How Gaming Music Is Taking Over Pop Culture!

Video games weren’t exactly mainstream a few decades ago. Now they’re a pillar of pop culture, and their music grows with them. The tracks that once sat quietly in the background are now center stage. We all have that one melody lodged in our memory. Today, those sounds live far beyond the console: on Spotify playlists, TikTok trends, and sold-out arena shows. Let's look at how game music leapt off the screen and into everyday life!

Game music has a long history of integrating into culture. Koji Kondo’s “Ground Theme” from Super Mario Bros. is an early proof of game music being so catchy and sticking around for so long that even people who have never played the game can hum the music. It’s pure nostalgia.

On the modern end, League of Legends is known for teaming up with major artists and turning those collabs into legit hits. Riot Games even expanded the universe with the series Arcane, which fueled more hit tracks and cemented League of Legends’ music footprint beyond the game.

League of Legends treats music like a headline act. Worlds opening ceremonies pack stadium scale and big artists, most recently Linkin Park performing “Heavy Is The Crown” at the 2024 Finals. That spectacle isn’t isolated.

The ripple effect is everywhere. Beyond League of Legends, games have hosted concerts that rival tours. Fortnite turned log-ins into live shows, staging Travis Scott’s record-breaking Astronomical and, later, Ariana Grande’s Rift Tour entirely inside the game.

Game songs are built to stick. Composers use short, catchy ideas that can loop for a long time without getting annoying, which means they’re great for levels and also for real life. Modern tracks add clear verse–chorus hooks, so they feel like regular pop songs while still sounding like "game music". In short: they’re easy to remember, easy to repeat, and easy to use in your day.

And now they’ve slipped into daily routines. Whether you’re working out or studying, there is often a track or two in your playlist from a game you may have not even played. Game music isn’t just background anymore; it’s turning to the soundtrack of everyday life.