Although A Minecraft Movie did not have a lack of memes by any chance, not all of them landed as strongly as Steve’s Lava Chicken did. The short song went on to become a format-breaking, platform-transcending meme born from the chaos the film stands for and has collectively bagged hundreds of millions of views across all social platforms from Minecraft fans. The song clocks in at 34 seconds, featuring Jack Black’s ridiculous performance about cooking chickens with lava, and is short enough for TikTok, dramatic enough for parody, and weird enough to live rent-free in player memory.
However, its native ecosystem is social media, and considering that it is highly niche, the meme is not built for permanence, unlike perhaps the Chicken Jockey one, which features this brutal little funny green monster resembling Marvel’s Hulk. As social algorithms are shifting toward more recent trends now, the Lava Chicken virality seems to be getting buried. The good thing, however, is that the Minecraft game can fix that.
'3…2…1… Meme!' Theaters Actively Encourage Passionate Minecraft Fans To Go Wild In Select Screenings
This is definitely unprecedented in meme-film culture.
A Music Disc Would Serve Minecraft's Situation Just Right
The song, just 34 seconds long, made history by entering the UK’s official Top 40 chart — the shortest song ever to do so in the chart’s 67-year history. Since the game already has a built-in system for cultural preservation, the music disc, which can later be played on a jukebox, adding this as a Minecraft collectible, even for a limited time inside the game, would cement its existence forever.
Over the years, tracks like “Pigstep,” “11,” and “5” have gained reputations that go far beyond their audio. A custom disc based on Jack Black’s “Steve’s Lava Chicken,” therefore, arranged in a style that mirrors the original melody, could do the same, locking the meme into Minecraft’s DNA. Thanks to the cult-favoritism of Minecraft’s playerbase, the song would be echoing inside the game in no time.
Gameplay Can Make It Feel Culturally Relevant
Minecraft players assign emotional or symbolic value to discs depending on where they’re found and how they sound. “Steve’s Lava Chicken” can follow that path, too, if the instrumental track is hidden in Minecraft's rare loot structures, like ancient cities or woodland mansions, with no surface-level explanation. This could allow new players to stumble onto it without context, while those who know the origin will immediately recognize it. Eventually, it wouldn’t just be a pop culture reference anymore.
Minecraft Doesn’t Run On Algorithmic Engagements, and This Meme Shouldn’t Either
Most games reference memes through skins, sprays, or timed events, and those have the tendency to disappear when the season ends or the market shifts. Rather, Minecraft runs on player-driven events, discoveries, and shared server lore. In the case of this particular song, the traction will eventually die down on social media. Still, a music disc collectible could pave the way for a different kind of integration — one that’s quiet, functional, and permanent.
The soundtrack itself doesn’t even need to have lyrics, just the same vibe, and the response needed will flow on its own. Plus, “Steve’s Lava Chicken” is already exaggerated, strange, and musical, and has all the traits that match Minecraft’s tone.
Embedding it as a discoverable music disc would lock its legacy into the mechanics of the game. Future players may not know where the melody came from if they've somehow managed to evade the Minecraft movie and its memes, but they’d keep it alive by using it in new ways. That’s how the Minecraft meme outlives the movie: by becoming a regular part of how Minecraft is played, not just remembered.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 84%
WHERE TO PLAY
Minecraft is a game made up of blocks, creatures, and community. You can survive the night or build a work of art – the choice is all yours. But if the thought of exploring a vast new world all on your own feels overwhelming, then fear not!
Minecraft has no set goal and can be played however you’d like! This is why it’s sometimes called a “sandbox game” – there are lots of things for you to do, and lots of ways that you can play. If you like being creative, then you can use the blocks to build things from your imagination. If you’re feeling brave, you can explore the world and face daring challenges. Blocks can be broken, crafted, placed to reshape the landscape, or used to build fantastical creations.
Creatures can be battled or befriended, depending on how you play. The world of Minecraft allows for epic adventures, quiet meditations, and everything in between. You can even share your creations with other players, or play in community worlds!
- Engine
- LWJGL, PROPRIETARY ENGINE
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Minecraft
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical or Horizontal
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
- Platform(s)
- 3DS, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 129 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- No
- File Size Xbox Series
- 1.42 GB (August 2024)
