RoundBall Rock
By John TeshThe song that started it all. Reimagined for an entire new generation of sports fans!
“The stunning debut on an otherwise sleepy Thursday morning harkens back to Bob Dylan going electric at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. This is a intro that pushes the envelope and challenges audiences to get on NBC’s new level. Sometimes it pays to mess with perfection. To stand on the shoulders of greatness to build a Roundball that rocks even more.”
– Sports Illustrated
Listen to the original answering machine message
History
In July 1989, John Tesh developed “Roundball Rock” in a hotel room in Megève, France. Tesh was in France covering the Tour de France for CBS when he was tasked with writing a basketball theme song for NBC, which had recently acquired broadcasting rights for the National Basketball Association (NBA) from CBS. One night, Tesh woke up with the theme in his mind and immediately called his answering machine at home to sing a preliminary version of the melody, as he had no instruments or tape recorder with him. Upon returning to Los Angeles, he began recording the song in his studio.
Tesh submitted the recorded song to NBC on a VHS tape featuring fast break highlights set to the completed theme. Initially, he titled the tape “Roundball Rock” as a placeholder, inspired by a game announcer, believed to be Dick Stockton, saying, “This is great roundball!” The name stuck. NBC ultimately selected “Roundball Rock” from six submitted candidates to be its theme song, cementing its place in sports broadcasting history.
Learn to Play
How to Play ‘RoundBall Rock’ on the Piano / Keyboard!
