The Crowd Pleasing Song That Always Brings Your Chapter Together

Schermerhorny Johnson8 years ago

Every party you throw in college has its own special flare that makes it unique. Whether it’s the theme, the girls, or the booze, you have to keep the people guessing or you risk becoming one of the boring houses on campus. You can change every detail of a social whenever you want EXCEPT for one crucial aspect: the signature song. 

“The signature song” isn’t the national fraternity songs you had to learn while you were pledging, although rich with history and tradition, these songs don’t really get an overall positive crowd reaction. I’m talking about the song that when everyone at the party hears it, they burst out screaming. The song that everyone, from the sixth-years to the pledges, knows lyric for lyric, regardless of their level of intoxication. Everyone gets together on the dance floor, beers and bottles raised to the sky, waiting for that first note to drop so they can sing their inebriated hearts out. 

Typically, these songs are older and remind you of something your Dad plays in the garage when he’s drinking with his buddies. Songs like “Thunderstruck” by ACDC, “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond, or (my chapters go to song) “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. These songs get played once, maybe two times a social every social and never get old. When you hear those tunes blasting through your chapter’s cheap Walmart speakers, it’s like you’re front row at the concert, accompanied by every one of your chapters alumni, banded together like the brothers you are. The song is more like your chapter’s brand. People recognize you for it. If the song wasn’t played that night, it wasn’t a good social, period. 

Some of you nerds out there that don’t have a signature social song might be thinking these songs are “too old” or “too dated” or “not LIT enough” to be played at any modern-day social. To those that think that, you can kindly spit shine my balls. Fraternities are all about tradition and these songs pay tribute to the legends who came before you. The brothers that rocked shorter inseams than you thought humanly possible, the ones that made mustaches a social statement, the ones who lived a real rock and roll lifestyle, whatever that means. Plus, it’s always nice to hear something other than Lil Yatchy, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi, and Future coming from your DJ’s speakers, even if it is for only one song. Don’t get me wrong, being a middle class white boy from the suburbs, I’m a huge fan of trap music. But, like I said, if you don’t spice things up every once in a while, you’ll go flat. Imagine only having missionary sex for the rest of your life. Sure, you’re happy you’re getting laid, but it could definitely be so much better. 

If your chapter doesn’t have a signature song, it’s time to choose one. With the direction popular music is heading towards today, I would suggest choosing a song prior to 2010 at least. Make it something you can all sing along too, something catchy with a beat that will give you the nostalgic second wind you’ve been looking for since that eighth shot of whiskey. Something that even your brother who’s way too heavy into EDM and house music can appreciate. Hopefully this tradition lives long after you’ve graduated so that when you’re a post-grad, and you hear that song play over the speakers at Applebee’s while you drink your third after-work IPA, you can smile and think back to a time when there was no such thing as responsibility and your only concern was when the next party was..