Scott Pilgrim vs. the World finds Cera's character smitten by Ramona Flowers (Winstead) and having to battle her seven evil exes who are out to kill him. Interwoven into the plot is a plethora of fictitious music groups acting out the performances of original compositions by real recording artists. Under the direction of producer Godrich (Radiohead, Paul McCartney, U2), Beck provided the music for Scott's low-fi garage band Sex Bob-Omb, Canadian synth-rockers Metric did the same for The Clash at Demonhead (fronted by Brie Larson), Broken Social Scene wrote and recorded for Crash and the Boys, and faux DJ duo Katayanagi Twins were brought to life by Cornelius. In some cases, the finished songs incorporate actual vocal and instrumental contributions from the actors who appear in the film.

Wright and Godrich worked together for a two-year period, during which they essentially cast ultimate fantasy bands and got non-musician actors to learn their respective instruments with the aid of Chris Murphy from the band Sloan. The original soundtrack, which went to #2 on the Billboard soundtrack chart, also includes songs by Frank Black, Beachwood Sparks, Black Lips, T. Rex, Blood Red Shoes, The Rolling Stones and The Bluetones.

Edgar Wright, who in the last decade has written/directed The World's End and Baby Driver and has directed the upcoming psychological thriller Last Night in Soho, waxes nostalgic about the music of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. He commented, "It's been ten years since Scott Pilgrim first made it to the big screen and I think the fact that it's become so enshrined in the consciousness of so many for so long is due, in no small part, to the fact that the action was so music-driven. The Scott Pilgrim soundtrack and the score have played a huge role in making this an enduring phenomenon."

Since its release, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) has received many accolades. UK's The Independent ranked it at number 4 out of "the 40 greatest film soundtracks of all time," declaring that Wright "found a way to seamlessly integrate his soundtrack into Scott Pilgrim vs. the World's narrative." It was also included on Alternative Press's list of "16 Fantastic Movie Soundtracks You Need To Hear." "We Are Sex Bob-Omb" won the 2010 Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Song.