cup
16 – Ole Ola (Mulher Brasileira) – Rod Stewart & Scottish World Cup Squad ’78 – 1978 World Cup
17 – Easy Easy – The Scotland World Cup Squad – 1974 World Cup
18 – Come On Northern Ireland (We’ll Support You Evermore) – Northern Ireland Football Team 1986 World Cup.