Gaming soundtracks have always found a way to serve as earworms stuck in our brains, from the primitive arcade days to the modern open-world epics of today.
You can find yourself humming chiptune ditties like the Green Hill Zone theme, or, equally, you could lose yourself mesmerized by an award-winning orchestral performance like Austin Wintory’s score forJourney. The depth and possibilities of gaming audio are boundless.
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JRPGs are indeed fun to play because of their captivating stories, but its their soundtracks that makes this genre one of the best.
So much so that games have been able to serve as a springboard for many real world artists, and effectively make their games more famous than they might have been otherwise.
So, we want to take a moment to highlight some amazing songs that, without the medium of gaming, might not have been as well-known and adored as they are today.
For clarity, we will not include background music composed as part of a game’s soundtrack, nor will we include songs that were/would have been famous without the games mentioned. We will focus on songs made famous by games, not the other way around.
10Goldfinger - Superman
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 (2020)
TheTHPSseries shaped many gamers' musical tastes, myself included. This is mainly due to the amazing selection of punk bands that made up the line-up. Of all these, I think the one that most people remember most fondly is Goldfinger, and more specifically, their jaunty hit, Superman.
This one featured in the first THPS title and played a small part in the breakout success of the Birdman’sfirst skating title in the mammoth series.
I’ll admit, I could have chosen a wide variety of punk and alternative bangers across the series, but for me, Superman was the catalyst that set the precedent for all soundtracks that came thereafter being so unbelievably cool.
9Sanctuary - Hikaru Utada
Kingdom Hearts 2
Speaking of soundtracks and franchises that had me spoiled for choice,the Kingdom Hearts seriesis well-known for its musical excellence.
However, amongst theamazing Disney-inspired score, you have one woman who has managed to stand out with her marquee songs representing each mainline entry in the series.
Hikaru has produced some absolutely stellar tunes, including Simple and Clean and her collaboration with Skrillex for Face My Fears. However, at least for me, her greatest work is Sanctuary, the tune many will remember fondly from the introduction toKingdom Hearts 2.
It’s an upbeat, emotive track that nails the tone of the series, and it’s one you need to add to your Spotify gaming playlist right away.
8Blow Me Away - Breaking Benjamin
As someone who really likes what I would call ‘I own a Wolf T-Shirt’ type music, it’s hardly surprising that Breaking Benjamin is a band I really enjoy.
However, it’s a fair statement to say that they might not have broken through to the masses without the help ofHalo 2.Their quintessentially powerful rock anthem, ‘Blow Me Away,’ was heard by the masses ofFPS-loving gamersin the 2000s, giving them a platform to succeed.
Phenomenal hits like Diary of Jane, Breath and Dance With The Devil, cemented this band as a stalwart of 2000’s rock.
However, it was Bungie’s alien-killing epic that helped make this all possible. So, if you want a blast of nostalgia as you think back to your time laying waste to The Covenant, then stick this tune on and enjoy the ride.
7All My Ex’s Live In Texas
GTA: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
The GTA series has always been known for its fine selection of tunes, as the various radio stations in eachGTAouting have always had their fair share of standout contemporary tracks.
Most of these tunes didn’t need GTA to earn the accolade of successful songs, but a few were pulled out of relative obscurity thanks to the series. We want to focus on a country hit fromGTA: San Andreas.
While George Strait is much acclaimed in the world of country music, the inclusion of this honky-tonk hit allowed the Nashville native to find a new demographic he probably wouldn’t have dreamed of.
So next time you listen to K Rose and this one comes on the airways, crank the volume up and let your inner cowboy come out as you cruise through Red County.
6Iron - Woodkid
Assassin’s Creed 3
Assassin’s Creed III
Perhaps this one is cheating a little, as this one was never present in theAssassin’s Creedseries, but it was the song used for the Ad campaign for Assassin’s Creed 3.
A choice that would put Woodkid on the map, while equally ensuring that fans of the historical assassin series were hyped for the next installment.
Due to Ubisoft’s handling of the series in recent years,that hype has subsided significantly since then, but Woodkid’s rousing track Iron was the perfect accompaniment.
Since then, the artist has gone from strength to strength, with incredible tracks like Run Boy Run and Guns For Hire, which features in theLeague of Legendsseries Arcane, the main highlights.
5The Ink Spots - I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire
The modernFalloutgames are well known for their incredible quests, characters, and weapons. However, the series is also rather well known for the assortment of 1950s tunes that the game dug out from the archives and brought to prominence once again.
Fallout New Vegas gave us Big Iron, andFallout 4gave us Orange Colored Sky. However, it would be hard to argue against Fallout 3’s marquee tune serving as the best representative here.
This title that plays as Fallout 3’s intro zooms out to reveal the demise and chaos of the Capital Wasteland, and it sets the tone for the somber stories, and hostile world you’ll soon try to carve out an existence within.
No one wants to see the world burn, but if it must, you can only hope it burns in video game form because it’s usually a brilliantly bleak time.
4José González - Far Away
Red Dead Redemption
Read Dead Redemption is an emotive game, and a gut-wrenchingly powerful series as a whole. That comes down to some excellent writing, excellent character design, and much more.
However, one could also argue that the score does a lot to play on the heartstrings and that couldn’t be more true of the use of José González' Far Away in the original Red Dead Redemption.
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Many might know José Gonzáles for Heartbeats, the song that was made famous by theSony Bravia commercialwith all the colorful bouncy balls. However, his finest work might just be this emotive track.
This song plays as you make the long and lonely ride to Mexico, making the whole ordeal much more powerful and cinematic. So, if you’ve never witnessed John Marston’s tale, there’s no time like the present.
3Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked - Cage The Elephant
Borderlands
Borderlands is known for a lot of things these days.It’s known for offering fans one of the worst gaming movies in existence. It’s known for offering some of the finest Looter Shooter gameplay on the market.
Plus, it’s known for its pop-culture references and an annoying robot named Clap-Trap. It’s a divisive series at the best of times, but one thing is indisputable. The Borderlands series has some pretty awesome intros.
The first game set the precedent for this with an iconic opening introducing the various characters on offer to the player. Whilst, in the background, you had the musical stylings of Cage the Elephant and their rather fitting tune, Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked.
It’s a killer tune fitting of a bounty hunter, and one that Borderlands helped put on the map.
2Jaimes - Wide Awake
Alan Wake 2
When it comes to standout tunes, Alan Wake 2 is bursting at the seams with candidates for this list in truth. You have the Old Gods of Asgard with their rock anthems, and you have the Janitor Athi’s rendition ofYötön Yö.
However, in my eyes, the pick of the bunch is Wide Awake by Jaimes. If you didn’t know its origins, this track could easily be a billboard chart-topper on its own merit.
This title serves as one of the tunes that ushers in a new chapter within the haunting story of Alan Wake 2, and represents the tone of the narrative, as well as the characters becoming wise to the alternative realities present beautifully well.
It’s one that is powerful, emotive, and well worth listening to over and over. So, before jumping onto the next chapter in Alan Wake, do keep an ear out for this one.
1Dragonforce - Through The Fire & The Flames
Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
When you think of all the games that make use of loads of licenced songs, Guitar Hero is likely one of the first games that come to mind, and for good reason.
The series has provided a soundtrack featuring some of the best rock anthems across various generations. However, it’s also known for uncovering some oddities that might not have seen prominence otherwise.
Of all these uncovered gems, the one that most will remember most (or least) fondly will be Through the Fire and the Flames.
This tune is notorious among fans for offering the most fast-paced and challenging song, perhaps in the entire series. So, if you fancy breaking out the old Guitar Hero peripheral, be sure to prove your shredding skills and rock out to this one.
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