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October 15, 2024 10:52 AM

Literally just a video of the 1985 Chicago Bears performing The Super Bowl Shuffle.
posted by Sperry Topsider (29 comments total)

The 80s are a hell of a drug
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 11:04 AM on October 15 [5 favorites]

Otis Wilson's got the best verse, with Mike Singletary coming in close second. Then again I also owned Perry's G.I. Joe figure back in the day, so I'm torn.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 11:12 AM on October 15 [4 favorites]

We're not here to start no trouble
We're just here to do the Super Bowl Shuffle
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:15 AM on October 15 [10 favorites]

I hope they play this every time they get together for some reunion type event.
posted by Art_Pot at 11:22 AM on October 15 [3 favorites]

Somewhere in my collection I still have a "tribute" single that someone did for the Fridge (have to dig it out sometime).
posted by gtrwolf at 11:25 AM on October 15

As a kid growing up in suburban Illinois at the time, I don't need to watch this video, it's seared into my long term memory.
posted by Eddie Mars at 11:31 AM on October 15 [17 favorites]

I had this on cassette, recorded from somewhere, and I listened to it a million times as a kid. I probably still know all the words.

And thus concludes my knowledge of sports.
posted by tiny frying pan at 11:31 AM on October 15 [6 favorites]

My wife had to do Gary Fencik's verse in an elementary school performance and I never let her forget it.
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:42 AM on October 15 [9 favorites]

A guy who lived across the hall from me in my freshman dorm at Northwestern in 1981-82 was one of the producers of this video.
posted by briank at 11:48 AM on October 15 [3 favorites]

I only watched this for the Fridge, who was responsible for my favorite touchdown ever.
posted by vverse23 at 12:21 PM on October 15 [2 favorites]

@vverse23

I still think Ditka was an ass for not giving that to Payton.
posted by indianbadger1 at 12:25 PM on October 15 [6 favorites]

Truly one of the greatest songs ever written about doing the Super Bowl Shuffle.
posted by PlusDistance at 12:28 PM on October 15 [15 favorites]

It inspired the AWA, one of the major wrestling promotions of the time, to make The WrestleRock Rumble, a truly awful rap featuring Shawn Michaels, Marty Jannetty, Kurt Hennig and Scott Hall (Review by Wrestling With Wregret).
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 12:56 PM on October 15 [3 favorites]

I moved to Chicago shortly before this football season. I loved Chicago from the jump, I suffered as a long time NY Football Giants fan (redeemed the next year!) when Da Bears did so well in 85. When this came out, I was a recent transplant and it really called into question whether living in Chicago was right for me. I am sorry, but this is off at best. I wonder what George thought of it. Mr. Halas could not have dreamed this would happen to his beloved Bears one day. I did love some of the players in the video. Mainly, McMahon and the linebackers. Bears have always had great linebackers.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 1:22 PM on October 15

As a 10-year-old in the Chicago suburbs, we had the VHS tape of this. (We might still, in some forgotten box in the basement.) I remember thinking it was both very dorky and really cool.
posted by me3dia at 1:41 PM on October 15 [3 favorites]

We can look back and laugh at it now, but in 1985 we were enthralled by this team. It was cool to watch this.

Even though we're pretty superstitious when it comes to Chicago sports... somehow this got a pass from everyone, coming out two months before the Superbowl. If they tried that today? Holy crap.
posted by JoeZydeco at 1:56 PM on October 15 [4 favorites]

Ah, simpler times. The Bears were winners, the Sox didn't finish with the worst season record in baseball history and the Cubs' owner wasn't cozying up to an American wanna be dictator.
posted by SteveInMaine at 2:08 PM on October 15 [1 favorite]

The Hawks still had Bannerman in the basket and they won the division. But I guess nobody was paying attention.
posted by JoeZydeco at 2:46 PM on October 15 [1 favorite]

I remember being pleased with myself for learning to play that bass line on the piano. (Yes, it is just one note.) I'm gonna pretend the math to figure my age at the time is too difficult to attempt.
posted by straight at 2:58 PM on October 15

I'm in my mid-40s so I remember this well (despite not being a resident of Chicago or anything). I do have some friends that are about 10 years younger than I am and not so much now, but it used to be a great pleasure of mine to share the terrible (note: this is not terrible, honestly, although why is it nearly 6 minutes long?) things people my age liked because we had fewer choices and way less internet.

(I have "ruined" some lives with Prince's "Batdance." I own a 12-inch of it because of course I do.)
posted by edencosmic at 4:52 PM on October 15 [3 favorites]

We’re gonna do the Shuffle and ring your bell

Towering masterpiece of a novelty single
posted by porn in the woods at 5:00 PM on October 15

As someone who has lived in the environs of the Greater Chicagoland Area most of my life, I have been running from this since , oh, 1985. I thought I was safe on Metafilter, but nooo...
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 5:19 PM on October 15 [2 favorites]

I made my teenage kids watch this recently and we were all struck with how little anyone tried to make a bunch of people who are experts at moving their bodies get good at dancing.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:40 PM on October 15 [2 favorites]

The classic Key & Peele sketch “East/West Bowl Rap Showdown” always reminds me of the Super Bowl Shuffle.

P.S. West Coast!
posted by Orthodox Humanoid at 8:23 PM on October 15 [2 favorites]

"...how little anyone tried to make a bunch of people who are experts at moving their bodies get good at dancing."

My memory's a little vague but don't know if "good at dancing" was considered a guy thing then and there. At least for white guys.
posted by aleph at 11:09 PM on October 15 [1 favorite]

It's the most Bears thing ever that the verses are clearly in star order and yet the QB has his verse after the linebacker.
posted by nangua at 1:11 AM on October 16 [2 favorites]

I grew up in and still live in Chicago. Any year where the Bears win a few games in a row, or have a semi-decent season, or look like they maybe, maybe, might make it to the playoffs, this video is dutifully trotted out and played on local media with a reminder that the Bears did indeed win the Super Bowl one time.
posted by SoberHighland at 5:56 AM on October 16 [2 favorites]

Just to continue reminiscing, here's the very first iteration of Saturday Night Live's "Bill Swerski's Superfans" featuring Robert Smigel, Chris Farley, Mike Myers and guest host Joe Mantegna. In future appearances, SNL friend George Wendt would replace Mantegna as "Bob Swerski", since his brother Bill had "anudder heart attack".
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 3:35 PM on October 16

Oh, man! I did a news-related "shuffle" parody for one of my high school classes. The only line I remember is: "PW Botha, he won't give Blacks the time of day, he's doing the shuffle the apartheid way." Pure genius from a 15-year-old I am sure.
posted by Mo Nickels at 3:16 PM on October 19 [1 favorite]