"Academy Fight Song" is a song written by Clint Conley and originally recorded by Mission of Burma. It is also known for having been performed and recorded by

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternative ...

The song has been described as one of Mission of Burma's "more melodic, shout-along tunes". Conley has declined to elaborate on the meaning of the lyrics, and according to author Michael Azerrad, was "typically evasive when asked if the song was angry. 'Yeah, pretty angry,' Conley said. 'It's just a big conceit. A metaphor. ... I find the whole notion of talking about lyrics very embarrassing.'" "Academy Fight Song" was released as a single in June 1980 by Ace of Hearts Records with "Max Ernst" as the B-side. "Academy Fight Song" received significant airplay on Boston's WBCN (FM) and sold out its initial pressing of 7,500 copies within weeks.

Reception

New York Rocker ''New York Rocker'' was a punk rock new wave magazine founded by Alan Betrock in 1976. In 1979, it had a circulation of 20,000. Betrock left the magazine in 1978, and Andy Schwartz took over as editor until 1982. The same year the magazine was cl ...

'' named "Academy Fight Song" one of the ten best singles of 1980. In 1981, '' The Michigan Daily'' wrote that it had "been called one of the best singles of 1980 by several new wave magazines and polls." George Gimarc wrote in ''Post Punk Diary: 1980-1982'' that Mission of Burma were "on their way to becoming a Boston legend with their single 'Academy Fight Song' and 'Max Ernst'."

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

has described "Academy Fight Song" as a "one-hook wonder" and "great". Alex Ogg, writing in ''The Rough Guide to Rock'', described "Academy Fight Song" as "pure sonic confrontation .... should be a primary source for all rock historians." In 2020, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' ranked the song at number 64 on its list of "The 100 Greatest Debut Singles of All Time", describing it as "a blast of guitar rage, full of punk menace, but without any posturing. ... The single was just a taste of Burma’s sound — ignored at the time, yet influential ever since."

Other versions

Miracle Legion Miracle Legion was an American college rock band formed in 1983 in New Haven, Connecticut. They earned modest renown, especially in their native New England region, but also in the UK, where they were feted by music media such as ''NME'' and ''Mel ...

recorded "Academy Fight Song" for their 1987 album ''

Surprise Surprise Surprise ''Surprise Surprise Surprise'' is the first full-length album by Miracle Legion, released in 1987. Release The 10 song LP ''Surprise Surprise Surprise'' was released under Rough Trade Records in 1987. It was released on vinyl, cassette and in J ...

''; the band often used it as an encore at their live performances. R.E.M. released a recording of "Academy Fight Song" in 1989 on the annual Christmas single for their fan club members, as the B-side of " Good King Wenceslas", a 7" single in a limited edition of 4,500 copies. In 1990, ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' listed R.E.M.'s recording of the song as one of the 35 "worst cover songs of the last 35 years". However, a writer for ''

Salon.com ''Salon'' is an American politically progressive/liberal news and opinion website created in 1995. It publishes articles on U.S. politics, culture, and current events. Content and coverage ''Salon'' covers a variety of topics, including re ...

'' wrote that R.E.M.'s "clanging version" of "Academy Fight Song" was one of the cover versions that "make perfect sense" as a selection for the band.

References

{{Mission of Burma, state=collapsed Mission of Burma songs 1980 songs