The musical design of Sirius destined it to become the Chicago Bulls’ theme song

The phrase “From North Carolina”, when spoken within Chicago Bulls fan circles, invokes Pavlovian reactions that recall the sensory experience of witnessing the transcendent Chicago Bulls starting lineup introduction that originated in Chicago Stadium during Michael Jordan's rookie NBA season and carried over to the Bulls' current home arena, the United Center.

A recipe of emphatic PA announcers Tommy Edwards and Ray Clay, a once-in-a-lifetime talent in Michael Jordan, the theatrical sensibility to dim the Bulls' home arena lights while introducing the Bulls' starting lineup, and the song choice of Sirius by British prog-rock band The Alan Parsons Project, as background music during the Bulls' starting lineup introduction birthed an iconic element of the franchise identity for YOUR CHICAGO BULLS!

On the surface, it might seem that Sirius becoming an iconic Bulls tradition was some happy accident or circumstantial coincidence.  

However, taking into consideration song composer Alan Parsons' musical background leading up to the recording of the song in 1982, plus the specific intent that led to the song's inclusion on The Alan Parsons Project’s 1982 album, Eye in the Sky, Sirius had no other choice than to become the anthem of the Chicago Bulls as the franchise embarked on its most successful rebuild in franchise history in the mid-1980s.

Alan Parsons architected arena music for years

Sports was never a featured element of Alan Parsons' musical career, yet the formal beginnings of his professional music career started as an assistant engineer in London’s Abbey Road studio, where he earned a nice recording credit in 1969 working with a band that was no stranger to arenas, The Beatles.  

Parsons’ early career work on The Beatles' Abbey Road (1969) and Let It Be (1970) albums paved the way for one of his signature audio engineering accomplishments: working with the British rock band Pink Floyd on their legendary 1973 concept album Dark Side of the Moon.

If there is any artist and album combination that evokes an arena experience, it is the psychedelic laser show compositions contained on Dark Side of the Moon.  

For Bulls fans of a certain generation, Dark Side of the Moon contains a song that is as recognizable as Sirius in the canon of Bulls in-arena game songs - On the Run. The Pink Floyd song served as the background music for visiting team starting lineup introductions in Chicago Stadium and the United Center throughout the dynasty era of Bulls franchise history.

Sirius is fundamentally an introduction song

Parsons himself acknowledged that the purpose in composing Sirius was to create an introduction to lead into the title track of The Alan Parsons Project’s Eye in the Sky album.

Sirius, in compositional terms, is a near-perfect introduction song that strikes an optimal song structure balance melodically, harmonically, and rhythmically.  The song opens with a now-legendary melody backed by an awe-inspiring synth-bass note that expands into cascading countermelodies that build anticipation.  

A steady kick drum pulsates the song forward to an explosive drum fill that ushers in the climactic guitar phase of the song that brings the entire introduction experience home with a soaring guitar solo in the song’s fully unveiled rock and roll form.

When the arena lights return, you know it’s game time.

Actually there is a coincidence

The coincidence worth mentioning, perhaps, is the arrival of Michael Jordan as a basketball star via his heroic clutch game-winning shot in the March 1982 NCAA men’s basketball national championship game that cemented his college basketball legacy with the North Carolina Tar Heels by delivering the program’s second national championship as a freshman. 

Two months later, The Alan Parsons Project released their album Eye in the Sky in May 1982.  A perfect Bulls storm brewed in 1982!

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