The official Olympic theme song —known as the Olympic Anthem or Olympic Hymn —was composed by the Greek opera composer Spyridon Samaras (often spelled Spýros Samáaras), with lyrics written by the Greek poet Kostís Palamás.

What counts as “the Olympic theme song”?

There are actually two things people usually mean by “Olympic theme song”:

  • Official Olympic Anthem :
    • Music: Spyridon Samaras (1861–1917).
* Lyrics: **Kostís Palamás** (Greek poet).

* First performed at the **1896 Athens Games** and declared the official anthem by the IOC in **1958**.
  • TV / NBC “Olympic theme” (Bugler’s Dream) :
    • Music: Leo Arnaud ’s “Bugler’s Dream” (1958), later arranged and popularized by John Williams for NBC broadcasts.
* This is the **heroic brass fanfare** many Americans associate with the Olympics, even though it is **not** the official anthem.

Quick comparison

Type of “Olympic theme”| Composer(s)| Status
---|---|---
Olympic Anthem (official)| Spyridon Samaras (music), Kostís Palamás (lyrics) 15| Official anthem of the Olympic Games, played at ceremonies.
TV “Olympic theme” (Bugler’s Dream)| Leo Arnaud (original), John Williams (arranged/used by NBC) 379| Broadcast theme, widely heard on U.S. TV but not the official anthem.

If your question is about the official Olympic theme song, the answer is Spyridon Samaras (music) and Kostís Palamás (lyrics).