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!
At this point, 107 separate tracks have been identified for this span; I’m still looking for 16 others, many of which I’ve posted already elsewhere on this board. There are a handful of others, and maybe I’ll have the energy to chase them down sometime! 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
JW / Josef Weinberger Music
HERE AT LAST! (JW 2001): Here at Last **
1988
Manhattan
HIGH ENERGY ROCK, TOO (MPM020): Punk Funk
1989
Atmosphere
IDENTITY (ATMOSCD 008): Street Level
SPORTING EDGE (ATMOSCD 011): Superbowl
De Wolfe
STRENGTH TO STRENGTH (DWCD 0056): Winning Margin
1990
Atmosphere
POP ADVENTURE (ATMOSCD 018): Winning
Berlin
POWERBOX (BER1131): Blue Box, Modern Times
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
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
Sound Stage/Amphonic
HARD ROCK (AVF109): In Too Deep **, Rebellion, Rocking Good Time
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
Manhattan
HIGH ENERGY ROCK III (MPM049): Pedal to the Metal
Match
ACTION REPLAY (MAT148): Shockwave, Technosport **
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
ROCK – VOLUME 2 (NYB7): Attitude, Driveby, Monster, Ocean, Police, Show No Fear
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 **
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
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 **
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
Mastersource
GRUNGE & METAL (MSTR044): Walkin’ in Confusion – Instrumental
2001
Chronic Trax
CHRONIC ROCKS II (CT026): Alter Ego, Make A Fist, No Escape, Strangler
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
2002
Apple Trax
HARD EDGE – CONTEMPORARY (AT082): All Out, Mainstream, Slay Ride, Wah Wah Mama
Killer Tracks
KILLER ROCKS (KT147): Big Mistake, Pure Petro
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
Velocity
SPORTS EDGE V1 (VL027Q): Classic Sports Anthem, Tough Game
2003
All Media Music
GUITAR GODS: AGGRESSIVE ROCK (AMM101): God of Guitars
2006
Big Shorts
ROCK OVERLOAD (BIGS014): Chugger
KPM
EXTREME SPORTS (KPM637): Concrete Carnage (a) *, Full Contact (b)
* Used for an end-of-program feature, “That’s Nasty”, focusing on dominant pitching
UNABLE TO VERIFY DATE OF ORIGIN
BRg
GUITAR FELONY (BRg3011): Dutch Rub **, Out of My Head **
BLAZING INFERNO (BRg3015): Stratosonic **
Catalog gives 2010 date for both 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
Unable to find a published date for this album
** indicates tracks identified by Craig-UK from this board; his assistance is gratefully acknowledged
