Was the Olympic Anthem written by Rod Stewart, a 1980s singer? False. The music was composed by Spiros Samaras and the words were written by Costis Palamas. The Olympic Anthem was played for the first time in 1896, at the Opening Ceremony of the first modern Olympic Games. It was later replaced by several other musical compositions (but none by Rod Stewart). It was only in 1955 that it finally became the official anthem. Trivia What Are the Five Events That Make Up the Modern Olympic Pentathon? Which Nations Won the Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals the Last Time Baseball Was an Olympic Sport? tags in this article Fan Olympics SportsEngine