Eleven FIFA songs you didn't know were by these famous artists...

The release of the latest FIFA video game is many football fans’ highlight of the year. Every late September, avid gamers wait in anticipation to play the new release – and test out all its new features. But there’s one thing that keeps the series ticking over anything else – and it wouldn’t be the same without it. The soundtrack is the unsung hero of the football-simulator titles – and every year it throws up tunes ranging from Brazilian dance-funk to German industrial rock.

There’s a problem though. The number of songs on the soundtracks usually ranges around thirty-forty, meaning many of the best songs can get swept under the rug. These songs will pass you by and you’ll never actually find out the artist or even the name of the track. But what’ll surprise many is that, while there’s always songs on the game that seemingly come from the depths of Antarctica, there’s many songs that are actually by bands who we see all over the news, all the time.

The producers at FIFA have a tendency to unearth killer tunes that mainstream bands don’t promote themselves – and they always seem to be great.

Over the years, we might’ve been bopping along to one of our favourite FIFA tracks without actually knowing who it’s by: so here’s ten of the best songs that you’ll probably recognise, but didn’t know the artist.

1 Paddling Out by Miike Snow

You’re probably more familiar with Swedish indie band Miike Snow from their dance-crossover track ‘Genghis Khan’. But before that was even released on their 2016 album ‘iii’, they were featured on the FIFA 13 soundtrack with ‘Paddling Out’, a raucous piano-based indie-dance tune.

2 We Are Not Good People by Bloc Party

Millenial favourites Bloc Party struck gold in 2005 with their debut album ‘Silent Alarm’ which spawned the hits ‘Helicopter’ and ‘Banquet’. Years later, their song ‘Ratchet’, off their fourth LP, featured on FIFA 14. But many prying eyes missed the track the band had on the previous edition of FIFA. ‘We Are Not Good People’ is a heavier skater-rock sounding tune that isn’t one of the band’s most well-known, but is a magnificent, crash-ridden track that you’ll probably know when you hear it.

3 The City by The 1975

Before conquering the world with their second album (of which its name is too long to type out), the 1975 were making waves in the UK with their eponymous debut. More reknowned for hits like ‘Chocolate’, ‘Sex’ and ‘Girls’, ‘The City’ is the second track on the album and wasn’t even released as a single, but made it onto FIFA 14. It starts with a pounding drum beat like ‘I Win Again’ by the Bee Gees and is an emotional, atmospheric, synth-pop track. You’re most likely to remember it by the odd lyric ‘don’t call it a spade, if it isn’t a spade.’

4 Macchu Picchu by the Strokes

Indie pioneers ‘The Strokes’ faded off the scene quietly in 2006 for a hiatus after their worldwide 2001 hit album ‘Is This It’ and two further efforts. But in 2011 they returned for a less-publicised fourth LP. Macchu Picchu is one of their most famous songs, but many non-indie fans will know the Strokes only by name. Listen to this one though, and you might be a bit more familiar – the nostalgic tune was on FIFA 12.

5 Don’t Forget Who You Are by Miles Kane

Miles Kane, of ‘The Last Shadow Puppets’ fame (that almost rhymed), has a solo career that runs alongside his successful team effort with the Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner. Much less successful than his Sheffield counterpart when on his own, ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’, a sixties-esque rocker, may spark your memory. It formed part of the soundtrack to FIFA 14.

6 Tell Me A Lie by the Fratellis

You’ll definitely know ‘Chelsea Dagger’ by the Fratellis – it’s less likely you’ll know their FIFA 13 hit ‘Tell Me A Lie’. Regarded by some as a one-hit wonder, the Scottish foursome actually had great success with their debut album ‘Costello Music’. Their second effort didn’t match up – but it did produce ‘Tell Me A Lie’, a crunching sing-a-long track with more annoying ad-libs. It’s a pretty ancient one now – it was on FIFA 09.

7 Sleep Alone and I Can Talk by Two Door Cinema Club

Festival favourites TDCC have a sackful of hits to their name and are now one of the biggest indie acts in the world. 2010 hit ‘What You Know’ is their most famous track, but the album’s lesser known track ‘I Can Talk’ is the one that made it to FIFA 11. Not in a rush to end the partnership, they had another song, ‘Sleep Alone’, a single from their second album Beacon (2012), feature on FIFA 13.

8 Blackout by Linkin Park

Linkin Park on FIFA? You’d never have guessed it, but yeah, they had their chance too. The band had many hits, such as ‘Numb’, ‘In The End’ and ‘New Divide’, but ‘Blackout’ was the song featured on FIFA 11. One of those you’ll have to listen to in order to remember, Blackout is an electronic-themed industrial track which starts with a military drum beat and features screamed-vocals by the late Chester Bennington throughout, making it surprising that it made it onto such a child friendly game.

9 Wreckin Bar (Ra Ra Ra) by the Vaccines

The Vaccines, one of those divisive, Marmite-y bands, only released their debut album in 2011 but the first track, a short intro track called ‘Wreckin Bar’, made it onto the FIFA 12 soundtrack. The band are favourites with shirt-slinging teenage hoodlums but Wreckin' Bar isn’t one of their best known.

10 Quesadilla by WALK THE MOON

‘WALK THE MOON’, an American indie-pop act, became household names in 2014 with their worldwide hit ‘Shut Up and Dance’. It had everything a breakout hit needed – lyrics about love, a catchy hook and a dance-oriented beat. Three years prior though, they released their eponymous debut – and at that time, still youthful and naïve, they just hadn’t found the right recipe yet. ‘Quesadilla’ is the first song off that debut and was featured on FIFA 13. In fact, it’s a hidden gem – and it’s surprisingly this one alone, with its disco beat and funky rhythm, didn’t propel them to stardom earlier.