I always play music in the background when I run a game, and in a Tales from the Loop game this seems especially appropriate. In addition to using some great instrumentals from period movies, the 80s setting demands we throw in some songs from the decade of totally bodacious tunes.
Instrumental Playlist
My instrumental playlist (pictured above) is the one I use for general background accompaniment, as I’ve been describing in my Gaming Soundtracks posts. (See the ones I did for Island Tracks and Stranger Things.) I’ve also added the E.T. and Goonies soundtracks since taking that photo.
Song Lists by Type
More specific to this game, I’ve started making playlists to represent each Kid. My plan is to occasionally switch to one of these playlists when I start an Everyday Life scene featuring a single Kid, to give that Kid a unique, signature soundtrack.
(In the first session of my game, after the players all announced their Kids’ favorite songs, I quickly downloaded them all and added them to each Kid’s playlist. Then I used these songs when we met each Kid in their introductory scenes.)
Here are the initial Type-based playlists I came up with (assisted tremendously by my wife!). I plan to expand them over time.
Bookworm
- Too Shy by Kajagoogoo
- Goody Two Shoes by Adam Ant
- I Want to Break Free by Queen
- Everyday I Write the Book by Elvis Costello
- I Feel For You by Chaka Khan
Computer Geek
- Pac-Man Fever by Buckner & Garcia
- Mr. Roboto by Styx
- She Blinded Me With Science by Thomas Dolby
- Weird Science by Oingo Boingo
- Rockit by Herbie Hancock
Hick
- Elvira by the Oak Ridge Boys
- Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers
- Good Ol’ Boys by Waylon Jennings
- Lookin’ for Love by Johnny Lee
- America by Neil Diamond
Jock
- Mickey by Tony Basil
- The Super Bowl Shuffle by the Chicago Bears
- Musclebound by Spandau Ballet
- Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
- Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen
Popular Kid
- You Got It (The Right Stuff) by New Kids on the Block
- Material Girl by Madonna
- Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
- Fame by Irene Cara
- U Got the Look by Prince
Rocker
- (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) by Beastie Boys
- Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N’ Roses
- Back in Black by AC/DC
- Walk This Way by Run-D.M.C.
- I Wanna Rock by Twisted Sister
Troublemaker
- The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
- Rebel Yell by Billy Idol
- Bad by Michael Jackson
- Bad to the Bone by George Thorogood & The Destroyers
- Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi
Weirdo
- Luka by Suzanne Vega
- People are People by Depeche Mode
- Homecoming Queen’s Got a Gun by Julie Brown
- Whip It by Devo
- Eat It by Weird Al Yankovic
I’d love to hear your ideas for songs that you think fit any of the character Types, or music that would be good in a general Tales from the Loop soundtrack. Please share in the comments!