LL Cool J’s fourth studio album, Mama Said Knock You Out, was not only a strong pivot from his earlier, more sentimental work, but also a serious turning point for his career. As gangster rap rose to prominence in the late 1980s, fans of the genre began to question the Queens icon’s ability to endure the changing tide with a sound that many of his critics deemed too poppy. So in the video for his booming 1990 title track, LL Cool J got in a boxing ring and fought for his continued relevance with each bar landing like a critical blow to his doubters. Is the idea of him turning to violence in order to make his case ideal in the real world? Absolutely not. But within the safe confines of his music, the imagery of him putting up his dukes and defending his eventual legacy made him and his range impossible to ignore.
Thematically, fighting in music can represent a few things: It can signal survival, protest, triumph, heartache, and anger in a mighty way. For the listener, it provides a window of catharsis, a private moment where they can entertain the idea of shedding the cloak of propriety just once, clench their fists, and swing at the obstacles that stand between them and peace. Nobody should actually follow through with the events laid out in these 22 songs, but if they inspire certain punchy feelings, we totally get it.
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It’s insane that the A.V. Club didn’t include the undisputed best
“listen to this song to get yourself in the mood to beat someone’s ass”
song of all time:
And if that doesn’t get you riled up, here’s another:If those two don’t make you wanna pick up your middle school baseball bat and charge for old grievances, I dunno what to tell you.
Word has it that Andy Samburg listened to it every time he had to fight his step-dad in Hot Rod.
Sahara Hotnights – Here’s my Fist, Where’s the Fight?
Sounds better in the original Swedish, though.
Can’t believe this wasn’t on there.
Actually first thing I thought of when I saw this article heading “I WILL SHIT ON YOU I DON’T CARE WHO YOU ARE”. Then I thought, does anyone even remember D12?
Am I the only one who saw Fear Of A Black Hat and knows there should be one and only song on this list? “Granny Says Kick Yo Ass” for the win…
Had this on VHS. Way better than CB4
But CB4 had Dead Mike. He’s blackety-black and he’s black y’all!
I have this on dvd – it’s awesome. Also, if you want to watch it now, it’s on Pluto TV for free.
One of the best lines in movie history, “Whose eyes?”
And perfect delivery of the line. Flippin’ sublime.
Oh my god sitting here at work crying over how funny that shit was. Those 3 cats had me rollin.
Now SIMI jack you in the VALLEY…
The music and lyrics are really outstanding. A friend of mine knew I loved this movie and found the cd (this is back in the late 90s) and gave it to me – I still listen to it in the car regularly. Guerrilas in the Midst is an outstanding song! All of them are, and some are pitch-perfect parodies. Just a great mix of parody and homage and original brilliance.
Oh man, if it’s one thing you need to take away from this list it’s that you should listen to I Wanna Destroy You.
This list is INCOMPLETE without The Battle of Epping Forest, my favorite Genesis song. Benny the Bouncer by Emerson, Lake & Palmer should be here too.
Necessary: Also :
Came here looking for Kiss With a Fist, so thank you. Also, Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, anyone?
No Pat Benetar “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” or the Julie Brown classic “Girl Fight Tonight”?
Who can I fight to get rid of these garbage slideshows?
The “List All Slides” button is a work around. Not ideal, but better.
Using Chrome, all I see are “start the slideshow,” “previous” and “next” buttons, so where would one find this mysterious button?
You have to start the slideshow and it will be above the photo.Again, not ideal.
If you make the window small enough, it lists them like a normal article.Still a pain, but it works in Firefox.
How about anything by Rage Against the Machine?
I would like to give a shout-out to Warren Zevon’s “Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)“. Man, I love that song.
Is “Kung Fu Fighting” on the list? (I got more important things to do than click on a slideshow – like explaining myself about how I hate slideshows, but still wondering what’s “inside” the damned thing…)
After you enter the slideshow, you can click the List Slides button and see the titles of all the slides (and no, it’s not in there that I saw).
Disposable Heroes – Metallica
I prefer “Guns and Ships” to “Yorktown.” Leslie Odom Jr.’s intro (“GIVE IT UP FOR AMERICA’S FAVORITE FIGHTING FRENCHMAN!”) and Kadeem Diggs’ lightning pace makes me want go out an pop a Brit in the mouth.Okay, maybe it’s a little TOO good.
Another stellar option!
It’s Daveed Diggs. And yes, he rocks.
No idea where I got “Kadeem” from. Maybe I saw him in a show with Adelle Dazeem.
My choice:
Excellent choice with the Lunachicks track.The Muffs also have many, many songs with Kim (RIP) gleefully singing about beating someone’s ass.
Double plus good on this one. I actually happen to be wearing a Muffs t-shirt I got at a show in – 2014? 2015? I still say Kim (RIP) had the best full-throated scream in all of pop-punk, if not punk rock altogether.
Eh… too many of these songs seem focused on the lyrics and don’t feel fight ready, and. lacking the anger of putting rebellion into action. I’ll venture two additions…One: Fuck Donald TrumpTwo: (RIP Riley Gale) Executioner’s Tax
I’m pretty surprised that We Will Rock You didn’t make it in. Very different vibe, but I’m partial to Professor Elemento’s “Fighting Trousers” song.
I have Mamma say knock you out on my phone all the time. Great workout song. I always laughed at how bad Get in the Ring was from GnR and I loved that album but that song sucked.
It belongs in an inventory of “least essential screeds.”
Ahem.
Marilyn Manson – The fight song (or Use your fist and not your mouth) and Ludacris – Get back, anyone?
Method Man’s “Bring the Pain”Ludacris “Move, Bitch”
Ah yes, the Clash’s innovator, Mick James.
The fact that Ante Up didn’t make this list is fucking criminal.
Here’s an example, just a little sample -How I could just kill a man!One-time tried to come in my homeTake my chrome, I said “Yo, it’s on!Take cover son, or you’re ass-outHow you like my chrome?” then I watched the rookie pass outDidn’t have to blast out, but I did anywayYoung punk had to paySo I just killed a man!
Some good jams here, no doubt but… Maybe not the best timing for this? All this “stand your ground” nonsense isn’t getting us anywhere.
Needs more Rupert Jones.
Where’s 2Pac’s “Hit Em Up”?
“New Jersey icon”?! LL is the archetypal Queens rapper.
Get Off Your Ass and Jam, Funkadelic.Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Pat BenatarWe’re Through Being Cool, Devo
AND IF YOU COMPLAIN ONCE MORE …YOU’LL MEET AN …ARMY OF ME!!!!!!(also:)I. HATE. YOU. SO MUCH RIGHT NOW!!!!AAAAARGH!!!!I. HATE. YOU. SO MUCH. RIGHT NOW!!!!
I love Bjork’s original but I also get a kick out of Helmet’s cover of “Army of Me.”
Hmm, haven’t heard that, but just occurred to me I have enough songs which are “people from other genres doing Bjork songs” to fill a whole playlist.There’s easy-listening-pop with Corrine Bailey Rae’s “Venus as a Boy”; jazz piano with Jason Moran’s “Joga”, folk-country with Obadiah Parker’s “Who is it” …Oh, seeing as I mentioned both Bjork and Kelis up there for fight songs, gotta mention that I love their “Oceania” duet:
Oh! Now I think about it, even though “Army of Me” has ‘army’ in the title, a better choice for a fight song by Bjork just *has* to be PLUTO!
There are a bunch of Rancid fighting songs but this is my fave.
Great list in some ways, especially liked the Bikini Kill and Lunachick tracks. Some of my favorites:
I submit another excellent Crime Mobb song from the Creed II soundtrack
No Dropkick Murphys? I dunno if I’ve seen any band spark jovial violence more than those dudes.
Andrew W.K.’s “Ready to Die” would be a good addition to this list.
I don’t even like Pantera but was still surprised to see this omission. It’s like the ultimate hype music for violent dipshits to go out looking for fights.
That is a surprisingly good list. Well done.
i like knocked out by cazwell
Did I not see any Public Enemy in there? Maybe “By The Time I Get To Arizona”?
“Fight the Power” seems like an obvious choice to me.
An unforgivable omission.
Another M.O.P. choice for your consideration:
The Rezillos is a case where the cover is better than the original…
am I missing something here? Most of this list is just artsy rock, which is fine, but not really fight song material. Maybe those are more like “Im going to throw my latte in your general direction” kinda songs…
This is DMX erasure.
When I go to war: I against I – Mos Def from the Blade II soundtrack Scenario – A Tribe Called QuestAnother Body Murdered – Boo Yaa Tribe & Faith No More – Judgement Night Soundtrack (actually most of the songs on this soundtrack could be here)Real Thing – Cypress Hill & Pearl Jam – Judgement Night SndtrckDisorder – Slayer & Ice T – Judgement Night SndtrckActually, look up Ice T’s Body Count band – there’s lots of these there.Also most of Metallica’s period before the Black album where they seemed to mellow out to me.
Ante Up by MOP is not only world history’s #1 banger, it also has fight variety. Modern equipped aggressors might “gun butt that fool” (Funk Flex / Busta remix) while traditionalist volume pugilists (Nate Diaz?) prefer to simply “hit him hit him hit him” (Robbin Hoodz). Regardless, it’s obvious to everyone here that it’s crucial to both yap ‘em as well as zap ‘em.
Clutch, Binge and Purge (a song that is so able to spark violence that they stopped playing it at shows, and it was undoubtedly the right move).
“Let’s Go” by Trick Daddy is overblown and garish in the best possible way. It still hits hard as hell. I love that song.
Ballroom Blitz should be every fight song. And every graduation song. And every wedding first dance song.
Ahh, if that GnR song doesn’t have Izzy written all over it I just don’t know. I forgot about this tune. Looks like I need to dig out the Use your Illusion 1&2 discs and give em a spin.