Awesome Music / Cyberpunk 2077

In the City of Dreams, rockerboys make their voices heard anywhere from the lowliest joint to the international stage. Whether their art is born from love, or is just a reaction against the cruel world they live in, one thing that's certain is that their music will Never Fade Away.

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Original Soundtrack:

• The main menu theme, "V". Dark synths, hard pounding bass, and distorted guitar riffs perfectly set the tone of Night City, and the path you start to walk down during the events of the game.
• The incredibly tension-filled "You Shall Never Have To Forgive Me Again" which serves as the Leitmotif for both Yorinobu and Saburo Arasaka as they have their confrontation during the Heist, the synth-cellos kicking in as Yorinobu strangles his father to death and then has the hotel put on lockdown, which is the moment when the Heist goes straight to hell for V and Jackie.
• As a detour from rap and punk, many fans fell in love with the song Kerry plays during the "Boat Drinks" side mission, simply called "Kerry's yacht song". After seeing how popular the tune was, the composer, P.T Adamczyk, said that this was just Kerry composing on the spot, but it might get expanded upon in the future.
• "Cyberninja" fuses digital beats and traditional Japanese strings to make an electrifying Boss Theme during the fight against Oda.
• "Valentinos Combat Theme" starts off slowly with eerie synths and builds up to an intensely distorted EDM theme that's perfect for any fight.
• "The Rebel Path", Johnny Silverhand's leitmotif. Using the opening riff from the equally awesome "Ballad of Buck Ravers," one of Silverhand's songs that plays on the radio, this thumping, aggressive techno beat - occasionally accompanied by a distorted cello - lends a truly kickass energy to Johnny's flashback sequences and the Sun and Don't Fear the Reaper endings.
• The Militech combat theme combines dark chords and synths with a slow tempo and a base pattern that sounds like a heartbeat, complete with the beeping of a heart monitor worked into the track, hammering home Militech's oppressive and deadly military aesthetic.
• "New Dawn Fades", a slow and haunting synth-acoustic Dark Reprise of "Never Fade Away", and another leitmotif of Johnny's. But much more specifically, it's the leitmotif of the Johnny beneath the violent, rebellious, and self-indulgent surface level image he puts up; Johnny at his most vulnerable, and most open about his feelings and regrets. In particular, his Heroic BSoD at the end of the Chippin' In mission, and in the Temperance Ending as he visits the Columbarium and then leaves Night City forever.
• "Outsider No More", Panam's Leitmotif, is futuristic Sweet Dreams Fuel at its sweetest, a calm and powerful ambient song that shows up constantly throughout the Panam side quest. It absolutely makes the scene of her and V's time together hiding away from the sandstorm, and many fans rejoiced at the sound of it playing during the final scene of "The Star" ending as V and Panam step out of the Basilisk and look to the night sky, believing in a better future.

Licensed Music/Radio:

• The teaser trailer music is "Bullets", by the dark trip-hop band Archive. Fits the mood perfectly.
• "Spoiler" by DJ Hyper totally makes the official trailer, fitting the brutal sci-fi dystopia that is Night City like a glove with its aggressive, pounding bass.
• "Resist and Disorder" and "Kill the Messenger" on Radio Vexelstrom are two intense industrial metal songs performed by Jason Miller. They really fit the mood for a fast-paced speed down the motorway.
• There are two versions of "Chippin' In" by in-universe band Samurai.
  • The first is from the 48 minute gameplay reveal, done in a classic Hard Rock style, with original lyrics based on the ones from the Cyberpunk 2020 cover, shredding guitars and an intense thumping drum beat that works as a countdown to action as V leaves their apartment for the open world for the first time. This was retconned into being Kerry Eurodyne's take on the song in the final game. The full version was eventually released in December 2020 on the "Cyberpunk 2077 Radio Volume 3".
  • It was revealed in 2019 that Hardcore Punk band Refused had been signed on by the developers to sing the music for Johnny Silverhand's band Samurai. Their version of "Chippin' In" is more modern and aggressive, and makes Johnny sound younger, adding Metal Screams that encapsulating the rebellious spirit of Rockerboy culture.
• There are two versions of "Never Fade Away" as well, each great in their own distinct way:
  • The original fills the gap between the two official versions of "Chippin' In" in a different song, taking the shredding guitars and thumping guitars from Kerry Eurodyne and the hardcore vocals of Dennis Lyxzén, tunes them both down just enough in the melodic "a thing of beauty" chorus, before bringing them back up for the climax. The lyrics have a Double Meaning, In-Universe they describe Johnny's romance with Alt, but they apply to V and Johnny's current predicament in the game's storyline.
  • The slower, somber cover by P. T. Adamczyk (one of the composers of the game's score) & Olga Jankowska that plays in the Official Launch Trailer and end credits is even more popular (and sadder) than the original, with its slowed down guitar riff and booming bass perfectly summing up the feeling of overwhelming melancholy eventually followed by acceptance that accompany one's greatest losses in life. The whole thing feels like the musical personification of a Thousand-Yard Stare.
• "Archangel" is a memorable not only for its intense rhythm and burn-the-system lyrics, but also for a Good Bad Bug on release where the music would play over Johnny's attempted rescue of Alt from Arasaka. Either way, the song leaves an unforgettable impression.
• "No Save Point" by rap duo Run the Jewels is an absolute banger. The official music video, with plenty of amazing visuals to go with the sick beats, just seals the deal.
• Konrad OldMoney's rap song "GR4VES" is a very stylish introduction to Night City and its edgerunner ethos, which most often plays after your first job with Jackie.
• "Bigger Man", another banger of a rap song by Konrad OldMoney that does a damn good job at making you feel like a badass.
• "Friday Night Fire Fight" is a fun, heart-pumping song that's perfect for speeding down the highway.
• "I Really Want to Stay at Your House" was already a well-loved song for the somber lyrics that are seemingly hidden by its pop-music tone. Following the release of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, it has become the Love Theme of David and Lucy, and is certain to bring tears to the eyes of any Cyberpunk fan.

Phantom Liberty:

• "Phantom Liberty" is a hauntingly beautiful piece of music designed by Dawid Podsiadło and P. T. Adamczyk specifically for the Phantom Liberty DLC. Playing at the end of the expansion, it perfectly encapsulates the spy thriller theme, with the entire song sounding like it would fit in a James Bond film.
• "I'm a Netrunner", Songbird's eerie Leitmotif, plays the first time she contacts you, and it changes with different variations depending on the choices you make in the game concerning her fate.
• "Choke Hold", a powerful bass-heavy rap song performed by Idris Elba from The Phantom Files, an EP made specifically for the Phantom Liberty DLC. It plays on the new "107.5 Dark Star" radio station but is the centerpiece track during the side-quest "Balls to the Wall", a flashback sequence centering around Kurt Hansen. And fittingly, its lyrics seem to also be from Hansen's perspective, the breakdown in particular about Space Force One and Rosalind Myer's crash landing in his turf and the chaos their arrival brought to it, and his determination to come out on top of the situation.
  Spaceship's runnin' in, takin' over,
  Shootin' starts, where they follow.
  I just know I can take this over,
  I just know I can run you over.
• "Delicate Weapon" by Lizzy Wizzy (Grimes) is done as a performance in-universe during Hansen's party in the "You Know My Name" mission. It is fantastically beautiful and haunting, allowing you to sit back and watch the whole thing and listen. It also has allusions to Songbird and Reed.
• "Gate K9", a haunting yet fast-paced battle/boss theme which mixes loud, thumping bass and what can only be described as eerie tribal chanting, plays during the climax of the mission "Firestarter," V's ultimate showdown against the Barghest as they try to fight their way out of the EBM Petrochem Stadium after helping or betraying Songbird. What used to be a hustling and bustling NPC market hub has been reduced to a long hallway full of death, destruction, and the horrifying effects of Songbird tapping into the Blackwall Gateway, which takes the form of dark red digital flames. Once you reach the eponymous gate, depending on your choices, you are greeted either by an elite Barghest team or Kurt Hansen himself, kickstarting an epic boss fight which puts the final encounter with Adam Smasher to shame.
• "Contra La Luna" plays at the climax of Songbird's route, and offers an electrifying techno-rave rhythm as you fight Myers' soldiers. The mix of excitement and fear continues to build throughout the track, leading to a beat change halfway through that simply perfects the scene.