Covers and Subsequent Popularity
In 1970, Italian saxophone player Fausto Papetti recorded an instrumental version of the song, included in the album 11ª Raccolta.
In 1971, vocal doo wop group The Belmonts sang an a cappella cover of the song for their Cigars Acappella Candy album.
The song made its debut in the world of sports at the University of Minnesota when basketball coach Bill Musselman began to use it in a pre-game warm-up routine that took the showmanship of the Harlem Globetrotters and brought it to the college court. "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" became a regular event at Gopher basketball games for many seasons.
Beginning in the early 1970s, the Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M University-Kingsville) Javelina Band in Kingsville, Texas played this song in the fourth quarter of home football games whenever it appeared apparent that a victory was at hand. Through the Javelina football team's heyday of the 1970s, including a 42-game winning streak from 1973-1977, the band would often begin playing early into the fourth quarter and play the song over and over until the clock ran down.
When contestants exited the stage through the wall when they did not win on MTV's game show Remote COntrol, the audience chanted the chorus of the song.
The original recording of "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" has been released in many collections of oldies songs and re-recorded by other groups. In February 1983, UK girl group Bananarama released the song as a single off their album Deep Sea Skiving. This version became a top ten hit in the United Kingdom (#5), but only a minor hit in the US (Billboard #101) later that year. In a sketch on the early 1980s comedy show Three of a Kind, Tracey Ullman spoofed Bananarama singing "Na Na Hey Hey" (as well as "Shy Boy"), with the words "We are nanas".
A disco remake of the song was recorded by original vocalist Gary DeCarlo (credited to his stage name Garrett Scott) and released as a 12-inch single in 1976 on the West End label as "Na Na Kiss Him Goodbye (Disco Version)". Another disco version was released by Pattie Brooks in 1977, as part of a medley that also included "Popcorn" and "Black is Black".
In 1987, Canadian quartet The Nylons released an a cappella version of this song as a single under the shortened title "Kiss Him Goodbye". It became their biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number twelve that summer.
Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the song was placed on the list of post-9/11 inappropriate titles distributed by Clear Channel.
The song is featured prominently in the 2000 Boaz Yakin film Remember the Titans.
In 2000, the German heavy metal band Axxis recorded a cover of the song on the album Back To The Kingdom.
Since 1977, thanks to Nancy Faust, then-organist for the Chicago White Sox, the song has had a revival as a stadium taunt to visiting teams. Although Faust retired as the Sox organist after the 2010 season, an organ recording of the song is still played at U.S. Cellular Field whenever a White Sox player hits a home run or an opposing pitcher is replaced in the middle of an inning. The song was also played at Hartford Whalers home games if the team won.
In 2011, the song was used in a TV commercial for Kohler High Efficiency Toilets.
Since 1996 and onward the song has been sung by the fans at WWE house shows or events when a wrestler or employee is (kayfabe) fired from either the brand or quit of their own volition or, in some instances, are leaving the company in reality (see Brock Lesnar).
This song has been remixed, covered and sampled by many other artists, including: The Pioneers (cover), The Supremes (cover), and Walé (sampled in the song Chillin' ft. Lady Gaga).
Bart starts singing the song in The Simpsons episode Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk during the scene where everyone humiliates Mr. Burns in Moe's Tavern.
At the first inauguration of Barack Obama, the song was sung by the crowd as the departing helicopter carrying ex-president George Bush flew overhead.
The song was sung in Lafayette Park during celebrations of the death of Osama bin Laden. David Arquette tweeted: "They are singing the Star Spangled Banner and The Beatles 'Na Na Na Na Goodbye.'"
Snoop Dogg in his concerts, often closes his show by singing and making his crowd sing 'Na Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey, Snoop Dogg'
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Famous quotes containing the words covers, subsequent and/or popularity:
“Wishing to get a better view than I had yet had of the ocean, which, we are told, covers more than two thirds of the globe, but of which a man who lives a few miles inland may never see any trace, more than of another world, I made a visit to Cape Cod.... But having come so fresh to the sea, I have got but little salted.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“And he smiled a kind of sickly smile, and curled up on the floor,
And the subsequent proceedings interested him no more.”
—Francis Bret Harte (1836–1902)
“A more problematic example is the parallel between the increasingly abstract and insubstantial picture of the physical universe which modern physics has given us and the popularity of abstract and non-representational forms of art and poetry. In each case the representation of reality is increasingly removed from the picture which is immediately presented to us by our senses.”
—Harvey Brooks (b. 1915)