Top 7 Energetic Songs From Video Game Soundtracks to Amp You Up
Chris Lam & Amber Stefanson | May 12, 2023
Looking for a better way to stay energized throughout the day? Don’t underestimate the power of video game soundtracks. Soundtracks are designed to keep you motivated during difficult or repetitive tasks while blending into the background so that they don’t break your focus.
The right video game music — with an upbeat and consistent beat — can help energize you during workouts, chores, or your morning routine. These are our top picks for the best songs from video game soundtracks to amp you up!
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012) – "Adrenaline"
Image Credit: Activision
"Adrenaline" is an upbeat, synthy song from Call of Duty: Black Ops II. It keeps momentum by swinging between high-energy flows and slower, more chilled-out sections.
Where it plays
Whenever the players hear this, it means that they’re waiting in the Black Ops II multiplayer menu.
Did you know…
Those who spent a lot of time playing with friends may also know this song as the character creation anthem, since it was the only song that played — on repeat — when you choose a class and emblem in preparation for online play.
Our vibe check on this song
Chris
When you’re waiting for your friends to get on, this is a great song to get in the zone for some 360 noscopes. Adrenaline is such an appropriate name. This song is perfect for when you’re in the flow and need to keep it going. Before this song finishes and loops, I’m ready to go parkour.
Amber
This is the synthwave equivalent to muzak. If you put this on in the background, it'll help you maintain your rhythm, but it won’t pump you up from zero. I love this for the middle of a playlist, especially since the end comes to such a dramatic halt. It’s a great setup for a more energetic song to come afterwards.
6. Chrono Cross (1999) – "Chrono Cross ~Scars of Time~"
Image Credit: SquareSoft
"Scars of Time: is the main theme from Chrono Cross. It begins with a peaceful woodwind intro, though it quickly amps up after the first minute, when the drum beat and violins roll in and add a sense of tension and adventure.
Where it plays
Scars of Time plays during the opening cutscene every time you open the game. When the song picks up, a montage of various pivotal moments throughout the story plays.
Did you know…
Despite having become relatively obscure, the Chrono Cross soundtrack was a runaway success when it was released. It quickly found its way into symphonies and remixes. Although the song had come out 12 years prior, in 2011 Scars of Time was voted first place in Hardcore Gaming 101's "Best Video Game Music of All Time" poll.
Our vibe check on this song
Chris
Chrono Cross is another game in the bucket of "80s-00s JRPGs where you start as a teenager and end up fighting God" games, popularized in the west by Final Fantasy.
And while Final Fantasy has an absolute laundry list of great songs and bangers to jam to — especially with new releases in the series still coming out — Chrono Cross is often forgotten about in the mix. With an amazing soundtrack deserves its own article, this intro theme is the best of the amp-ups lost to time.
Amber
This song is so beautiful. I love when classical instruments take center-stage; they’re so great at building up drama and energy without being loud. Since it has a bit of a slow beginning, I would choose Scars of Time as an ease-in for your activity and place it at the beginning of your amp-up playlist.
5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) – "Dragonborn"
Image Credit: Bethesda Softworks
"Dragonborn" is the main theme from Skyrim. It features a warlike chant set to a booming orchestral arrangement.
Where it plays
As the main theme, this song plays intermittently throughout the story. However, it’s most recognizable as the song that plays if you wait on the menu screen for too long.
Did you know…
The lyrics of Dragonborn are written in a fictional language called Dovahkiin. The creators of Skyrim developed the language for the game because they wanted a more "barbaric" sounding language for their choruses.
Our vibe check on this song
Chris
Having played Skyrim for 200 hours unmodded and a-number-of-hours-that-shall-remain-hidden with mods, this is still the only song that I can remember. The operatic “Dovahkiin” really was the banger of 2011.
Todd Howard may have milked this cow a bit too long (did we really need a VR Skyrim?) but the fantastic work of Jeremy Soule definitely stands the test of time.
Amber
Dragonborn feels so large. Epic and yet sentimental. It’s the kind of song that would bring me to tears if I heard it again for the first time. There aren’t really any ambient moments, so I would place this at the end of an amped-up video game playlist. It’s an excellent send-off, but it’s too distracting to use for getting into the flow or for staying there.
4. Cuphead (2017) – "Floral Fury"
Image Credit: Studio MDHR
"Floral Fury" is an upbeat samba that feels timeless compared to the rest of the jazzy Cuphead (2017) soundtrack, which feels like it’s been pulled straight out of 1930s animation.
Where it plays
This song plays during Cuphead's battle with Cagney Carnation, one of the bosses in the first island.
Did you know…
When the game was originally released, the battle with Cagney Carnation didn’t have its own soundtrack. Instead, it reused a song from a later boss battle. The original song was more consistent with the ragtime of other songs on the Cuphead soundtrack.
Our vibe check on this song
Chris
When learning to dance, pick a song with a slower tune, because this one goes fast and furious in that order.
Floral Fury is such a standout banger because it has such a different feel from the other boss themes. Maybe it’s the beautiful animation of the hand dances of Cagney Carnation. Maybe it’s the way that the beat almost seems to match the speed of the Peashooter.
Whatever it is, the beautiful samba of Floral Fury meant that this was one of the only few bosses I actually enjoyed repeating (but to be fair, that fight wasn’t as hard as some others).
Amber
Floral Fury captures how it feels to dodge blows from an enemy once you’ve learned their rhythm. Exhilarating. I’d put Floral Fury towards the end of an amp-up playlist, since the energy is set to 12 throughout the whole song. It’s the kind of music that’s likely to squeeze out the final drops of your energy when you thought you were all out.
3. Persona 5 Strikers (2020) – "Last Surprise - Scramble"
Image Credit: Atlus
"Last Surprise - Scramble" is a hard rock banger with heavy 80s influence. This is a departure from the rest of the Persona 5 Strikers soundtrack, which leans more jazzy.
Where it plays
You get to choose when this song plays! Pick this as your battle music for maximum amp-up.
Did you know…
This version of the song is a remix of the original Last Surprise from Persona 5 Royal, which was removed from the game and replaced by Take Over. Also, the singer Lyn Inaizumi is not a fluent English speaker; she learned how to pronounce the necessary sounds in order to sing the lyrics.
Our vibe check on this song
Chris
This composition of jazz-rock fusion is a shot of pure dopamine. While the original is more jazzy, groovy, and elegant, this remix is bombastic and energetically unmatched. The lyrics just ooze confidence.
How can you possibly lose any fight when this is playing in the background? An absolute banger from Atlus. Though if you ask me, the full soundtrack is great enough to play on repeat.
Amber
Last Surprise - Scramble is pure energy. It’s fast without feeling frantic. Loud without feeling abrasive. It makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. A good time all around.
As one of the least ambient songs on this list, this song is great for when you’re getting things done that don’t require a ton of focus. However, it’s a bit too fast to work out to, if you like to match the tempo of your music.
2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) – "Gang-Plank Galleon"
Image Credit: Nintendo
Gang-Plank Galleon is the theme for King K. Rool in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This ultra-fast song features a triumphant horn section to amp you up, while its nearly-intelligible rap verse adds enough textural difference to keep things interesting.
Where it plays
This song may play randomly while players are fighting in one of the 4 Donkey Kong stages: Kongo Jungle, Kongo Falls, Jungle Japes, or 75m.
Did you know…
This version of Gang-Plank Galleon is a recent remix of the original version, which plays during the final boss battle between Donkey Kong and King K. Rool in Donkey Kong Country (1994) on SNES. The original version has a more electronic sound.
Our vibe check on this song
Chris
This one is very nostalgic. The original song only played during that climactic battle with King K. Rool. During a mid-phase fake out when the false credits roll, the song continues uninterrupted, cluing you in that there’s more to come.
It’s such a great choice for an upbeat song during a tense battle, starting off jaunty and relaxing before transitioning into a more epic beat. The Smash remake on the other hand starts off with a power riff and never lets up - a true banger.
Amber
Time for this classical musician to nerd out: Gang-Plank Galleon is written in a similar style to baroque water music — a type of music that was meant to be played outside, on the water at events and parties for the rich.
Since it’s so hard to hear in these conditions, water music was bombastic, horn-heavy, and higher in pitch since lower frequencies don’t travel as far. This enabled the music to bounce off of the water and be heard from the waterfront or surrounding ships. These qualities are what gives Gang-Plank Galleon its pompous-lord-sea-chanty-type vibe.
Overall 10/10 song. 10/10 vibes.
1. God of War (2018) – "God of War"
Image Credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment
There is no composition more fitting to be called "God of War" than this song. The guttural chanting and battledrum give the main theme from God of War its warlike edge, while the soaring horns and holy choir elevate the song to cosmic status.
Where it plays
The song plays during the credits as a triumphant send-off to the game. Although its presence is sparse throughout the rest of God of War, fragments of the main theme play throughout, at pivotal points in the plot.
Did you know…
The lyrics of this song are sung in Old Norse, which is very similar to Modern Icelandic. Because of this, the composer of the God of War soundtrack employed Icelandic singers, who would be able to understand the depth of emotion behind the Old Norse lyrics they were singing, without translation.
Our vibe check on this song
Chris
God of War is AAA gaming done right. In a sea of pointless live service games, infinite microtransactions, and buggy releases, Santa Monica Studio released the definitive PlayStation exclusives: God of War and its sequel God of War: Ragnarok.
This song only comes on at the best of times and never overstays its welcome. I'll never forget the moment this song started playing as Kartos blew the Gjallarhorn to declare war.
Amber
The vibes in this song are immaculate. The layering of different musical styles is so lush. From the very beginning, this song is ready to pump you up, and the way it builds up is sure to make you feel unbeatable by the end.
Honorable Mention: Wasteland 3 (2020) – "Washed in the Blood of the Lamb"
Image Credit: Deep Silver
The understated gospel rock of "Washed in the Blood of the Lamb" is an unexpected departure from the overall vibe of Wasteland 3. Although this song is more mellow than everything else on this list, we had to give it an honorable mention because the context surrounding the song elevates it to amp-up status.
Where it plays
The song plays during the first major encounter at the end of the tutorial. Set to the ambience of gunfire and explosions, Washed in the Blood of the Lamb feels powerful.
Did you know…
This song is derived from a Christian hymn that dates back to 1878. Another popular version of the song is the Billy Bragg version, which takes the song into a more modern context. The Wasteland 3 pulls stylistic inspiration from both versions of the song. This blending of styles resulted in a cover with more emotional potency than any of its predecessors.
Our vibe check on this song
Chris
No other track has ever set up the overall feel and tone of a game like this song. Taking the original folksy-country song by Billy Bragg & Wilco and setting it to a do-or-die shootout was a stroke of genius.
It evokes both the idea of faith in a higher power but also that you’ve got to be willing to make the hard choices. "You wanted to take his life, kid, so take it."
Amber
I love music that mixes elements from different genres, and I especially love it when gamemakers use music that isn't traditional for the type of game that they’re creating. Not only is this song so experimental in that regard, but it’s also great listening on any playlist. This song is absolutely iconic.
Icon Credits
Mushroom: https://www.flaticon.com/free-icons/mario
Squirtle: https://www.flaticon.com/free-icons/pokemon
You can do it!
We hope that these songs bring the burst of energy you needed to help you conquer your next battle. If you liked these songs, stay tuned for more! In the meantime, check out our recommendations for more gaming content below.
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