Hit Phil Collins Song Reworked as NFL’s New ‘Monday Night Football’ Theme Song, Featuring Chris Stapleton + Snoop Dogg
Last night (Sept. 18), ESPN unveiled the new theme song for the NFL's Monday Night Football matchups, where Phil Collins' big hit song "In the Air Tonight" was reworked by other musical legends.
What Artists Are Featured in the New Monday Night Football Theme Song?
"In the Air Tonight," originally released in 1981 on Face Value, the debut solo album by the famed Genesis singer and drummer, has been retooled by country stay Chris Stapleton, rapper Snoop Dogg and esteemed jazz/latin rock drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, who married Carlos Santana in 2010.
The hypnotic track, when framed within the context of a nationally televised professional football game, stews with tension and heightens anticipation. After Blackman Santana executes the song's iconic drum fill, Stapleton's soulful, impassioned voice comes in and adds a new dynamic to "In the Air Tonight," while Snoop Dogg brings a few bars of brand new lines tailored to football jargon. Stapleton's screaming solo quickly takes over as the theme song builds to an epic conclusion.
Listen to the theme song directly below.
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What Teams Played on the First Edition of Monday Night Football for the 2023-2024 NFL Season?
The first edition of Monday Night Football for the 2023-2024 NFL season featured two matchups: first to kick off was the New Orleans Saints vs. the Carolina Panthers, followed by the Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers an hour later.
The Saints won their game against the Panthers by a score of 20-17, improving to 2-0 in their first year with former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. The Panthers, meanwhile, fall to 0-2 under rookie quarterback Bryce Young.
In another tightly contested game, the Steelers edged out the Browns by a margin of 26-2 and the division rivals both sit at 1-1 on the season. Unfortunately for the Browns, the matchup was not their only loss of the night as star running back Nick Chubb suffered a gruesome knee injury that has ended his sixth NFL season prematurely. Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who collided with Chubb on the play resulting in injury, was taken to the hospital with a chest injury after exiting the game. He initially left the playing field after the hit, but returned to the game and then exited a second time.
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