Celebrating Fallout’s Songs

When players were officially introduced to the post-nuclear, retro-futuristic world of Fallout in 1997, they were first welcomed with, of all things, a tune: the somber opening notes of a guitar.

25 years later, Fallout’s use of mid-twentieth-century popular music didn’t just flesh out the franchise’s world and tone – it’s also become a fan-favorite part of the series. Nowadays, almost no trip through the wastes is complete without first checking to see what’s on the airwaves.

To celebrate Fallout’s 25th anniversary, we wanted fans to have that experience of tuning into GNR, Diamond City Radio or any of the series’ other notable radio stations even when away from the game. That’s why we’ve put together an official Spotify playlist sporting a massive collection of songs featured in the Fallout series.

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Don’t know which track to drop the needle on first? Here are but just a few famous earworms that live more than just radio classics – they're also part of the Fallout universe. Oh, and for fans of the franchise’s original scores: You can also listen to several Fallout soundtracks composed by Inon Zur on Spotify, if you’d like to make your morning commute a little moodier.

“Maybe” by The Ink Spots

If there’s one place to start, it’s the one that started it all. While The Ink Spots have made frequent appearances in the series, the introduction of “Maybe” in the original Fallout has arguably made the pop vocal group synonymous with exploring the wasteland for an entire generation of fans.

“Anything Goes” by Cole Porter

This catchy show tune isn’t just good for getting stuck in your head. The lyrics to this toe-tapper sung by Porter paint a picture of a world on the decline, close to the brink of madness – a sentiment seemingly as relevant in the early twentieth century as it is in Fallout 3’s post-nuclear future.

“Johnny Guitar” by Peggy Lee

Written for the mid-’50s film of the same name, this forlorn melody sets the mood when wandering the Mojave Wasteland’s lonesome, dusted highways in Fallout: New Vegas.

“Pistol-Packin' Mama” by Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters

Fallout’s streak for finding some levity in chaos shines in this track from Fallout 4, in which Bing Crosby plays out his role of being hounded by the Andrews Sisters, who are - you guessed it - sporting lead.

“Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by The Beach Boys

Bringing in the sun-soaked sounds of the late ‘60s to Fallout 76’s radio palette, the realities of living in post-nuclear Appalachia are a humorously dark contrast to this famously peppy Beach Boys track about pining for a brighter future with your fellow wastelanders.

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Which songs from the Fallout franchise are your favorite for adventuring through the wasteland? Let us know with the #Fallout25 hashtag on social media and share with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Be sure to also check out fallout25.com all October long as we continue celebrating 25 years of Fallout!