Updated on September 24, 11:44 p.m. (GMT+8): Added the Worlds 2024 theme song, “Heavy Is The Crown”.
Updated on October 4, 2023, 1 p.m. (GMT+8): Added the Worlds 2023 theme song, “GODS”.
There’s nothing like a good theme song to get you hyped up. You know it, and obviously, Riot knows it because every year for League of Legends Worlds they collaborate with a different artist and somehow always manage to put out an absolute banger.
But which Worlds song was the best? With 11 to choose from, here’s how we ranked every Worlds songs from worst to best.
Ranking every Worlds song from worst to best
11. Burn It All Down by PVRIS (2021)
10. Worlds Collide by Nicki Taylor (2015)
9. STAR WALKIN’ by Lil Nas X (2022)
8. Ignite by Zedd and Tim James (2016)
7. Take Over by A Day to Remember’s Jeremy McKinnon, MAX, Henry (2020)
6. Phoenix by Cailin Russo and Chrissy Costanza (2019)
5. GODS by NewJeans (2023)
4. Legends Never Die by Against the Current (2017)
3. Heavy Is The Crown by Linkin Park (2024)
2. Rise by The Glitch Mob, Mako, and The Word Alive (2018)
1. Warriors by Imagine Dragons (2014)
11. Burn It All Down by PVRIS (2021)
While its music video boasts top-tier art and animation co-created by Riot Games and Haoliners Animation League, the Worlds 2021 theme song “Burn It All Down” feels a bit lackluster.
The song’s beat and melody sound like something that we’ve already heard from previous World championships. Simply put, “Burn It Down” is the love child of other Worlds songs “Legends Never Die” and “Phoenix”.
10. Worlds Collide by Nicki Taylor (2015)
Taylor’s Worlds Collide might be in last place on this list, but it’s still a great song. The problem is, it had to follow Imagine Dragons’ Warriors, which, let’s face it, was going to be a monumental task for anyone.
Worlds Collide starts slow but gets more intense as it reaches the chorus line “We are the ones.”
Oddly enough, this is also the only Worlds song without an animated music video which might also be attributed to its underrated status.
9. STAR WALKIN’ by Lil Nas X (2022)
“Why worship legends when you know that you can join ’em?”
From “Montero” to “Old Town Road”, American singer Lil Nas X never disappoints. His new song, “STAR WALKIN'”, is quite the banger, written and produced by the pop star himself.
The music video stars pro players Jo “CoreJJ” Yong-in, Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon, Tian “Meiko” Ye, and Marek “Humanoid” Brázda around iconic landmarks in San Francisco, California, the destination city for the World Final.
Taking a page out of a Japanese mecha tokusatsu (special effects) series, each of the players’ signature champions transforms into a gigantic robot that breaks out into an epic fight scene.
STAR WALKIN’ is everything a pop song should be — upbeat, catchy, and gets you going. The song is refreshingly different from the previous Worlds anthems, especially with its slow, piano ending that would make you feel some type of way.
8. Ignite by Zedd and Tim James (2016)
Ignite is probably your favorite Worlds song if you’re an EDM fan. American musical genius Zedd was the artist behind the abrupt beat drops, partnered with the voice of singer-songwriter Tim James.
The official animated music video will also give fans chills as it features iconic Worlds moments from the first half of the decade such as Paul “soaZ” Boyer’s Rumble backdoor during season 4 and Taipei Assassins’ epic win during season 2.
7. Take Over by A Day to Remember’s Jeremy McKinnon, MAX, Henry (2020)
Admittedly, the Worlds song entitled “Take Over” isn’t as strong as the previous ones upon first listen. It feels a bit like Riot wanted to follow its earlier Worlds song Rise.
However, we suspect Take Over will be one of those songs that grow on you the more you hear it, and the next thing you know you’ll have Last Song Syndrome (LSS) over it.
We also love the Mandarin Chinese rap section, performed by Mandopop singer Henry Lau.
6. Phoenix by Cailin Russo and Chrissy Costanza (2019)
This Worlds song is pretty different from most Worlds songs. Phoenix features the angelic voices of Cailin Russo and Against the Current’s vocalist Chrissy Costanza.
Phoenix may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you can’t deny it’s extremely catchy.
Coincidentally, the grand winner of Worlds 2019 was the LPL team FunPlus Phoenix. The song’s chorus “Fly, fly, Phoenix, fly” seems to have been composed especially for their victory!
5. GODS by NewJeans (2023)
In a historic moment for LoL Esports, a female group takes center stage to perform the Worlds song, delivering an unforgettable performance that leaves everyone in awe.
K-pop sensation NewJeans demonstrates their versatility through this collaboration with Riot Games, showcasing their vocal prowess in a genre that diverges from their usual style.
This song encompasses all the elements you expect in a Worlds song: it begins with a dramatic opening, smoothly transitions into a pop melody, and eventually evolves into an EDM-infused chorus, beautifully showcasing the remarkable vocal range of Danielle, Haerin, Hanni, Hyein, and Minji.
4. Legends Never Die by Against the Current (2017)
Speaking of catchy songs, this Worlds theme song by rock band Against the Current is truly a legend and has never left the hearts of Summoners.
Costanza’s sweet but firm voice is an excellent contrast to Legends Never Die’s solid rhythm. We totally love the buildup to the chorus!
3. Heavy Is The Crown by Linkin Park (2024)
Linkin Park’s Heavy Is The Crown is a powerful anthem that perfectly captures the spirit of Worlds. In just under three minutes, the iconic alternative rock band delivers a high-energy track featuring Mike Shinoda’s signature rap, Emily Armstrong’s epic scream and vocals, and a driving rock beat.
Paired with stunning visuals by Eddy and Brunch Studio, Heavy Is The Crown creates an experience that leaves listeners feeling energized and ready to embrace the Worlds tournament. This track is undoubtedly one of the best Worlds anthems of all time.
Heavy Is The Crown is also included in “From Zero,” Linkin Park’s full comeback studio album after a seven-year hiatus.
2. Rise by The Glitch Mob, Mako, and The Word Alive (2018)
What do you get when you put a metalcore band, an electronic music group, and a DJ all in the same room? An absolute banger, that’s what!
Listening to Rise simply just makes everyone want to play an awesome round of League of Legends and have a good time. It’s a motivational song that poses the ultimate question — can you rise to the challenge?
1. Warriors by Imagine Dragons (2014)
Even after more than a decade, admit it you keep coming back to this classic. Warriors was the first song dedicated to the prestigious Worlds event, and it remains the best one. Warriors has powerful lyrics and an incredible music video. It also helps that Warriors is sung by Imagine Dragons, who are huge League of Legends fans themselves.
“It’s part of our life, it’s part of our story,” said lead singer Dan Reynolds. “Our fans just wanna know our story, and so to create a song and to do it with something that we love, it’s cool to us, it’s cool to our fans, we’ve been really happy.”
Bonus: We also love this spine-tingling rendition of Warriors that Riot Games did with 2WEI and Edda Hayes.
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