Magic victory song, explained: How 'Play the Song' became an Orlando post-win sports anthem originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Team anthems have become a growing trend across sports, and the Orlando Magic have made their case that their song is the most viral across social media.
After every win, Magic (and even NBA fans) flock to the team's social media platforms to engage with today's reinvention of the team's 1989 theme song. Orlando posts a video featuring "Play the Song - Ayo version" with the score of the game and a backdrop that features the team's best plays from their victory.
The song first gained popularity in 1989 after being written by Glenn Gettings. Orlando led the way on the modern gameday experience by having a live performance of the song. After a lengthy hiatus, the song is back and better than ever. Fans, both virtually and in-person, at the Kia Center (from a massive boombox at center court, of course) can listen to the modern reinvention of Gettings' iconic song.
Here is the history of the "Play the Song" tradition, and how it has aged over time.
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Ahead of the team's first NBA season in 1989, Orlando worked with Gettings Production on a track for the player introductions video and on-court dance performances. Glenn Gettings wrote the song before reaching out to a local performer from Disney to sing it.
While today's NBA arenas feature lights, sound teams, and other theatrics to boost the gameday experience, the Magic were ahead of their time in establishing this presence. However, the team eventually got rid of their theme song to the dismay of fans.
In 2021, a tweet went viral reminiscing about the song's performance during the franchise's early days. Kevin Clark found the performance that was seemingly forgotten in the past. His tweet caught the attention of the Magic, who reposted the video and promised fans if their tweet got over 1,000 retweets, they would play the song in the arena the following day. 20 minutes later, the franchise had to hold its promise.
1000 RT and we’ll play this during tomorrow’s game https://t.co/WWjqHV3AG9
In January 2022, Orlando began posting different variations on social media around "play that song" or "hit the music." The Magic didn't use it in a post-victory meme format until December 2022 after a win over the Atlanta Hawks. The song was featured on TikTok with a graphic of the score and video in the background. On Nov. 2, 2023, the Magic began the tradition of posting the video after every win, and it took off.
Nowadays, the song has a more modern twist. AyoTheProducer, an Orlando native and Magic fan, created a remix with added drums, updated lyrics, and more of a trap beat compared to the song's 1989 original. Here is Stuff the Magic Dragon, the Magic's mascot, playing the song after a 2026 Game 4 first-round victory over the Detroit Pistons.
PLAY THE SONG @STUFFMagicpic.twitter.com/TthMQk8Ofp
"It feels very 80s," Shelly Wilkes, the Magic's executive vice president of marketing and social responsibility, told ESPN. "And for some reason, it has just taken off."
On their social media platforms, the team posts the videos to get fans hyped up from wherever they are. The team asks, "You guys wanna hear the song?" before sharing an edit with the score of their victory and the best clips from that night's game.
PLAY THE SONG https://t.co/omFdkRDK3Qpic.twitter.com/SV093g0At3
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There’s a spirit in Orlando, there’s a magic in our townThere’s a heartbeat pounding in the streetIt’s so fantastic and out of controlYou can feel the power under your feet
Abracadabra, razzamatazzSlam dunk sesameHocus pocus, alakazamGonna set the spirit free
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