You know the sound. It’s that fuzzy, distorted guitar riff followed by a thunderous "Hey!" that makes ten thousand people in an arena jump in unison. It is the ultimate jock jam. It's "Rock and Roll Pt 2." But behind that infectious, stomping beat lies one of the messiest, most uncomfortable legacies in music history.
Honestly, it’s a weird situation. On one hand, you have a song that basically defined the atmosphere of 90s and 2000s sports culture. On the other, you have the artist, Gary Glitter, whose criminal record is so dark that playing his music has become a massive PR nightmare for teams from the NFL to the Premier League.
It’s just a two-minute instrumental track, mostly. Why does it still cause such a stir?
The Glam Rock Origins of the Stomp
Back in 1972, Gary Glitter wasn't a pariah. He was a titan of British Glam Rock. He wore silver jumpsuits and giant platform boots. He was everywhere. "Rock and Roll Pt 2" was actually the B-side to "Rock and Roll Pt 1," which had actual lyrics. But people didn't want the lyrics. They wanted the beat.
The song is incredibly simple. It’s a repetitive, overdriven riff played on a guitar that sounds like it’s being dragged through gravel. Mike Leander, Glitter’s producer, played almost every instrument on the track. They wanted something primal. They got it.
It hit the Top 10 in both the UK and the US. For a while, it was just a hit song. Then, the sports world got a hold of it.
How the "Hey" Song Took Over Stadiums
It started in the late 70s. Legend has it that Kevin O’Brien, a PR guy for the Colorado Rockies (the hockey team, not the baseball ones), started playing it during games. It worked. The "Hey!" was perfectly timed for a crowd to yell.
By the early 90s, you couldn't go to a Chicago Bulls game or a New Jersey Devils match without hearing those drums. It became the "Hey" song. Half the people screaming it didn't even know who Gary Glitter was. They just knew that when the beat dropped, you stood up.
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It’s the minimalism that makes it work. There are no complicated verses to remember. No bridge. Just a visceral, rhythmic pulse that mimics a heartbeat—if your heart was made of fuzz pedals and stadium speakers.
The Fall of Gary Glitter and the Stadium Ban
The music stopped being "just music" in 1997. That’s when Glitter (born Paul Gadd) was first arrested for possession of child pornography. Since then, his record has only gotten worse, involving serious convictions for sexual offenses against minors in multiple countries.
Suddenly, playing "Rock and Roll Pt 2" wasn't just about getting the crowd pumped. It was about sending a royalty check to a convicted sex offender.
Teams panicked.
The NFL sent out a memo in 2006 suggesting teams stop playing the song. Most complied. The New England Patriots dropped it. The New York Jets swapped it. However, the song had become so ingrained in fan culture that it was hard to kill. Some teams tried playing cover versions or "clean" edits, but the association remained.
The Joker Effect: A Brief, Controversial Comeback
Just when the song seemed to be fading into the "do not play" list of history, Todd Phillips put it in the 2019 film Joker.
Remember the scene? Joaquin Phoenix dancing down the stairs? That’s "Rock and Roll Pt 2."
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The backlash was instant. People were furious that a major blockbuster would use a song by a convicted pedophile, potentially netting him thousands in royalties. However, reporting from The New York Times later clarified that Glitter likely didn't see a massive windfall from the movie because he had sold his rights years prior. Still, the "ick" factor was high. It reignited the debate: can you separate the art from the artist when the art is a stadium anthem?
Why Teams Can't Find a Replacement
You'd think finding a replacement would be easy. Just play Queen’s "We Will Rock You" or White Stripes’ "Seven Nation Army."
They try. They really do.
But "Rock and Roll Pt 2" has a specific frequency. It’s that "duh-duh-duh-duh-HEY!" structure. It fits perfectly into a 15-second timeout. It’s long enough to build tension but short enough to end before the puck drops.
Some teams, like the Nashville Predators, have tried to move on by commissioning original music. Others have just leaned into the silence. But if you go to a minor league baseball game in a town that hasn't updated its playlist since 2004, you’ll probably still hear it. It’s the ghost of glam rock that refuses to leave the building.
The Financial Reality of the Song
Let’s talk money. Because that’s usually why these songs stay or go.
When a song is played in a stadium, the team pays a blanket license fee to organizations like ASCAP or BMI. The money is then distributed to the rights holders. In Glitter's case, the rights have changed hands. Snapper Music and other entities have held pieces of the pie over the years.
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If you are a team owner, you have to ask: "Is the crowd's energy worth the headline in the local paper tomorrow?" Usually, the answer is no.
Identifying "Rock and Roll Pt 2" Variants
Sometimes you’ll hear something that sounds like the song but isn't quite it.
- The "Tubthumping" Mix: Chumbawamba’s hit has a similar energy but is much safer.
- The "Seven Nation Army" Chant: This has largely replaced Glitter’s song as the global sports anthem.
- Cover Versions: Some arenas use "tribute" versions of the song to avoid direct association, though the melody remains unmistakable.
Moving Beyond the "Hey" Song
The era of "Rock and Roll Pt 2" is effectively over in professional, high-stakes sports. The risk to the brand is just too high. We are seeing a shift toward more modern, diverse stadium soundtracks. Hip-hop, electronic dance music, and even local indie tracks are filling the void.
It’s a fascinating case study in how culture moves. A song can be the most popular thing in the world, literally the heartbeat of a Saturday night, and then become radioactive almost overnight.
If you’re looking to update a playlist for a local event or a school team, steer clear of the original. There are plenty of high-energy instrumentals that don't come with a 50-page legal disclaimer. Look into tracks like "Kernkraft 400" by Zombie Nation or the drum-heavy sections of "Uptown Funk."
The goal of stadium music is to unite people. When a song starts dividing them or making them think about the evening news instead of the scoreboard, it’s lost its power.
Actionable Steps for Event Curators
If you are responsible for the "vibe" at a public gathering, here is how to handle the "Rock and Roll Pt 2" dilemma:
- Check your legacy playlists. If you’re using a "Stadium Hits" compilation from 15 years ago, "Rock and Roll Pt 2" is almost certainly on it. Delete it.
- Audit your royalties. Use services like ASCAP’s repertory search to see who you are actually paying when you spin a track.
- Prioritize the "Chantability." If you need a replacement, look for songs with a 4/4 beat and a clear "shout point." This is why "Seven Nation Army" works—it’s the same mechanical trigger for the brain.
- Understand the audience. Younger fans likely won't recognize the Gary Glitter riff, but older fans or anyone with a smartphone will spot the controversy immediately. It’s not worth the "Oldies" nostalgia.
The transition away from this track is nearly complete. While the riff remains a masterclass in minimalist production, its history serves as a reminder that in the modern world, the artist and the art are often tied together by a very short, very public leash.