This post replaces my previous post relating to production music used by ESPN’s Baseball Tonight, due to my identifying and finding several more tracks. I wanted to reorganize the information in a chronological – and hopefully more orderly and legible – form, because the change in the music employed over the 15 year span of 1994-2009 is sweeping. It ranges from ‘80s/’90s synths to indie rock and even some Southern country, then into the aggressive guitars of hard rock and metal, at a time when production music in other venues was becoming less distinctive.
Whether this change was a good one or not is up for debate!
This information centers primarily around episodes from 1996-2005; there are several tracks here known to be in use in 1994, and many of the newer rock tracks at the end of this period were still being used in 2009.
At this point, 167 separate tracks have been identified for this span; I’m still looking for 14 others, which I’ve posted already elsewhere on this board. I don't expect to update this list further, unless the unidentified tracks are identified or unless more material from 1994-2009 becomes available. Until that happens, here’s what I’ve found, in order of reported release date:
1983
Amphonic
SUPERCHARGED (AVF16) / HIT THE HEIGHTS (AVF64, re-released): Hit the Heights
1985
AirCraft
AD-VICE (ACL018): City Heat – Alternate **
1987
Atmosphere
SPECTACULAR (ATMOSCD 002): Spectacular 2
JW / Josef Weinberger Music
HERE AT LAST! (JW 2001): Here at Last **
1988
Atmosphere
MOVE IT! (ATMOS005): Transmission
Manhattan
HIGH ENERGY ROCK, TOO (MPM020): Punk Funk
1989
Atmosphere
IDENTITY (ATMOSCD 008): Street Level
SPORTING EDGE (ATMOSCD 011): Superbowl
Cavendish
CAVENDISH PRESENTS FREESTYLERS: CRUISE THE GROOVE (or "Grove", if you go by the cover) (catalog # ???): Hazard
(also reported as a track on Cavendish's album, Impact!, released the following year)
De Wolfe
STRENGTH TO STRENGTH (DWCD 0056): Winning Margin
MusicHouse
GOLDRUSH (MHE12): Overdrive, Trial Run, Cheerleader (NEW FIND)
1990
Atmosphere
POP ADVENTURE (ATMOSCD 018): Winning, Big City
Berlin
POWERBOX (BER1131): Blue Box, Modern Times
Cavendish
SCREENSPORT (CAVCD027): Screensport - Underscore, Sportsworld - Underscore
Chappell
FRONT RUNNERS (CHAPAV036): Super League
1991
AirCraft
ACTION … TAKE 2 (ACL041): Axe Man – Underscore **, Breakneck
Firstcom
PHOTO FINISH (FC-A8): Hero Worship
CLASSIC ROCK (FC-A9): Rock Steady
1992
Firstcom
ALL AMERICAN HERO (FC-A11): Emergency Rescue – Underscore **
MusicHouse
RAVING MAD (MH29): Stock Car Racer **
1993
Bruton
GRUNGE ROCK (BR173_BRH58): Post Modern Hippie
Chappell
ROCK THEMES (CHAPAV062): Motor Tracker, Rock Chicks *
* track was used for “In Orbit / Going, Going, Gone” for several years, listing the day’s home runs and hitters, an end-of-show regular feature
SPORTS (CHAPAV060): Powerboat Racing - Underscore
Sound Stage/Amphonic
HARD ROCK (AVF109): In Too Deep **, Rebellion, Rocking Good Time
Tele Music
INDUSTRIAL ACTION 3: GOING FOR THE GOLD (TELE1037): Full Power - Underscore (NEW FIND)
1994
Chappell
SPORTS/ROCK (CHAPAV072): Freefall Aerobatics (a), Jet Ski Racer (b), Snowboarding (a), Super Trucks (b)
ROCK VOCALS (CHAPAV075): The Days of My Life **
De Wolfe
INDIE, ROCK & GROOVES (DWCD 0166): Activate, Demolition Man, Hardcore, Powerdrive, Hot Sweat 1
Manhattan
HIGH ENERGY ROCK III (MPM049): Pedal to the Metal
Match
ACTION REPLAY (MAT148): Shockwave, Technosport **, Licensed to Thrill - Underscore
1995
AirCraft
JET STREAM II (ACL071): Catch the Fever – Underscore **
NATURAL BORN ROCKERS (ACL 073): Cramps in My Pants, Natural Born Rockers
De Wolfe
POWER & MOTION (DWCD 0181): Fired Up, Motivation, Reaching the Line 1
Firstcom
ROCK (FC-A40): Day by Day (b) **
HARD SELL (FC-A41): Kitesailing (a) **
NYB/NJJ
ROCK – VOLUME 1 (NYB6): Fast Break, Power Pop, Under the Gun
ROCK – VOLUME 2 (NYB7): Attitude, Driveby, Monster, Ocean, Police, Show No Fear, Smurfin - Underscore
1996
Chappell
MEDIA-TECHNOLOGY 2 (CHAPAV100): Eternal Conflict, Techno Whizz-Kid
Firstcom
POWER GUITAR (FC-A48): Candy Coated Crayons
KPM
Rock Attitude (KPM308): Speed Game **, Cross Fire, Drivin'
1997
Atmosphere
ROCK OUT (ATMOS093): Indie Race
Chappell
EXTREME SPORTS (CHAPAV111): Leap to Fame
De Wolfe
ROCK BOX (DWCD 0218): Alley Cat, Hole Punch, Round We Go, She Can’t Love Me Like Me
Firstcom
DANCE MASTERS (FC-A56): Positive Vibrations (b) **
SPORTS EXTREME, VOL. 2 (FC-A64): Behind the Line, Billboard, Slam Shot, Winning Pattern – Underscore
ROCK HARD (FC-A65): Muskeeto
Hudson
ENERGY GROOVES (HRCB 12): Energy Grooves *
* Used for the first iteration of “Web Gems”, an end-of-show feature of top defensive plays
Kosinus
GUITAR EXTREME (KOS33): Sport Game
CULTURE GRUNGE (KOS35): Culture Grunge **
1998
Chappell
BIG BEATS (CHAPAV135): Are You Ready, Dirty Money
TOTAL SPORT (CHAPAV136): 110%
Image
RADIO ROCK (IMCD3037): You Too?, Hard and Fast
1999
Match
ALTERNATIVE INDIE (MAT174): Aggravated Assault, Drop Jaw, Fame Game, Look Sharp, Rocktronics, Sweat and Tears
2000
Apple Trax
XTREME BOARD & BLADE (AT58): Street Luge
Chappell
MELODIC ROCK (CHAPAV152): The Sun Always Shines
Kosinus
RHYTHM & NEWS (KOS85): Zip Jazz
Mastersource
GRUNGE & METAL (MSTR044): Walkin’ in Confusion – Instrumental, Hand of Emptiness - Instrumental
2001
Killer Tracks
CHRONIC ROCKS II (CT026): Alter Ego, Make A Fist, No Escape, Strangler, Rock Queen, Show No Mercy, Muscle Car, Skinned, The Natural
Mastersource
ROCK & ALTERNATIVE (MSTR056): I Can’t Have You – Instrumental, Touch and Go – Instrumental, When I’m Gone – Instrumental
NYB/NJJ
SPORTS 7 (NJJ64): Lunch Box, Sub Death, Captain Pike
2002
Apple Trax
HARD EDGE – CONTEMPORARY (AT082): All Out, Mainstream, Slay Ride, Wah Wah Mama
Killer Tracks
KILLER ROCKS (KT147): Big Mistake, Pure Petro, Moxie
Connect
ROCK GODS - VOLUME 1, GUITAR: Hot Metal
Mastersource
HARD ROCK & METAL (MSTR071): Bad Mofo – Instrumental, I’ll Be You – Instrumental, Rock Nation – Instrumental, Until the End – Instrumental
Tele Music
ROCK FEVER (TMCD 1120): American Highway, No Turning Back - Underscore (NEW FIND), Nocturnal Run - Underscore (NEW FIND), Rock Fever - Underscore (NEW FIND)
Velocity
SPORTS EDGE V1 (VL027Q): Classic Sports Anthem, Tough Game, Piledriver (NEW FIND)
2003
Adrenalin Sounds (keep wanting to type that as "adrenaline")
PUMPING SPORTS ROCK (AD2007): Foo 4 Thought
All Media Music
GUITAR GODS: AGGRESSIVE ROCK (AMM101): God of Guitars. Arena Fantasy
Match
ROCK TOOLBOX (MAT199): Endorphin
2006
Big Shorts
ROCK OVERLOAD (BIGS014): Chugger, Schools Run
Endgame / APM
OVERLOAD (END0104): Muscle
EVO
RADIO ROCK RELOAD (EVO48Q): Echo Tango
KPM
EXTREME SPORTS (KPM637): Concrete Carnage (b) *, Full Contact (b), Monster Hardcore (b)
* Used for an end-of-program feature, “That’s Nasty”, focusing on dominant pitching
Mastersource
CLASSIC ROCK 1 (MSTR133): Hold On
UNABLE TO VERIFY DATE OF ORIGIN
BRg
GUITAR FELONY (BRg3011): Dutch Rub **, Out of My Head **, Bee Sting, Cheese Whiz, Chicken Feathers
BLAZING INFERNO (BRg3015): Stratosonic **, Razorblade, Wilder Thing
GENERATION NEXT (BRg3013): Spider March, Three Big Men, Welcome to the End
BRg COUNTRY
UPSHIFT (BRg4012): China Field, Fifth Gear
Catalog gives 2010 date for these albums, but tracks were known to be in use several years prior
Who Did That Music / Groove Addicts
ROCK, VOLUME 1 (TL004): Just Ink It
Catalog gives 2010 date, but track was known to be in use several years prior
Vault Music
SPORTS ROCK (VLT1540): Feel the Beat, Hard Rider, Stoked, The Trenches (also shown as "In the Trenches")
Unable to find a published date for this album
** indicates tracks identified by Craig-UK from this board; his assistance is gratefully acknowledged
