No NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship would be complete before “One Shining Moment” hit the screen.
The March Madness anthem has become must-see television for college basketball fans and non-fans alike. People everywhere are tuning in as four weeks of madness, triumph and heartbreak are packed into just a few minutes of chilling footage.
Composer David Barrett was inspired to write the song in 1986 while sitting in an East Lansing bar and watching Larry Bird. The next morning, Barrett wrote down the lyrics on a napkin while waiting to meet a friend for breakfast. It only took Barrett 20 minutes to compose the entire song later that day at his home. The rest, as they say, is history.
Barrett’s iconic song was first broadcast on CBS after Indiana’s victory over Syracuse in the 1987 tournament. CBS continued to use her version until 1993 and picked it up again in 2000 after that Teddy Pendergrass took over vocal duties from 1994 to 1999.
The version sung by Luther Vandross has been used every year since 2003 with the exception of Jennifer Hudson’s rendition during the 2010 tournament.
Vandross will be heard from again when the winner is crowned between North Carolina and Villanova on Monday night. But in honor of the song’s 30th anniversary, pop artist Ne-Yo will also offer his rendition which will air as part of Team Stream coverage on TNT and truTV.
A look back at some of the biggest montages since 1987.
