2018 Winter Olympics: The Best Music in Ice Dance on Spotify

The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang will be filled with the world’s top ice dancers going toe pick-to-toe pick for the gold medal. Among them are Olympic gold and silver medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who will be vying for their second gold medal.

While the other disciplines will be compelling to watch, ice dance will feature one of the most exciting competitions of the Winter Games. In honor of this particular event, Eclectic Pop has narrowed down the best music from the competing dance teams with a special emphasis on the musical choices of Virtue and Moir, since their return to competitive ice, following a two-year break.

In keeping with the 2018 Olympics, Eclectic Pop has selected 18 songs to comprise the list Find out which songs made it below…

Virtue and Moir

If there is one team that has consistently chosen outstanding music for their programs, it is Virtue and Moir. Hence the decision to include the music from their short and free dances from the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 season on this playlist. 

For their comeback season, Virtue and Moir skated to a Prince medley featuring the songs; “Kiss,” “5 Women,” and “Purple Rain” for their short dance. For their free, they opted for a sumptuous mash-up of Coeur De Pirate’s “Pilgrims on a Long Journey” from the ‘Child of Light’ soundtrack and Sam Smith’s phenomenal acoustic cover of “Latch.”

For the Olympic season, Virtue and Moir have selected another set of sublime musical choices. Their Latin Rhythm short dance is set to a medley of soft rock favorites from the 60s and the 70s. 

The program begins with The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” before transitioning into an acoustic version of The Eagles’ “Hotel California." They conclude their electrifying routine with Santana’s cover of “Oye Como Va.”

Virtue and Moir’s free dance is comprised of two songs from the ‘Moulin Rouge!’ soundtrack; the brooding “El Tango De Roxanne” for the first half and the powerful duet, “Come What May" for the second. It is next to impossible to think of another song that captures the essence of Virtue and Moir’s skating career as well as “Come What May." It says it all.

Closing out the Virtue and Moir segment of the playlist is The Tragically Hip’s “Long Time Running” which they have skated to this season for their exhibition program. As of 2018, they have been skating together for 20 years. "Come what may," Virtue and Moir with their flawless lifts, performance quality, and elaborately choreographed routines will be the winners of the 2018 Winter Olympics to this skating enthusiast.


Chock and Bates

There is always something very tranquil about Madison Chock and Evan Bates' skating style. While the duo can give their share of thrilling performances (“Bad to the Bone”/ “Uptown Funk”), their synergy and serene spirits have also given rise to many tender programs. 

The musical choice and program direction for their Olympic-year free dance, captures their strengths, perfectly. Skating to John Lennon’s “Imagine,” their uplifting program features some of the most intricate lifts of the 2017/2018 season. With a routine so ethereal, it is easy to “imagine” Chock and Bates on the Olympic podium.


The Shibutanis

The sibling duo of Alex and Maia Shibutani always deliver entertaining programs and their 2017/2018 programs are no exception. While the duo’s short dance is one of their most lively, the free dance is where the siblings have consistently shined. 

A sort of sequel to their knockout free dance from 2015/2016, their Olympic-year program also features music from Coldplay. This time the Shibutanis take fans to “Paradise” via the band’s 2011 hit. It is a program that has evolved throughout the year, and it just keeps getting better.

The music choice suits them well, and the program's content is a worthy follow-up to their highly memorable Coldplay program from years ago, which featured the band's signature hits “The Scientist” and “Fix You.” 


Hubble and Donohue

It is one of the sultriest numbers of the 2017/2018 season. Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue’s steamy free dance to the instrumental version of Rag‘n’Bone Man’s “Across the Sky” and Beth Hart’s “Caught Out in the Rain” is bound to get some significant attention when it reaches the masses at the 2018 Olympics. 

Featuring a Twizzle sequence perfectly synched to the music, the program only builds from there. The mash-up of these two songs is seamless and yes, sexy. 

Bobrova and Soloviev

Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev tell an incredibly visual story with their haunting free dance. When “Beethoven’s 5 Secrets” begins to stir, the dance hits its stride as the music continues to swell.

This is an unforgettable routine that showcases Bobrova and Soloviev’s impressive performance skills as they act out a sweeping storyline The Piano Guys' music brilliantly highlights. 

Weaver and Poje

For the 2018 Winter Olympics, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje decided to bring back an old favorite; their 2011/2012 program set to Lara Fabian’s cover of “Je Suis Malade.” Still, as powerful and poetic as it was nearly half a decade ago, Weaver and Poje clearly made the right decision as the music compliments all of their strengths as a team. 

Papadakis and Cizeron

One of the few teams skating to a popular and current soundtrack, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron perform their short dance to a medley of Ed Sheeran’s smash hits, “Shape of You” and “Thinking Out Loud.” While both songs are great, Eclectic Pop chose to include the latter on the playlist due to its soft romanticism. 

The Playlist

There you have it. Eclectic Pop’s picks for the best music used in ice dance from the 2018 Winter Olympics and beyond. You can listen to all of the music mentioned above, including the songs from Virtue and Moir's past and present programs, via the Spotify Playlist embed below or check it out on Spotify by clicking here.

[Featured Image by Britt Lawrence]

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