OLYMPIC TORCH

Forget the Gloria Estefan theme and the rest of the music recorded for the Atlanta games. The song that could be the Olympic gold medal winner is Iggy & the Stooges’ 1973 proto-punk scorcher “Search and Destroy.”

That’s the one featured in the Nike commercials that began airing recently--60 seconds of quick-cut athletic intensity, powered by Iggy Pop’s snarl and the Stooges’ rock fury. Throughout the Olympics, there will also be eight 30-second versions featured, each highlighting a different sport.

The problem: The song is never identified in the ads. Columbia Records executives are hoping to rectify that anonymity with a variety of promotional moves, including putting stickers on CDs of “Raw Power,” the album containing the song, and contacting rock radio stations about playing the oldie.

But Jeff Jones, vice president of marketing for Legacy Recordings, the Sony catalog division, says it’s tricky to get any sales boosts from such spots.

“In England, old songs in commercials often become big hits,” he says. “But it’s rare over here. Still, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure people know what this song is.”