The latest League of Legends Worlds Championship song “Heavy is the Crown” just got released, but it has already been viewed more than a million times on YouTube alone.
This is indeed what we asked for, “Heavy is The Crown” by Linking Park is the song most League fans were waiting for, and it paves the way for an exciting 2024 World Championship. The first song related to the biggest international competition in League was “Warriors” by Imagine Dragons, who performed the anthem live during the 2014 Worlds Final in Seoul. Since then, it has become a tradition for the World Championship to have an anthem that represents past champions, legends, and future contenders for the title.
So far, we have had 11 Worlds anthems, each with its own animated music video. For this list, however, we wanted to focus on the song itself, the lyrics, the catchiness of the chorus, and the feelings that it conveys to us. Additionally, this list only features the official Worlds songs, and will not include other pieces such as Pentakill’s discography.
Here are our rankings of the best Worlds songs and music videos, from worst to best.
11) “Worlds Collide” (ft. Nicki Taylor) – 2015
Even if this song has a powerful chorus that can capture every League fan, it still is not enough to “bring to fall the giants.” Released in 2015, “Worlds Collide” was the second song ever made for a League World Championship and it helped Riot Games find the right tune for the rest of the anthems. Worlds songs have improved throughout the years, and even if “Worlds Collide” ranks last in our list, it was a landmark from which the rest of the songs could “rise up high.”
10) “Ignite” (ft. Zedd) – 2016
“There’s a power that’s underneath” in electronic music, and this song ignited our inner dancing instincts. “Ignite” goes in a completely different direction compared to every other Worlds song released so far. The electronic beats are accompanied by an orchestral arrangement that helps distinguish it as a Worlds song without sacrificing its individuality. The steady rhythms build up for incredibly catchy drops, truly like a “spark to an open flame.” Riot stepped out of its comfort zone for “Ignite” and it worked, but it didn’t make us “feel the rush.”
“Ignite” takes the tenth place on our list.
9) “Burn It All Down” (ft. PVRIS) – 2021
“All the people want fire, fire,” but this song didn’t provide it. The hype around 2021’s anthem started building up when it was announced Worlds would move to Europe. It then exploded when the teasers for the video were published almost a week prior to the beginning of the competition. But maybe these teases set the too high, and the general response from the fans wasn’t positive. Unfortunately for the anthem, “Burn It All Down” this year was more a “break” than a “make,” and it ranks in the lower tiers of our list.
8) GODS ft. NewJeans (뉴진스) – 2023
“Anyone read this underdog story?” The official anthem of the 2023 League World Championship, titled “GODS” and featuring NewJeans, had over 108,000 fans waiting on their knees, praying for glory. The music video revolves around the journey of Deft, from schoolboy to World Champion, and features various players he encountered during his career, including Faker, Rekkles, Meiko, and Doran. But while the narrative is grandiose, the song didn’t bring us to church. To match the god-tier story told in the video, “GODS” needed more than to scream their names “out la-la-loudd.”
If “GODS” may not leave a strong impact upon initial listening, with each replay its catchy rhythm and undemanding lyrics grow on you and get stuck in your head. However, the song lacks identity, something that could have been found through a deeper connection to NewJeans’ core essence and known style. While “GODS” simplicity in music, lyrics, and choice of language, allows it to connect with fans worldwide making room for a great hit, it does not evoke the factors necessary to achieve the status of a great Worlds anthem. “GODS” takes the eight place.
7) “STAR WALKIN” (ft. Lil Nas X) – 2022
The Worlds 2022 anthem was “ready to go far,” but League fans didn’t feel like walking on the stars when listening to it and gave some harsh feedback on the song. The collaboration between Riot and Lil Nas X produced a catchy song that functions as a bridge between the millions of the artist’s fans and the world of Legends, but it was not enough for the already established fans who every year are eager to pump themselves up with the World Championship anthem.
The story in the song is narrated from the point of view of a player who wants to “join” the legends instead of “worship” them. The protagonist is “ready to go far” and “headed to the stars,” but unfortunately the music never reaches its highest point, depriving the listener of a sense of fulfillment. The upbeat rhythm hypes up the listener with emotion and energy from the very first moment, but what “STAR WALKIN” is missing is a powerful change in the tune that brings the listener to ultimately touch the stars.
6) “Phoenix” (ft. Cailin Russo and Chrissy Costanza) –2019
They say “you gotta conquer the monster in your head and then you’ll fly,” and this Phoenix flew high. With over a hundred million views on YouTube, the Worlds 2019 anthem has been a favorite ever since it was released. It’s a more toned-down song compared to the previous year’s anthem, “RISE,” but it still got us to “tear down the ceiling” while singing it.
A clean instrumental intro teases what the song is going to build up into. Accompanied by clean solo vocals and a steady beat, “Phoenix” really reached new heights. Not only is the music exceptional, like every other Worlds song, but “Phoenix” also has powerful lyrics that will make every fan “come out of the ashes.” However compared to other releases this Phoenix is still its its ashes stage.
5) “Take Over” (ft. Jeremy McKinnon of A Day To Remember, MAX, Henry) – 2020
“Why would you dare me to do it again?” was probably an answer to all the fans who loved “Phoenix” in 2019 and dared Riot to do it again. And Riot not only met the fans’ expectations, but it even surpassed them. “Take Over” was the anthem for the 10th anniversary of the League World Championship, and it looks at the future with passages such as “Maybe you wonder what your futures’ gonna be/but I got it all locked up.” Still it lacks that triumphant feeling, unique individuality that would have helped it stand the passage of time.
4) “Legends Never Die” (ft. Against The Current) – 2017
“Legends Never Die” almost becomes a part of you, and that’s why it takes fourth place on our list; though many fans won’t agree.
The moments of serenity throughout “Legends Never Die” are paralleled with passionate crescendos leading into an explosive chorus. It’s constantly driven by heavy percussion, which helps build anticipation and keeps the song moving forward without feeling worn out.
This song is “written down in eternity” as one of the most beloved League Worlds Championship songs even after several years.
3) “Warriors” (ft. Imagine Dragons) – 2014
The sixth-placed song on our list is the one that “[built] this town from dust.” As of Oct. 1, “Warriors” has the highest number of views on YouTube among all the Worlds songs—for now.
The brooding undertones throughout “Warriors” highlight the significance of competing on the Worlds stage. The lyrics encapsulate the tireless journey of becoming a world champion while alluding to the League community that helped build the game into the spectacle it is today—a feat that arguably hasn’t been achieved in any other Worlds song.
This song’s “spirit never dies.” In fact, a remix was made in 2020 to announce the beginning of the 10th League season. “Warriors” takes the sixth place on our list. Yes, even if it’s the only Worlds song that includes a guitar solo – for now.
2) “Heavy is The Crown” (ft Linkin Park) – 2024
This song is “outnumbered, 10 to one,” but despite its throne-worthy sound it doesn’t take the crown of the best Worlds anthem. The collaboration between Linkin Park and Riot Games was one fans could only dream of, but after the band’s comeback what fans “asked for” became reality.
“Heavy is The Crown” is pure nostalgia with its classic Linkin Park sound, something so many League fans didn’t know they craved out of a Worlds song. Mike Shinoda’s rapped verses paired with Emily Armstrong’s heavy screams in the chorus transport the listener to a battlefield where they can imagine themselves as the one fighting for the heavy crown.
However, the more we listen to it the more it feels something’s missing, an epic accent that would have given the 2024 Worlds anthem with the crown it deserves. Ultimately, in battle of anthems, one other song that challenged “Heavy is The Crown” for the right to the throne won.
1) “RISE” (ft. The Glitch Mob, Mako, and The Word Alive) –2018
The only Worlds song that can hold the crown is the one that climbed all the way to the summit.
“RISE” is the culmination of four years’ worth of Worlds music videos, and even after years from its release its still unmatched. As a song, “RISE” checks every box. It has a satisfying buildup that makes us chase the chorus “higher and higher” until the powerful drop makes you scream as if you fought for it with your hands. “RISE” constantly takes us through its captivating chorus while making each iteration sound new and refreshed, and the eerily desolate bridge keeps us waiting in anticipation for the hook to return.
“RISE” brings us on a journey for the crown and makes the listener the protagonist of this climb. The 2018 Worlds anthem truly rose to the top of our list and it still awaits its challenger.
