this is an ode to brief songs that appear in transient moments of videogames, which sometimes are a shame because they end up sounding really good but their composition never went beyond something like a brief 30 second loop.
guitar hero 2 - jordan
THE BEST song ever made specifically for a videogame. THE BEST. starts going stupid at about 1:28 in the linked video. it was never officially released until years later, so i will count it for the sake of this list. hence i thought i should put it here first.
pico’s school - it’s go time
this is from a 1999 flash game. i loved this game as a kid for how crude it’s violence was.
deadlock - street brawl item draft (time is running out)
love, love deadlock. stay tuned for a certain tier list that i will be making.
commando 2 - tunnel war
from a chinese flash shooter game released in 2008. so smooth and serene for an otherwise violent game, totally caught me off guard when i first played this as a 6 year old.
commando 2 - karate master
another smooth one from the same game. why were we making such bangers for web games? baffles me how talented they are at making throwaway bangers like this.
call of duty 4: modern warfare - main menu ost
and yet another instance of a very relaxing theme on a violent game. i’m starting to think there’s a trend here guys stay with me now. to be fair, this is a rearranged version of the game’s main theme, but i really, really enjoy listening to it and reminiscing about how good the late 2000s gaming scene was.
call of duty: modern warfare 2 - boat chase
you can really feel the thrill of the chase.
mortal kombat (1992) - the bridge (the pit)
if you’ve ever played this game in a real life arcade, this is a scary ass stage, and the fatality is equally as humiliating because your character gets thrown off a really high bridge onto spikes awaiting below. straight malevolent as hell, it’s so scary.
dad ’n me - wilbur
this is essentially a remix of the original game’s theme but a lot more metal. it comes from a mini boss fight that really isn’t that challenging, but it does evoke the feeling of facing a much stronger enemy than usual. just kind of unusual that they put him literally in the second stage of the game, at least take me out for dinner before throwing such a banger at me head on.
gta: chinatown wars - alchemist (gangrene - crack)
actually the instrumental to fat joe - my conscience. this is easily the best song in the in-game radio, and i always try to time some crazy police chase to this song queueing up in the in-vehicle music. and to be real, the actual song is ridiculously carried by the beat, but it’s nonetheless good sometimes.
battlefield 3 - armored shield
i love bf3’s distorted electronic beats, it’s really fitting with the game’s atmosphere.
battlefield 3 - operation metro
HONORABLE MENTION TO THE SCARIEST FUCKING SONG IN THIS WHOLE GAME. YOU LISTEN TO THIS BEFORE PLAYING A STRAIGHT MEATGRINDER FOR A STRAIGHT HOUR. THIS GAME WAS SO PEAK OMG.
Last modified on 2026-11-04