Warning: The following article contains links to some material that may contain strong language. Reader’s discretion is advised.

Three weeks in and I’m already running out of already captured screenshots (about 140) that would fit the songs that are left. I’ve actually spent some time over the last week or so canvassing London with a camera in Watch Dogs: Legion just to supplement for everything I’ve used so far in parts 1 and 2 of this series. I feel like it is a little late now to say, but I don’t think of this as a definitive “best soundtrack you could make for Watch Dogs: Legion,” just a better one than the dismal disgrace that is Legion‘s actual soundtrack.

Of course, once again I’m going to tell you: I opted to use Spotify as the home of the playlist for several reasons, but most importantly for ease of use. If you do enjoy anything from this playlist and end up exploring more of some artists, support them. Spotify is dreadful for royalty payments, so if you can buy t-shirts or something, do so. The touring industry is in the ditch right now, with royalties in many respects for platforms, such as this, equally being some that are missing revenue from elsewhere. That said, here is the link to the entire playlist of the official soundtrack and my lengthy addition, accumulating to over 17-hours of music.

Rush – “The Camera Eye”

If you were going to run a survey to ask “what is the most surveyed city in the world,” London would be up there. The city has “1 CCTV Camera for every 13 people” resulting in 691,000 cameras in London as of 2020. So when it came to Rush’s 5th track from the Moving Pictures album, I just had to include it given it is trying to highlight the cultural differences between New York and London. Oddly enough, the only reference within the lyrics to cameras would be the one “Wide-angle watcher / On life’s ancient tales.” Still won’t stop me from using it as an excuse to get some prog-rock into the soundtrack.

Robbie Williams – “Rock DJ”

If you spent any time in the UK during 2001-03, Robbie Williams’ third album hits were still getting regular play; At the time I’d have said it was a little too much regular play. This was a time when I didn’t really care for Robbie Williams or anyone else from Take That, but it turns out he’s the only one with any sort of talent or personality. While I could honestly have everything from “Let me Entertain you,” “She’s the one,” “Candy,” and “Kids” with Kylie, this just felt fun and pique Robbie.

Sex Pistols – “God Save The Queen”

Well, shocker, this had to be here. A satirical turn on the phrase and the national anthem of the UK; With Rotten explaining the song is meant to engender empathy for the working class rather than pampered aristocracy. Quite literally it evoked the idea that her rule, at that time 25-years long, was a “fascist regime.” So shock within shock here, the BBC wouldn’t play the song, for it “might cause offense;” rumors swirled that it would reach No.1 on their charts, but was held back to second place for the offense. This, of course, resulted in an all-out ban on the BBC, other broadcasters, and several retailers.

Agree or disagree, it is something that the game is side glancing at with its attempts at social and political commentary. Though, like most of Ubisoft’s attempts at any sort of critique of the society they are trying to portray, it is ham-fisted and limp-wristed. That is not to say Rotten and the rest of the Sex Pistols are entirely correct either, with whoever runs the campaigns to get the song to the top of the charts at every Jubilee misinterpreting the point.

Blur – “Parklife”

If I walk into the nearby convenience store and hear “Wonderwall” or while holding a guitar I am asked to play an Oasis song, I will 3D print a shotgun and shoot myself. Look, I don’t care for the “Britpop revival” thing between Blur and Oasis. Enjoy the dreary dull Beatles wannabees if you want, that’s your problem. I, on the other hand, prefer some things that are a bit more upbeat and fun to listen to, something with energy. So “Parklife” is just that, something of a fun, hoppy, and an anthem of the drunk 10-years later.

Of course, being released in 1994, I was a touch too young to be around when it was first released, with my experience of it coming in darkened pubs as I played pool for hours. Guitarist and backing vocalist Graham Coxon noted in an interview that it’s about “having fun and doing exactly what you want to do.” Exactly the energy you want in an open-world game, having fun doing what you want in that moment.

Black Sabbath – “Iron Man”

Thinking about it now, there isn’t much in the way of metal/heavy metal in my additions, and I think there is a good reason for that. Modern “metal” is like a cat with knives for claws being kicked up and down a road made of chalkboards. It is headache-inducing nonsense I simply don’t understand with its screaming and such. However, it only makes sense to feature the prince of darkness and his merry band of hellraisers given they are often cited as the progenitors of what I’ll forever call, “proper metal.” Though, while I could go for something from their first album which was reportedly recorded in a single day, I don’t think it would work.

The 4th track from the Paranoid Album, “Iron Man” is now often associated with the Marvel hero of the same name, but it’s not about him. Instead, it is about a thing every parent should be shielding their child from as the corrupting spell of metal might just unveil it: Time-travel, an apocalypse. Our “Iron Man” returns to warn humanity who mock and sneer at him, thus creating the death and destruction he’s seen. It had, of course, become one of the band’s most famous hits, alongside two others I could have included, “Paranoid” and “War Pigs.”

Rizzle Kicks – “Down With the Trumpets”

Released as part of the first album by then 20-something duo Rizzle Kicks, “Down With the Trumpets” is about that party mentality of the nihilistic 18-23-year-olds who enjoy drinking more than anything else. A bit hip-hop and a bit dance-pop, it is a relief from what a majority of the actual soundtrack features, and is a reprieve of some of things the older tracks of my choices have as qualities to them. It is loud and brash, like the drunk 20-something it is targeted at, yet it is still somehow fun and energetic sounding to even old fuddy-duddies like myself.

The Clash – “The Guns of Brixton”

Of two of the band’s most famous songs (that I’ve included), bassist Paul Simonon only played on “London Calling” with the Islamic/eastern-inspired “Rock the Casbah” being played by drummer “Topper” Headon. However, unlike both of them, Simonon provides vocals of the song that also fits right in with his basslines, the reggae heavy “The Guns of Brixton.” It is a song which I’ll have to reference a bit of what I said with Eddy Grant’s “Electric Avenue;” racial tensions grew with excessive policing and heavy-handed measures taken, boiling over into the 1980 Brixton riots. The one person that knows when “The Guns of Brixton” released is fuming right now.

You see, while it does reference a lot of the issues of the recession of the time, racial tension, and what is the boiling point, it predates the riots. It tells the story of a young Brixton-born kid to Jamaican parents, with reference back to Ivanhoe Martin, who is often considered the original Rude Boy. Rude Boys of the time were often characterized by their pork pie hats, general mod/skinhead fashion sense, and a love of reggae or 2-tone music. There are obvious reasons for the former two Clash songs I’ve included, but this one needed to be here for the “paranoid” nature of the young man that “feel[s] like Ivan / at the end of The Harder They Come.”

The Fratellis – “Chelsea Dagger”

Here’s another one of those indie-rock pieces by way of Oasis’ influence that makes me want to bang my head off a wall, but in some spaces it is acceptable. “Chelsea Dagger” by the Scottish band, The Fratellis, is a song with the name coming from singer Jon’s wife, who would use the stage name for burlesque dancing. However, for all the sexed-up burlesque-ness of the track’s surrounding promotional material, it has become a drunkard’s party tune. Darts fans love it for the post-chorus backing vocals and jumping up and down. London’s own Chelsea FC also started using it as a theme of sorts to get fans roaring.

Chas & Dave – “Rabbit”

I’m not going to shy away from this: Yes, by today’s standards it is downright sexist to its core to tell a woman that she’s “rabbiting on.” It is something too common with the pint drinking, football watching, bulldog tattooed bloke-y bloke that would happily tell a woman “your place is in the kitchen.” Though, I don’t think that’s what Chas & Dave’s “Rabbit” is all about, it is more or less a bit of a comedy twist on a couple dynamic of the time. Played in the Rockney (a portmanteau of rock and cockney) style along with the duo’s quite pronounced London accents, it sounds like a song before its own time.

“You’ve got more rabbit than Sainsbury’s,” referencing the post-war scarce of meat, and the common idea of actually eating rabbit. A practice I’ve been told was common from a young age, yet never met someone who seems to get any notion of doing that now, oddly enough. Yes, if you want to take the song as the most sexist thing possible, go ahead, but it is the sound of the bloke-y blokes from London.

Supertramp – “Fool’s Overture”

Speaking of the post-war reality. Supertramp’s “Fool’s Overture” is exceptional and uses Churchill’s “never surrender” speech from June the 4th, 1940. Not only that, it takes bits from all over, with Gustav Holst’s “Venus” being transposed to the band’s woodwind section, along with William Blake’s “and did those feet in ancient times,” and the band’s own “Dreamer.” It is one of the few times I am not going to bemoan what I can only explain as “English exceptionalism” because this isn’t chest-thumping.

“History recalls[,] how great the fall can be / while everyone’s sleeping, the boats put out to sea” coming in a whole 5-minutes and 23 seconds into the song is brilliant. It took a whole five years for the ever so wonderful Roger Hodgson to compose the nearly 11-minutes of perfection. I opted to use the Even In The Quietest Moments album version, not because I think it is better. That comes from the 1980 Paris live album, but both are fantastic in their own right.

Swede Mason (Feat. Gregg Wallace & John Torrode) – “Masterchef Synesthesia (Buttery Biscuit Bass)”

Ok, hold up before you think I’ve been hit in the side of the head here. One of the few radio stations in the game is very internet-based pirate radio-like, being provocative in some ways. So why not have Swede Mason’s “Masterchef Synesthesia” in here? It is an early YouTube comedy edit of the UK’s Masterchef presenting duo of Gregg Wallace & John Torrode talking about a buttery biscuit base (or in this case, bass). If you’ve not seen the video, you have got a whole section outside of the conspiracy theories to enjoy.

Lily Allen – “LDN”

2006, you were a precious little time, when we were all just being introduced to Lily Allen. Let’s put aside “F*ck You” which was already on the official soundtrack, and “Alfie” about a weed-smoking brother who would later go on to play Theon Greyjoy in something called Game of Thrones (no one has ever heard of it). This is easily one of Allen’s breakout singles, “LDN” is just a love of London blinding you to the damp greyness: “When you look / with your eyes / Everything seems nice / But if you look twice / You can see it’s all lies.”

This explanation would instantly have it kicked from the game’s soundtrack, but that’s exactly what many seem to think of Legion. While I and a few others are happy to have London in a rather vibrant and colorful world (sometimes), others are quick to denote the flatness of individual characters when you don’t imprint something upon them yourself. It is almost as if they expected characters of great depth within a system that lets you play as anyone. That’s one complaint alongside the rather one-note paranoia of the dystopian tech-future of course. Something I’ve been trying to hammer in with a few songs here, it doesn’t aim for fun.

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