Patty Loew:
Strike up the band. For the past 100 years, one song has roused the passion of Wisconsin Badger fans more than any other. And to think it almost became a Minnesota fan favorite. "On Wisconsin" turns 100. To honor this milestone, videographer Chuck France captures the history of the fight song in Madison.

Mike Leckrone:
Exactly 100 years ago today in a Red Gym just down the street a little bit, the glee club performed for the first time the song called the greatest college marching song ever written and I think you all agree with that. I certainly do.   

Mike Leckrone:
"On Wisconsin," it's such a great little fragment.

Patty Loew:
Maybe it's more than a march song and a two-step.

Mike Leckrone:
One of the things we like to do is show the versatility of "On Wisconsin." We play it in all different sorts of modes. We played it as if an 18th century chamber music group might have played it.  Then we played it as a Russian composer might have written it. We played it as if a Latin American composer would have written it or an Asian composer would have written it. You're going to find it -- you may have to look for it, but it's going to be there.

Patty Loew:
The very first version was written and arranged by William T. Purdy for a contest, but not for Wisconsin. The contest offered a $100 prize for a new University of Minnesota football song.  Carl Beck overheard Purdy's melody, penned a few verses and "On Wisconsin" was on its way to 100.

Mike Leckrone:
It had an immediate acceptance and so from that point on every sporting event you could think of, there's a part of it.

Patty Loew:
It's hard to guess how many times "On Wisconsin" has been performed.

Mike Leckrone:
I don't even know if I want to know the answer because it's such a staggering amount. We could play "On Wisconsin" depending on the number of touchdowns, 50 to 70 times on a given Saturday. Then multiply that by seven or eight games a season, times 40, and that’s just Saturday.

Patty Loew:
He's referring to his 40 years at the helm of the UW marching band. But there were other band directors who played "On Wisconsin" going all the way back to the first regiment band.

Mike Leckrone:
Sort of a loosely knit group of people, largely under the military since it was a land-grant school.

Patty Loew:
It's probably fair to say that back then Beck and Purdy had no idea how many times their song would be performed. Carl Beck lived long enough to be honored at the 50-year anniversary of "On Wisconsin" in 1959.

Man:
Now let's all hail the champion.

Patty Loew:
There was also a good year for badger football.

Man:
Wisconsin wins its first title in 40 years.

Patty Loew:
Also in 1959 "On Wisconsin" became the official state song.

Mike Leckrone:
Great songs like that are really timeless. Today students I think get just as much enjoyment out of seeing it and performing it as they did in 1909.

Patty Loew:
As part of the centennial celebration for "On Wisconsin" the greatest college fight song shows its flexibility again in the hands of students, musicians and filmmakers who are entering a video contest. One YouTube entry came from uwhip-hop.com. It starts with a scratchy glee club recording of "On Wisconsin."

Patty Loew:
Only time will tell if this entry wins. Either way, the catchy hip-hop version could become a fan favorite just like House of Pain's “Jump Around.”

Mike Leckrone:
That's going to stick around for a long, long time. Easily another 100 years.

Patty Loew:
The contest runs through April 5. To get the rules, just go to our website at wpt.org/inwisconsin.  You can also find a link to watch the videos submitted so far. While the song is in the public domain here in the United States, Michael Jackson's estate owns the international rights to "On Wisconsin."