As we look into the top 10 Cyberpunk 2077 rock songs, we cover musical material that was mostly designed for this futuristic roleplaying game. Developed and published by CD Projekt Red, it was released on December 10, 2020, with great expectations it would take the video game industry by storm. Unfortunately, it stumbled upon launch as fans were disappointed to find that was a game too glitchy to play. There was widespread criticism that included CD Projekt Red deliberately deceiving its investors, as well as members of the gaming community, that Cyberpunk 2077 was good to go. While the game itself met with performance issues, the musical tracklist was a different story. This met with applause, straight from the get-go.
Feeling Punked
At first, Cyberpunk 2077 was deemed an unplayable game by fans and gaming reviewers who felt CD Projekt Red should have waited until it was certain it had a fully functional video game for everyone to play. This was not the case and there were demands made by disappointed fans for refunds. Thankfully, the development team and a group of modders were able to save the day by bringing Cyberpunk 2077 to a level members of the gaming community deserved. However, there were still complaints by gamers using the PlayStation and Xbox consoles who felt they were stuck with an inferior product compared to the PC gamers.
Thank You for the Music
As disappointing as the initial launch of Cyberpunk 2077 was at first, there was one saving grace that did not disappoint members of the gaming communities. Among gamers who also happen to be music fans, the access to the game’s impressive roster of songs served as a beacon of hope that Cyberpunk 2077 still had a future. When CD Projekt Red finally ironed out the bugs to make the game less glitchy and more playable, gamers were finally able to access all the content that came with it. This included the string of radio stations within the game that each had its own flavor when it came to music. Whatever kind of music the gamers were into, it was covered by a development team who poured so much enthusiasm into the game’s tracklist.
Cyberpunk 2077’s realm took place in Night City which offered players opportunities to travel about by foot or by vehicle. If the access to the twelve radio stations in-game wasn’t enough, Cyberpunk 2077 also released a two-volume soundtrack. When discussing the musical content featured on each radio station, we start with 88.9 Pacific Dreams. This was a station dedicated to Californians who share a love for dance and electronic music.
Next on the dial was 89.3 VEXELSTROM, which plates hear for the first time while in V’s apartment. V is the character players work with as they progress through the game. In the beginning, there is the option to go with either a male or female character that simply went by a name that could work for either gender. VEXELSTROM is loosely based on the alternative and electronic music styles coming from North European nations such as Denmark, Norway, Poland, and Sweden.
For fans who are into hip-hop, 101.9’s The Dirge fits the bill. Most of its musical content comes from Konrad Abramowicz. In the game, he was Konrad OldMoney. Like every other recording artist whose music has been used in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe, he used a pseudonym that suited his personality as a musical artist. The only exception was the jazz legend himself, Miles Davis. Fans of some really awesome jazz music from this man had access to 91.9 Royal Blue Radio as an awesome blast from the fast that never gets old.
Among gamers into techno-style music, there was 103.5 PEBKAC. PEBKAC is an acronym for “problem exists between keyboard and chair.” There’s also 106.90 PRINCIPALES and its Latino-style music that again features Konrad Abramowicz as Konrad OldMoney on its tracklist. As for rockers who didn’t mind some hip-hop, there was 107.3’s Morro Rock Radio. This station was named after Morro Rock itself, which is located in Morrow Bay, California. Cyberpunk 2077’s folklore, there are stories about Morro Rock that are both fictional and nonfictional as players progress in the game.
Let’s Get Punked
When it comes to music, it seems only fitting Cyberpunk 2077 should have at least one radio station that caters to punk rockers. 92.9 Night FM is one such radio station, as is 95.2 Samizdat Radio. In Russian, the term is used to describe independent recording artists who publish their own material without signing up for a label. Samizdat has a tracklist that came strictly from the Russian DJ, Nina Kraviz. In the game, she’s known as Bara Nova.
Usually among punk rockers, there is also a fondness for black and death metal. 96.1 Ritual FM delivered one top-notch heavy hitter after another which made it one of the most popular radio stations in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe. In fact, the majority of the favorite songs enjoyed by hard rockin’ gamers seem to enjoy this station the most. It’s certainly a polar opposite to the equally popular 98.7 Body Heat Radio. This particular radio station leaned in favor of softer rock music that even had one of its songs become a hit on the UK Singles Chart. “I Really Wanna to Stay in Your House” by Rosa Walton was radio-friendly enough to become a hit in the United Kingdom and the United States.
When Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was run as an anime series in 2022, it did more than spotlight Cyberpunk 2077 in its storyline. The popularity of this series was so great that it was fused into the game itself as either brand-new or redesigned content. It also generated a renewed interest in CD Projekt Red’s game. Many previously disgruntled gamers gave it a second chance, as well as a new wave of fans who hadn’t played it yet.
Grrr…
The newest radio station to rock Night City is 89.7 Growl FM. This, along with Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, is part of an expansion pack that takes place in a community known as Dogtown. The fourteen songs on its tracklist were chosen out of nearly eight thousand songs that were submitted in a contest that was issued on October 14, 2022, by CD Projekt Red. Submitters had until November 30, 2022, to hand in their musical content.
From there, the judges made their final decision on January 31, 2023, to decide what was 89.7 Growl FM going to play. In the game, the tracklist is played by a mobile radio station hosted by an in-game character known as Ash. She was voiced by Sasha Grey, an actress best known for her work in the adult film industry. Among music fans looking for something smooth and light to listen to, Growl 89.7 won’t be for you. It behaves like an underground radio station that features heavy music designed to set a certain mood that is not for the faint at heart.
Top 10 Cyberpunk 2077 Rock Songs
#10 – Violence (performed by Le Destroy)
As The Red Glare, “Violence” was a song featured on the tracklist belonging to Cyberpunk 2077’s 89.3 RADIO VEXELSTROM. Performed by Kristina Olson’s group, Le Destroy, this was a glitzy rock favorite that won over fans of the games. While CD Projekt Red was on the hunt for recording artists who could come up with neo-futuristic music that would match Cyberpunk’s Night City music scene, it was Olson who approached them and won them over the same way she and Le Destroy have been winning over the fans since 2014.
#9 – Pain (performed by Le Destroy)
If you don’t care about some explicit language used in a song, “Pain” by Le Destroy may not be for you as the chorus contains one four-letter word used to list off a series of things the group likes to do. As a song, “Pain” became one of the most popular in the game and on the Cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack. In the game, Le Destroy performed “Pain” as The Red Glare as an instrumental piece while on the soundtrack with lyrics. When Le Destroy’s Kristina Olson learned about CD Projekt Red’s ambition to design Cyberpunk 2077 as a game, she expressed an interest to contribute to some of its musical score. “Pain” was an energetic song that was industrial rock at its best. In the game, “Pain” can be found on 89.3 VEXELSTROM.
#8 – Chippin’ In (performed by Refused)
When asked by Cyberpunk 2077 fans, “Chippin’ In” will be among the favorites mentioned as one of the best rock-style songs by game players. This one is featured on 88.9 Pacific Dreams and 107.3’s Morro Rock Radio as the only song to have a spot on two different in-game radio stations. This song, along with many others in the game, was performed by Swedish rockers, Refused. In the game, the group was known as Samurai.
#7 – Black Dog (performed by Refused)
When CD Projekt Red looked into the development of Cyberpunk 2077 as a game, it knew good music was necessary in order to optimize its appeal to members of the gaming community. Swedish-based Refused was one of the bands chosen to serve as a major contributor to the game’s musical content. As Samurai, it also has several songs featured on the soundtrack, including “Black Dog.” This one is a favorite, thanks to the great build before diving into the hardcore punk that made Refused famous since 1991. The lyrical content in “Black Dog” described a state of mind as it was performed by lead vocalist Dennis Lyxzen.
#6 – Never Fade Away (performed by P.T. Adamczyk and Olga Jankowska)
In Cyberpunk 2077, P.T. Adamczyk produced the cover version of “Never Fade Away,” sung by Olga Jankowska. It was a smokier, toned-down rendition of Refused’s hardcore original. Both versions are heard in the game and on the soundtracks. This song of loss and rebound perfectly illustrated the theme of Cyberpunk 2077 as a game. Jankowska’s vocal talent turned “Never Fade Away” into a reflective number whereas Dennis Lyxzen’s singing felt like an adrenaline rush.
Between the two, Adamczyk’s version was considered more radio-friendly but it was never released as a single for the music charts. From Poland, Piotr Adamczyk has been a musical composer for a series of film productions and video games since 2016. As for Olga Jankowska, the Polish actress and singer has been a familiar face and voice among EU-based fans since 2006.
#5 – Resist and Disorder (performed by RezoDrone and Jason Charles Miller, featuring Jamison Boaz)
The moment the riffs of “Resist and Disorder” began, rockers were already treated to a song that instantly became a Cyberpunk 2077 gem. Regarded as one of the best by Rezodrone and Jason Charles Miller, Jamison Boaz’s vocals can be heard in “Resist and Disorder” as a powerfully played hardcore rock song. Featured on the game’s 89.3 RADIO VEXELSTROM station, players could hear this song for the first time while in V’s apartment.
In the game, Jason Charles Miller and RezoDrone went by the pseudonym of the Cartesian Dualists. Fans of the Cyberpunk 2077 universe not only loved “Resist and Disorder” from them but virtually every song they had in the game. This, along with “Reaktion,” became two of the heavy-hitting favorites, regardless if they were fans of CD Projekt Red’s game or not.
Fans of Jason Charles Miller are likely to remember him as the lead vocalist behind the industrial rock band known as Godhead. In addition to providing outstanding vocals, he also became a voice actor for a variety of animation series and video games, including Cyberpunk 2077. In addition to Miller’s track record as a rocker, he also earned a name for himself as a country artist from his solo work. Since 1994, Miller has been a mighty force in the music industry as one of the most creative (and perhaps underrated) performers.
#4 – Reaktion (performed by RezoDrone and Jason Charles Miller, featuring Jamison Boaz)
RezoDrone’s Jason Charles Miller and Jamison Boaz were among the favorite choices by CD Projekt Red when it came to the Cyberpunk 2077’s musical content. As established rockers, Miller and Jamison Boaz performed “Reaktion” as a hard-hitting number that quickly became a fan favorite and not just with members of the gaming community. Fans of Miller may recognize him as the frontman behind Godhead, the industrial rock group from Virginia that was briefly signed to Marilyn Manson’s short-lived Posthuman Records.
Since 1994, Miller has recorded music that wasn’t just isolated to hard rock and metal. He also released solo albums in the musical genres of Americana, country, and southern rock. Even before Cyberpunk 2077, Miller worked with video game developers as a musician and voice actor.
#3 – Night City (performed by R E L)
“Night City’ was an electro-pop song that played in Cyberpunk 2077 as one of the musical scores for gamers to enjoy as they got behind the wheel of an in-game vehicle to check out its futuristic environment. “Night City’ was also the name of the city gamers had to explore as part of a storyline that featured a series of main quests and side quests. As a song for the game and the soundtrack, “Night City” was performed by R E L as they used the pseudonym Artemis Delta.
The ambiance of the game was dictated by R E L’s performance of “Night City.” What made the soundtracks from Cyberpunk 2077 perhaps even more popular was the fusion of pop and soul performed by Arielle Sitrick. As R E L, this incredible vocalist describes her style of music as EVOCA-POP. Since 2015, R E L has been winning over enough fans to have over three million streamers listen to her music and have it shared around the world on a variety of platforms such as Spotify and YouTube. Thie Chicago-based songstress used her experience as a bit city resident to perform “Night City” a song she relayed as a spiritual experience.
#2 – I Really Want to Stay at Your House (performed by Rosa Walton)
When Cyberpunk: Edgerunners aired its anime series in 2022, it featured Rosa Walton’s “I Really Want to Stay at Your House” as a song that would make an appearance on two official music charts. On the US Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Rock Songs chart, it became a number twenty-three hit and it peaked as high as number sixty-eight on the UK Singles Chart. Originally, this song was released on December 18, 2020, as one of the songs featured on the tracklist belonging to the game’s Body Heat Radio station. It’s also on the Cyberpunk 2077: Radio, Vol. 2 Soundtrack.
Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth founded their own group in 2013 that was called Let’s Eat Grandma. This British-based duo recorded and released two studio albums before Walton worked with CD Projekt Red to produce “I Really Want to Stay at Your House.” In the game, her pseudonym was Hallie Coggins.
#1 – Major Crimes (performed by HEALTH)
As far as the majority of the fans of Cyberpunk 2077 are concerned, HEALTH’s “Major Crimes” is the overall winner as the favorite rock-style song featured in the game and its soundtrack. In the game, it went by the pseudonym of Window Weather. This LA-based experimental electronic rock band has been winning over fans with its brand of music since 2005. Since 2012, HEALTH has been in demand by some of the biggest names in the gaming industry such as CD Projekt Red and Rockstar Games.
As far as several music critics are concerned, HEALTH is one of the favorite rock bands to choose from by game developers. Fans of electronic and noise rock have been familiar with the lineup of Jake Duzsik, John Famiglietti, Jupiter Keyes, and Benjamin Jared Miller ever since releasing HEALTH’s self-titled debut album in 2007.
Top 10 Cyberpunk 2077 Rock Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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