Download Last of Us-inspired music for your projects today

HBO’s stunning take on Naughty Dog’s best-selling game The Last of Us finally broke the curse of videogames adaptations as the TV series was a hit with audiences and critics alike. 

Starring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ella, The Last of Us hauntingly captured the game’s tone while still taking the story into unexpected territory. Aside from the brilliant writing, directing, set design, and pitch-perfect performances, a big part of the success of the series was down to the atmospheric score. 

Keeping the same composer as The Last of Us games, the music by Gustavo Santaolalla is as powerful as it is emotional, fans of the games will find it both familiar yet original. A good score will tell the audience what the characters think or feel without a single line of dialogue. 

So, what better way to celebrate the conclusion of season 1, than with 10 of our top songs inspired by The Last of Us music, which you can download and use in your videos today.

 

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Roniit – Let Go

Download Let Go

Roniit is an American artist with a massive catalog of dark and moody scores, ranging from cinematic ambiance to electronic indie tracks. Describing herself as a Dark Pop Sorceress, the ethereal, foreboding sounds are the ideal tension builders for your films and TV shows.

Roniit’s stripped-back acoustic Let Go is a thought-provoking pensive track that conjures images of the unknown road ahead tinged with a cinematic melancholy. 

G-Yerro – Dark Hollows 10

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G-Yerro is a composer and conductor, working with a selection of the finest orchestras in the world to create everything from Christmas jingles to suspenseful trailer tracks. The Dark Hollows series includes 14 incredible scores following similar themes, allowing you to create movie scores from G-Yerro’s work.

The Last of Us music contains many haunting soundscapes making for an immersive audio experience, G-Yerro’s Dark Hallows 10 is the perfect track for highlighting the weight of a dire situation with just a glimmer of hope.

Ben Winwood – Hope

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Ben Winwood is a composer and guitarist living in North Wales with 10 full albums of scores and tracks. Ben’s collection includes everything from hopeful, jaunty tunes to chilling suspense pieces, all influenced by Irish Folk music and classic guitar-led rock.

Even a series as bleak in subject matter as The Last of Us allows for moments of fun and, occasionally, some optimism about the future. Ben Winwood’s track Hope beautifully combines a foreboding sadness and a sense of hopefulness for better days. 

Idan Kupferberg – Broken Hope

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Idan Kupferberg might only have 2 tracks available to download, but the Israeli composer and musician has created a unique and compellingly cinematic sound. In keeping with the dark and foreboding nature of The Last of Us score, Idan uses percussion to add tension and urgency.

Idan’s emerging talent is epically encapsulated with the track Broken Hope, a delicate piano that leads us through a swirling dramatic build; you can feel the desperate yearning to overcome the engulfing darkness in every note. 

Amir Marcus – Mammoth 

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Amir Marcus is a musician, composer, and producer with an impressive list of credits on his resume. Amir creates stunning arrangements with plenty of rises and falls, leading to hopeful and inspiring scores. 

Amir’s dread-filled track Mammoth would be right at home in The Last of Us game or show for those tense sequences where Joel and Elle encounter infected people and the monstrous Clickers. Mammoth builds its powerful drums and unease, creating the feeling of being pursued. 

Pablo Suarez – Momentum 

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Pablo Suarez is a self-taught composer and musician who loves classical piano and string scores. Through 6 tracks, Pablo takes us on an emotional journey rising from dark melancholy to the dizzying heights of optimism.

The Last of Us is filled with moments where characters must dig deep to keep moving or in some cases, make a heartbreaking choice. In these key moments, the score has to do as much heavy lifting as the actors. Suarez’s captivating track Momentum is a strings-led masterpiece, injecting emotive energy and pace as it builds; it paints the picture of the need to keep going, regardless of the cost. 

SPEARFISHER – Blood in the Bayou

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SPEARFISHER, aka Peter John, is a highly talented composer and musician in Cleveland, Ohio. While being a master pianist, Peter has shown he can produce stunning compositions in any genre, from electro-pop to moody ambiance tracks.

The open road plays a big part in The Last of Us game and TV series, and Blood in the Bayou has a long, dangerous journey vibe that combines mandolins, acoustic guitar, and backing vocals. The unique and inspiring song is the perfect journey montage score, reminding the audience that something is always lurking in the shadows. 

Amulets – Static Tensions

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Amulets is the solo project of Randall Taylor, a Portland-based audio + visual artist. Randall’s collection includes impressive and immersive scores, creating dense soundscapes filled with tension and dramatic turns.

With over 4 minutes of dark tones and gritty static rumble, Static Tensions could not be more aptly named, creating an atmosphere of uncertain yet ever-present terror. This track is sure to give your audience an eerie chill.

Dan Mayo – From Above

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Dan Mayo is an Israeli drummer and composer producing cinematic indie and electro tracks. The mix of dark, gritty score and electronic synth sounds gives Dan’s work a modern twist on a classic style.

From Above is a dark and gritty atmosphere, filled with low, ominous tones and static rumble. At nearly 9 minutes long, this track is perfect for the sort of slow, suspense-building scenes that gave The Last of Us its spine-tingling tension.

Roland Bingaman – The Eye of the Devil

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Roland Bingaman is an Emmy-nominated composer and singer/songwriter based in Pennsylvania. The collection of 6 tracks uses classical piano and emotive strings to create sorrowful, heartbreaking soundscapes.

The Eye of the Devil is a track in two halves, first taking on a dark, menacing tone before transitioning to a beautifully sad piano and strings composition. The Last of Us is filled with scenes that can flip from intense to mournful instantly; everything can change in a heartbeat. The Eye of the Devil is ideal for heroic goodbyes or emotional moments like telling your adoptive daughter a terrible lie to protect her from a horrifying truth. 

 

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If you’re looking for more scores that replicate the dark menace or bittersweet optimism of The Last of Us video game or TV show, then check out the full collection. 

We love to see how Artlist creators are using these incredible assets to create The Last of Us-inspired videos. Share your  creations with us and get your project seen by over 200K people.