Sometimes the best music to work out to is from video games, such asFinal FantasyVII Remake and the Pokemon series. Orchestral tracks or chiptune melodies can contribute to the strenuous nature of getting your blood moving.
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Battle themes, in particular, can keep you motivated to get moving, pump weights, and work off a sweat. Here are our picks for some of the best video game songs to put on your workout playlist.
Before playing the songs, you may want to consider lowering the volume of your device.
10Final Fantasy VII Remake - “Let The Battles Begin!”
No battle theme is more epic than Final Fantasy VII Remake’s “Let the Battles Begin!” Nobuo Uematsu’s piece features a beautiful, yet intense melody that hits you right from the get-go. That desire to run faster grows within you as this song beats with its incredible percussion section.
The strings also complement the piece, adding to the drama. There’s also aworkout version of this trackthat keeps up the intensity but brings dubstep vibes to the piece.
9Pokémon Red/Blue - “Battle Vs. Trainer” Metal Version by FamilyJules
FamilyJules' version of “Battle Vs. Trainer” from Pokemon Red/Blue gets your heartrate up as you bring the intensity to the max. The metal guitar thrillingly plays the familiar melody and makes you want to push yourself in the workout. The bass backing in this cover also sounds phenomenal in the middle section of the track.
8Sonic Adventure 2 - “Live and Learn” by Crush 40
When you’re going out for a run, there’s nothing better than putting on some Sonic the Hedgehog music. Sonic Adventure 2’s “Live and Learn” is one of the best tracks from the series. It has fantastic vocals by Johnny Gioeli, and the rocking guitar really pulls everything together. You’ll truly “feel life moving through your mind” as you sing along to the lyrics.
“The soundtrack itself is one of the strongest in series history and may be the best in the more modern era with vocals and the like, as songs like ‘Escape From the City’ have become some of the best-remembered and have aged well,” said our2020 coverage of the gamein the Graveyard series. Add “Escape from the City” to your playlist as well.
7Kingdom Hearts 3 - “Face My Fears” by Hikaru Utada and Skrillex
Sometimes fighting to stay fit can be scary, but this song “Face my Fears” pushes you to move forward. It has a wonderful flow as it begins slowly and then, during the chorus, Skrillex’s beats really pop. Skrillex’s music and Hikaru Utada’s vocals are a match you wouldn’t think would work but certainly do. You could go slowly for some of the song and then go fast during the beat drops. If you want another great Kingdom Hearts song, the KH2 battle track byYoko Shimomura “A Fight to the Death"also brings the intensity.
6Devil May Cry V - “Devil Trigger”
It’s not often that the theme song itself can pull you into playing a series for the first time, but “Devil Trigger” certainly did that for many new fans in 2019. The lyrics will stay in your head for days, while the mixture of the dubstep and rock elements will keep you moving in the gym or pumping weights. This song “clutches its power, trying to break free” from your smartphone throughout its runtime.
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5Street Fighter V - “Ken’s Theme”
From one incredible Capcom track to another,Street Fighter V’s “Ken’s Theme” is a badass fighting game number that will get your blood pumping. The guitar riffs in this track are awesome as the drums keep rocking the song forward. You can imagine yourself training to be the best warrior with this theme song in the background as you’re punching and kicking a punching bag or lifting weights at the gym.
Kingdom Hearts composer Yoko Shimomura originally made “Ken’s Theme” for Street Fighter 2.
4Guilty Gear Strive - “The Roar of the Spark”
Another rocking theme from a fighting game, “The Roar of the Spark” from Guilty Gear Strive, will keep the workout thriving. Thrilling vocals, electrifying guitar sections, and the pumping drums keep this song going. Even if you’re not a fan of the video game, you’ll appreciate the sound of this track as you’re sprinting to this fast-paced number.
“Smell of the Game” is another song you should add to your playlist. “The heavy metal soundtrack is the perfect accompaniment for bouts and some of the songs are worthy of being anthems for ’80s action movies,” saidour review of Guilty Gear Strive. “Despite being a fictional character, it’s easy to think Johnny Lawrence would agree that Guilty Gear Strive has a killer soundtrack.”
3Capcom vs. SNK 2 - “This is True Love Makin'” Cover by DS Music ft LaceyJohnsonMusic, Mohmega & MusicOnTheDLo
“This is True Love Makin” from Capcom vs. SNK 2 is a classic fighting game tune that has a fantastic jazzy beat that will keep you energized throughout three minutes or so of your workout. DS Music’s cover of this track alongside other artists is a stellar version that adds fantastic bass, piano, and vocals to the mix.
“Since the track already has a pretty boppin’ groove on its own, I wanted to take the classic house elements of the original and bump them up with a more modern future funk style in the vein of artists such as Moe Shop, Yung Bae, and Flamingosis,” explained the musician DSMusic in thevideo description.
2Persona 5 Scramble - “Last Surprise -Scramble-”
If you’re looking for a new take on the familiarPersona 5battle theme “Last Surprise,” look towards its more rocky version from Persona 5 Scramble. The vocals by Lyn are still supreme as a heavy metal guitar takes the jazzy song to the stratosphere. It also has a tasty mid-section with the guitar, and the bass is killing it in the background throughout the piece. Shout out to the drummer too.“Daredevil"from this game is also a banger.
1The “Besaid” Theme from Final Fantasy X is a Perfect Cooldown
We try not to repeat the same series in two choices in a list, but the “Besaid” theme fromFinal Fantasy Xcan be an exception to the rule. It’s a wonderful cooldown track to stretch your limbs and make sure you don’t feel the pain of the workout later. The retrosynthetic notes matched with the wonderful piano melody is a wonderful match for your cooldown.
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