Rocky Top was written in 1967 by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant and first popularized by the Osborne Brothers as a fast bluegrass number. It was later adopted as a signature song for the University of Tennessee, played constantly by the Pride of the Southland Band at football and basketball games, and became one of Tennessee's official state songs. Slowed and pitched-down vocal edits spread online through sports edits and meme pages, where fans reuse the instantly recognizable chorus to signal Tennessee pride, nostalgia, and game day atmosphere.