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20 Best Arcade Fire Songs

Arcade Fire is one of the biggest indie rock bands out there and has been around for more than 25 years. The band has released several great songs over the years, but we’re going to tell you which songs made our top 20 best Arcade Fire songs list. 

1. Wake Up

Arcade Fire - Wake Up (Official Audio)

First on our list is Wake Up, which is one of the most popular songs from Arcade Fire. It was released in 2004 from their debut album Funeral. With the harmonies throughout the song, piano sections, and the guitar strumming everywhere, it’s no wonder people love this song!

It makes you feel joy and adventurous. It was used in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty when he’s running towards the airport. Wake Up is a song that almost everyone will love, even if you’re not a fan of the band or have never heard their music before. 

2. Rebellion (Lies) 

Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies) (Official Remastered Video)

Rebellion (Lies) is one of the best Arcade Fire songs and was also on their debut album. This song wants to be daring and dream even though in the song, they say that sleep will give in. The drums pound while the chorus of “Lies!” repeats is wild and crazy with a mix of innocence. If you’re a fan of Six Feet Under, you’ve heard this song in season 5 when Brenda and Nate are arguing in the hallway. 

3. No Cars Go 

Arcade Fire - No Cars Go (Official Audio)

Reaching number 47 on the Billboard Canada Rock chartNo Cars Go was released in 2007, bringing the band into the mainstream. It has that classic rock feel where you just want to hop in your convertible and begin driving, but there’s a Bruce Springsteen element to the song too near the end. An emotional song that will hit you deep inside, which is why it was featured in a 2009 documentary called Love the Beast.

4. The Suburbs

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (Official Video)

The Suburbs, released in 2010 from the album The Suburbs, is one of the top Arcade Fire songs because it’s an inspirational and quite quirky song that mixes a feel of Neil Young and Depeche Mode. This song reached number 26 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart in the US and 40 on the Billboard Canada Rock chart. 

You might not know that Spike Jonze directed the music video for the song, and it has Scenes From The Suburbs clips. It’s a music video we love to watch repeatedly, and the song also goes by the name Month Of May

5. Afterlife

Arcade Fire - Afterlife (Official Video)

Afterlife comes off of the fourth album, Reflektor, and it’s one of the best examples of what Arcade Fire is all about. We first heard this song when it debuted on Saturday Night Live, which made it a huge deal. There is a mix of gentle vocals, orchestra, symphony, and bass and guitar’s deafening tones.

In 2014, the music video for this song won a Prism Prize award, and it made it to number 18 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart in the US. 

6. Everything Now 

Arcade Fire - Everything Now (Official Video)

Next on our list is Everything Now, the title track released on the fifth album from Arcade Fire in 2017, and it’s a catchy song that’ll leave you wanting to hit the repeat button over and over. Hooks in this song will be in your head for days, and the piano will remind you of ABBA. This song reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative songs list in the US. 

7. Empty Room 

Arcade Fire - Empty Room (Official Lyric Video)

Empty Room comes off from The Suburbs album, a raw song filled with power and emotion. It’s the shortest song on the album, and the vocals are comforting while the instruments, such as the guitar, will come crashing into your ears. The song will make you feel like a hostage until it’s over. It’s sad yet peaceful and celebratory and a song that will leave you feeling multiple emotions at once

8. Windowsill 

Arcade Fire - Windowsill (Official Audio)

One of the great songs from their debut album, Funeral, Windowsill is a song that will remind you more of Bruce Springsteen than a hard-hitting rock or metal band. This song is harsh because it’s critical of corporate America and how people become influenced by what they see on television. This song is incredible, and the instruments make you want to sit back and listen more. 

9. My Body Is A Cage

Arcade Fire - My Body Is a Cage (Official Audio)

My Body is a Cage, released in 2007, is one of those slow songs that will remind you of all your insecurities. It has dramatic parts; while powerful, the percussions are more subdued. The hairs on your arms will stand up when you hear the harmonies, and it’s definitely different from other songs on Neon Bible, which was the second album Arcade Fire released. If you’ve watched Euphoria, you’ve heard this song in season 1, episode 8 of the television show. 

10. Keep The Car Running 

Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running (Official Audio)

We first heard Keep The Car Running when it debuted on Saturday Night Live, and it was off of the second album Neon Bible. It reached number seven on the US Billboard Canada Rock chart. 

Interestingly, Bruce Springsteen and The Foo Fighters covered this song the year it was released, which says something about its awesomeness. A cool fact is that this song is also featured in Love and Monsters, so check it out if you haven’t watched that yet to hear Arcade Fire! 

11. Reflektor 

Arcade Fire - Reflektor (Official Music Video)

Reflektor is the title track from the fourth album released by Arcade Fire called Reflektor, and the song was released in 2013. The song peaked on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart at number 11 and was 99 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. 

Charting in multiple countries, you can hear the spooky vocals of Chassagne, which mixed well with the percussions. It’s a personal song about Haiti and how Chassagne’s family had escaped the brutal dictator. The song was played on Saturday Night Live during season 39, episode 1, and was an instant hit. 

12. Neon Bible

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (Official Audio)

Next on our list is Neon Bible, the title track from the second album that Arcade Fire released in 2007. Through its vocals and quality instrumental sound, this song helped push Arcade Fire into the limelight. When you hear how powerful and immersive this song is, it’s no wonder it helped the album chart worldwide, including becoming number one in Canada and peaking at number one on the Top Rock Albums chart in the US. Calling all fans of Misfits, this song can be found in season 4, episode 8, if you haven’t seen it yet! 

13. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) 

Arcade Fire - Arcade Fire presents Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) comes from the third album, The Suburbs. This song makes you want to sing along to the chorus, giving all of us a glimmer of hope and making us want to dream and dream big! You can hear the song in Stuber, released in 2019 if you haven’t seen this buddy cop action movie yet. The melody is incredible and catchy, and it’s no surprise it reached number four on the US Billboard Dance Singles Sales chart. 

14. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) 

Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) (Official Video)

Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) is one of the hit songs from Funeral, released in 2004. If you want to know what Arcade Fire was about during this time, this is the perfect song to encapsulate that image. The music video for this song was 3D computer animated, so it’s cool and unique, with the song being inspired by the 1998 ice storm in Montreal, where the city was blacked out for more than a week. 

15. Joan Of Arc

Arcade Fire - Joan of Arc (Official Audio)

There is a huge bass part in Joan of Arc, so we have to put this song on the top 20 list of Arcade Fire songs. The lyrics are in French, while some guitar parts are spaced out, giving this song the iconic Arcade Fire touch while also having a massive bass line and a little punk style you’ll remember from years ago. Win Butler is giving a tribute to Joan of Arc in the song, which you can hear in its medieval feel and sound. 

16. We Exist 

Arcade Fire - We Exist (Official Music Video)

You may not know this song, but it deserves a spot on our list. We Exist is a song from the fourth album Reflektor with a heavy synth element to it. It reached number 46 on the US Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart and 36 on the Billboard Canada Rock chart. 

17. Electric Blue 

Arcade Fire - Electric Blue (Official Video)

Electric Blue was released in 2017 from Everything Now, the fifth album Arcade Fire released. This song is heavy in synth, a mix of old and new aspects of the band. What’s cool about this song is that it had been in the making for years, but the group didn’t feel they were good enough as musicians to play it until recent years. 

In the music video for the song, you will see Chassagne in New Orleans just walking down the streets, and it’s all about celebrating something beautiful. It’s similar to Sprawl II but with new elements, and it’s one of those songs you must listen to if you like Arcade Fire. 

18. Haiti 

Arcade Fire - Haiti (Official Audio)

Haiti was released in 2004 on the Funeral album, and this song is more of a tribute and homage to Haiti, where Chassagne’s mom and dad immigrated from before she was even born. The instruments and vocals in this song will give you that Haitian feel, and it’s an incredible song that helped push this album to Gold by the RIAA

19. We Used To Wait 

Arcade Fire - We Used to Wait (Official Lyric Video)

We have to include We Used To Wait on our list because it’s one of the best songs from the third album, The Suburbs, released in 2010. This song was used in The Wilderness Downtown, a music video created by Chris Milk and Google Creative Lab. It’s an interactive video that uses and exploits the Google Chrome browser and HTML 5, so it’s incredible to watch and fun.

20. Crown Of Love 

Arcade Fire - Crown of Love (Official Audio)

Crown of Love was released in 2004 off of the album Funeral, and this song is a great love song with so many instruments and changes in tempo with incredible crescendos. A classic song by the band that mixes lyrics about passion and love with orchestra components and vocals that’ll leave you wanting to hear more of the song and band. 

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