Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream

This will be the first installation in a series of posts regarding great anthems. We’re not talking about national anthems here–we’re dealing with a flightier creature in the world of rock.

So let’s try to get down to what makes an anthem, an anthem:

1) Case in point: My Morning Jacket - Gideon

The anthem starts out with a dreamy, ethereal riff that is promising of exploding into a full-out power delight. In this case, the drums and the high buzzing guitars serve as the backbone of the song, only to be compounded with the breathy harmonious shouting of lead singer Jim James (around 2:20 into the song). Altogether, this is simply a magical song so sing-along and feel it.

2) Case in point: The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony

Chances are you’ve heard this ubiquitous track at some point in your life. This anthem also begins with a gentle stringed lullaby, but this song is more exemplary of the sing-along factor. That’s right. To be a great anthem, the track must be able to be sung by a multitude of listeners. And I’m not talking about a soft hum or whisper. No. The anthem must be sung at the top of your lungs (preferably) and it must be easy to harmonize with. That’s what keeps it fresh each time you sing along!

3) Case in point: Doves - Sky Starts Falling

It is essential that an anthem have a sense of urgency to it. There has to be something making you feel slightly uneasy, so that when the chorus breaks, that relief is so much more significant. In this track, the burgeoning UK band Doves uses a quick-paced drum beat and some overlapping guitars to create this slight dissonance that suddenly falls into harmonious chorus.

4) Case in point: U2 - Pride (In The Name of Love)

Another key factor that can make or break an anthem is the feeling of instant classicness. That is, the listener can automatically recognize that the song has the potential to be universally adored. In this case, it’s U2, so it’s an anthem. But it goes deeper than that. “Pride (In The Name of Love)” is a declaration of faith in humanity (a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. actually). I imagine Bono saying to his listeners: “Despite all the things that happen in this world, there are still things that make this world livable: faith and love.” If you can’t buy into that, then I give up.