Top 25 Best Video Game Music Tracks of All Time

Owning the Future (Infamous: Second Son, Brain)

Debutante (No Man’s Sky, 65daysofstatic)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTpBVMHKjc4

The first gameplay reveal of No Man’s Sky showed off a lot of cool stuff, from procedurally generated planets to exploration and space combat. 65daysofstatic’s guitar and percussion heavy song “Debutante” set the mood perfectly as Hello Games showed us what its galaxy had to offer. If No Man’s Sky is going to be filled with music like this, sign me up. Can that soundtrack come just a little bit faster?

Still Alive (Mirror’s Edge, Lisa Miskovsky)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TERyxFfMqDk

The theme song for the original Mirror’s Edge is ridiculously good. The music is the perfect embodiment of freedom that you feel from running in real life and running as Faith in the game itself. Is the music good enough to make you think you can actually do parkour, even though you don’t actually know any? It gets there, yeah.

Gusty Garden Galaxy (Super Mario Galaxy, Koji Kondo)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcZhJDUFb58

Super Mario Galaxy’s soundtrack ticks all the boxes, but the theme for Gusty Garden Galaxy goes above and beyond. It feels simultaneously out of this world while also grounded, like a quaint tour through a space station. Of all of Kondo’s work, this piece of music definitely stands out as one of the best.

The Hunt is Coming (Witcher 3, Marcin Przybylowicz)

The battle of Kaer Morhen was one of the many excellent highlights of The Witcher 3, made even greater by the appearance of the titular Wild Hunt. With powerful allies (hopefully) at your side, you have to repel the spectral baddies and their forces at the Witcher training ground. It’s not easy, and the music definitely reflects the horde of evil that comes your way.

117 (Halo 4, Kazuma Jinnouchi)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzIJV8XrCEI

Halo 4’s soundtrack may not entirely have reached the standards of what fans expect from the series, but there’s no denying the awesome of Jinnouchi’s first foray into the franchise. 117 gradually goes from “let’s get ready for battle” to making you feel like you’re doing the Death Star run over the course of about 8 minutes, and it’s just awesome.

The Last of Us Theme (Gustavo Santaolalla)

What more needs to be said about The Last of Us? It’s got a great story, give or take a very divisive ending, and it oozes atmosphere from start to finish. With just a simple guitar, Santaolalla creates a soundtrack that perfectly reflects the destroyed world of the game.

The Spine (Transistor, Darren Korb)

Darren Korb makes great music, as it evident by his stellar work on Bastion. With Transistor, the entire soundtrack is gold, but “The Spine” is the song that tops it all. From Ashely Barrett’s vocals to the soft guitar and percussion, it feels appropriate to listen to this, whether you’re riding on your motorcycle through the city, or even in battle.

God of War III Theme (Gerard Marino)

God of War as a series is known for its larger than life, action-packed moments, and when you’re going up against the god of gods, you need a soundtrack that fits you. The opening song to the whole game, which plays as the opening cutscene recounts the story of the first two adventures, perfectly gets you hyped up for your quest to kill Zeus. Once the classic theme starts playing as everything else goes on, you know that you’re truly ready.

Victory! (Overwatch, Neal Acree & Derek Duke)

It’s a lot more recent than the other entries on this list, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome. Even though it’s primarily used during the Play of the Game, its beat is catchy, and it definitely makes you feel like a superhero as you watch yourself (or someone else) pull off a crazy feat worthy of the recognition.

Gerudo Valley (Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Koji Kondo)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8GRDNU50b8

It may not be the most complicated or grandiose song among this lineup, but Gerudo Valley is still weirdly catchy. Head bop catchy, and it brings back beloved memories spent playing on that N64, which isn’t a bad thing at all.

Still Alive (Portal, Johnathan Coulton)

You can’t talk about video game music without talking about Portal. The jaunty little tune that plays during the end credits of the game is sickeningly adorable…until you listen to the lyrics and realize that you’re being shamed for saving your own life and mocked at being all alone. And worst of all, there’s still no cake!

Nate’s Theme (Uncharted 2, Greg Edmonson)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkPF5UiDi4g

Uncharted as a series may just be viewed as Indiana Jones: The Game, but it’s certainly got the musical theme to go along with it. Nate’s song may just be an updated version from the original, but that doesn’t make it any less great or iconic as you hum it in the main menu.

M4, Part 2 (Mass Effect, Faunts)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUKiOcV1SSc

The Mass Effect series is home to some great music, be it calming synth or rousing space adventure romps that leave you humming them as they play in the background of battle. For the credits of the first game, Bioware decided to cap off our first venture in this new world with the now classic song by the Faunts, which still holds up perfectly to this day.

Bow to No One (Destiny: The Taken King, Various Artists)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPTHTFezIrE

Destiny’s original soundtrack was already pretty great, and Taken King’s follows in that suit. With “Bow to No One”, Michael Salvatori, along with C. Paul Johnson and Skye Lewin, get Guardians in a mood as they travel the galaxy in search of new powers to fight Oryx. As the Vanguards explain what it means to be a Titan (or a Hunter, or a Warlock), there’s anticipation in unlocking your new subclass that the song capitalizes on.

Blow Me Away (Halo 2, Breaking Benjamin)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svdR8_w1N0Y

Yes, the Halo 2 soundtrack had some kickass songs (ugh, Incubus, your Odyssey still holds up), but this was the jam to beat back in ’04. Thankfully, you can hear it in Halo 2 Anniversary if you switch to the classic graphics, and the band released an updated version not too long ago featuring Valora. Maybe it’s blasphemy to like that version, but it’s still so awesome.

One-Winged Angel (FF7: Advent Children, Nobuo Uematsu)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_MW65XxS7s

Fighting Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII is one of the biggest moments in gaming to this day, and One-Winged Angel forever remains a classic. That being said, Uematsu outdid himself by adding electric guitar and percussion to his original creation for the Advent Children movie. It feels like a natural addition to the vocals and instrumentals of the original, while still being its own thing.

Simple & Clean (Kingdom Hearts, Utada Hikaru)

Sanctuary may be the one getting the most attention right now, but you gotta go with the classics. Whether you hear the slower and more romantic original version or dancey vibe of the remix, there’s no denying how catchy it is to sing when you’re driving or just having a regular day around the house. It’s also great to sing while you’re drunk… not that we’d know.

Opening Credits (Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Michael McCann)

It’s painful to watch your protagonist get thrown out a window and broken beyond repair, but it’s great to see them rebuilt with the best cutting edge technology. With the opening credits, Deus Ex got people hyped up to play as Adam Jensen 2.0, and the music played a big part in that. McCann’s soft synth tones gradually increase as Jensen is reborn.

Far Away (Red Dead Redemption, Jose Gonzalez)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IkvAb6THQY

2010’s Red Dead Redemption was lauded by near everyone for its portrayal of the Old West and central lead, John Marston. A hero is only as good as his song, and to that end, “Far Away” is more than worthy to follow the elder Marston over the course of the game. Much like John, it’s haunting, but has a beauty about it that demands to be heard as you ride around.

Suicide Mission (Mass Effect 2, EA Soundtrack & Jack Wall)

After gathering all your squad mates and using their special skills, it’s time for one final run at the Reapers and Collectors. No matter who you take by your side, this music will get you pumped as you fight the bug-like aliens before tackling the big bad and putting an end to Harbinger once and for all.

Not Calling You a Liar (Dragon Age II, Florence+the Machine)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1can-MLmWdA

Florence+the Machine turn pretty much every song they make into solid gold, and so it stands with a new version of their great song, “I’m Not Calling You a Liar”. It works just not only as a song, but as a summation of the game’s story as a whole, where our best dwarf bud is a slightly unreliable narrator to Cassandra Penderghast.

Dragonborn (Skyrim, Jeremy Soule)

You should have known this. It’s already here. The Elder Scrolls teaser warned of how epic this would be, and epic it is. Case in point, admit it, you’ve already started doing the chant in your head.

Fallout 4 Theme (Fallout 4, Inon Zur)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzvZE4BY0hY

Is it more or less a reskin of the theme from the last game? Yeah, but there’s no denying the emotion that was felt as this played over the initial reveal trailer. It feels like actually returning home for the first time, traveling through your childhood memories of sights and sounds before stepping into the house you grew up in.

Ezio’s Family (Assassin’s Creed 2, Jesper Kyd)

Ezio Auditore remains the best Assassin in the Ubisoft series, and part of why is that we’ve got to see him evolve over the course of his entire life. Jesper Kyd’s signature theme for him may not always be used, but that doesn’t make it any less glorious of a listen.

What’re your favorite video game songs? Let us know in the comments below.

About the author

Justin Carter

Sometimes a writer, always a dork. When he isn't staring in front of a screen for hours, he's probably reading comics or eating Hot Pockets. So many of them.