“What is the unofficial Denver anthem?”: An ongoing debate that doesn’t deliver much

Redditor LowNet6665 recently asked the internet a question and that question has sparked quite a bit of online debate: “What is the unofficial Denver anthem?”

It’s no secret that many major cities around the United States and world inspire major musical hits, but when asked about ‘Denver,’ not much with a tight tie to the Mile High City comes to mind.

New York has Billy Joel’s ‘New York State of Mind.’ Beverly Hills has Weezer’s ‘Beverly Hills.’ Detroit has ‘Detroit Rock City‘ by Kiss with its unforgettable guitar riff. But what about Colorado’s capital at 5,280 feet of elevation?

Elton John’s ‘From Denver to LA‘? Nah. It’s about leaving Denver for the West Coast. ‘Get Out of Denver‘ by Bob Seger? Nah, somehow just another song about leaving Denver. ‘OD’d in Denver‘ by Hank Williams, Jr.? Maybe, but still not really the theme most locals want blasting through the speaker in representation of the place they call home.

On Reddit, commenters were met with the same dilemma in response to the question, struggling to agree on a definitive answer.

One song that got proposed was ‘All the Small Things’ by Blink-182. Thanks to the 1999 hit’s sudden new life brought about by the love it gets from Colorado Avalanche hockey team fans, perhaps.

‘Rocky Mountain High’? Perhaps. It was written by a man named John Denver – born as Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., after all. And it is one of Colorado’s official state songs. But it’s said to be written about Deutschendorf’s move to Aspen, not the Mile High City.

Closer‘ by the Chainsmokers and featuring Halsey? It was a Billboard 100 chart-topper, but it’s famous for a line referencing Boulder, not Denver.

And so the question lives on – what is the unofficial Denver anthem? Does one even exist? Unfortunately, that’s an answer I don’t have.

Let us know what you think in the comments. And find the full debate on Reddit here.

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Denver's now-closed Hard Rock Cafe. Photo Credit: M. Kaercher (iStock). (M. Kaercher)
Denver’s now-closed Hard Rock Cafe. Photo Credit: M. Kaercher (iStock). (M. Kaercher)

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