Awesome Music / League of Legends

For a free game, League of Legends sure has a lot of Awesome Music.

Champion Themes

• Lulu's song was the first Champion Theme and the one that started the trend of giving each new champion release a theme in the launcher's login screen.
• Darius' Theme is impressively foreboding. It also doubles as Music to invade Ionia to.
• Varus' Theme, which many consider a Dark Reprise of Darius' martial song. The destruction that's left after the war is over.
• Draven the Glorious Executioner. Hear his audience scream Draven! as he executes yet another prisoner. His theme got even more awesome with the extended metal version for the 2016 April Fools event.
• Swain's Theme post-VGU is yet another song to that'd be ideal Music to invade Ionia to, though given that this is Swain, it could be a symbol of his ambition.
• Rengar and Kha'zix's themes. Just like the two arch enemies themselves, these pieces contrast and clash with each other with drum and woodwind.
• Diana's theme, Daylight's End. Sung by a Visual Designer at Riot, this song is commonly lauded as the best one thus far due to its soft yet chilling vocals. A later recording from Music of League of Legends Vol. 1 adds an extended strings section, and it all flows together beautifully.
  Ask not the sun why she sets
  Why she shrouds her light away
  Or why she hides her glowing gaze
  When night turns crimson gold to grey
  
  For silent falls the guilty sun
  As day to dark does turn
  One simple truth she dare not speak:
  Her light can only blind and burn
  
  No mercy for the guilty
  Bring down their lying sun
  Blood so silver black by night
  Upon their faces pale white
  
  Cruel moon, bring the end
  The dawn will never rise again.
• Here Comes Vi!, a Bragging Theme Tune ripe with Breaking the Fourth Wall.
• Get Jinxed!, Jinx's theme mirrors Vi's in several ways. It's also notable for being the subject of Riot's first music video, featuring a dream sequence in which Jinx spreads her brand of mayhem across Piltover.
• Jinx's theme is nothing more than a perfect representation of the character of Jinx.
  "I wanna try something fun right now, I guess some people call it Anarchy!"
• Jayce's theme. Uplifting and dramatic, fitting for a Science Hero, which also manages to incorporate elements of the main theme.
• Zac's Theme, which encapsulates the sound of him being Zaun's version of a Super Hero.
• Aatrox's Theme sounds like something out of Inception.
• Nami's Theme, a wonderfully soothing tune. It was reorchestrated in Music of League of Legends Vol. 1 as Tidecaller, which further enhanced its beautifully gentle atmosphere with beautiful pianos, strings and woodwinds.
• On other side of the spectrum, Thresh's Theme. A reference to Freddy's Coming For You and the first warning that Thresh is not the kind of character you want to go against.
• Lucian's Theme, "The Purifier's Resolve", has finally been revealed, and Riot Games called for backup...in the form of The Crystal Method.
• Yasuo the Unforgiven is a peaceful melody performed on a wooden flute, which contrasts with Yasuo's tragic back story.
• Vel'Koz's Theme is an alien sounding theme, belonging to someone obsessed with acquiring knowledge by way of disintegration.
• Braum's Theme, a jaunty tune with a Celtic vibe, befitting of the magnificently mustachioed mountain man.
• Quinn's theme is essentially the anthem for a Demacian hero.
• Amumu's theme and its gorgeous accompanying video is a tragic and beautiful illustration of Amumu's backstory. Warning: this will melt your heart.
  "Every child in Valoran has heard the tale before,
  About the cursed mummy boy who felt his heart no more."
• Ekko's Theme as well as the BGM to his trailer, Seconds, make for two of the most pulse pounding songs in League of Legends discography.
• Tahm Kench the River King is a sinister southern guitar tune accompanied by a deep humming, perfect for the cunning con-man himself.
• Kindred's theme is a beautiful, ghostly piece with powerful cello work, as ethereal and mysterious as Kindred themselves...
• Jhin's theme starts off as a pumping, rhythmic piece, evocative of Jhin's work as seen by his victims, then transitions into a heavenly, choir-like theme, likely to represent how Jhin sees his own killings as beautiful.
• Aurelion Sol's theme incredibly manages to be the perfect trifecta of alien strangeness, terrifying scope and booming grandiosity, fitting of the celestial star-creating/destroying dragon. It's Hans Zimmer-level blood pumping.
• Azir's theme embodies the glory of the great kingdom of Shurima. Truly a melody befitting the Emperor of the Sands.
• Taliyah's theme is an utterly ethereal piece begins with haunting vocals, only for it to transform into a bombastic yet delightful piece that sounds like something that would fit into Assassin's Creed!
• Kled's theme certainly has the feel of a Noxian Conqueror's anthem with booming brass and wardrums, but the acoustic guitar sprinkled in gives off the impression that he's just not right in the head.
• Yorick's theme is a wonderfully ominous track with funerary chimes and subdued choir before building up into a loud, terrifying, but beautiful climax, befitting of the newly re-imagined Shepard of Lost Souls.
• Ivern's theme can only be described as "warm," being a vibrant, but gently pleasant and relaxing track befitting of the Green Father.
• Camille the Steel Shadow perfectly suits the character in a beautifully suspenseful piece, with classy harpsichords and violins meshing perfectly against loud drums, full string sections and light synthesizers.
• Galio's theme is a bombastic orchestral rock ballad that fits the personality of Demacia's Gentle Giant stone guardian like a glove.
• The new Urgot's theme is very dangerous-sounding, fitting with the champion.
• Ornn, the Mountainsmith. A beautiful tune that feels straight out of a Skyrim tavern.
• Irelia, the Blade Dancer is a powerful theme, with soaring strings and orchestra that embody Ionia's mystical nature and Irelia's fiery resolve to keep it safe.
• Akali, the Rogue Assassin can only convey one thing - the Masterless assassin has engaged you, and you're not making it out alive.
• "It's Me & You" feels like a song that jumped straight out of a Pixar movie.
• Zoe's theme sounds straight out of a Disney movie, and definitely takes her adorableness up to eleven.
• Pyke's theme is a bitter, tragic theme, while also clearly signaling the danger you are in during a chance encounter with the Bloodharbor Ripper.
• Neeko's theme is a simply beautiful eulogy, with a powerful guitar and equally enchanting song, presumably sung in the language of the Oovi-kat.
• The theme for Kayle and Morgana's 2019 rework is essentially a multi-phased epic of the two Semi-Divine rival sisters and their ongoing journey in musical form, and all of it is beautiful, with sections describing Kayle's bombast and imposing might, Morgana's sorrowful yet wondrous power, and a chilling climax surely detailing the inevitable, potentially cataclysmic reunion to come.
• Mordekaiser, the Iron Revenant is an intense, dramatic theme that fits Runeterra's most fearsome Evil Overlord like a glove.
• Qiyana's theme perfectly embodies the elemental power at her disposal, which is only further enhanced by a violin performance that sounds like Riot managed to get Lindsey Stirling herself for this track.
• Reworked Pantheon's theme really hammers home how far he's come, from a mere Spartan Expy to a man with the will to defy the heavens and spit in the face of certain death; a man worthy of his new title, the Unbreakable Spear.
• Just like her husband Lucian before her, Senna's pulse-pounding theme sees Riot once again call upon the Crystal Method's musical talents.
• Aphelios' theme is a deep, thrumming electronic piece with beautiful lyrics courtesy of Alune.
  Close your eyes
  Have faith in me
  And leave the light behind
  
  You’re never alone
  Whenever it’s cold let the shadows take hold
  You’re never alone...
• The new theme for the reworked Fiddlesticks truly encapsulates the horror inherent in this monstrous champion.
• Volibear's new theme, sung by none other than Einar Selvik of Wardruna fame, captures just how awe-inspiring his god-like presence is.
• The metal in Rell's theme is almost like a heroic Foil to Mordekaiser's, with the vocal singing a battle cry of rebellion against Noxus.
• Viego's theme is an epic classical-style ballad fit for a Ruined King. From the ominous, yet gentle music box intro, to the melancholy piano melodies, to the increasingly loud and twisted orchestra, it manages to impart everything sentimental, tragic, and horrifying about Viego's tale.
• Gwen's theme follows in the same thematic vein as Viego's, once again using lush, orchestral instrumentation to depict the gothic, whimsical elements of the tale through Gwen's point of view. With passages that incorporate quiet, lonely guitars and solemn vocals before erupting back into the drama of the Ruination, it manages to be delicate, but no less dramatic.

Skin Themes

• Do you remember the Pentakill band led by Karthus, Mordekaiser, Yorick, Olaf, and Sona, that was mostly done as a thematic skin line? Well, Riot decided to defictionalize the band in 2014, and they released Smite and Ignite, a full, legitimate heavy metal album that contains some incredible tracks for metalheads everywhere. Choice tracks include the epic metal goodness of "Lightbringer" and "Deathfire Grasp", the industrial-inspired heaviness of "The Hex Core," and the surprisingly gentle yet epic "Orb of Winter." During the Season 6 Worlds concert, which featured a medley of a few Pentakill tracks, it eventually transitioned into a tease of an unreleased, upcoming track, with the screen flashing Pentakill II. Pentakill is rising!
• Pentakill returned with another music video for NALCS 2017... Mortal Reminder, wherein Pentakill overruns Bandle City, turning it and its denizens into a monument of metal while introducing their newest member: Kayle. Between the excellence of the track itself, and the perfect timing of the video, one is hard pressed to not be as awestruck as the Yordles.
  Youtube Commenter: Oh my METAL GOD!
• The theme of the long awaited Pulsefire Ezreal.
• Battlecast Prime Cho'gath, a song worthy of a Final Boss.
• Gatekeeper Galio's Ominous Latin Chanting.
• Spirit Guard Udyr, mixing all the best elements of the Freljord music into one epic piece.
• The Pool Party skin set came out with this jazzy little number.
• Super Galaxy Rumble Theme, which contains epicness and screams Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.
• When Riot decided to give an ultimate skin to the resident musician, they recruited six big EDM names to give DJ Sona not one, not two, but three pieces of electronic ear candy. First are the hard-hitting beats of dubstep-like "Concussive" with Bassnectar x Renholder, then the chill atmospheric vibes of "Ethereal" with Nosaj Thing x Pretty lights, and finally the floor breaking "Kinetic" with The Crystal Method x Dada Life complete with turn table animation.
• Omega Squad Teemo's theme, which hammers home how the cuddly, furball swift scout is long gone.
• Music of the PROJECT skin line has been excellently-received:
  • PROJECT: Yi, the first big theme after the PROJECT exploded into its own being, mines the glorious Cyberpunk vibes for all it's worth, with a beautiful mix of EDM, Drumstep, and even orchestral instruments.
  • During the second wave of PROJECT skins, we got PROJECT: Ashe, whose theme is comparatively much more heroic, while still combining lush orchestra with awesome EDM sounds.
  • For the third wave, PROJECT: Hunters somehow amps up the dark and blood-pumping cyberpunk tone, remixing in portions of Jhin's twisted theme into one of Riot's most hard-hitting and epic instrumentals to date.
• During the 2015 Harrowing, we got Slayer Jinx, an epic, grindhouse-movie style rock track that makes you want to go out and slay some zombies for the night. 2016's Harrowing brought us Tales From The Rift, which instead went for a whimsically energetic theme that perfectly encapsulates the traditional Halloween spirit.
• Mecha Zero Sion's theme is a menacing, mechanical piece with some train-like sounds mixed into the piece, as befits the pain train machine.
• Draven Day, which takes Draven's already kick-ass theme, and turns it into a metal remix for April Fools 2016.
• Dark Star Thresh is a haunting, menacing theme filled with "Psycho" Strings and shrill noises, fitting the Spacetime Eater Eldritch Abomination that is Dark Star Thresh. The track for Dark Star Orianna and Kha'Zix follows in a similar, yet harsher and more pulse-pounding path, also with the "Psycho" Strings now blending eerily with an Ominous Music Box Tune. Once again, it manages to convey the sheer terror and scope of unfathomable Spacetime Eaters.
• Bit Rush goes for the for a chiptune inspired piece, perfectly going along with the ever-increasing Arcade skin line. This was later followed up with Bit Rush: Arcade Ahri, which continues to be playfully wonderful and upbeat chiptune-hybrid music.
• After the second wave of Star Guardian skins were released on the PBE, we were first teased with Star Guardian, a short, but wonderfully sweet ambient piece to represent the line, especially when the ethereal vocals kick in halfway. Burning Bright is the full piece, and like the anime theme songs it's modeled after, it's a cheerful, yet emotional pop tune. For the Japanese version, Endless Starlight 〜命のキラメキ〜 goes all out with different instrumentation and evokes the emotional action of the Magical Girl trope in full force.
• Elementalist Lux is a phenomenal full orchestral piece, slowly transitioning from gently beautiful piano and vocals to an epic, booming orchestra and back, flowing mesmerizingly well.
• The Odyssey theme kicks off with some epic rock n' roll before switching gears to an intense orchestral piece that wouldn't feel out of place in Star Trek or Mass Effect. Add some Ominous Latin Chanting to the latter half for good measure, and you have the perfect song for a Space Opera.
• The K/DA event theme, POP/STARS, is a full-blown K-Pop hit (made with the help of the actual K-Pop group (G)I-DLE!), filled with infectiously catchy Badass Boast lyrics and a stunning music video to boot, with Akali's rap section featuring some serious Visual Effects of Awesome.
• MORE, the K/DA lead song for their All Out skins and same-named EP album. Here the original K/DA vocalist are joined by a guest artist, Seraphine (sung by Lexie Liu, who would also sing Seraphine's take on POP/STARS in Chinese for the opening of Worlds Finals 2020).
• Another wave of Dark Star skins brings us Dark Star/Cosmic Jhin's theme. Beautiful choir and strings both psycho and mournful are prevalent, while the pulse-pounding rhythm of his base theme lingers as it all builds into a heavenly crescendo; a fitting melody for giving Jhin a larger canvas.
• The third wave of Star Guardians skin, which features corrupted Star Guardians, is heralded by the "Light and Shadow" cinematic trailer, its theme composed by the Hans Zimmer of anime, Hiroyuki Sawano. With Gemie on the vocals and a smooth piano piece backed by the ever heroic orchestra, the video is nothing short of a delightful piece of art. In the "Making of" video, Riot Games lead producer Sophie Xiao confesses that the energy Sawano usually puts in his works made him the perfect choice for the Star Guardians animation, especially with the skin line's darker direction.
• The True Damage event theme, GIANTS, can best be described as a grandiose rap opera, complete with a visually spectacular music video and the return of fan favorite K/DA!Akali. The track even features some major talent like Becky G and Keke Palmer, to boot.
• Battle Queens. A completely kickass bit of a J-Rock that wouldn't be out of place as a bouncing theme for a badass Shounen action anime.

Map Themes

• Welcome to Summoner's Rift! Unassuming and wholesome, the ambient music that everyone has listened to at least once. The long awaited update to SR came with this login theme.
• The Twisted Treeline. Set in the Shadow Isles, the music captures the darkness of the land perfectly. The old Treeline's piece is still creepy but retains the light-hearted nature of the original game.
• The Crystal Scar Theme. The music synchronizes with the action of the game, changing the tune whenever a point is captured, a quest is completed or when nearing the end.
• The Freljord Music. All of it.
  • Starting with the Avarosan's Theme, a calm and soothing theme, exemplifying Ashe's quest for peace and prosperity. As the largest and richest tribe, the Avarosan control the fertile lands of Freljord and they share their goods freely with allied tribes.
  • Following afterwards is the Winter's Claw. Sejuani's tribe and by far the most warlike. The spirited, uplifting and dramatic theme reflects Sejuani's traditional Freljordian views and her allies' readiness to wage war.
  • And ending with the Frostguard, Lissandra's tribe. The song reflects Lissandra's and the Frostguard's decieving and insidious nature, and her tenuous alliance with Trundle and his tribe. The Frostguard and their leader hide behind a mask of benevolence and seniority, while they plot to overtake Freljord through Trundle's army and bring back their Frozen Watchers.
• The Butcher's Bridge Theme. A jaunty sea shanty that gets you ready for a fun, pirate-themed ARAM romp.

Other

• The game's main theme, A Champion Approaches. As the Draft Pick pre-game music, any person who plays Ranked knows this piece very well. It got turned into a short, yet still lovely and epic theme for 2013 Snowdown.
• The April Fool's 2013 joke, Cho'Gath Eats The World, included this 8-bit rendition of the League theme.
• The Astro Teemo theme. Pump that Teemo techno.
• Just about all the World Championship themes can be considered Awesome Music:
  • For the Season 3 World Championship, Riot presented us with this login orchestral theme to get us hyped, and during the finals, they presented us with "Hybrid Worlds", combining a thrilling orchestral section with epic guitar riffs from none other than Wes Borland. There was also the Opening Ceremony, featuring live performances of "Hybrid Worlds" and "The Purifier's Resolve" by the original artists!
  • For Season 4 Worlds, there was "Warriors", signifying the epic battle for the S4 world cup, which is especially awesome it's done by Imagine Dragons! Anyone who's tried to get better at League understands exactly what the lyrics mean, and it's almost univerally recognized as the best Worlds theme yet. It was so beloved that it returned for the 2020 season cinematic, done in the form of an orchestral Dark Reprise by 2WEI and Edda Hayes, and it's just as epic and powerful.
  • Then for the Season 5 World Championship, we got "Worlds Collide" by Nicki Taylor, which continued Warriors' trend of being an awesome celebratory anthem towards the competitive scene, and it's just as amazing.
  • Season 6's "Ignite" by Zedd is somewhat more divisive as a follow-up to previous years, but it's still a delightful EDM piece that continues the lyrical themes of previous years songs. Much more unanimously liked were the orchestral login themes, which continue to impress and hype for the final battle. To those who like both, "Ignite" also has a Finals mix that combines all of them!
  • Season 7's "Legends Never Die" (featuring US pop group Against the Current) is a rousing epic anthem to the Worlds Championship. The lyrics are especially meaningful this year as they saw the defeat of 3 time world champions SKT and particularly the fall and humiliation of legendary player Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok.
  • Season 8's "RISE" by The Glitch Mob, Mako, and The Word Alive, a song that tells about the ambition to rise up above the others to reach the top. To hype up the upcoming tournament, Riot released a video chronicling SSG's (now Gen.G for 2018, represented by Ambition) climb to the Summoner's Cup in 2017, defeating G2 (Perkz), surviving RNG (Uzi), and beating SKT (Faker), ending with him standing alone at the top, and the rest of the qualified teams for this year's Worlds are all on their way.
  • Season 9's "Phoenix" by Cailin Russo and Chrissy Costanza, similarly to "Legends Never Die", is a calm, but rousing theme with lyrics encouraging to overcome your past failures and come back like the titular phoenix. Again, the animation matches the theme, featuring the aforementioned Faker, Invictus Gaming's Rookie and G2's Caps - three favorites coming into Worlds - all facing and triumphing over their inner demons and hate from community.
  • Season 10's "Take Over" by MAX, Jeremy McKinnon of A Day to Remember, and Henry Lau, features a young protagonist being saved by Faker after a bicycle accident while racing with his friend. He is then introduced to League of Legends by him and is scared at the First Boss, who is represented by xPeke's Kassadin, then gets the courage to beat the first boss when Faker tells him to get up and fight again. After he defeats xPeke and learns his skills, he then goes on to beat and do the same to Mata's Thresh, Jackeylove's Xayah, Crown's Galio, Bebe's Caitlyn, Bengi's Jarvan, and Tian's Lee Sin, before going on to the championships and going against his friend. That being said, the protagonist could be read as current World Champion Damwon Gaming's Mid Laner, Heo "Show Maker" Su, "as he was inspired by Faker to win it all in the international scene of League of Legends, especially at the World Championships", with the lyrics "Why would you dare me to do it again?" being a subtle reference to the bitter rivalry betwen Damwon and G2, with the former losing to the latter in the last year's quarterfinals, and then getting their revenge in this year's semifinals, with the exact standing of 3-1.
  • Worlds 2021 brings "Burn It All Down", performed by PVRIS. It feels like a rallying cry for those who have faced hardships in life and were mocked by others, encouraging them to break down every barrier as they vie for the winner's spot.
  • Worlds 2023's "GODS" by NewJeans is an uplifting tune about getting up and continuing fighting until your time comes. The animation starts with a brief summary of Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu's struggle throughout his career, especially compared to his contemporary and schoolmate Faker, and the second half covers his journey through Worlds 2022 and defeating Faker and his former teammate Ryu "Keria" Min-seok. However, many noticed that the lyrics match perfectly with T1's journey through Worlds 2023, especially once they "started to play Gods", the LPL "crumble one by one".
• In celebration of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Riot released a line of skins and login screen featuring "Legends of the Field." It's sure to get your blood pumping for a good game!
• Welcome to Planet Urf. U.R.F. is back baby! The return of the beloved game mode was brought back in style with this hard hitting tune.
• As We Fall is a new music video that ties into Varus' new lore. Featuring gorgeous, psychedelic visuals and a haunting Alternative Rock/Electro melody, it shows how Varus was released from his imprisonment by two hunters, Valmar and Kai. The lyrics, when read through, give the impression of a desperate rescue attempt... which, when analyzed closer, make it clear that the singer is actually Valmar crossing the Despair Event Horizon to try and save Kai.
• The Silver Scrapes remix for the 2018 college tournament turned it into an extremely catchy school fight song kind of sound.
• Bring Home The Glory embodies everything the participating teams are competing for at MSI 2019.