Olympics

Every two years, we all get to participate in a worldwide salute to the human spirit with the Olympic Games' triumphant return. Composer John Williams has honored that spirit with orchestral themes as ambitious as the world-class Olympic athletes themselves — his "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" instantly evokes images of that iconic torch being lit to fire up the action. Whitney Houston's "One Moment in Time," the official song of the 1988 Olympics, is a "My Way"-style inspirational ode to the do-or-die passion of the international heroes who show the globe their A-game. And when the proud, plucky piano melody of Vangelis' "Chariots of Fire" pops up, the theme from that cinematic Olympian saga will moisten even the most unsentimental eye.

Go for the gold with Olympic themes past and present, in Next Steps.

From cross-country skiers to synchronized swimmers, Olympic athletes represent the best in all of us. Poperatic songbird Linda Eder honors their uncompromising quest for excellence in her ballad of the hard-fought battle for the "Gold," as featured in the 2002 Winter Games. An '02 anthem of an edgier kind comes from hard-rock heavyweights Kiss, who are here to remind us that the rush of Olympic competition can inspire the urge to "Rock 'n' Roll All Nite." And just in case you forgot which page in the Atlas to turn to when navigating toward the Summer Games, we'll give you a big hint by offering up the patriotic strains of the Chinese National Anthem.

Step up to some champion sounds in Deep Cuts.

What does it take to make it to the Olympics? More than anything else, a never-say-die attitude. You'll hear about it this year, when the Beijing Games are powered by the sounds of French electro-poppers Daft Punk's disco-fied, just-do-it enticement "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" and larger-than-life Irish rock gods U2's sunny, up-and-at-'em victory march "Beautiful Day." After you soak up those European sounds, you might want to move East to get in the mood for this summer's sports. So plug into some of the prime Chinese pop sounds that will grace the Beijing bash, with CoCo Lee's openhearted, hands-across-the-planet message of love "I Will Be Your Friend."

Even though the Olympics thrive on the spirit of competition, they're about a lot more than just coming out on top. They serve as a reminder that even in the most war-torn times, nations across the globe can still come together and put their best foot forward as friends on the field of sport. To celebrate this ongoing vision of international harmony, here's where you'll find everything from orchestral works commissioned especially for the Olympics to familiar tunes from the pop, rock, R&B, and country worlds as featured in the Games both past and present. So whether you dial up the heart-on-sleeve Britpop of Coldplay or the club-friendly techno-pop of Moby, you'll be all set to share that special Olympics feeling with the world.