Ranking A Legacy of Creative Curation With TPLC Sports
"This song was on FIFA." If we've heard it once, we've heard it a thousand times, and you know what? We love it. In the history of video games, no franchise has established itself as a cornerstone of musical discoveries quite like FIFA. From the biggest names on the planet, to the emerging faces from the indie rock underground, the music of FIFA soundtracks comes with a seal of approval, and a legacy of consistent quality.
So many bands owe their meteoric rises at least in part to the curation of FIFA soundtracks, and as the world's dominant footballing video game series, the unbelievable exposure FIFA provides has been a force of good for decades. More than that, however, with these games the music has always revolved around finding the best, exciting talent in the world, and pushing it in front of millions, even billions, of new listeners each year. Today, in collaboration with TPLC Sports, we here at Slow Motion Panic Masters are celebrating the best music the series has ever had to offer, ranking The 40 Best FIFA Songs of All Time, based on nostalgia, quality and how well each song encompasses precisely what we all want from the ultimate 'FIFA tune.'
- Keep reading to find a Spotify playlist with each of these forty selections at the end of the article -
- 40 -
Milky Chance - Down By The River [FIFA 15]
FIFA 15 went out of its way to look as close to the real thing as possible. With exceptional attention to detail in terms of animation- from substitutes celebrating from the bench and Cristiano Ronaldo able to hold long-term in-game grudges with an almost life-like bitterness, FIFA 15 was a huge step forward for a brand new console generation. Complimented by a soundtrack that replicated the euphoria of being in a football stadium brilliantly, with songs like ‘Down By The River’ by German groove kings Milky Chance still feeding FIFA nostalgia to this day. Listening to this song is like taking a casual stroll in the glorious summer sun: warm, soothing and almost intoxicating. It's songs like these that soundtracked a whole year lost to the infinite time sink of Ultimate Team (and increasingly neglected Career Mode and Pro Clubs modes).
- TARA CHOUDHARY
- 39 -
Catfish & The Bottlemen - Postpone [FIFA 17]
Catfish & the Bottlemen are a classic FIFA success story. Appearing first on FIFA 15 with 'Cocoon', where their debut record was promising, 2016's The Ride showed Catfish refined and confident. 'Postpone' arrived in FIFA 17 with Catfish already cemented as a meteoric success in the UK indie scene, and with their polished The Strokes copycat style a welcome addition to a UK scene largely bereft of simple indie rock, FIFA 17 had another winner. Lets be real though, 'Kathleen' has always been the best song the band has ever written, and it should've found its way onto a FIFA soundtrack long before the two songs that actually did. It's the song Catfish themselves wanted to force onto the game, and I wish someone listened.
- BEN WHEADON
- 38 -
Crystal Fighters - Love Natural [FIFA 14]
For some unknown reason I associate FIFA 14 with two vivid memories: Dortmund’s incredible trio of Marco Reus, Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Blaszczykowski on one hand, and Crystal Fighters on the other. Both iconic, ‘Love Natural’ served as the perfect accompaniment for a creative re-invention of FIFA in the series' golden era. It's an endlessly happy tune. Jovial, uplifting strings meet a fun beat and irrepressibly fun lyrics. It was a well needed love too; a calming influence after conceding countless sweaty goals from Victor Ibarbo and Seydou Doumbia on a daily basis.
- ALEX KUTSCHER
- 37 -
John Newman - Love Me Again [FIFA 14]
More FIFA 14 nostalgia? Gladly. In the long history of FIFA launching songs into the stratosphere of pub lad adoration, choruses like John Newman's 'Love Me Again' are ready made for the elation and recoveries of non-stop through ball spams. This is the exact kind of song we scream "this was on FIFA" about to faces of either mild irritation or total solidarity. Reliably, when Newman's hook kicks into gear, the room either joins in or breathes a sigh of annoyance at hearing twenty people immediately fired back to the (already frighteningly distant) footballing realm of 2014. It's a classic.
- BEN WHEADON
- 36 -
The Hoosiers - Goodbye Mr A [FIFA 08]
Whoever was in charge of soundtrack selection in the late noughties did a great job. FIFA 08’s big hitter was 'Goodbye Mr A', a song so catchy and fun its momentum carried The Hoosiers’ debut to the top of the charts. In an era where FIFA represented a more casual and friendly experience with a lounge mode and club creation, songs like 'Goodbye Mr A' flash us back to a distant past, and now-abandoned features that paint the games we played as kids so fondly. But the music - epitomising the jovial current of the British indie-pop-rock wave at the time - plays a huge part too.
- ANTHONY FORD
- 35 -
Bomba Estéreo - Soy Yo [FIFA 16]
Columbian band Bomba Estéreo’s ‘Soy Yo’ (It’s Me) provided FIFA 16 with a welcome splash of irresistible carnival rhythm and high energy party sound helped by recruiting super producer Ricky Reed, an exercise of mid 2010s effervescent pop geared towards being as catchy as humanely possible. ‘Soy Yo’ is an Latin empowerment anthem, accompanied by a video featuring a young girl defiantly shaking off naysayers, backed by the fluorescent neon of synth heavy backing. It’s what football should be, the bringing together of people from all backgrounds, all boundaries, uniting all corners of the globe. Bomba Estéreo channelled the jubilance of a World Cup, instilled in an instantly recognisable whistle.
- FIN COUSINS
- 34 -
Kraftklub - Eure Mädchen [FIFA 13]
FIFA 13 is, I think, a bit of a middle child to a lot of fans, not quite containing the sheer nostalgia of FIFA 11 or 12, and not quite living up to the standard of the games that would immediately follow it with the arrival of the PS4 and Xbox One. Finally, Lionel Messi found his way onto a FIFA cover, displacing longtime custodian Wayne Rooney as his career began to falter, and with a solid soundtrack, Germany's Kraftklub provided FIFA with another instalment of a foreign language banger. I don't know the words to 'Eure Mädchen', but does that stop me confidently singing along? Absolutely not. Filthy tune.
- BEN WHEADON
- 33 -
Digitalism - Circles [FIFA 12]
With FIFA 12, the series was beginning to evolve into the product we see today: new online modes were added, we all learned how to use the revamped defending system (actually I still haven’t), and Ultimate Team started gaining massive popularity. To keep the new players on board, EA made sure they came through with the soundtrack. Stacked with the usual feel-good indie and great international music, Digitalism's 'Circles' was a bit of a curveball, perhaps thrown in to ride the wave of teenage hype around the blaring instrumentals of Skrillex and Nero. The German duo’s effort was more tuneful, the bass rattle of its thumping house beat propping up the melodic verses and catchy chorus. 'Circles' feels a little out of place on a FIFA soundtrack, which may be why it became so memorable. Then again, “I play it again and again and again…” is the perfect line of lyric to remind you just how long you’ve been scrolling through the Ultimate Team transfer market.
- ANTHONY FORD
- 32 -
K'NAAN - Wavin' Flag [2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa]
Vuvuzelas. Jabulani. Diego Forlan. Refereeing calamities. 2010 had it all, but talking about iconic music in FIFA without talking about K’NAAN’S ‘Wavin’ Flag’ would be criminal. With its anthemic, timeless nature, ‘Wavin’ Flag’ is one of those songs you just instantly find yourself singing along to, whether in 2010 or eleven (!) years later. According to EA, this particular FIFA soundtrack was intended as one that "celebrates the cultural vibrancy of the first FIFA World Cup to be held in Africa" and ‘Wavin’ Flag’ packs a punch for the soundtrack with its immense upbeat energy. If you’re looking for a song to get your blood pumping with joy, put this one on and watch all your worries fade away instantly.
- TARA CHOUDHARY
- 31 -
Gorillaz - 19/2000 (Soulchild Remix) [FIFA Football 2002]
FIFA Football 2002’s most iconic song. Soulchild’s remix of Gorillaz’s ’19-2000’ is testament to everything great about FIFA soundtracks: a creative, fun indie track to back a primitive, yet sensational football experience highlighted by an OP Invincibles squad. Like Thierry Henry through on goal, EA hit the back of the net with this one. Let's be honest, most of us were probably playing Pro Evolution Soccer in this era of early 2000s football, but while FIFA games might've paled in comparison to the football of EA's Japanese rivals, Gorillaz delivered.
- ALEX KUTSCHER
- 30 -
Miles Kane - Don't Forget Who You Are [FIFA 14]
Another quintessential FIFA tune, Miles Kane delivers ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’ with a fun bassline, catchy chorus and all round fun indie rock sound. Another showcase of EA’s great sourcing of easy listening that simultaneously stands out as a great track, but wonderfully blends into the background as you sort through the marketplace for cheap beasts. If you've seen Miles Kane live, you know the impact FIFA soundtracks have, as football jersey-ed wronguns like us suddenly erupt into Kane's best-known song. It is top drawer, ready-made football chant royalty, and a highlight amongst a loaded FIFA 14 soundtrack.
- ALEX KUTSCHER
- 29 -
Tribalistas - Já Sei Namorar [FIFA Football 2004]
Ok, I'm putting my cards on the table. For a very long time, I've claimed that FIFA Football 2004 has one of the greatest video game soundtracks ever made, and certainly the best one ever in a FIFA game. For a decade and a half, looking back at this game, I remember more than just Ruud van Nistelrooy, Thierry Henry or Ronaldinho, I recall a list of songs that just seem to get better and better with age. Not to give anything away, but Brazilian supergroup Tribalistas 'Já Sei Namorar' will not be the last song from this game to appear. The vocals form a lethal strike partnership as the melodies flow across waves of Latin flair and uncontainable danceability. FIFA has always championed non-Anglophone musicians and broadened the horizons of a whole generation of music lovers, and Tribalistas might be the best of the best.
- BEN WHEADON
- 28 -
Doves - Black and White Town [FIFA 06]
FIFA 06 was a huge step in the series’ development, an overhaul which formed the basis of the FIFA we see today. It felt like it was put together with real care, furnished with bonus features and extras hidden away in the menus, including a selection of 10 memorable goals chosen by developers. As the backdrop of that video, the striking 'Black And White Town', from Salford-based band Doves - themselves a hidden gem of the post-Britpop soft rock explosion - became a quintessential FIFA song.
- ANTHONY FORD
- 27 -
Jungle - Busy Earnin' [FIFA 15]
FIFA 15 was just a glorified sprint race of a game. In many ways, it still is. It is probably responsible for the most broken controllers and toxic party chats of any game in recent history. Gervinho, Doumbia and Ibarbo up front, Juventus Pogba in midfield and Thiago Silva and David Luiz at the back, you may as well give up already. Well that is until you listen to ‘Busy Earnin’. The track checks all the markers for a FIFA Classic: fun, uplifting beat, a catchy melody and easy listening. Definitely up there in the FIFA Hall of Fame, as the song says: “you can’t get enough”.
- ALEX KUTSCHER
- 26 -
Foster The People - Call It What You Want [FIFA 12]
This song’s intro is like a time travel machine. The melodic, ethereal feel Foster the People conjured up transports me back to ridiculous Diego Forlan finesse shots, Nani 5 star skills for days and an absolute overall beast in Didier Drogba. The song is absolutely perfect as a backdrop for EA’s FIFA 12: the chorus is catchy, but not distracting as it blends into the background of your insistent arena training sessions. It's exactly what you want from a FIFA classic, and deserving of its deep-rooted nostalgia.
- ALEX KUTSCHER
- 25 -
Moby - Bodyrock [FIFA 2001]
Moby was once that guy who got pelted with various objects when opening for Soundgarden, but in 1999 he would release Play, one of the biggest selling electronica albums of all time and featuring the foot stomping instant 2000s classic ‘Bodyrock’. Moby cycles a simplistic and ever memorable refrain through high octane Fatboy Slim esque break beat, harking back to the Big Beat sound of the 90s. After picking up a copy adorned by the legendary Paul Scholes, this was the first track that hit you. It's unapologetic and high octane, underlining a quality that has never left a game of FIFA: the potential for pure havoc. A delightful opposite to the subdued brilliance of one of England's greatest ever midfielders.
- FIN COUSINS
- 24 -
Young Fathers - Border Girl [FIFA 19]
There was a lot wrong with FIFA 19. Lee Dixon on commentary, cover-star Cristiano Ronaldo’s “Siii” celebration another (EA please remove this I’m begging you), and a general disregard for anything beyond the scope of Ultimate Team. However, including ‘Border Girl’, was not one of these problems. Coming off of one of the best albums of 2018 in Young Fathers' Cocoa Sugar, the effortlessly cool Neo-Soul/Art Pop single, became the perfect soundtrack to my failed attempts at Ultimate Team trading in a feeble effort to compete with the pay-to-win teams of 13-year-olds regularly handing me 5-0 losses. You get the picture; I didn’t like FIFA 19. Border Girl though, was easily the standout track on the soundtrack, and a saving grace to a poor effort from EA.
- JOE DAVIS
- 23 -
Beck - Dreams [FIFA 16]
The infectious dance-rock of Beck’s 'Dreams' was a highlight amongst a number of FIFA 16’s catchy selections, a couple of which managed to break into the pop mainstream a few years ago. As an incredibly talented songwriter, never afraid to embrace flexibility and fluidity, Beck dabbles into every genre he can write a radio hit in. 'Dreams', from the Grammy-winning Colors, is no different, with its shimmering verses and choruses dripping in 80s pop and its funk-inspired psychedelic break effortlessly welded together, leaving Beck’s eccentric stamp on both 21st century indie-pop and the FIFA 16 soundtrack.
- ANTHONY FORD
- 22 -
Goldfrapp - Train [FIFA Football 2004]
There hasn't always been a lot of female singers in FIFA soundtracks. Football is for everyone, but with FIFA Football 2004, the unbelievable confidence of Goldfrapp's sensual performativity stuck a flag in the ground. It swells up and down, as the song slowly ensnares its listeners into a world of dark hedonism. Does this suit a football video game? Probably not. Is it a classic song? Absolutely. Get Arjen Robben in high heels and lets see what happens.
- BEN WHEADON
- 21 -
Superorganism - Something For Your M.I.N.D. [FIFA 18]
The lead single from British collective Superorganism’s debut was a Dadaist collage, cut up from an array of sounds, odd synths, samples, all under the pillow-y softness of Orono Noguchi’s voice. ‘Something For Your M.I.N.D’ comes from a collective of musicians from disparate global locations, a band borne out of the internet age, bristling with weird details and revelling in the oddness of a shifting modern world. There was perhaps no band that sounded more 2018, the strangely sticky hooks echoing the advancing technology of the virtual game, and doing its best to pacify growing frustrations with the direction of the franchise.
- FIN COUSINS
- 20 -
The Black Keys - Tighten Up [FIFA 11]
Getting into some heavy hitters now. FIFA 11 may be remembered for its iconic innovations and the true arrival of a new and improved Ultimate Team, but this song will surely spark some flashbacks to an absurd Barcelona side, obscene counterattacks and burning through hours of your life nailing rainbow flicks in the arena. The Black Keys’ ‘Tighten Up’ is a perfect mix of a catchy bass line, simple lyrics and indie rock that just encapsulates everything that makes a FIFA song a FIFA song. In all honesty, FIFA 11 is a soundtrack that's been slept on for a long time, and alongside tunes like 'Rhinestone Eyes', 'Splitting the Atom' and 'Odessa' that just missed out on our list, 'Tighten Up' is still unforgettable.
- ALEX KUTSCHER
- 19 -
Little Simz - Offence [FIFA 20]
FIFA 20’s soundtrack absolutely had to be good. Lockdown brought hours and hours spent on Ultimate Team, 8 years-worth of a PSV career mode, and Pro Clubs as a replacement for social interaction. Thankfully, EA blessed us with one of the best FIFA soundtracks in recent memory, and this screamer from Little Simz is it at its peak. With a thick bassline, tight raps, and a cathartic chorus, 'Offence' was one of the standout tracks on a standout album, and managed not, as is crucial with a FIFA song, to get old. My Pro Club may have failed to get out of division 6, and my PSV career was brought to a sour end with an early Champions League exit, but EA delivered us a great soundtrack when we needed it most, and 'Offence' was the best of the bunch.
- JOE DAVIS
- 18 -
Tash Sultana - Jungle [FIFA 18]
Along with (apparently) improved tackling, tactics and goalkeeping intelligence, FIFA 18 gave fans the gift of Australian singer-songwriter Tash Sultana, and their song ‘Jungle'. Sultana’s reggae-pop inspired sound really comes through in ‘Jungle’, with hypnotic guitar solos that send you to an aural wonderland. Unbelievable vocal lines and single-coil tones, compared to whoever was making the actual game, this soundtrack's curator really knew what they were doing. The wonders of Tash Sultana deserve to be heard, and injecting them into the world of FIFA is just one more example of the series' masterful curation of music and a welcome inclusion of a gender-queer artist into what has often proved a largely boys-only soundtrack.
- TARA CHOUDHARY
- 17 -
LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change [FIFA 11]
Another classic from an underrated FIFA soundtrack, LCD Soundsystem provided FIFA 11 with a welcome slice of post-pop electronics. FIFA 11 might have the most sonically cohesive playlists of the series, leaning heavily into synthesisers and melancholic vocal deliveries. If you can't access the game, replicate the feeling of 2011 by finding your local rusty goal posts and wasting forty footballs into the stratosphere while crying to James Murphy eulogise "love is an open book to a verse of your bad poetry". Jesus Christ FIFA. Someone at EA must've been going through some shit.
- BEN WHEADON
- 16 -
Kasabian - stevie [FIFA 15]
This is here for one reason and one reason only. In 2014, EA announced that every Premier League stadium would be in FIFA 15. This sounds minor now, but at the time this was an unbelievable leap in the franchise's commitment to realism. The trailer that announced it gassed me up like nothing else ever has, and the trailer's soundtrack? You guessed it. Kasabian. Adding Kasabian to British Football is a combination that simply cannot fail. Sticking 'stevie' onto a Premier League football advertisement? You just can't go wrong. A home run soundtrack selection.
- BEN WHEADON
- 15 -
New Order - Blue Monday [FIFA Football 2005]
New Order’s coalescence from the embers of Joy Division turned them into one of the most important bands of the 1980s, and their iconic release of ‘Blue Monday’ became the highest selling 12 inch single of all time. There are the elements of Giorgio Moroder, a disco synth heavy loop, a bass melody and robotic choir - this was the coming of age of modern techno from the Manchester band shaking off the looming shade of their past with bubbling new ideas. The track’s success prompted countless remakes into genres ranging from gothic rock to acid house, but nothing came close to the ground breaking quirkiness of the original. The sequencer, the unmistakable repetitive rhythm, it’s the ultimate soundtrack to watch a pixelated Adriano fiercely drive an unstoppable shot home against AC Milan. No matter how many times you do it, it just never gets old.
- FIN COUSINS
- 14 -
Fatboy Slim - Rockafeller Skank [FIFA 99]
Ok. So admittedly, being born the year FIFA 99 came out means I can’t pretend to look back on the game nostalgically, playing as United’s treble winning side or a Ballon D’or winning Rivaldo with John Motson in my ear. I can, however, appreciate the greatness of Fatboy Slim’s 'Rockafeller Skank', an iconic tune worthy of its place on this list, and one of the greatest FIFA songs ever. Norman Cook’s big beat banger was a huge track, featuring surf rock guitar riffs, distorted industrial drums, and the classic vocal sample “Right about now, the funk soul brother/check it out now”. Have some of that.
- JOE DAVIS
- 13 -
The Jam - Town Called Malice [FIFA Football 2004]
The Jam were the standard bearers for the mod movement, and ‘Town Called Malice’ might be their magnum opus. With celebratory images of suburban small town life; milk floats, steam trains, gear, all punctuated by clapping drums and an organ, it’s a revelation of the world of British football, inseparable from the working class experience at the dawn of the Thatcher years. The Jam distilled the sound of pure nostalgia, the perfect track for a grainy compilation of Premier League Years, (allow me to convince you further with this stunning Crystal Palace compilation). Featuring on FIFA Football 2004 over 20 years after it’s 1982 release is a testament to its sheer brilliance as a soundtrack for multiple generations and the escape that football can provide.
- FIN COUSINS
- 12 -
Foals - My Number [FIFA 15]
In all honesty, FIFA 15 was the last time I fully invested myself into this franchise. By 2016 I'd made my switch to the PES machine, and I've never looked back, but still to this day, Foals' 'My Number' delivers as a perfect FIFA song. As Manchester United descended further and further into the pits of footballing disappointment, I found myself more and more dependent on virtual football the longer I had to watch a bruised Falcao or a deeply under-par Morgan Schneiderlin break my heart. FIFA 15 was there, and 'My Number' became my soundtrack to football escapism.
- BEN WHEADON
- 11 -
Teddybears - Cobrastyle [FIFA 06]
Big Wazza on the cover. Prime gold-Nike-Tiempo-booted Ronaldinho. Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea masterclasses. Gerrard’s FA Cup final screamer. That Zidane headbutt. 2006 was a truly iconic year for football. Luckily, FIFA brought a soundtrack to match it, and nothing fitted samba skills better than the catchy, upbeat Reggae-rock based Cobrastyle from Swedish-formed Teddybears. Shame most people didn't hear it, as we were mainly playing PES.
- JOE DAVIS
- 10 -
The Stone Roses - Fools Gold [FIFA Football 2004]
Another banger from the FIFA Football 2004 soundtrack you say? Don’t mind if I do. It’s only fitting that a FIFA cover with the sauce of Henry, Del Piero and Ronaldinho would feature this 10 minute funk-rock madness. A piece of guitar mastery from John Squire over a James Brown inspired drumbeat, this psychedelic Madchester special is one of the more interesting choices on the star-studded soundtrack, but easily one of the best. So good, it even features twice (in a way), with Wretch 32’s “Unorthodox” on FIFA Street sampling the iconic Squire Riff. Arsenal’s Invincibles squad, 96 rated Zidane, and arguably the game’s greatest soundtrack ever, Fool’s Gold was meant for FIFA in 2004.
- JOE DAVIS
- 9 -
Bakar - Big Dreams [FIFA 19]
‘Big Dreams’ is a modern equivalent to the cutting commentary of Paul Weller's sardonic 'Town Called Malice' from decades before. A song borne out of London estates as Bakar wrote for his younger brother a reminder to keep a flame burning towards the biggest of aspirations, no matter the size of the goal. Bakar offered an impassioned vocal performance punctuated by alternative indie rock, a propulsive beat pushing towards a fiery, cacophonous and instantly recognisable "Oh no!" The carefree lyrics and the punchy buoyant qualities of the layered guitars left an unmistakable mark on the game, and with FUT Champions reaching peak levels of obsession, a bit of carefreeness was exactly what FIFA 19 needed. ‘Big Dreams’ received recognition very much deserved.
- FIN COUSINS
- 8 -
Radiohead - Myxomatosis [FIFA Football 2004]
The kings of all things music critic related, Radiohead provided the ultimate track to compliment a game that had users dropkicking controllers out of their bedroom windows. 2003’s Hail to the Thief was Radiohead’s scattered mess of a project, and ‘Myxomatosis’ revelled in the pounding discordance of the decadent groove of the instrumental, a fuzzy, off kilter bassline, and Thom Yorke talking himself into a creative frenzy. This rushing insanity would soundtrack a season that saw Arsenal and a glittering Thierry Henry complete a historic unbeaten season while a Jose Mourinho's FC Porto earned a dominant Champions League victory. Though ‘Myxomatosis’ faded more from the memory than Radiohead's other accomplishments, it deserves recognition as a FIFA great. It was perfect for a game emblazoned with the tagline "Create Brilliance".
- FIN COUSINS
- 7 -
K-OS - Born To Run [FIFA 08]
I have to look back lovingly at FIFA 08's step-overs and roulettes, flying about as Samuel Eto'o and Fernando Torres and leaving helpless defenders contemplating career changes in the wake of my unstoppable talent. I was also nine years old, and playing on the lowest difficulty, but leave my nostalgia alone please. 'Born To Run' has a very specific attachment to an outrageously warm summer, watching Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo fire their way to a Champions League victory, and K-OS still sounds exactly like that feeling of sun-drenched triumph. Its rhythmic delivery, guitar tones, anthemic chorus, its all perfect. A fusion of mesmeric brilliance like Jay Jay Okocha spliced with Diego Maradona, like another of FIFA 08's classic tracks, everything just falls into place.
- BEN WHEADON
- 6 -
Caesars - Jerk It Out [FIFA Football 2004]
You know the riff. 'Jerk It Out' is a glorious one-hit wonder from Sweden's Caesars, and stands as an essential track in any playlist of FIFA's biggest hits. One more tune to add to the offensively stacked FIFA Football 2004, 'Jerk It Out' fits the exciting brand of 21st century football that FIFA brought forward. Go dribble past a whole team and blast a shot into the roof of the net against Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf and co. What else is there to say? Absolute classic.
- BEN WHEADON
- 5 -
Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk [FIFA 11]
FIFA 11 really solidified everything that FIFA 10 and its world-cup variant brought to the game, but along with each of its welcome refinements, FIFA 11 gave fans worldwide a gift of a soundtrack filled generously with bangers, and nothing demonstrates the archetypal 'FIFA Song' quite like Two Door Cinema Club’s ‘I Can Talk’. Fast, euphoric, infectiously melodic, this song instantly transports its listeners back to the simpler days of the 2010s and takes the band’s cool indie vibe to the next level. When people describe 'FIFA music' this is what they mean. Weird looking indie kids playing lightning fast indie rock with a chorus that sticks indelibly in your head.
- TARA CHOUDHARY
- 4 -
Bloc Party - Helicopter [FIFA 06]
Certain 'FIFA songs' are 'FIFA songs' because of their nostalgic quality, providing an instant reminder of how long you’d spend with the PS2 controller in your hands. Others, like 'Helicopter', become classics because the music itself just stands out as unforgettable. The second track on Bloc Party’s excellent debut Silent Alarm embodies a lot of what is great about it. The angular and energetic guitar work, the enigmatic anxiety in the lyrics, and the tight blistering rhythms make for a top-tier tune, even if, after all these years, it still screams out FIFA 06 to me. Bloc Party were in good company too. The sound of FIFA 06 features big players like Oasis and LCD Soundsystem as well as mid-2000s UK radio kingpins Hard-Fi and Embrace, but it is 'Helicopter' which has left the strongest impression for the longest time.
- ANTHONY FORD
- 3 -
Kings of Leon - Red Morning Light [FIFA Football 2004]
Trust me. I could've included many, many more tracks from the outrageously solid FIFA Football 2004 soundtrack, but its finest hour comes with this classic single from Kings of Leon's debut record. For a franchise rightfully renowned for platforming the best names in emerging rock, whoever was left in charge of this soundtrack decided to go nuclear. 'Red Morning Light' deserved its spotlight front and centre. There couldn't have been a better song to accompany copious step-overs and footballing brilliance. Indie rock genius, this song gets better every time it blasts its way out of your headphones and onto the pitch, even if I still can't comprehend a single syllable of Caleb Followil's singing. It even made it onto the games' iconic trailer. FIFA just knew.
- BEN WHEADON
- 2 -
Kasabian - Club Foot [FIFA 13]
There is no band, and no song more inseparable from the culture of British football than Kasabian and 'Club Foot'. Utterly ubiquitous, 'Club Foot' is inevitable. It's so iconic in so many ways, it’s genuinely hard to know where to begin. Whether appearing in Goal!, soundtracking a classic Barclays Premier League era of Ford Football Focus or in Green Street’s trailer, ‘Club Foot’ is football in the UK and beyond. It shouldn't be surprising then, that eventually the song would find itself welcomed into the arms of FIFA 13. Leicester-loving Kasabian have firmly cemented themselves into the FIFA Hall of Fame with this absolute banger, and if there was ever a song that truly *sounded like* the Premier League, this is it.
- ALEX KUTSCHER
- 1 -
Blur - Song 2 [FIFA: Road To World Cup 98]
Unquestionable. The nostalgia I have for FIFA: Road To World Cup 98 not withstanding, in getting this PSone classic handed down to me from my brother, one thing was clear: Blur's 'Song 2' is the greatest FIFA song of all time. This track, initially just intended to terrify label executives, has stood the test of time as an expression of volatile energy and perfectly suited what is widely regarded as one of the best FIFA games ever made. It might not hold up too well today, but the leap forward EA built with this entry is the stuff of legend. Fronted by the legendary visage of David Beckham mid-flight, nothing captures the optimistic bravado of World Cup football quite like this game. Now, more than two decades later, 'Song 2' still stands as the song to which all FIFA soundtracks should be measured against. Its perfect.
- BEN WHEADON
- follow this link for a spotify playlist with all 40 of these unmissable FIFA classics -
Thanks for reading! Slow Motion Panic Masters is a music, arts and culture blog created and co-edited by Ben Wheadon, a literature student and musician based at the University of Oxford. He is also a Fleet Foxes shill.
Do you make music? Send it to us via instagram and follow the account so we can contact you if we like what we hear. In the meantime, like us on facebook and subscribe to our mailing list below to be alerted every time a new post is published on the site.
Fin Cousins is a postgraduate literature student studying at Kings College London. He loves writing, music and sport and he has now completely given up waiting for Love Island to accept his application. He also made our logo.
Alex Kutscher is an English Literature graduate from King’s College London and founder of TPLC Sports. He plays basketball and watches Chelsea on the weekend while praying that Kepa never plays for them again.
Tara Choudhary is a third-year student at King’s College London, who euphemises her indecisiveness by saying she studies the Liberal Arts. She enjoys music, theatre and basically anything she can categorise as “not math”.
Joe Davis is a Cardiff University graduate currently doing a panic masters in Public Policy. He procrastinates religiously via music, politics and football. Find him on insta.
Anthony Ford is a Maths student, spending every Saturday watching Burnley attempt to avoid relegation. He calms himself down by listening to music, playing guitar, or shouting at people on the TV.
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