For the soundtrack score composed by Inon Zur, see Fallout 3 score. |
The Fallout 3 soundtrack comprises two main elements:
- The ambient soundtrack composed by Inon Zur.
- Songs and other musical works which are played by the various radio stations; one of which is reprised from the original Fallout from Interplay Entertainment.
Background[]
Composer Inon Zur was brought in to create the score for Fallout "because I could give them the ambience [sic] and the weird decadence plus an almost low-fi sound, but also bring up some more dramatic, orchestral elements with it when needed." The entire composition process took six months, ending with 60–70 minutes and around 40 tracks. These included everything from ambient cues from entering an area to high-intensity battle music.
Inon Zur wanted to ensure that the music was not too loopy, but seamless and interactive in response to the player's actions. In taking the orchestral approach into the post-apocalyptic wasteland, he admits some inspiration from Jerry Goldsmith, but "sought to employ different techniques on the instruments; they don't sound exactly like a traditional orchestra, but still retain the power of one."[1]
The preorder bonus for Fallout 3 at GameStop included an official soundtrack CD made to look like a vinyl 45 record. It included five songs from the soundtrack: "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire," "Way Back Home" and "Butcher Pete (Part 1)," as well as two tracks from the orchestra score by Inon Zur.
Concept artist Adam Adamowicz found inspiration in the '50s art style, the incongruity and the charisma of "the sort of Jet-Set Frank Sinatra/Rat Pack and a flying car with a martini in one hand and he's going to a big band concert."[2]
In an interview with Eurogamer, PR and marketing manager Pete Hines admitted that "Maybe" was his favorite song from the soundtrack.[3]
In 2019, Spacelab9[4][5] and Bethesda[6] announced an official physical release of 10 tracks from Galaxy News Radio on a vinyl LP. The tracks included "I Don't Want To Set The World on Fire", "Anything Goes", "Maybe", "Way Back Home", "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", "Crazy He Calls Me", "Butcher Pete", "Mighty Mighty Man", "Easy Living", and "A Wonderful Guy". Due to licensing restrictions, the 1947 version of "Easy Living" was used instead of the in-game 1937 version.
Music supervision and clearance was obtained by Christopher S. Parker and Tim Scanlin of Brandracket, LLC.
Radio songs[]
Galaxy News Radio[]
Period songs[]
I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire
- Written by Bennie Benjamin, Eddie Durham, Sol Marcus, Eddie Seiler
- Performed by The Ink Spots
- Copyright 1940 (Renewed) Bennie Benjamin Music Inc.
- administered by Chappell & Co. (ASCAP),
- Eddie Durham Swing Music Publishing (ASCAP)
- administered by Bug, Ocheri Publishing Corp. (ASCAP),
- Carlin Music Publishing Canada. Inc. (SOCAN)
- on behalf of Redwood Music Limited (PRS)
- International Rights Secured. All Rights Reserved.
- Used by Permission.
- Courtesy of Geffen Records under license from
- Universal Music Enterprises
- Written and performed by Cole Porter
- Copyright 1934 (Renewed) WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)
- All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
- Courtesy of RCA Records
- By Arrangement with Sony BMG Entertainment
- Written by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II
- Performed by Tex Beneke featuring Claire Chatwin
- Copyright 1949 Williamson Music (ASCAP)
- All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
- Courtesy of Soundies Inc.
- By Arrangement with DePugh Music.
- Written by Roy Brown & Henry Glover
- Performed by Roy Brown
- Copyright 1949 Arc Music Corp. (BMI),
- Brown Angel Music Publishing (BMI),
- Fort Knox Music Inc. (BMI), T/Q Music, Inc.
- d/b/a Trio Music Company (BMI),
- International Rights Secured. All Rights Reserved.
- Used by Permission.
- Courtesy of Global Licensing Inc.
- By Arrangement with Warner Music Group
- Video Game Licensing
- Written by Bob Russel & Carl Sigman
- Performed by Billie Holiday
- Copyright 1949 Music Sales Corporation (ASCAP)
- All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
- Courtesy of The Verve Music Group under license from
- Universal Music Enterprises
- Written by Bob Hilliard & Carl Sigman
- Performed by Danny Kaye with the Andrews Sisters
- Copyright 1947 Better Half Music Co. (ASCAP) &
- Music Sales Corporation (ASCAP)
- All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
- International Copyright Secured.
- Courtesy of Geffen Records under license from
- Universal Music Enterprises
- Written by Ralph Rainger & Leo Robin
- Performed by Billie Holiday
- Copyright 1937 Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC.
- All rights administered by Sony/ATV Publishing
- All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
- Courtesy of Columbia Records
- By Arrangement with Sony BMG Entertainment
- Written by Sylvia Fine
- Performed by Bob Crosby & The Bobcats
- Copyright 1949 (Renewed) Warner Bros. Inc. (ASCAP)
- All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
- Courtesy of Soundies Inc.
- By Arrangement with DePugh Music
Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall
- Written by Doris Fisher & Allan Roberts
- Performed by Ella Fitzgerald (& The Ink Spots)
- Copyright 1944 by Universal Music Corp. on behalf of
- Allan Roberts Music (ASCAP)
- & Doris Fisher Music Corp. (ASCAP)
- All rights in US for Allan Roberts Music (ASCAP)
- administered by Music Sales Corporation (ASCAP)
- International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved.
- Used by Permission.
- Courtesy of The Verve Music Group under license from
- Universal Music Enterprises
- Written by Frank Madden & Allen Flynn
- Performed by The Ink Spots
- Copyright 1935 EMI Entertainment World, Inc. o/b/o
- EMI Robbins Catalog Inc. (ASCAP)
- All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
- Courtesy of Geffen Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises
- Written and Performed by Roy Brown
- Copyright 1949 by Arc Music Corp. (BMI),
- Brown Angel Music Publishing (BMI),
- Fort Knox Music Inc. (BMI),
- International Rights Secured. All Rights Reserved.
- Used by Permission.
- Courtesy of Global Licensing Inc.
- By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Video Game Licensing
- Written by Alan Lewis & Tom Waring
- Performed by Bob Crosby & The Bobcats
- Copyright 1935 Sovereign Music Company (ASCAP),
- WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)
- All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
- Courtesy of Soundies Inc.
- By Arrangement with DePugh Music
Production music[]
Performers are noted if known
- Performed by Sid Phillips
- Courtesy of APM Music. Inc.
- Performed by Gerhard Trede
- Courtesy of APM Music, Inc.
- Performed by Jack Shaindlin
- Courtesy of APM Music, Inc.
- Performed by Billy Munn
- Courtesy of APM Music, Inc.
- Performed by Gerhard Trede
- Courtesy of APM Music, Inc.
- Performed by Jack Shaindlin
- Courtesy of APM Music, Inc.
- Performed by Eddy Christiani
- Courtesy of APM Music, Inc.
- Performed by Allan Gray
- Courtesy of APM Music, Inc.
Enclave Radio[]
- The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa
- America the Beautiful by Samuel A. Ward
- Dixie by Daniel Decatur Emmett
- Marine's Hymn by Jacques Offenbach
- The Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe
- Presidential Entrance by Rick Rhodes and Danny Pelfrey
- The Washington Post by John Philip Sousa
- Yankee Doodle by Dr. Richard Shuckburgh
Agatha's Station[]
All violin performances are done by Heather MacArthur
- Gigue - Partita No. 3 by Johann Sebastian Bach
- Preludio - Partita No. 3 by Johann Sebastian Bach
- Grave - Sonata No. 2 by Johann Sebastian Bach
- Allegro ma non troppo - Violin Concerto in A minor by Antonín Dvořák
- Zigeunerweisen by Pablo de Sarasate
Vault 101 PA System[]
- Benny by Jason Nyberg
- Hefti by Jason Nyberg
- Solitary Refinement by Jason Nyberg
- Be-Bop Shop by Jason Nyberg
- Basie's Up by Jason Nyberg
- Frank's Place by Jason Nyberg
Ambient music[]
All tracks credited to Inon Zur.
Track | Title | Time |
---|---|---|
1 | Main Title (Fallout 3) | 2:04 |
2 | New World, New Order | 1:34 |
3 | Lockstep | 1:37 |
4 | Price of Honor | 1:40 |
5 | Fortress | 1:41 |
6 | Unwelcome Guest | 3:38 |
7 | Ambush | 3:29 |
8 | Never Surrender | 2:03 |
9 | Metal on Metal | 3:28 |
10 | Behemoth | 2:43 |
11 | Think Fast, Shoot Faster | 3:30 |
12 | Chance to Hit | 3:00 |
13 | Forgotten | 3:34 |
14 | Clues in the Darkness | 3:25 |
15 | No Way out but Through | 3:38 |
16 | Out of Service | 3:36 |
17 | The Ferals | 3:16 |
18 | Gotta Start Somewhere | 2:03 |
19 | Old Lands, New Frontiers | 3:28 |
20 | Pieces of the Past | 3:25 |
21 | City of Ruin | 4:04 |
22 | Wandering the Wastes | 3:26 |
23 | Ashes and Sand | 2:48 |
24 | What Remains | 3:32 |
25 | Place of Refuge | 2:37 |
26 | The Smallest Hope | 2:44 |
27 | The Caravans | 3:31 |
28 | Megaton | 3:27 |
29 | A Stranger in Town | 3:18 |
Gameplay[]
Base tracks |
---|
Battle tracks |
---|
Dungeon tracks |
---|
Endgame tracks |
---|
Exploration tracks |
---|
Public tracks |
---|
Special tracks | |
---|---|
Link | Notes |
Death | Played upon the Lone Wanderer's death |
Exit the Vault | Played on the first trip outside of Vault 101 |
Success | Level-up jingle |
Tension | Walking to the Jefferson Memorial in Take it Back! and when the Enclave ambush you in the Hangar |
Tranquility Lane | Tranquility Lane simulation music |
Main Title | Main menu theme |
XMB/Launcher music | Heard on the PlayStation 3, when highlighting "Fallout 3" on the XMB menu while sitting idle on the game icon. It is also heard on PC on the desktop launcher screen |
Project Purity activation | Heard when activating Project Purity |
Tenpenny Tower lobby | Plays in the lobby of Tenpenny Tower |
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Fallout 3 Music Interview at IGN.com
- ↑ The Making of Fallout "Retro-Futurism" section @ 13:13
- ↑ Live Fallout 3 interview at eurogamer.net
- ↑ Fallout 3 Returns - With Bonus Galaxy Radio Tracks! June 28, 2019 blog post
- ↑ Spacelab9 Radio Selections From The Fallout 3 Soundtrack store page
- ↑ Bethesda Gear Radio Selections From The Fallout 3 Soundtrack store page