Crush 'Em
Encyclopedia
"Crush 'Em" is a song by heavy metal
band Megadeth
and the lead single
from their eighth studio album
, Risk. It first appeared on the soundtrack to Universal Soldier: The Return
in July 1999 and debuted as the third most added track on alternative rock
stations on July 5. Intended as a hockey
anthem, "Crush 'Em" has become associated with sporting events and was heavily promoted by World Championship Wrestling
. The 2004 remaster
ed edition of Risk includes the bonus track
"Crush 'Em" (Jock Mix).
. It begins with an ominous techno
beat (removed on the remaster) and disco
bass
line. This is soon followed by funk
guitar riffs in between sets of lyrics
. The song eventually culminates into a heavy metal pre-chorus and finally with chants of "Crush! ...Crush 'em!" As track #4 on Risk, it is preluded
by "Enter the Arena," which foreshadows the chorus guitar riff and crowd chanting of "Crush 'Em." Regarding the song's style, frontman Dave Mustaine
told MTV News
, "We're going into an arena we've never been in before." He added, "I think the best part about it is, it's a good ass-whuppin' song. . . It's the kind of song I would imagine wanting to hear while I was beating somebody senseless."
"Crush 'Em" appeared on the compilations
Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years
and Warchest
; however, it was not included on Greatest Hits: Back to the Start
, by which the tracks were largely dictated through an online fan poll and is neither included on Anthology: Set the World Afire
.
initially wanted "Crush 'Em" for the film which stars Jean-Claude Van Damme
and professional wrestler
Bill Goldberg
. Upon hearing the song, Goldberg, a big Megadeth fan, spoke with officials of his employer, World Championship Wrestling
(WCW), and convinced them to have the band perform it live on the July 5, 1999 edition of Monday Nitro
. This also marked the return of Goldberg after a six month absence; immediately after the song, he appeared out of a cloud of fog and announced "I'm baaack!" After the song, Nitro went off the air and the band played three more songs with the Nitro Girls
dancing on stage with them. A VHS
of the Nitro performance was later released. The song also became Goldberg's temporary entrance theme
and was used in a video montage of his in-ring performances. This shortened version was included on WCW Mayhem: The Music
along with his previous theme, "Invasion."
Mustaine, a black belt
and fan of the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes
, has described "Crush 'Em" as Megadeth's official sports and wrestling anthem. He wrote the song primarily as a hockey theme and said that he was "sick of hearing Gary Glitter
's 'Rock and Roll Part 2
' every time someone scored a goal." Mustaine added, "I thought, 'maybe we can do something that is celebratory and inspiring.' So we did 'Crush 'Em,' which we also felt would be good for any sport." After offering the Coyotes severals songs that they declined to use, the band decided to give "Crush 'Em" directly to the NHL, which chose to use it on the JumboTron screens the following season. Aside from WCW and NHL appearances, "Crush 'Em" became a favorite in Major League Baseball
and was requested for use by the NFL. It appeared on NHL 2Toronto: All Star Game Hits! in 2000, and the Tom Leykis
radio show regularly uses portions of the song as transitional music.
The song was also used as the theme for the UFC video game
released in 2000 for the Dreamcast and PlayStation
.
was shot in San Pedro, California in early June 1999. Directed by Len Wiesman, it was coincidentally filmed in the same Water & Power building as "Hangar 18
," and the video bears a post-apocalyptic, industrial wasteland setting reminiscent of its predecessor. It is themed around Universal Soldier: The Return and features both Jean-Claude Van Damme
and Bill Goldberg. The latter performer menacingly stands behind frontman Dave Mustaine
and joins him in the chorus. "Crush 'Em" also serves as the opener to the Universal Soldier soundtrack which was released in July
that same year. The video is not featured on the DVD Arsenal of Megadeth
.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
and the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from their eighth studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, Risk. It first appeared on the soundtrack to Universal Soldier: The Return
Universal Soldier: The Return
Universal Soldier: The Return is a 1999 American science fiction action film directed by Mic Rodgers and starred Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michael Jai White, professional wrestler Bill Goldberg, Heidi Schanz, Kiana Tom and Xander Berkeley as Doctor Dylan Cotner...
in July 1999 and debuted as the third most added track on alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
stations on July 5. Intended as a hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
anthem, "Crush 'Em" has become associated with sporting events and was heavily promoted by World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
. The 2004 remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed edition of Risk includes the bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
"Crush 'Em" (Jock Mix).
Overview
Like many tracks on Risk, "Crush 'Em" is a prime example of Megadeth's musical experimentation of the '90s1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
. It begins with an ominous techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
beat (removed on the remaster) and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
line. This is soon followed by funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
guitar riffs in between sets of lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
. The song eventually culminates into a heavy metal pre-chorus and finally with chants of "Crush! ...Crush 'em!" As track #4 on Risk, it is preluded
Prelude (music)
A prelude is a short piece of music, the form of which may vary from piece to piece. The prelude can be thought of as a preface. It may stand on its own or introduce another work...
by "Enter the Arena," which foreshadows the chorus guitar riff and crowd chanting of "Crush 'Em." Regarding the song's style, frontman Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine
David Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...
told MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, "We're going into an arena we've never been in before." He added, "I think the best part about it is, it's a good ass-whuppin' song. . . It's the kind of song I would imagine wanting to hear while I was beating somebody senseless."
"Crush 'Em" appeared on the compilations
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years
Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years
-Track listing:-Hidden track :-Bonus track :-Charts:AlbumSingles...
and Warchest
Warchest
Warchest is a box set from the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Warchest features five discs and features studio tracks, demos and live recordings of a number of the band's songs from its previous eleven studio albums and rarities EP...
; however, it was not included on Greatest Hits: Back to the Start
Greatest Hits: Back to the Start
Greatest Hits: Back to the Start is the second greatest hits album by Megadeth. It was released in 2005 by Capitol Records. The tracklist for Back to the Start was largely the result of a poll on their official website, in which tens of thousands of fans voted for their favorite tracks from the...
, by which the tracks were largely dictated through an online fan poll and is neither included on Anthology: Set the World Afire
Anthology: Set the World Afire
-Disc 1:-Disc 2:-Personnel:*Dave Mustaine - lead vocals and lead and rhythm guitar on all tracks*Marty Friedman - guitar on tracks 10–17 disc one and 1–13 and 16–18 disc two*Chris Poland - guitar on tracks 1–5 on disc one...
.
WCW, NHL, and other sporting appearances
The producer/director of Universal Soldier: The ReturnUniversal Soldier: The Return
Universal Soldier: The Return is a 1999 American science fiction action film directed by Mic Rodgers and starred Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michael Jai White, professional wrestler Bill Goldberg, Heidi Schanz, Kiana Tom and Xander Berkeley as Doctor Dylan Cotner...
initially wanted "Crush 'Em" for the film which stars Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
and professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
Bill Goldberg
Bill Goldberg
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
. Upon hearing the song, Goldberg, a big Megadeth fan, spoke with officials of his employer, World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW), and convinced them to have the band perform it live on the July 5, 1999 edition of Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
. This also marked the return of Goldberg after a six month absence; immediately after the song, he appeared out of a cloud of fog and announced "I'm baaack!" After the song, Nitro went off the air and the band played three more songs with the Nitro Girls
Nitro Girls
The Nitro Girls were a dance team in World Championship Wrestling. Similar to the Fly Girls from In Living Color, their initial function was to dance and entertain the live crowds during commercial breaks.-History:...
dancing on stage with them. A VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
of the Nitro performance was later released. The song also became Goldberg's temporary entrance theme
Music in professional wrestling
Music in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
and was used in a video montage of his in-ring performances. This shortened version was included on WCW Mayhem: The Music
WCW Mayhem: The Music
WCW Mayhem: The Music is an album of songs related to World Championship Wrestling during the late 1990s.While many of the songs were performed by professional musicians, others featured wrestlers on vocals, such as "Bow Wow Wow." Numerous tracks, such as "Got Him In The Corner" and "Count That Man...
along with his previous theme, "Invasion."
Mustaine, a black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
and fan of the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
, has described "Crush 'Em" as Megadeth's official sports and wrestling anthem. He wrote the song primarily as a hockey theme and said that he was "sick of hearing Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter is an English former glam rock singer-songwriter and musician.Glitter first came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s...
's 'Rock and Roll Part 2
Rock and Roll (Gary Glitter song)
"Rock and Roll", also known as "The Hey Song", is a song performed by British glam rocker Gary Glitter that was released in 1972 as a single and on the album Glitter. Co-written by Glitter and Mike Leander, the song is in two parts: Part 1 is a vocal track reflecting on the history of the genre,...
' every time someone scored a goal." Mustaine added, "I thought, 'maybe we can do something that is celebratory and inspiring.' So we did 'Crush 'Em,' which we also felt would be good for any sport." After offering the Coyotes severals songs that they declined to use, the band decided to give "Crush 'Em" directly to the NHL, which chose to use it on the JumboTron screens the following season. Aside from WCW and NHL appearances, "Crush 'Em" became a favorite in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and was requested for use by the NFL. It appeared on NHL 2Toronto: All Star Game Hits! in 2000, and the Tom Leykis
Tom Leykis
Thomas Joseph Leykis is an American radio personality. He currently hosts The Tasting Room with Tom Leykis, a weekly lifestyle program dealing with fine food and drink, airing weekends mainly in West Coast markets...
radio show regularly uses portions of the song as transitional music.
The song was also used as the theme for the UFC video game
Ultimate Fighting Championship (video game)
Ultimate Fighting Championship is the first video game based on the Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts tournament.- Fighters :* Mikey Burnett* Mark Coleman* Gary Goodridge* Jeremy Horn* Matt Hughes* Eugene Jackson* Tsuyoshi Kosaka...
released in 2000 for the Dreamcast and PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
.
Music video
The "Crush 'Em" videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was shot in San Pedro, California in early June 1999. Directed by Len Wiesman, it was coincidentally filmed in the same Water & Power building as "Hangar 18
Hangar 18 (song)
"Hangar 18" is a song by American heavy metal band Megadeth from the 1990 album Rust in Peace. UFO conspiracy theories, or possibly Hangar 18, the 1980 film based on those theories, inspired drummer Nick Menza to write the lyrics. Shortly thereafter, frontman Dave Mustaine composed the music...
," and the video bears a post-apocalyptic, industrial wasteland setting reminiscent of its predecessor. It is themed around Universal Soldier: The Return and features both Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
and Bill Goldberg. The latter performer menacingly stands behind frontman Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine
David Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...
and joins him in the chorus. "Crush 'Em" also serves as the opener to the Universal Soldier soundtrack which was released in July
July 1999
July 1999 was a month with thirty-one days.The following events also occurred during the month:...
that same year. The video is not featured on the DVD Arsenal of Megadeth
Arsenal of Megadeth
Arsenal of Megadeth is an anthology of Megadeth's first 20 years. The 2-disc DVD set contains music videos, live performances, interviews, home videos and special appearances. Arsenal of Megadeth is an EMI/Capitol release...
.
Chart positions
The song was one of the best charting singles off Risk, tying with "Breadline" at #6.| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
6 |