This song, or at least its chorus, has been played or chanted so often at sports events and political rallies that it has become part of modern culture. You've almost certainly heard it already.
Steam didn't exist as a band at the time "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" was released. It was written and recorded by three studio musicians, Gary DeCarlo (known professionally at the time as Garrett Scott), Dale Frashuer, and Paul Leka. They didn't actually have a drummer playing live on the song - they spliced in a drum track from another song.
"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, #9 in the UK, and #6 in Canada. When it became successful, a band was quickly put together to tour as Steam; none of the musicians who recorded the song were part of this band.
A followup single, "I've Gotta Make You Love Me", only made it to #46 on the Hot 100, and three other single releases didn't chart at all. Total sales of "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" are now at over 6.5 million copies. DeCarlo, who was the lead vocalist on it, passed away in 2017.
Created October 5, 2026.