I am a HUGE fan of the music in Fallout. There's just something about hearing real-world pop songs that so perfectly fit that vibe. I find it helps my sense of immersion, like the world of Fallout is actually real, somehow. And with an nigh endless amount of gameplay ahead of us in Fallout 76 fans have to wonder, what's up with the music?
"It's a mix of stuff that's familiar and some new ones. But it all has to have that Ink Spots type tone that feels right in that Fallout way," Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Communications Pete Hines told Newsweek. He mentioned these songs specifically:
Fallout 76 Music: Radio Tunes
Bob Crosby - Happy Times
"He's singing a song about happy times but it sounds like the most awful, tear-jerking gut-wrenching song as he's singing about happy times," said Hines.
Roy Brown - Butcher Pete
"A song like Butcher Pete people tend to either love or hate. But it's this really upbeat, pop-y, fun song about this guy named Butcher Pete that seems really dark and doesn't seem to go with the tone," said Hines.
"We really tend to gravitate towards and enjoy those kinds of things," Hines added.
Fallout 76 Music: The Score
Of course, the music in Fallout 76 is about more than the radio. Composer Inon Zur returns to lend his talents to the score for Fallout 76. Here's a handful of tracks you'll hear in the game, including the main theme to Fallout 76.
Fallout 76 - Main Theme
Fallout 76 - Our Future Begins
Fallout 76 - Lit Only By The Stars
Fallout 76 - Out There In Appalachia
Fallout 76 - You Must Rebuild
Fallout 76 Music: Unofficial Songs
Back before the Fallout 4 launch I wrote this detailed piece on 23 songs I thought we'd hear in the game. I went 0 for 23, BUT I still think a case can be made we might hear these songs in the future. They fit the vibe so perfectly, and many of them are on the same label that owns the Ink Spots recordings, Dot Records. Maybe this is the year Bethesda gets a little deeper into that catalogue and brings us these great songs. Sure, they're not in the game but they will get you in the mood.
Four Walls - Jim Lowe
It's a song about feeling claustrophobic and lonesome, two very on brand messages for the Fallout universe.
Fujiyama Mama - Wanda Jackson
"You can say I'm crazy, blind, deaf and dumb. But I can cause destruction just like the atom bomb." This song is a wild howl of doo-wop peppered with atomic era lingo. Plus it's upbeat and confident, something you need more of when stuck out in the wasteland.
Atom Bomb - Glenn Barker
This song has that country feel Fallout 76 is going for. Lots of good guitar picking would be the perfect punctuation for watching a nuke irradiate your rivals.
Thirteen Women (and Only One Man in Town) - Bill Haley And His Comets
A morbid sexual fantasy wrapped up in the "Aw, shucks" patriarchy of the 50s, this song celebrates a world where most of the men have died and this lucky scamp has a de facto harem.
The Thing - Phil Harris
No one will ever be able to convince me this song wasn't written by a time traveler who wanted to create an easter egg about the loot grind. It's a goofy tune about a mystery object washed up on the beach. What is it? It's whatever you want! It's the possibility that makes it so great. You never know which container will give you THE THING you need most.
So what do you think? Are you excited for the Fallout 76 music? Let us know in the comments!
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Mo Mozuch has been covering video games, culture and tech since 2012. Formerly the editor of iDigitalTimes and, later, Player.One, ... Read more
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