The Music of LBP

We get asked the question “what’s the name of the music track you’ve used in that thar video” a lot.
An awful lot.
So, in an effort to take the strain off of our overflowing inbox, this post contains a definitive rundown of all the music in all of the trailers that have existed thus far (that I know about – cut me some slack :). All of the music listed here appears in LittleBigPlanet – you will hear it in the Media Molecule created levels which come with the full version of the game, and you’ll be able to collect them as you play through those levels (if you’re clever enough to hunt them all down!) and then use them in your own creations.
A few points to note. There have been plenty of videos created by Sony or even by third parties which have used library music that does not feature in LittleBigPlanet – don’t make the assumption that because it has appeared in a video that it will appear in the game! If it’s not listed here then I don’t know what the music is and have no way of finding out. This is not a definitive list of all the music in the game – this is just a few of the tracks that have happened to be used in videos. LittleBigPlanet features 136 minutes of music, 2 hours of which you’ll have access to. That’s a mixture of licensed linear tracks, original linear tracks, and original interactive tracks. The original music in the game was written by the marvellous Mat Clark of Sonica Studios, London, the delectable Daniel Pemberton and the modest me.
OK here goes:
The one that kicked it all off – the GDC 2007 presentation which unveiled LittleBigPlanet featured Get It Together by The Go! Team, from their album Thunder, Lightning, Strike. It’s incredibly rare for a non-bespoke piece of music to gel so effortlessly with an unrelated project. But by some fiendish alchemy, much like the use of The End at the start of Apocalypse Now, somewhere it was written that Get It Together and LittleBigPlanet would be betrothed. Magic.
The SCEE PlayStation Day 2008 trailer made great use of Atlas by Battles, from their album Mirrored. An energetic ear-worm with indecipherable lyrics – what more could you want?
The E3 2008 trailer teamed up with Jim Noir’s My Patch, from his album Tower of Love. Expect much jumping around of sack folk to this awesome track when you get your hands on the game in a few weeks time!
The Leipzig Games Convention 2008 trailer featured the hypnotic beats and mesmerising synth lines of the late Ananda Shankar’s Dancing Drums. This track can be found on numerous compilations.
The Sackboy + POP-IT video uses a cheesy little number I wrote for you called Disco’n'Tinued. Now you know why I like the Ananda Shankar track so much
The Playtime trailer showcases the hot, Latin sounds of Corn Man from Kinky’s self-titled debut album.
The Life in LittleBigPlanet: Part 1 trailer has elements from three different interactive music tracks by Mat Clark, a couple of different pieces of library music (not in the game) and a few bars of the Kinky track.
The Life in LittleBigPlanet: Part 2 trailer starts off with Tapha Niang from Toumani Taibate’s beautiful Boulevard de l’Indépendance album. There’s a little bit more Disco’n'Tinued, my Skipping Syrtaki (which will be familiar to those of you that have played the Beta!), and a load more library music (again, not in the game).
And finally, although this isn’t an official video, the intro level in the LBP Beta uses Left Bank Two by Wayne Hill, performed by The Noveltones. This is a piece of library music which was institutionally etched in to the mind’s ear of millions of children in the UK over several generations by its use in the TV shows Vision On and Take Hart. To be honest, this track was licensed before we even had a use for it – we just had to have it, what with it being an intrinsic part of the nostalgic, creative entertainment we were trying to distil into LittleBigPlanet. So, the fact that Left Bank Two was frequently used during said TV show’s ‘Gallery’ sections, and that the intro level is a kind of “gallery” of all of our ugly mugs is pure serendipity. The last time I heard this tune was as part of a hideous financial loans advert, so its nice to have rescued the poor little blighter and returned him to his rightful place surrounded by craft materials, glue and smiles.
Phew! I think that’s us all up to date!
Absolutely love all of the music! XD Can’t wait to get my hands on the full version. Beta is very fun
I just downloaded all the songs I could from this list! Great music picks and composure guys!
Love the choices! Go! Team for the win!
Music <3
thx a lot
added it here :
http://www.flickr.com/groups/littlebiggroup/discuss/72157607200356181/#comment72157607793871820
Awesome! What kind of software did you use to make your tracks, Kenny? Also, since you guys are Radiohead fans (according to Mm’s Myspace page), any chance we’ll get some of them in there? Kid A (the song), I Might Be Wrong, or 15 Step would be amazing
One more random question, are you planning on continuing to make music possibly as DLC after the game comes out? That would be awesome, and If not can I just make my own music and send it to you guys to implement for me?
Loving the beta!
Cheers,
- Matthew
I totally feel this music when seeing the game
Perfect choices suitable for LittleBigPlanet and Sackboy
Awesome!
All the music I’ve seen so far for LBP is superb and unique. They just go along so well with the levels.
I have a question for you guys, please answer. Either by email, or comment, whichever way you feel more comfortable with:
- We’ve seen a couple of musical “levels” so far in the beta and other videos, which consist of a sliding block of some sort used to hit the notes and create a song. In addition to the level editor, will there also be a music editor for LBP, currently or in the future? Thanks if you can answer this question.
Matthew: Dear sir, your a genius!
Kid A (the song, although tbh, I’d love the whole album to be in there =D) would be a great addition to the music line-up, it would suit the game perfectly!
Where can I download ‘Left Bank Two’? I tried Limewire but there were no search results :/
Thanks
If Jonny Greenwood let me borrow his Ondes Martinot, I’m sure we could come to some sort of agreement
Currently, the only way to make your own music in LittleBigPlanet is by building your own music contraption (or collecting someone elses shared one!) and using the music samples I’ve provided. Actually, that’s not strictly speaking true; if you’re really hardcore you could try to use the physics audio to build a kind of xylophone.
Where we go in the future with the music making capabilities within the LittleBigPlanet universe is a blank slate waiting to be scratched upon.
Not sure about this, but
Burning Spear by S.O.U.L.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UB0tzvS-790
sounds like the song from the GDC 07 trailer.
I really love the fact that you added “Left Bank Two”. I am in Zambia (Africa) and I used to watch Vision On as a kid over here too. When I saw a video of the beta and heard the song I felt it fit perfectly and I feel is a great tribute to the show. It brought back so many childhood memories. I can’t wait to get my hands on this game.
The inclusion of the vision-on music, and in fact all of the music used so far, is like the idea of getting Stephen Fry to narrate - Pure Genius.
You know something’s right because when you try to think of any possible alternative, it simply isn’t possible. The rightness of the original idea leaves no room in ones head.
Counting the days…
The inclusion of the vision-on music, and in fact all of the music used so far, is like the idea of getting Stephen Fry to narrate - Pure Genius.
You know something’s right because when you try to think of any possible alternative, it simply isn’t possible. The rightness of the original idea leaves no room in ones head.
Counting the days…
Hello Mediamolecule team.
you guys have definitly picked the
perfect songs for littlebigplanet.
once again you have amazed us all!
Kenny, if you can’t get Kid A, try and get a couple of people together and try make a makeshift verison of The National Anthem as thats a song which would really work in the game considering it has a great bassline from Colin Greenwood as well as a great orchatstra.
But then, even if you do get a couple of people together, getting the orchastra is gonna be your problem XD
Now the ultimate coolness would be for us to be able to add our old music (mp3) to our levels.
Possible? If so.. Everyone will be able to listen to some Weezy F Baby while playing my levels.
I must save while I’m here … What people will do with this game will be amazing … It all ready is and we’re just in Beta…
Kenny! after seeing the info for the Music in the BETA, I was wondering who the creator was!
How about: The Go! Team - Get It Together?
I think it was used on your GDC demonstration way back in ‘07
My favourite =)
My brother started cracking up when he heard Left Bank Two in the game and asked me why they have “that song from the loan advert” in the game and it kind of irritated me :<
Also my favourite song from LBP is probably Atlas, it’s so amazing.
What about the E3 trailer? isn’t that music from E.T.A.? and will that be part of the game?
Meaning this trailer from E3 2007 - http://www.gametrailers.com/player/21598.html
And this number from E.T.A.? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcvcXaeSt8I
Or are both from a completely 3rd place? and if so where?
Just so you know, when you used a Go! Team track for your presentation, you already had my money. Their music and your game both have heart; a youthful, fun spirit that has and will define a generation. Keep doing Great Things.
You still havent mensioned this one,
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/21598.html?type=flv
been driving me crazy working out what this one is
Jon: try reading my post just a couple of comments up ;D
A danish band - but Media Molecule is not mentioning them?!?!
I still love GardensInt Music or whatever it’s called the best.
Beautiful piece!
I like the little piano piece in the My Moon section of the pod.
We need a LBP Soundtrack on iTunes! I would buy two copies. The music is MMMMmm..molecule-astic!
Hey Kenny!
Thanks for the post! The music in LittleBigPlanet is great! I can’t get it out of my head!
I’d love to know what song is in the new “Making Fun” trailer (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/40991.html).
Thanks a bunch!
Cheers! And congrats on the upcoming game release!
gamereactor has publiced a rewiev for the game
http://www.gamereactor.se/nyheter/15579/GRTV%3A+Little+Big+Planet/?sid=0ecadbcf9c759db34c837d2d4d63c5a9
(sorry for my bad engelish xD)
Man, you guys should do a soundtrack, I love the music so much I would buy it in a heartbeat.
I didn’t mention Cafe Tacuba
my personal favorite song in the beta was the intGarden level theme. This music is always stuck in my head
I loved the trailer with The GO! Team song Get it Together. I liked it so much that i went all over the net and ended up at a LBP Fan Wiki which lead me to buying The GO! Team Album. Anyways, i’m still very much excited for your game and can not wait for its release!
Thank you Media Molecule for making the game of the decade. Thank you also for getting The Go! Team in the soundtrack - such an inspired selection indeed.
I would like to see some more Go! Team material on LBP, especially ‘Patricia’s Moving Picture’ from the Proof of Youth album. I think it would complement LBP perfectly, like ‘Get it Together’ does.
Where is the song from the exclusive Game trailer video. The one where it says I AM SACK BOY in the beginning. That is my favorite song! But I want to know what its called!
noobage the song is called battles atlas if you don’t believe me go to little big planet guide and go on soundtracks

I can’t find Tapha Niang anywhere ): I resorted to recording it using a
microphone from their myspace page ): really bad quality but it’s either
that or nothing.
Media Molecule rocks. Did you know playing Little Big planet can reduce dementia? Every hospital should have a game…start with Great Ormond Street.
what about the song from the “Adventures of Sackboy” video on the PSN? it’s the one with lots of nicely edited jumping straight up and down. watched that video several times in a row last night just for the song.
(cont. from above)… just found the video…
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/39327.html
LOVE the song!
Wow just wow to the persons that picked the music for lbp. give me some original soundtrack cd plz!!!! or free mp3 in your webpage XD.