11 Songs About Video Games
June 19, 2017
Jordan Mohler
Who doesn't love video games? This list about bands or artists that have made reference to/written songs about or specifically for video games. Take a look at some of the most creative and fun songs based on video games. If we missed any songs, let us know in the comments below!
11. Gears of War - Megadeth
This song first appeared in the video game Gears of War and it's soundtrack. The lyrics deal with "technological warfare" and "massive killings." The song was re-released on the United Abominations album
10. What A Horrible Night to Have a Curse - The Black Dahlia Murder
9. Symphony of the Night - DragonForce
Guitarist Herman Li told AMH Network : "We've done some classical stuff on the guitar before but never with the vocals in the whole song arrangement; this is inspired by a lot of Japanese music and Japanese video games."
8. Hope For The Future - Paul McCartney
This tune was recorded for the soundtrack of the online first-person shooter, Destiny . Paul McCartney's first song to be specifically written for a video game, it was released with a variety of different mixes on December 8, 2014, including a "thrash" mix.
7. Warning Call - Chvrches
This is the main theme song for the video game Mirror's Edge Catalyst , a reboot of mid-'00s action adventure Mirror's Edge . Multi-instrumentalist Iain Cook said: "The sound of Chvrches' music resonates with the minimalist sci-fi dystopia of the Mirror's Edge world, and we feel that the song complements the drama, emotion and empowering themes of [video game character] Faith's story."
6. Rust - Miss May I
As explained in the video by vocalist Levi Benton, this song is literally about the Call of Duty map, Rust .
5. Call Of Duty: Black Ops II Main Theme - Trent Reznor
This theme song for Call Of Duty: Black Ops II was composed by Nine Inch Nails and How to Destroy Angels frontman Trent Reznor. The game sees the video game's protagonist fighting in proxy wars for the United States in the Cold War. "There is a lot of reservation and angst and sense of loss and regret and anger bubbling under the surface," Reznor said to Rolling Stone regarding the first-person shooter's storyline. "So it didn't make sense to have a gung ho patriotic feeling kind of theme song. It has to feel weighty."
4. Thursday's Child - David Bowie
The song was released as the lead single from Hours... . Much of the material that ended up on the album, including "Thursday's Child" was originally used, in alternate versions, for the video game Omikron: The Nomad Soul . David Bowie also had some input on Omikron 's storyline and design, as well as making two cameo appearances within the game.
3. Too Much Is Never Enough - Florence + The Machine
This dramatic string-filled epic was one of three songs released by Florence + the Machine for the soundtrack of Final Fantasy XV . The tracks were recorded in Air Studios in London with, producer and composer, Emile Haynie (Kanye West, Lana Del Rey).
2. Payday - Alesso
Alesso wrote this for the video game, Payday . He explained to Cuepoint : "They asked me if I wanted to do this collaboration, and I'm a big video gamer myself, so that was a dream to do something like that. When I started making the track, I was playing the game and got a bunch of ideas. I wanted to create something for the dancefloor and the actual game, so that's how that track came about."
1. Shadow Moses - Bring Me The Horizon
The song title is taken from the Metal Gear Solid computer game. Bassist Matt Kean explained to Sugarscape : "It's the opening bit with the people like doing the spooky singing , that's a melody from the game a lot."