What follows is a timeline of the music of the Fallout series based on the songs' recording date.
Background[]
While many songs are from the 40s and 50s, others are markedly newer than those decades. Reasons cited by the developers regarding the inclusion or omission of newer or older recordings vary considerably ranging from the cost of licensing, wanting to use tracks that would be new to the audience, or changes in the licensing companies.[1][2]
It primarily deals with the licensed tracks which were not specifically composed for the Fallout series. However, several songs are described as existing in the Fallout world in the future. For example, in Fallout 76, Julie on Appalachia Radio describes the enduring popularity of "Take Me Home, Country Roads."[3]
Music supervision and licensing for all games since Fallout 3 were primarily done by Christopher S. Parker, Tim Scanlin, and Ian M. Anderson, music coordinator for Brandracket, LLC.
1900s and prior[]
The Fallout 3 quest, Lincoln's Profit Margins, features a phonautograph and phonautogram recording of President Lincoln's voice. In reality, phonautograms consist of sound waves traced in insubstantial soot which hampered playback until 2008.[4]
The Copyright Act of 1909 allows for mechanical licenses so that piano roll manufacturers could make cover versions of songs. However, since sound recording is a nascent technology, it is not yet considered to be eligible for copyright. The act also codifies the copyright symbol as a circled capital letter C (©) for eligible works. A song's composition qualifies for copyright, but not its recording.
1920s[]
By this time, the cylinder had fallen out of favor and disc records carried the day. The material to make records was standardized to shellac with a playback speed of 78 rpm. However, all recording was done acoustically where singers had to shout to make themselves heard above the surface noise.
The development of electrical recording by the late 20s allowed for more sensitive microphones and gave rise to the "crooners" the likes of Bing Crosby and Rudy Vallée.
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | Record label | Recorded | Release notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout 76 | "Nobody's Fault but Mine" | Blind Willie Johnson | Columbia Records | 1927 December 3[5] | - |
| - | "Ain't Misbehavin'"* | Fats Waller | Victor Records | 1929, August 2[6] | Waller's first recording of many of this song, instrumental only. Credited as Thomas Waller. |
 | The following is based on Project V13 promotional material and is not canon. |
|---|
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | Record label | Recorded | Release notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project V13 | "Slave to the Blues" | Ma Rainey | Paramount Records | 1926, January [7] | - |
| End of information based on Project V13 promotional material and is not canon |
|---|
1930s[]
The 30s heralded the Great Depression and brought an end to the Roaring 20s. Record companies nearly folded since people could listen to music for free on the radio. RCA Victor attempts to launch a 33.3 rpm record which was a commercial failure.
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | Record label | Recorded | Release notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout 76 | "Happy Days Are Here Again" | Ben Selvin Orchestra | Columbia Records | 1930 February 3[8] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Doin' the Uptown Lowdown" | Isham Jones Orchestra | Victor Records | 1933 October 3[9] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "I Can't Dance (I Got Ants in My Pants)" | Chick Webb Orchestra | Columbia Records | 1934 May 9[10] | - |
| - | "Anything Goes"* | Cole Porter (vocals and solo piano) | Victor Records | 1934 November 27[11] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Just a Fair Weather Friend" | Henry King Orchestra | Columbia Records | 1934 December 13[10] | |
| Fallout 76 | "Keep A Knockin" | Milton Brown | Decca Records | 1936 March 5[12] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "When I Get Low I Get High" | Ella Fitzgerald Chick Webb Orchestra |
Decca Records | 1936 April 7[13] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Steel Guitar Rag" | Bob Wills | Okeh Records | 1936 September 29[14] | There are two takes of "Steel Guitar Rag" recorded at the same 1936 session.[15] |
| Fallout 3 Fallout 4 |
"Easy Living" | Billie Holiday Teddy Wilson Orchestra |
Brunswick Records | 1937 June 1[16] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Midnite in a Madhouse" | Chick Webb Orchestra | Decca Records | 1937 December 17[17] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Ol' Man Mose" | Patricia Norman Eddy Duchin Orchestra |
Brunswick Records | 1938 March 21[18] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Jumpin' at the Woodside" | Count Basie Orchestra | Decca Records | 1938 August 22[19] | - |
| Fallout 4 | "Undecided" | Ella Fitzgerald Chick Webb Orchestra |
Decca Records | 1939 February 17[19] | - |
| Fallout 4 | "Keep A Knockin" | Louis Jordan | Decca Records | 1939 March 29[20] | - |
1940s[]
The US enters WWII. Wire recorders and transcription discs attempt to allow for longer recording times.
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | Record label | Recorded | Release notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout Fallout 3 Fallout 4 Fallout 76 |
"Maybe" | The Ink Spots | Decca Records | 1940 June 11[21] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)" | The Ink Spots | Decca Records | 1940 July 16[21] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town" | Johnny Long | Decca Records | 1940 September 12[22] | Not to be confused with Johnny Long's later version for Decca Records on February 4, 1946 and another for Coral Records in 1954 |
| Fallout 76 | "Walking the Floor Over You" | Ernest Tubb | Decca Records | 1941 April 26[23] | - |
| Fallout 3 Fallout 4 Fallout 76 |
"I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" | The Ink Spots | Decca Records | 1941 August 27[24] | - |
| - | "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie"* | The Ink Spots | Decca Records | 1941 November 17[25] | - |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Jingle, Jangle, Jingle" | Kay Kyser | Columbia Records | 1942 May 21[26] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Jukebox Saturday Night" | Glenn Miller Orchestra | RCA Victor Records | 1942 July 15[27] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Mister Five by Five" | Ella Mae Morse Freddie Slack Orchestra |
Capitol Records | 1942 July 20[28] | - |
| - | "Why Don't You Do Right?"* | Peggy Lee Benny Goodman Orchestra |
Columbia Records | 1942 July 27[26] | - |
| - | "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition"* | Kay Kyser Orchestra | Columbia Records | 1942 July 31[26] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Ain't Misbehavin'" | Fats Waller | RCA Victor Records | 1943 January 23[29] | Recorded for the 1943 film Stormy Weather. Fats Waller died a few months after the film's premiere. The first formal release was dubbed on September 24, 1946 and advertised as "'Fats' Waller's last record" in 1947.[30] |
| Fallout 4 Fallout Shelter Fallout 76 |
"Pistol Packin' Mama" | Bing Crosby The Andrews Sisters |
Decca Records | 1943 September 27[31] | - |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Stars of the Midnight Range" | Johnny Bond | Standard Program Library transcription disc | 1944[32] | 2000-2001[33] First digitized by Soundies Inc. and Bloodshot Revival Records as Country and Western: Johnny Bond – Standard Transcriptions |
| Fallout 76 | "Headin' Down the Wrong Highway" | Johnny Bond | Standard Program Library transcription disc | 1944[32] | 2000-2001[33] First digitized by Soundies Inc. and Bloodshot Revival Records as Country and Western: Johnny Bond – Standard Transcriptions |
| Fallout 76 | "Swinging on a Star" | Bing Crosby John Scott Trotter Orchestra |
Decca Records | 1944 February 7[34] |  Fallout 76 removed content
|
| Fallout 76 | "Straighten Up and Fly Right" | The Andrews Sisters Vic Schoen Orchestra |
Decca Records | 1944 May 2[34] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Don't Fence Me In" | Bing Crosby The Andrews Sisters Vic Schoen Orchestra |
Decca Records | 1944 July 26[31] | - |
| Fallout 3 Fallout 4 |
"Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" | The Ink Spots Ella Fitzgerald |
Decca Records | 1944 August 30[31] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Opus No. 1" | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | RCA Victor Records | 1944 November 14[35] | - |
| - | "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive"* | Bing Crosby The Andrews Sisters |
Decca Records | 1944 December 8[31] | - |
| Fallout 4 | "Personality" | Johnny Mercer The Pied Pipers |
Capitol Records | ca. 1945[36] | - |
| Fallout 4 | "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" | Bing Crosby John Scott Trotter Orchestra |
n/a Kraft Music Hall radio broadcast |
1945 February 1[37] | Fallout 4 is the first known release of this recording in restored quality |
| Fallout 76 | "Salt Pork, West Virginia" | Louis Jordan | Decca Records | 1945 July 16[34] | - |
| Fallout 4 | "One More Tomorrow" | Frankie Carle | Columbia Records | 1946 March 14[26] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" | Sons of the Pioneers | RCA Victor Records | 1946 March 15[38] | possibly removed from the game The Sons of the Pioneers also recorded an earlier version in 1936 and a stereo version for the 1960 album Cool Water which also features Fallout 76's version of "Ghost Riders in the Sky". |
| Fallout 76 | "Pig Foot Pete" | Ella Mae Morse Freddie Slack Orchestra |
Capitol Records | 1946 April 24[39] | Freddie Slack also recorded a different version with the song's composer, Don Raye, a few years earlier on June 26, 1941 for Decca Records. |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "It's a Sin" | Eddy Arnold | RCA Victor Records | 1946 September 24[40] | - |
| Fallout 4 | "Worry Worry Worry" | The Three Suns | RCA Victor Records | ca. 1947[41] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Two Left Hands" | Charlotte Blackburn Freddie Slack Orchestra |
Capitol Records | ca. 1947[42] | - |
| - | "Easy Living"* | Billie Holiday Bob Haggart Orchestra |
Decca Records | 1947 February 13[43] | - |
| Fallout 4 | "Good Rocking Tonight" | Roy Brown | DeLuxe Records | 1947 July[44] | - |
| Fallout 3 Fallout 4 Fallout 76 |
"Civilization" | The Andrews Sisters Danny Kaye |
Decca Records | 1947 September 27[45] | - |
| Fallout 3 Fallout 4 |
"Mighty, Mighty Man" | Roy Brown | DeLuxe Records | 1947 October[46] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Answer to Drivin' Nails in My Coffin" | Jerry Irby | MGM Records | 1947 October[47] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Bubbles in My Beer" | Bob Wills | MGM Records | 1947 October 30[47] | - |
| - | "Why Don't You Do Right?"* | Peggy Lee Dave Barbour Orchestra |
Capitol Records Rendezvous with Peggy Lee |
1947 November[48] | - |
| Fallout 4 Fallout 76 |
"It's All Over But the Crying" | The Ink Spots | Decca Records | 1947 November 21[43] | - |
| Fallout 4 | "Grandma Plays the Numbers" | Wynonie Harris | King Records | 1948 December 18[49] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "I Didn't Know the Gun Was Loaded" | Patsy Montana | RCA Victor Records | ca. 1949[50][51] | - |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Mad About the Boy" | Helen Forrest | World Broadcasting System transcription disc | ca. 1949-1950[52] | 1999[53] First digitized by Soundies Inc. as Helen Forrest: The Complete World Transcriptions |
| Fallout 76 | "A Good Man is Hard to Find" | Cass Daley | Decca Records | 1949 February 22[54] | - |
| Fallout 3 Fallout 4 |
"A Wonderful Guy" | Tex Beneke | Thesaurus transcription disc | 1949 May 30[55] | 2000[56] First digitized by Soundies Inc. as Tex Beneke And His Music In The Miller Mood |
| Fallout 3 Fallout 4 Fallout 76 |
"Butcher Pete (Part 1)" | Roy Brown | DeLuxe Records | 1949 September 20[57] | - |
| Fallout 4 | "Butcher Pete (Part 2)" | Roy Brown | DeLuxe Records | 1949 September 20[57] | - |
| Fallout 3 Fallout 4 Fallout 76 |
"Crazy He Calls Me" | Billie Holiday | Decca Records | 1949 October 19[54] | - |
1950s[]
Just after the war is over, Columbia Records debuts the vinyl long-playing (LP) record in 1948. Stung by the memory, RCA Victor rolls out the 45 single in 1949. So begins a War of the Speeds with the 78 record slowly losing market share.
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | Record label | Recorded | Release notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout: New Vegas Fallout 4 Fallout 76 |
"Orange Colored Sky" | Nat King Cole Stan Kenton Orchestra |
Capitol Records | ca. 1950[58] | - |
| Fallout 4 | "He's a Demon, He's a Devil, He's a Doll" | Betty Hutton | RCA Victor Records | ca. 1950[59] | - |
| Fallout 3 | "Jazzy Interlude" (originally: "Jazz Interlude") |
Billy Munn Charles Brull Dance Orchestra |
Charles Brull - A Harmonic Private Recording | ca. 1950[60] | (library music) Reissued under APM as KPM-0398 - Roads to War (1933-1945) Part 1 |
| Fallout 3 | "Swing Doors" | Allan Gray Charles Brull Dance Orchestra |
Charles Brull - A Harmonic Private Recording | ca. 1950[61] | (library music) Reissued under APM as KPM-0398 - Roads to War (1933-1945) Part 1 |
| Fallout 3 Fallout 4 Fallout 76 |
"Dear Hearts and Gentle People | Bob Crosby The Bob Cats |
Standard Program Library transcription disc | 1950 April–May[62] | 2000[63] First digitized by Soundies Inc. as Bob Crosby And The Bobcats - The Complete Standard Transcriptions |
| Fallout 3 Fallout 4 |
"Happy Times" | Bob Crosby The Bob Cats |
Standard Program Library transcription disc | 1950 April–May[62] | 2000[63] First digitized by Soundies Inc. as Bob Crosby And The Bobcats - The Complete Standard Transcriptions |
| Fallout 3 Fallout 4 |
"Way Back Home" | Bob Crosby The Bob Cats |
Standard Program Library transcription disc | 1950 April–May[62] | 2000[63] First digitized by Soundies Inc. as Bob Crosby And The Bobcats - The Complete Standard Transcriptions |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Why Don't You Do Right?" | Peggy Lee Dave Barbour Quartet |
n/a Snader Telescription |
1950, September 14[64] | ca. 1963 First known public issue on Camay Records[65][66] |
| Fallout 4 | "Sixty Minute Man" | Billy Ward and his Dominoes | Federal Records | 1950, December 30 | - |
| Fallout 4 | "It's a Man" | Betty Hutton | RCA Victor Records | ca. 1951[59] | - |
| Fallout 4 | "Rocket 69" | Connie Allen Todd Rhodes Orchestra |
King Records | 1951 July 6[67] | - |
| Fallout 2 | "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" | Louis Armstrong | Decca Records | 1951 July 24[68] | - |
| Fallout 3 | "Rhythm For You" | Eddy Christiani Frans Poptie Charles Brull Dance Orchestra |
Charles Brull - A Harmonic Private Recording | ca. 1952[69] | (library music) Reissued under APM as KPM-0398 - Roads to War (1933-1945) Part 1 |
| Fallout 3 | "I'm Tickled Pink" | Jack Shaindlin | n/a | ca. 1952[70] | (library music) Reissued under APM as CINE-0004 - Dance Orchestra |
| Fallout 3 | "Let's Go Sunning" | Jack Shaindlin | n/a | ca. 1954[71] | (library music) Reissued under APM as CINE-0004 - Dance Orchestra |
| Fallout 4 VR trailer Fallout 76 |
"Mr. Sandman" | The Chordettes | Cadence Records | 1954[72] | - |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Johnny Guitar" | Peggy Lee Victor Young Orchestra |
Decca Records | 1954 March 1[73] | - |
| Fallout 4 | "Uranium Fever" | Elton Britt | RCA Victor Records | ca. 1955[74] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Uranium" | Commodores | Dot Records | ca. 1955[75] | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Dark as a Dungeon" | Tennessee Ernie Ford | Capitol Records This Lusty Land! |
1955 | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Sixteen Tons" | Tennessee Ernie Ford | Capitol Records | 1955 | - |
| Fallout 4 | "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" | Big Maybelle | Okeh Records | 1955 March 21[76] | - |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Something's Gotta Give" | Bing Crosby Buddy Cole Trio |
n/a The Bing Crosby Show radio broadcast |
1955, June 9[77] | 2009-2010[78] First digitized by Mosaic Records as The Bing Crosby CBS Radio Recordings 1954-56 |
| Fallout (TV Series) | "Only You, And You Alone" | The Platters | Federal Records | ca. 1955 | - |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Love Me as Though There Were No Tomorrow" | Nat King Cole | Capitol Records This Is Nat King Cole |
1955-1956 | - |
| Fallout 4 Fallout 76 |
"Atom Bomb Baby" | The Five Stars | Kernel Records Dot Records |
1957 | - |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Lazy Day Blues" (Originally: "Big Note Blues") |
Bert Weedon | Parlophone Records | 1958 | (library music) Reissued under APM as KPM-0543 - Bert Weedon Gold |
| Fallout 4 E3 2018 Fallout 76 "Let's Work with Others" trailer |
"Right Behind You Baby" | Ray Smith | Sun Records | 1958 | - |
| Fallout 4 | "Uranium Rock" | Warren Smith | Sun Records | 1958[79] | 1973 Unissued by Sun Records until the album Sun Rockabillys - Put Your Cat Clothes On |
| Fallout 76 | "Shenandoah" | Tennessee Ernie Ford | n/a The Ford Show broadcast |
ca. 1959 | Taken from color footage broadcast. The Ford Show was in color during its last three seasons from 1959-1961. |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Big Iron" | Marty Robbins | Columbia Records | 1959 April | - |
| - | "Heartaches by the Number"* | Guy Mitchell | Columbia Records | 1959 August 24 | - |
 | The following is based on Fallout: New Vegas cut content. |
|---|
Note: Hank Thompson did record a commercial version of "Hangover Heart" for Capitol Records. However, the end credits indicate that the Soundies Inc. version was scheduled to be used.
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | Record label | Recorded | Release notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Hangover Heart" | Hank Thompson | Capitol Records | ca. 1951[80] | - |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Hangover Heart" | Hank Thompson | World Broadcasting System transcription disc | ca. 1950s | 1999[81] First digitized by Soundies Inc. as Hank World: The Unissued World Transcriptions |
| End of information based on Fallout: New Vegas cut content |
|---|
1960s[]
By the 60s, 78s are largely phased out of production in the US. Stereophonic sound starts to become widespread and standardized, phasing out monoaural recording.
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | Record label | Recorded | Release notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout 76 | "Ghost Riders in the Sky" | Sons of the Pioneers | RCA Victor Cool Water |
1959 June | Released 1960 The Sons of the Pioneers also recorded an earlier mono version in 1949 for RCA Victor Records. |
| Fallout 4 | "Crawl Out Through the Fallout" | Sheldon Allman | HiFi Records Folk Songs for the 21st Century |
1960 | - |
| Fallout 3 | "Boogie Man" | Sid Phillips Group-Eight Players |
KP Music Recorded Library (KPM) | 1960 | (library music) Issued as a 78 rpm record and reissued as a KPM Brownsleeve LP in 1970 |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" | Dean Martin | Capitol Records | 1960 May 10 | - |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Blue Moon" | Frank Sinatra | Capitol Records Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!! |
1960 August–September | - |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Happy Times" (instrumental) (Originally: "China Doll") |
Bert Weedon | His Masters Voice Records | 1961 | (library music) Reissued under APM as KPM-0543 - Bert Weedon Gold |
| Fallout 4 | "The Wanderer" | Dion | Laurie Records | 1961 | - |
| Fallout 76 | "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" | Kay Kyser's Former Orchestra | Capitol Records | 1961 August 25[82] | Released in 1962. Re-recordings made by former members of Kay Kyser's Orchestra, but without Kay Kyser himself. |
| Fallout 4 | "The End of the World" | Skeeter Davis | RCA Victor Records | 1962 June 8 | - |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Joe Cool" (Originally: "Stars and Teardrops") |
Nino Nardini | A Sam Fox Production | 1965[83] | (library music) Reissued under APM as Carlin Archive Series - CAS019 - Jazzy Vibes[84] |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Blues For You" (Originally: "Cafard") |
Parés | A Sam Fox Production | 1966[85] | (library music) Reissued under APM as Carlin Archive Series - CAS019 - Jazzy Vibes[84] |
| Fallout 76 | "Wouldn't It Be Nice" | The Beach Boys | Capitol Records | 1966 January–April | - |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Jazz Blues"" (Originally: "Modern Jazz (Blues)") |
Gerhard Trede | CBS Records EZ Cue Library | ca. 1968[86] | (library music) Reissued under APM as Gerhard Trede Collection - GT-0018 - Jazz Time 1 |
1970s[]
Formats come and go with the 8-track giving way to the cassette tape.
US Congress passes the Copyright Act of 1976. Prior to this, sound recordings (as opposed to compositions) could not be copyrighted. All sound recordings made prior to February 15, 1972 are under blanket copyright until February 15, 2047 provided they are published and made publicly available. After 2047, these songs will fall into the public domain.
The act also codifies the sound recording copyright symbol as a circled capital letter P (℗). This distinguishes the copyright for a recording as opposed to the copyright for the composition (denoted under ©).
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | Record label | Recorded | Release notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Roundhouse Rock" (Originally: "Rockin' at the Roundhouse") |
Bert Weedon | Fontana Records | 1970[87] | (library music) Reissued under APM as KPM-0543 - Bert Weedon Gold |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" | The Ink Spots (Bill Kenny) |
Columbia Records (CBS, 51 West) If I Didn't Care (album) |
ca. 1978[88] | 1979 (posthumous)[89] |
1980s[]
Phillips had unveiled the compact disc (CD) in 1979 giving way for a new format for the decade.
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | Record label | Recorded | Release notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Heartaches by the Number" | Guy Mitchell | K-TEL Records | 1980, June [90] | 1983 First known public issue on Candlelite Records as part of a compilation album[91] |
1990s[]
US Congress passes the Copyright Act of 1998 otherwise known as the Copyright Term Extension Act. Copyright law is amended such that sound recordings made prior to February 15, 1972 are under a blanket copyright until February 15, 2067 provided they are published and made publicly available. After the new date of 2067, these recordings will fall into the public domain.
Much of the soundtracks to the Fallout series also contain songs from various production music libraries. These tracks were never meant to be sold to the public and recording information is often obscured. These recordings appear on CD compilations, but indicate they are meant to imitate older songs though they are newer, stereo recordings based on the liner notes, copyright information, and the age of the composer.
Note: Since January 2017, APM Music no longer holds the rights to Carlin Production Music. All Carlin tracks are currently represented by Warner/Chappell Production Music.[92]
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | Record label | Recorded | Release notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Goin' Under" | Darrell Wayne Perry Tommy Smith |
Bruton Music | 1997 | (library music) Issued under APM as BRR57 - Nashville Timeline 1 |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "In the Shadow of the Valley" | Lost Weekend Western Swing Band | Sonoton Music | 1998 | (library music) Issued under APM as SCD-0347 - Swingin' Out West |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Let's Ride Into the Sunset Together" | Lost Weekend Western Swing Band | Sonoton Music | 1998 | (library music) Issued under APM as SCD-0347 - Swingin' Out West |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Lone Star" | Lost Weekend Western Swing Band | Sonoton Music | 1998 | (library music) Issued under APM as SCD-0347 - Swingin' Out West |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Slow Sax" | Christof Dejean | Kosinus Production Music | 1999 | (library music) Issued under APM as KOS-0069 - Modern Jazz Movies |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "I'm Movin' Out" | The Roues Brothers | Bruton Music | 1999 | (library music) Issued under APM as BR-0306 - Portrait of the 50S (BRH 100) |
2000s[]
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | Record label | Recorded | Release notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout: New Vegas | "I'm So Blue" | Katie Thompson | Carlin Production Music | 2000-2002 | (library music) At time of game's release issued under APM. Now issued under Warner/Chappell as CAR319B Country Music 4 - Song/Instrumentals[93] Instrumental originally released in 2000 for CAR297 Country Music 3 - Song/Line Dancing. Alternate vocal take used in the game was released in 2002 for Country Music 4. |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Where Have You Been All My Life? | Hal David John Cacavas |
Bruton Music | 2003[94] | (library music) Issued under APM as BR-0409 - Singers and Swingers (BRO 25) |
| Fallout 3 Fallout 4 Fallout 76 |
"Anything Goes" | Cole Porter Vince Giordano and his Nighthawks Orchestra |
Bluebird Records RCA Victor Records It's De Lovely - The Authentic Cole Porter Collection |
1934 November 27 (vocals) 2004, May 4 (overdubbing)[95] |
2004 |
| Fallout 76 | "One More Pils" | Andy Vale | KPM | 2004 | (library music) Issued under APM as KPM-0552 - Practice Makes Perfect Edited to loop during the Fasnacht Day quest. |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Sit and Dream" | Pete Thomas Ashley Slater Laurie Stras (back-up) |
Bruton Music | 2009 | (library music) Issued under APM as BR-0487 - Colourful Characters |
| Fallout 76 | "Jazz Potatoes" | Yvo Abadi, Manuel Dante Mathieu Faivre, Miguel Vladimir | Kosinus Production Music | 2011 | (library music) Issued under APM as KOS-0259 - Happy Old Jazz Plays in Pi House during the Wasted on Nukashine quest. |
| Fallout 76 | "Nice Shopping" "Bossamania" |
Marc Durst | Kosinus Production Music | 2011 | (library music) Issued under APM as KOS-0301 - Shopping Center Plays in the Atomic Shop. |
 | The following is based on information from Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel. |
|---|
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | Record label | Recorded | Release notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "Temple from the Within" | Killswitch Engage | Ferret | 2000 Killswitch Engage |
- |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "The Heretic Anthem" | Slipknot | Roadrunner | 2001 Iowa |
- |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "People = Shit" | Slipknot | Roadrunner | 2001 Iowa |
- |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "Slave the Way" | Skinlab | Century Media | 2002 ReVoltingRoom |
- |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "Perpetual Black Second" | Meshuggah | Nuclear Blast | 2002 Nothing |
- |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "Straws Pulled at Random" | Meshuggah | Nuclear Blast | 2002 Nothing |
- |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "My Last Serenade" | Killswitch Engage | Roadrunner | 2000 Alive or Just Breathing |
- |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "Beneath the Surface" | Skinlab | Century Media | 2003 Identity 8 |
- |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "The Dehumanizing Process" | Chimera | Roadrunner | 2003 The Impossibility of Reason |
- |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "Stigmurder" | Chimera | Roadrunner | 2003 The Impossibility of Reason |
- |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "Pure Hatred" | Chimera | Roadrunner | 2003 The Impossibility of Reason |
- |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "Stay With Me (Unlikely)" | Celldweller | Position Music Esion Media |
2003 Celldweller |
- |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "The Last Firstborn" | Celldweller | Position Music Esion Media |
2003 Celldweller |
- |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "Losing All" | Skinlab | Century Media | 2004 Nerve Damage |
- |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | "A Nuclear Blast" | Craig Stuart Garfinkle | - | 2004 | Title song for Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel |
| End of information based on information from Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel |
|---|
21st century and Pre-War[]
Fallout features a number of songs written and recorded up until the events of the Great War. On February 15, 2067, all sound recordings made before February 15, 1972 are no longer given federal copyright protection and now fall into the public domain.
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Let the Bright Tomorrow in" | Vera Keyes | unplayable |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Go to the Faraway" | Vera Keyes | unplayable |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Begin Again" | Vera Keyes | Fully voiced. Created by Obsidian Entertainment sound designer Justin Bell (music and text setting), creative lead Chris Avellone (lyrics), audio producer Mikey Dowling (lyrics), and was sung by art intern Stephanie Dowling. |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Saw Her Yesterday" | Dean Domino | What plays on the holotape is a clip of Bing Crosby's "Something's Gotta Give". |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Ride of the Valkyries" | Richard Wagner | Plays during the quest Come Fly With Me. |
| Fallout 4 | Nuka-World theme song | - | Heard in the Nuka-World amusement park Produced by COPILOT Music |
Post-War[]
Fallout also features a number of songs recorded after the Great War. Some were written for the games while others are covers of established songs, but all were newly recorded for the games. In-universe, the player character encounters the songs being played "live." The year for the main events of each game are as follows:
| Game | Start of the game's main events |
|---|---|
| Fallout 76 | 2102 |
| Fallout 3 | 2277 |
| Fallout: New Vegas | 2281 |
| Fallout 4 | 2287 |
Covers[]
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | Cover of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout 3 | Gigue - Partita No. 3 Preludio - Partita No. 3 Preludio Grave - Sonata No. 2 Allegro ma non troppo - Violin Concerto in A minor Zigeunerweisen and additional improvisations (noodling) |
Agatha | various classical compositions | Completing the quest Agatha's Song will unlock these songs on the radio with Agatha's Station. The violin was played by Heather MacArthur. |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "New Vegas Valley" "Streets of New Reno" "Home on the Wastes" |
The Lonesome Drifter | "Red River Valley" (traditional) "Streets of Laredo" (traditional) "Home on the Range" (traditional) |
Completing the quest Talent Pool will unlock these songs with The Lonesome Drifter playing them at The Aces theater in The Tops casino. These songs were adapted and performed by J.E. Sawyer. The guitar segments for the song were performed by Nathaniel Chapman and James Melilli. |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Cobwebs and Rainbows" also known as "Green Clouds and Dust Whirls" |
Bruce Isaac | (library music) "Cobwebs and Rainbows" (1993) |
Completing the quest Talent Pool will unlock this songs with The Lonesome Drifter playing them at The Aces theater in The Tops casino. This songs were adapted and performed by J.E. Sawyer. The backing track is taken directly from the CD issued under APM as KPM-0228 - Pure Big Band - Part 2 / Vocals |
| Fallout 76 | "Take Me Home, Country Roads | Spank | "Take Me Home, Country Roads" (1971) | Produced by COPILOT Music |
| Fallout 76 | "Ring of Fire" | Spank | "Ring of Fire" (1963) | Produced by COPILOT Music |
Written for the game[]
| Associated game | Song title(s) | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout 4 | "Baby It's Just You" "Good Neighbor" "I'm the One You're Looking For" "Man Enough "Train Train" |
Magnolia | These songs are unlocked on Diamond City Radio or can be heard live after visiting Magnolia in The Third Rail bar. The songs were written and performed by Lynda Carter, John Jarvis, and Kerry Marx. |
| Fallout 4 | "One Last Score" "Baby, Quit Raidin' My Heart" "Gimme What You Got" "The Legend of Atlas (Part 1)" "The Legend of Atlas (Part 2)" "The Legend of RedEye" "The Legend of RedEye's Name" |
RedEye | These songs will play on Raider Radio in Nuka-World The songs were written and performed by Andrew W.K. |
Recordings with uncertain dates[]
Note: Since January 2017, APM Music no longer holds the rights to Carlin Production Music. All Carlin tracks are currently represented by Warner/Chappell Production Music.[92]
Much of the soundtracks to the Fallout series also contain songs from various production music libraries. These tracks were never meant to be sold to the public and recording information is often obscured. These recordings appear on CD compilations, but indicate they are from older mono, archival sources based on the liner notes, copyright information, and the age of the composer.
| Associated game | Song title | Artist | APM release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout 3 | "Jolly Days" | Gerhard Trede | Sonoton Music - SCD-0207 - Archival 1 - Newsreel |
| Fallout 3 | "Fox Boogie" | Gerhard Trede | Selected Sound Music - SEL-5243 - Archive Selection 1 |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "American Swing" | Gerhard Trede | Gerhard Trede Collection - GT-0012 - Pop and Dance Music |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Hallo Mister X" | Gerhard Trede | Gerhard Trede Collection - GT-0012 - Pop and Dance Music |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Jazz Club Blues" | Harry Bluestone | Carlin Archive Series - CAS018 - Big Band and Jazz Combos[96] |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Manhattan" | Gerhard Trede | Gerhard Trede Collection - GT-0012 - Pop and Dance Music |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Sleepy Town Blues" | Harry Lubin | Carlin Archive Series - CAS035 - Urban City Life[97] |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Slow Bounce" | Gerhard Trede | Gerhard Trede Collection - GT-0012 - Pop and Dance Music |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Strahlende Trompete" | Gerhard Trede | Gerhard Trede Collection - GT-0012 - Pop and Dance Music |
| Fallout: New Vegas | "Von Spanien Nach Südamerika" | Gerhard Trede | Gerhard Trede Collection - GT-0012 - Pop and Dance Music |
| Fallout 76 | "Tea at the Ritz" | Heinz Lohr | SoHo Archive - SOHOA-0107 - Hot Big Band and Cool Jazz |
Vault 101 PA System[]
The Vault 101 PA System and Fallout Shelter features several easy-listening instrumentals licensed from Westar Music. However, it appears that the same tracks have been re-released on multiple occasions under various titles and artists.
| Jason Nyberg | Craig Riley | Essential Jazz Masters |
|---|---|---|
| Frank's Place | Consortium of Cool | And All the While I'm Loving You |
| Basie's Up | Making Waves | Here Come the Cats! |
| Be-Bop Shop | Music to Burn | Jump for Joy |
| Solitary Refinement | Meridian | Just One of Those Things |
| Hefti | Sublime Swing | Slow Summer Swing |
| Benny | Licorice Stick | Smoothing the Whole Thing Over |
Enclave Radio[]
Enclave Radio consists of public domain patriotic compositions also recorded by Westar Music.
- America the Beautiful - Samual A. Ward (1910)
- The Battle Hymn of the Republic - Julia Ward Howe (1862)
- Dixie - Dan Emmett (1861)
- Presidential Entrance - Rick Rhodes and Danny Pelfrey (1996)
- Marine's Hymn - Jacques Offenbach (1867)
- The Stars and Stripes Forever - John Philip Sousa (1897)
- The Washington Post - John Philip Sousa (1889)
- Yankee Doodle - Dr. Richard Shuckburgh (1770's)
The recordings appear on the album WSR171 Proud & Spirited,[98] but with a release date of 2014. Fallout 3 was released in 2008. The artist given is Rhodes & Pelfrey, as well as Kelly Richmond/Craig Riley.
Other stations[]
Radio Freedom plays colonial fiddle music and both Classical Radio stations play various tracks of classical music. The dates of the exact recordings and musicians are not known.
Notes[]
- Some songs have more well-known versions by the same artist that do not appear in the games. Fallout versions may come from an entirely different decade, but the originals are included for context and marked with an asterisk.
- Generally if there is a considerable time gap between the "recorded" dates and the first public release date, it is accounted for in release notes. Many of the songs licensed for Fallout were not available for public purchase at the time and existed on publicly obscure formats until they were digitized. The largest gap between the original recording date and the first public release is "Anything Goes" (1934 and 2004, 70 years).
- The record labels listed are typically the first pressing of the US labels that originally issued the recording that the average consumer would have had access to unless otherwise marked. Many songs were first issued as singles until the invention of the vinyl LP album in 1948 where noted.
- Library music tracks are prioritized based on their original issue if known along with their Associated Production Music (APM) listing.
Behind the scenes[]
- The Fallout Bible makes passing references regarding the music of the world.[99][100][101]
- Despite Fallout: New Vegas having numerous references to Elvis Presley, developer Jason Bergman revealed on the Bethesda forums that performance rights to any of Elvis' songs would be too costly.[1]
- Developer Joshua Sawyer alluded to the use of library music in Fallout: New Vegas because it was "low-cost."[2]
- Audio director Mark Lampert commented on the music in Fallout 4 being a mix of the "instantly recognizable," "lesser-known tracks from well-known artists," and "obscure tracks from long-forgotten bands."[102]
- The original source material for the tracks encompasses a broad range of music formats which run the gamut from the traditional vinyl LP and 45 and the shellac 78 rpm record to the more obscure 16 inch transcription disc, Old Time Radio broadcasts, Snader Telescriptions, and library music as well as newer CDs.
References[]
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