What's the Frequency, Holmgren?

Whenever a big-time sports team gets in some serious championship contention, local radio starts playing quickie novelty songs inspired by (or exploiting) the team in question. Usually some unknown artist will give a popular song the Weird Al treatment, altering its lyrics to fit the team, and often enhancing the tracks with fake play-by-play announcers and crowd cheers. The earliest example we recall is “Husky Fever,” adapted from "Boogie Fever,” the Sylvers’ #1 disco hit from 1976. It was played incessantly on local radio as the Huskies approached their 1978 Rose Bowl victory, and it’s still a staple of the UW marching band.

In 1984, when the Seahawks had their 12-4 season under coach Chuck Knox, Chaka Kahn scored a #1 hit with “I Feel For You,” an R&B song most memorable for Grandmaster Melle Mel’s insistent “Chaka Kahn” rap. As the playoffs neared, some pop station put into heavy rotation their Seahawk-themed adaptation of the song, “Chucka Knox" (alas, no link).

Now, as the Seahawks head into their first Super Bowl, we count no less than eight such songs playing on KUBE-FM and KJR-AM. Though most of these are original tunes, we prefer the “adapted” ones. Here they all are:

“Sweet Shaun" by Dustin Blatnik and the 12th Man Band. Sung to tune of "Sweet Home, Alabama," which we were already sick of before KFC ran it into the ground.

“Detroit Hawk City” by Big Low. Sung to the tune of KISS’s “Detroit Rock City.” The singer mimics Paul Stanley, both while singing the song and “announcing” a sack by Lofa Tatupu.

"Seahawks Rock," by Roxband. They sound like an ‘80s bar band. Buy their “Seahawks Rock” CD-single through their own site.

"Take It to the Bowl” by the SuperBowl. A hiphop song, only memorable because of its sampling of Ozzy’s “Crazy Train.”

“Flap Yo Wings” by Parker Brothers. A rap number with a hilarious screeching-hawk sample: “Everybody just flap yo wings like a hawwwk [screech].”

"Welcome to Seatown," by Draze. “Come to Qwest Field/ Get a beat down,” goes this hard-hitting rap. The “12th Man Remix” samples player interviews.

“We Can’t Stop” by David Booker featuring Sharp. Sounds like a boy band.

"We the Seahawks," by E-Dog, F-Strange and Mr. Benjamin. Another hiphop jam.

While pop music is inherently disposable, these unofficial sports-hype tunes constitute the most disposable pop subgenre of all. Most of these songs would’ve become instantly obsolete had the Panthers beat the Seahawks, but now they’ll live for another two weeks. Stay tuned; surely there'll be more.