Music is used to extreme effect in more places than are imaginable. Movies, TV shows, sports, and yes, gaming as well. All these medias use music with the same basic intention; to help put the viewer/player/watcher into the ideal mood for the media. In a horror movie, quick and high pitched violins are usually used because they sound uneasy, cementing the frightened feeling in the viewer. In an action intense TV show, lower pitches are used. Deep drums, thumping bass' and humming Cello's, all held together with a quick, even pace that increases the watchers heart rate.

Gaming is much more subtle, though. Game devs don't necessarily have to match the mood of what the players are going through, because they're already doing it, and for this reason, music takes the back seat to the gameplay. League of Legends has done a great job of keeping their music from falling into this gaming stereotype, with new and unique tracks being released every now and then that turn the previous musical philosophies of the game. Just a few months ago, the music was fairly standard; epic, subtle, quiet drums and orchestral sounds that came together to portray a sense of scale greater than what the players could see.

But then something interesting happened; DJ Sona. No longer was the music about scale. Now, it was about making the players feel awesome. You can't help but bob your head to the tunes, and before long, you'll pick up a rhythm of your own, clicking and casting abilities to the beat. More than once, I've found myself waiting for the drop before I popped an ult, just so that epic feeling surged through my body. DJ Sona showed what we've all already known; music can make something good feel freaking amazing.

With this in mind, I tested every single type of music I thought might be relevant with every single position in the game, and had some very interesting outcomes. Please bear in mind that these are my own feelings, so you may not get the same high that I did. The theory is solid though, so if you don't agree with some of the choices I had, look for the music that fits you!

Whatever floats your boat, Yasuo.

Jungle: Metal

Nothing feels better than sprinting into a lane at full speed while Slayer blares in the background. I'll admit, I normally can't stand metal, but something about Jungling makes it so much more tolerable for me. Maybe it's the long guitar solos coupled with the sometimes lengthy farming times, or maybe it's the aforementioned feeling when you gank a lane, get a kill, and feel like the coolest guy in the world while those guitars scream. Whatever it is, there is certainly nothing better for me.

Support: Classical music/smooth dubstep

This one wasn't much of a surprise for me. Classical music really calms the mind, and in the early game, it helps hold you back from going to ham. As you transition later into the game, that need to stay calm transforms into a need to make plays, to always be on your toes, to be smooth. That's where the smooth-step comes in; something similar to Etherial DJ Sona.

ADC: Smooth rock/raw dubstep

Very similarly to the support, staying calm in the early game is key, but not quite as calm as a support. You still want to be able to go crazy when you need too, just in case an opportunity to score a kill rears it's beautiful head. Something like Imagine Dragons works nicely. Sticking with the supports theme, the ADC eventually has to fulfill the C in their name and start to do damage, kill enemies, and win fights. As a result, you want something that really pumps you up, gets your blood flowing, and focuses your mind on scoring those hits. Raw dubstep (Something like Kinetic DJ Sona) works nicely.

A surprising effective music video, with an extremly catchy song!

Mid/Top: ?????

So here's where it gets tricky. You can't exactly classify these lanes into one role. Am I playing a tank, like Maokai, or maybe a heavy damage dealer like Riven, or perhaps even a mage like Swain? All of these roles have such a different feel to them, and thusly require much different styles of music. Mid lane is fundamentally the same. Assassin? Mage? Tank? Marksman? All of them are so different, and have a much different style, one form of music can't really be classified to fit them. I normally listen to bluegrass or contemporary bluegrass in the top lane, bands like the Punch Brothers of the Infamous String-dusters, and the mid lane usually consists of Imagine Dragons or Walk Off The Earth, but most of that comes from my own taste in music.

So What?

I think we can all agree that ones mindset is one of the most important things in gaming. If you've got a bad mindset, you're going to loose a lot, because you're not playing at your best. Coupling the right kind of music with your role is like throwing a gasoline covered log onto a fire. Not only does it explode into flame, it keeps going and going, burning steadily until the end of the game, regardless of the outcome. So try it out! Test out your favorite types of music with your favorite role, keeping in mind the tips I've given you here. Try out some of the bands and genres I mentioned. You'll be surprised just how powerful your music can be.