‘Rocky’ Theme ‘Gonna Fly Now’ at 50: ‘Never Giving Up Is the Message’
Categoria: Musica
Says cowriter Carol Connors of the Hot 100 No. 1 hit, “To me, Rocky could do anything, even fly.”
Por Billboard | 05/11/2026
As the Rocky franchise of films — the original, five Rocky sequels and three Creed movies — has resonated with moviegoers for a half-century, so has its theme song. Fifty years ago , Rocky , about the ascent of fictional boxer Rocky Balboa, brought to life by Sylvester Stallone, was released. Made on a shoestring budget of $980,000 — minuscule by blockbuster film standards, even in 1976 — and shot over 28 days via a manuscript written in longhand by Stallone in three-and-a-half days, it went on to win Oscars for best picture, best director (John Alvidsen) and best editing. Related The Top 75 Movie Songs of All Time 2026 Is the 50th Anniversary of These 20 Milestone Music Moments ‘Fifty Shades’ & 5 Other Film Franchises With Multiple Top 10s From Different Movies Likewise, its anthem, “Gonna Fly Now,” knocked out all competition to top the Billboard Hot 100 dated July 2, 1977 . Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins cowrote its lyrics; Bill Conti was the composer. The song is packing a punch again thanks to the new movie I Play Rocky , which revisits the making of the original Rocky . (On Sept. 29, the three-song Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Rocky was released, featuring a new orchestral version of “Gonna Fly Now.”) Anthony Ippolito plays Stallone in I Play Rocky , directed by Peter Farrelly. The Amazon MGM Studios film, whose title reflects Stallone’s gloves-off insistence that he star in Rocky , premiered Sept. 12 at the Toronto International Film Festival ahead of its limited release in the United States Friday (Nov. 6) and in theaters nationwide Nov. 20. To borrow from a phrase related to the sport, I Play Rocky could be a contender — for its own best picture award, as it has been widely thumbs-upped by critics. “Ayn Robbins and I went to see the rough cuts of a little film they called Rocky , hoping to see if there was the possibility of a theme song we could write. There was, but it took a while to find the lyrics ,” Connors, 84, tells Billboard about the origin of “Gonna Fly Now.” “Suddenly one day when I was in the shower, I could see the whole film, especially with Rocky in training, drinking the eggs and running through the streets,” she says. “I knew what the film was about, I knew what the song was about and what the song should say. I had the words ‘gonna fly now,’ because, to me, Rocky could do anything, even fly. “I was ecstatic,” Connors remembers. “I called Bill Conti and told him I had the lyrics. He heard the water running and asked me, ‘Where are you?’ I said, ‘In the shower.’ He says, ‘Are you with somebody?’ I said, ‘Bill, if I was with somebody, would I be calling you?’ He says, ‘No, but you better give me the lyrics before you electrocute yourself.’ “Because of the o