Platinum Jubilee: Country asked to sing ‘Sweet Caroline’ at street parties to celebrate Queen’s reign

“Sweet Caroline” has been voted as the song of the Platinum Jubilee by Radio 2 listeners.

Neil Diamond’s 1969 hit has become an anthem for sports in England, with the track sung loudly during last summer’s Euro 2020 football tournament.

Now, the nation is being called on to sing the track at street parties on Sunday 5 June.

Listeners to Zoe Ball’s Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 voted for the track due to its “uplifting, happy” melody, with the presenter calling it “a song of togetherness”.

Speaking on Tuesday (24 May) morning, Ball said that she hoped 10 million people would join in with a nationwide singalong.

“We’re hoping also that loads of grassroots music groups and choirs and school bands and brass bands will learn the song and perform it too,” she said.

“We really want to encourage the country to all come together.”

Paul McCartney’s “We All Stand Together” and Queen’s “We Are The Champions” were also suggested by many Radio 2 listeners, although Ball said that Diamond’s song was the clear winner.

“Sweet Caroline” first became a sporting anthem for the Boston Red Sox in 1997, after an employee played it over in the stadium because someone she knew had just had a baby named Caroline.

It was later adopted by English football fans during the Euros after Wembley Stadium DJ Tony Parry opted to play it over Fat Les’s “Vindaloo” after the last-16 win over Germany.