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Best of FIFA: Soundtracks

Written by Michael Restarick on Wednesday, 8 September 201011 Comments

With the news that FIFA 11 is set to allow players to customise their own soundtrack by uploading music from the hard-drive, it got me thinking about the things that have best defined the FIFA series during its long history. As such, over the course of the next week or so, I’ll be prodding those old memories out from their hiding places and taking a nostalgic glance at just some of the better bits EA’s FIFA has had to offer. First up, it’s in-game soundtracks.

Now, whilst on the whole I’ve been a big fan of FIFA soundtracks over the years, I accept that the recent decision to move away from them by allowing full customisation of the in-game audio is not necessarily a bad thing. In the modern on-demand era, we’ve come to expect that we should be the ones to choose what we want and, naturally, when we want it. There’s always a duff track or two (or ten, sometimes) on every FIFA game, which annoyingly seem about fifty times more likely to come on than a decent track. Maybe it’s just that we notice the bad ones more as they stand out for their sheer dreadfulness and tedious nature, whilst the good ones just make the hours fly by that little bit quicker. Either way, a lot of gamers will be glad that they can finally play FIFA to the songs they want to, without going to all the effort of muting the in-game volume and sticking on their personal music collection via iTunes.

Whilst this is obviously the best way forward, I can’t help but think there’s a downside for those of us who have grown up with the FIFA franchise. The ability to customise tracks takes away from the chance for FIFA gamers to universally share nostalgic memories of a particular game when a song attached to it is mentioned or played. Yes, we will all experience the same match engine and game features, but the effect of the right soundtrack on a game should not be underestimated. Much like a film, the right soundtrack choices can completely change the way it is received, and in certain cases can almost be enough to cover up its shortcomings. Blur’s anthemic ‘Song 2’ is a good example of a track that immediately invokes great memories of FIFA 1998: Road to the World Cup for anyone who played it. And it doesn’t matter if the graphics were crude and blocky, and the gameplay was as simple as the village idiot. People remember it as being fantastic fun, partly because of what that song added to the ambience of the game and, ultimately, how it made you feel.

So, in light of that example, here’s a quick list I’ve stuck together of tracks which for me have embodied each game of the FIFA series, from 1998 right up to 2010. Feel free to post your comments at the bottom of the article and let us know your own favourite tracks. Also, if you fancy reliving the songs from any game in the FIFA series, you can find all the tracks in one handy place at http://fifasoundtrack.co.uk.

The Ultimate FIFA Playlist?

(1998) Song 2 – Blur

(1999) Rockafeller Skank – Fatboy Slim

(2000) Stop the Rock – Apollo 440/It’s Only Us – Robbie Williams

(2001) Bodyrock – Moby

(2002) 19/2000 – Gorillaz

(2003) To Get Down (Fatboy Slim Remix) – Timo Mass/ You Held the World In Your Arms Tonight – Idlewild

(2004) Red Morning Light – Kings of Leon

(2005) Beautiful Goal – Paul Oakenfold/Irish Blood, English Heart – Morissey

(2006) Black and White Town – Doves

(2007) Super Massive Black Hole – Muse

(2008) Young Folks – Peter Bjorn and John

(2009) Kids – MGMT

(2010) She’s Got Me Dancing – Tommy Sparks

11 Comments »

  • jj said:

    2010 - it should be day light remix

    - 9 September 2010 at 1:33 am
  • Mvanegmond04 said:

    Jerk It Out by the Caesers should be in there

    - 9 September 2010 at 6:49 am
  • Dan Bolas said:

    I would also but a shout for a personal favourite from FIFA 98, Reel Big Fish - Sellout

    - 9 September 2010 at 10:36 am
  • Brainplant said:

    Another advantage that having a soundtrack suppied by the game is that it’s a great way to discover bands that you might otherwise have missed. The Tony Hawk games spring to mind here, as I have discovered many a band/artist just through playing them games.

    - 10 September 2010 at 9:11 pm
  • Michael Restarick (author) said:

    @ Mvanegmond04 - Good choice. A very catchy song which I think has been used in quite a few advertising campaigns simply because of that.

    @ Dan - Sorry to correct you but that track was actually from FIFA 2000! I agree with you though, that is an old favourite, but having already stretched to making two choices for 2000 I had to leave that one out sadly.

    @ Brainplant - Great post. Now you mention it the Tony Hawk series is an excellent example, at least one I can certainly relate to for that very reason. I suppose the opposite side of the coin is FIFA 10, which had lots of good songs but too many of them were by mainstream bands/artists. That’s great and all, but it kind of takes away from the discovery element that helps stop these soundtracks sounding very tired, very quickly.

    - 11 September 2010 at 7:23 am
  • JD said:

    2006 - Dogs - London Bridge
    2007 - Seu Jorge - Tive Razao
    2008 - Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks

    Those are my 3 favorite FIFA soundtrack songs ever. I didn’t like 09 or 10’s soundtrack much but FIFA 11’s soundtrack is sounding good from what I heard in the demo.

    - 23 September 2010 at 1:23 am
  • tiny4lurv said:

    do u love your self- the gliteratti
    forca - nelly furtado
    (euro 2004 both)

    - 16 November 2010 at 11:46 am
  • Ameya said:

    nice compilation man..In fifa 07 supermassive black hole is the best track but I like these 2 as well…muzika dlya filma - persephone’s bees
    and kaleidoscope - the prototypes…

    rhinestone eyes by gorillaz is looking good from fifa 11 which btw i guess is the best game till date..

    - 15 January 2011 at 3:28 am
  • Carsten said:

    Fifa 10 - Röyksopp - It’s What I Want
    I collected all the other songs you guys have posted. awesome now Fifa 11 sounds like football again.

    - 23 May 2011 at 4:14 pm
  • Kevin said:

    Thnks you so much, I searched since last night Young Folks – Peter Bjorn and John but I forgot the name of the song

    - 3 July 2011 at 11:45 am
  • Dozit said:

    2004: The Caesers - Jerk It Out/Kasabian - LSF/Dandy Warhols - We Used To Be Friends
    2006: Agree with The Doves <3 but I enjoy The Film - Can You Touch Me ? too
    2007: OK for Muse and for Belasco - Chloroform
    2008: The best FIFA playlist ever: The Automatic - Monster/Carpark North - Human/Digitalism - Pogo/The Hoosiers - Goodbye Mr A/Babamars - The Core/Peter Bjorn And John - Young Folks
    2009: Cut Copy - Lights And Music/Ladytron - Runaway/Soprano - Victory
    2010: Children Collide - Skeleton Dance/Temper Trap - Science Of Fear
    2011: Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk/Caribou - Odessa

    Street 2: Editors - Munich/Pendulum - Hold Your Color (Bi-Polar Remix)/Coldcut feat. Roots Manuva - True Skool
    Street 3: Does It Offend You, Yeah ? - We Are Rockstars/Go! Team - Grip Like A Vice/Innerpartysystem - Don’t Stop

    - 21 July 2011 at 11:16 pm

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