Music analysis: Nostalgia and cultural influence of FIFA soundtracks

With every new edition of a FIFA game, a new soundtrack containing diverse, energetic and underground music arrived with it.

These playlists solidified the bridge between football and music in a way nothing else has.

Among the overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction with the direction Electronic Arts (EA) have taken the FIFA franchise down, the soundtrack behind the games remained a constant success every single year.

From its first soundtrack on FIFA ‘98 which featured Blur’s iconic ‘Song 2’ up until more recent editions in the early 2020’s – the songs behind the videogames have become as influential as the game itself.

But how was this created and why is the nostalgia behind FIFA songs so strong?

Music News Blitz’s Gabriel Mills shares his thoughts.