For many people, playing video games is their stress reliever and their comfort zone. Nowadays, playing games can also be a source of income. Hence, playing video games is a big part of people’s lives. In connection with this, there are composers who wrote songs about video games, and there are also songs that have been produced for specific games—and we have collected the best ones on this list.
Without further ado, here are the best songs about video games you’ll enjoy playing:
Table of Contents
- 21. 1,2,3 Red Light – 1910 Fruitgum Company
- 20. Video Games – Lana Del Rey
- 19. Nintendo Game – Alessia Cara
- 18. The Gamer – Mirandaband
- 17. My Red Joystick – Lou Reed
- 16. Immortal Flame – Katy Perry
- 15. Video Game Heart – All Girl Summer Fun Band
- 14. On My Way – Alan Walker, Farruko, and Sabrina Carpenter
- 13. A Kid’s Adventure – Kaiser Ghausi
- 12. Pinball Wizard – The Who
- 11. if i don’t leave the house – Carobae
- 10. DDVS – Marie Noreger
- 9. Ain’t Your Mama – Jennifer Lopez
- 8. Controller Battle – Hard Spread
- 7. High Score – The Veronicas
- 6. Down on Me – Madeleine Peyroux
- 5. This Life is a Video Game – Jaixia
- 4. Dude Got Depressed Over Playing Video Games – Spiritual
- 3. Pac-Man Fever – Buckner & Garcia
- 2. Warriors – Imagine Dragons
- 1. Death Stranding – CHVRCHES
21. 1,2,3 Red Light – 1910 Fruitgum Company
Are you ready? Let’s head on to our first track, which is also the earliest song recorded on this list. We have “1, 2, 3, Red Light” by the rock band 1910 Fruitgum Company. It was released in 1968 as their album’s title track and is a common song for kids when they play the traditional game called “Red Light, Green Light.”
20. Video Games – Lana Del Rey
Nominated for the World Music Award for World’s Best Song is Lana Del Rey’s classic song “Video Games.” This 2012 track is from her For the Born to Die: The Paradise Edition album. This alternative song, which features mellow instrumentation, is about her remembering her past relationship with a man who enjoyed playing video games.
19. Nintendo Game – Alessia Cara
All of us, young and old, have probably heard of Nintendo games. It has been a part of almost everyone’s childhood over the years. In Alessia Cara’s pop song from her 2018 album The Pains of Growing, she used the Nintendo Game as a metaphor for love “where nobody wins.” This song has a fun and entrancing melody.
18. The Gamer – Mirandaband
In 2021, the rock group Mirandaband released “The Gamer,” a rock song. This song’s instrumentation will hook you and keep you entertained because it has powerful, quick drum beats and remarkable guitar riffs. This lively track from their Sychodelia album, which also features James Goodwin, is fitting for exciting gameplay.
17. My Red Joystick – Lou Reed
A joystick is a crucial input device that gamers use when playing. It is also the same for Lou Reed, who referred to it as a treasure he cannot live without in his song “My Red Joystick.” This iconic punk song is from his New Sensations album, which was released in 1984, a time when using a joystick for video games was also popular.
16. Immortal Flame – Katy Perry
When Katy Perry was announced as the singer of a song for the popular video game Final Fantasy, it came as a huge shock to the gaming community. The song “Immortal Flame” was written and recorded in 2018 for the video game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. The ballad’s ethereal quality makes it a fitting track for Final Fantasy’s mystical atmosphere.
15. Video Game Heart – All Girl Summer Fun Band
A pop band called All Girl Summer Fun Band released “Video Game Heart” in 2003, a pop song that is part of their album titled “2.” It has a lighthearted melody and vocal tone that will give summery vibes to its listeners. This track has an upbeat backing track and revolves around loving someone with a “video game heart.”
14. On My Way – Alan Walker, Farruko, and Sabrina Carpenter
The Alan Walker song “On My Way,” which features Farruko and Sabrina Carpenter, will undoubtedly get you pumped up. This electronic dance song was released in 2019 on Walker’s album “Live Fast” as a soundtrack for the well-known game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, or PUBG. This song boasts a catchy chorus, engaging rap beats, and a masterful arrangement.
13. A Kid’s Adventure – Kaiser Ghausi
The next piece is titled “A Kid’s Adventure” and it was written and performed by Kaiser Ghausi. This song was recorded for Kaiser’s 2020 album titled “Dreams for Musicians.” The persona speaks for the entire duration of the track, which is fifteen minutes, about how her son spends all of his time in front of a screen, playing video games.
12. Pinball Wizard – The Who
Back to the classics, we have “Pinball Wizard,” a popular holiday song. It is included in The Who’s Tommy album. Mellow guitar chords open the song, which then develops into a more throbbing melody with more instruments. This 1969 song is about a pinball player who is exceptionally skilled, thus giving him the nickname “Pinball Wizard.”
11. if i don’t leave the house – Carobae
The singer known as Carobae also composed a song about playing video games. For her album, “scared to go to sleep,” she named the track “if I don’t leave the house” and released it in 2022. Your attention will be captured as soon as Carobae starts singing due to her lovely tone quality. Although the lyrics of the chorus are quite depressing, it also has a pretty catchy melody.
10. DDVS – Marie Noreger
The R&B track “DDVS”, short for Discodoll in the Velvet Suit, is sung by the artist Marie Noreger. This song, with a mixture of jazz and pop elements topped with Marie Noreger’s enticing vocals, is enjoyable to listen to as she sings the following lines:
Feeling the beats grow high
I don’t wanna leave tonight
Won’t you call your boys
Playing video games
As you play this incredible track, nothing but positive energy will radiate.
9. Ain’t Your Mama – Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez wrote the stirring song “Ain’t Your Mama,” which calls for women, especially wives, to speak out against their husbands who just play games all day, treating them like housekeepers. This pop song from her 538 Hitzone 78 album, from a musical perspective, is an empowering, enjoyable, and contagious song that is great to sing and dance to in 2016.
8. Controller Battle – Hard Spread
Our next track is a metal rock song by the musical group Hard Spread. “Controller Battle” is a song about playing games and was released in 2008 as part of their album “Live in Woodstock.” It has loud drum beats, screams, and rock-influenced guitar riffs. This upbeat song is one that rock music fans will undoubtedly enjoy listening to.
7. High Score – The Veronicas
“High Score” is a song by The Veronicas from their 2021 album Godzilla. The lyrics mainly talk about missing the times when the only things that mattered were beating the highest score on video games at the arcade. This song’s catchy melody goes along with the pop duo’s amazing vocals.
6. Down on Me – Madeleine Peyroux
Next is the jazz song “Down on Me” by Madeleine Peyroux. It is a song about someone facing a hard time in her life, while young people enjoy wealth, as apparent in the following lines:
My little bit of self-esteem has gone up in flames
Teenagers getting wealthy playing video games
It was released in 2018 for her album Anthem and has a relaxing musical vibe to it.
5. This Life is a Video Game – Jaixia
The combination of Jaixia’s captivating vocals and the hypnotizing melody of her 2023 pop song “This Life is a Video Game” is certain to win you over. In this title track, she draws an analogy between real life and video games, in which we have to start the level over if we make a mistake and where some also cheat to win.
4. Dude Got Depressed Over Playing Video Games – Spiritual
Did the song title make you curious? Well, the track “Dude Got Depressed Over Playing Video Games,” performed by Spiritual, is the title track of his 2023 album. It focuses on a character who has become so dependent on playing video games that he no longer leaves the couch. This song’s rap beats are mellow and enjoyable to listen to.
3. Pac-Man Fever – Buckner & Garcia
The 1980s-era video game Pac-Man is one of the oldest still in existence. Even the Guinness Book of World Records hailed it as the “Most Successful Coin-Operated Game.” “Pac-Man Fever”, a song by the musical duo Buckner & Garcia, served as the album’s lead single in 1982. It is about how he has Pac-Man fever, as the title suggests, proving how the arcade game was already popular at the time.
2. Warriors – Imagine Dragons
League of Legends is another game widely popular worldwide in the present day. The band Imagine Dragons was chosen to perform the game’s theme song titled, “Warriors.” The strong melody of this rock song from their 2015 album Smoke + Mirrors helps to create a thrilling and mighty atmosphere that is suitable for the game.
1. Death Stranding – CHVRCHES
Congratulations on making it to the final round!
The last entry is the theme song of the game World of Death Stranding. It is “Death Stranding” performed by CHVRCHES from their 2019 album “DEATH STRANDING: Timefall.” Players of the said game experience a specific emotion when listening to this song, conjuring up fond memories of the game. Generally, it is a cheery, upbeat song that is a delight to listen to.