Lover of women, conquerer of nations. “the Super Bowl Shuffle” comes back

by Bobby McMahon, staff writer

People love the 1980s, plain and simple. A romantic nostalgia for the 1980s permeates our culture, yet the facts of the decade paint a much bleaker portrait than the rosy image we recall.  In the 1980’s, Reagan sold arms for hostages, politicians were categorically ignoring the AIDS issue, and Emilo Estevez was allowed to star in countless films (including, but not limited to, “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “The Breakfast Club,” “Maximum Overdrive,” and “Young Guns”). Yet, amidst the sham and drudgery of the decade, a shining beacon emerged from the squalor to gleam in the sun, warming the hearts of Americans everywhere and renewing the hope and strength of a nation.  One single event changed America, all thanks to a little studio magic and a whole lot of shufflin’.

In 1985, on their way to a 15-1 regular season and a 46-10 dismantling of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX (that’s 20 for the non-Romans among us), the Chicago Bears chose to undertake the awesome task of both alleviating urban hunger and creating the most significant piece of recorded sound since Neil Armstrong’s 1969 moon-landing speech. After their only loss of the year, the Bears went into the studio to record “The Super Bowl Shuffle,” a five minute, fifty-six second magnum opus of danceable rap music, performed by the “Chicago Bears Shufflin’ Crew,” a collection of starters and reserves from the championship team. While some may have seen this move as brash, given that the Bears had yet to win the Super Bowl at recording time, the unstoppable force of both the music and Buddy Ryan’s vaunted “46” defense paved the way for the team to win the big game and for the single to be released.

Upon release of the single in both audio and video format, “The Super Bowl Shuffle” took the world by storm, rousing the souls of millions with its powerful lyrics and dynamic images.  Words such as “They call me Sweetness, and I like to dance/Runnin’ the ball is like makin’ romance,” and “There’s not one here that does it like me/my Super Bowl Shuffle will set you free,” rapped by Walter “Sweetness” Payton and “Speedy” Willie Gault respectively, gave listeners a sample of greatness in action.  The music video featured the Chicago Bears Shufflin’ Crew outfitted in their uniforms (sans pads and helmets) lip synching to their big hit while standing on risers, which appear to have been borrowed from Picture Day at Kander Falls Elementary School. The video was simply a cinematic tour de force, as it is still used today as required material in most film studies programs. 

The song and video changed the way people thought about athletes:  No longer did Bears fans only wonder how many touchdowns Gault or Payton scored in a given week, but also Gault’s thoughts on how to emancipate the proletariat from the shackles of the bourgeoisie or what Walter Payton thought about when he ran the ball.  When all the shufflin’ was done, the “Super Bowl Shuffle” amassed $1.9 million in record and video sales, peaked at No. 41 on the charts, and was certified gold on Feb. 11, 1986.  In addition, the Recording Academy saw fit to nominate “The Super Bowl Shuffle” for a Grammy award in the category of Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.  Tragically, the hit that brought joy to millions narrowly lost to the Prince and the Revolution hit “Kiss” in the final voting.

This veritable stampede of public interest in “The Super Bowl Shuffle” could only have happened in the 1980’s, an era where style subjugated substance, Reagan was at best asleep at the wheel, and defense won championships.  Almost 20 years later, “The Super Bowl Shuffle” stands as a monolithic reminder of a bygone era when anything was possible, a day when people believed in something bigger than themselves. In many ways, “The Super Bowl Shuffle” did set us free: free from the toil of everyday life so that we could catch just a flash of greatness, to inspire us to reach higher than we ever thought possible.

Bobby McMahon is a senior political science major and wonders if Bears quarterback Jim McMahon and he are related.