Making a Top 100 for Best Video Game Music

CelJaded · Mar 28, 2016

Hi all.

I'm in the process of publishing a weekly blog post for all my favourite music tracks throughout video game history and thought I'd share it with you all here.

This will be a pretty detailed list (with explanations/trivia given for each) and I came up with a few house rules to ensure it stays interesting too.

I'll be looking to add another 10 entries every week leading up to my blog's anniversary on June 3rd.

Let me know what your favourite tracks are too as I'd like to see how your opinions match up with mine.

civvver · Mar 28, 2016

100 might be a bit ambitious... though it looks like you are doing singular songs not games. In that case you could get 5+ from a single game, you'll probably have enough material.

Anything zelda, but my favorite for music is probably the opening theme music that also plays on certain parts of the overworld for link's awakening for gameboy. I think it's extremely similar to link to the past, but don't remember for certain.

Also ocarina of time, though I am fuzzy on particular tracks having not played it in a decade lol.

World of warcraft also has some stellar music. Again haven't played in 6 years but I remember grizzly hills soundtrack in northrend had some epic music. There's tons of other good ones I'm sure I'd be like hell ya! if I heard them but I can't list the locations offhand.

Civ4 opening theme is great.

Mass effect 3 has some great tracks like at the end, the music when the world is ending.

schlaufuchs · Mar 28, 2016

Depends on if you're talking great like works perfectly for the mood of the moment in the game (contextually good) or just a solid banger that you would listen to even without the game, because I think those are two different lists.

In either case: Hotline Miami wins

Link to video.

Wolfbeckett · Mar 28, 2016

Honestly I rarely listen to the music in games. For most of the games I play having sound is not a mandatory feature so I tend to turn it off and listen to podcasts or audiobooks while I play. So with that in mind the last game I recall really liking the music in is wicked old: Chrono Cross.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J46RY4PU8a8

sherbz · Mar 29, 2016

My vote for number 1 would have to be for:

This was a Triumph - Portal

I also think that Half life had an excellent sound track. Other notable mentions:

Final fantasy VII
Baldurs gate II Shadows of Amn
Skyrim
GTA I (in particular Lets go for a joyride)
Portal 2
Tetris
Zelda

Ailedhoo · Mar 29, 2016

I will make suggestion for the following:

Age of Empires: the original had this wonder.
Age of Wonders 3: Love and Death is just amazing.
Chrono Trigger: a good selection of tunes.
Civilizations: Baba Yetu
Command and Conquer: Act on Instinct and Hells March
Crusader Kings 2: the soundtrack in itself needs a list but the main theme must be noted especially.
Dwarf Fortress: a single track that will keep you going.
Europa Universalis 4: the Voyage and Ride Forth Victoriously
Final Fantasy: Dancing Mad is among my favourites from here.
No One Lives Forever: but evil never dies!
Heroes of Might and Magic: the series has wonderful music; 2 especially for its opera towns. However my favourite HoM&M music and favourite gaming tune is the Sea Theme from number four.
Sam and Max: the Office
The Super Mario series: seriously, from the most noted theme to Galaxy... o my!
Portal: the benefits of getting a opera singer to be the voice of GLADOS.
Undertale: Toby Fox is a musician by profession and it shows. Special mention to the song Undertale, Bonetrousle, Dogsong, Death by Glamour, Battle Against a True Hero and Megalovania
Zelda: has a legendary collection.

There are others to also consider too...

Mongoloid Cow · Mar 30, 2016

Civ IV theme was pretty good. 'True' from Silent Hill 2 is something I listen to a lot. I've always loved the Morrowind theme. Donkey Kong Country had some fairly good songs as well.

CelJaded · Mar 30, 2016

Thank you all for the interesting responses so far.

civvver said:
Also ocarina of time, though I am fuzzy on particular tracks having not played it in a decade lol.

Yes, I'm pretty much the exact same in this regard. I often catch myself humming the ocarina tunes though as they are very catchy.

civvver said:
Civ4 opening theme is great.

Indeed. I'll have more to say about this one later!

Owen Glyndwr said:
Hotline Miami wins

I've not played this before, but it does sound pretty cool. Thanks for the share!

Wolfbeckett said:
the last game I recall really liking the music in is wicked old: Chrono Cross

This is a series I see getting mentioned a lot! Shame I fell out of favour with the JRPG genre some time ago; I haven't played anything from this series or Final Fantasy for that matter.

sherbz said:
My vote for number 1 would have to be for:

This was a Triumph - Portal

Another memorable one, I agree. My brother knows all the words to this!

Mongoloid Cow said:
'True' from Silent Hill 2 is something I listen to a lot.

My friend shared the Silent Hill 2 soundtrack with me years ago and I found it to be really good. Very dark and foreboding feel. I've not played the game which prevents me from putting it on the list, but it's definitely a good pick.

sherbz said:
Heroes of Might and Magic: the series has wonderful music; 2 especially for its opera towns. However my favourite HoM&M music and favourite gaming tune is the Sea Theme from number four.

I cannot believe I forgot about Heroes IV! THANK YOU for reminding me! I need to go make a change to my list...

Keep those impressions coming.

sherbz · Mar 30, 2016

Only other one i keep thinking of was super mario. And super mario and tetris are the only two that i know of that were released as commercial pop songs (back in the good old 90s, might have even been the 80s). I can vaguely remember dancing to it as a small lad at my school disco lol

Maniacal · Mar 30, 2016

Meh, top 100 lists are largely pointless, and uselessly arbitrarily subjective in their rankings. A thread of excellent game music is much better.

The Morrowind soundtrack and especially the main theme is probably one of my favourites though, partly due to nostalgia but it is just really good (as is most of Jeremy Soule's work).

Link to video.

Ailedhoo · Mar 31, 2016

I forgot to mention the track Propaganda from Beyond Good and Evil!

Link to video.

Zkribbler · Mar 31, 2016

Ailedhoo said:
Civilizations: Baba Yetu

Well, yeah! :goodjob:

civvver · Mar 31, 2016

In all the civ games the leader music was also very cool. I think civ2 indian music was one of my faves, I can hum the tune I'm thinking of but not exactly sure of the origin.

Civ4 the viking one is sweet, so's the korean and mongol and chinese ones.

CelJaded · Apr 4, 2016

Some cool comments there, thanks all!

I'll try to respond to a few more when I can, but in the meantime Part 2 of the list is now up if you want to read it.

Link: http://www.celjaded.com/top-100-best-video-game-music-90-81/

CelJaded · Apr 7, 2016

Maniacal said:
The Morrowind soundtrack and especially the main theme is probably one of my favourites though, partly due to nostalgia but it is just really good (as is most of Jeremy Soule's work).

Yeah, always a good one. I never had any interest in listening to Morrowind music outside of the game just because of how much you actually hear the soundtrack repeating itself (Elder Scrolls tend to suck away the hours), but it's been long enough now that I can start listening to these pieces again.

Ailedhoo said:
I forgot to mention the track Propaganda from Beyond Good and Evil!

To my shame, Beyond Good & Evil is still one I've yet to play. The game had the misfortune of coming out during a very competitive period and it got ignored, sadly.

Nice track though!

civvver said:
In all the civ games the leader music was also very cool. I think civ2 indian music was one of my faves, I can hum the tune I'm thinking of but not exactly sure of the origin.

Civ4 the viking one is sweet, so's the korean and mongol and chinese ones.

The music in Civ IV is very cool in how it dynamically changes with what city/civ you're looking at on the map. I also like Arabia's peace theme from Civ V.

Angst · Apr 8, 2016

Link to video.

Link to video.

Link to video.

GAGA Extrem · Apr 8, 2016

Shadow of the Colossus has a lot of great tracks on its OST, but the best one is, without question:

08 - 開かれる道 / The Opened Way

Link to video.

schlaufuchs · Apr 8, 2016

I still remember the first time playing Medal of Honor Frontline. It was the first time I was ever *blown away* by a game I played. The sounds, and soundtrack, in particular were a big part of that. I don't think I had ever played a game to that point that wrote and recorded a full orchestral score just for the game:

Link to video.

CelJaded · Apr 11, 2016

Some cool shares there, thanks guys. I like the samples from Shadow, Heroes III and MoH especially. Not heard those before!

Part 3 of the list is up now if you want to continue reading: http://www.celjaded.com/top-100-best-video-game-music-80-71/

Regards.

Quintillus · Apr 11, 2016

Owen Glyndwr said:
Depends on if you're talking great like works perfectly for the mood of the moment in the game (contextually good) or just a solid banger that you would listen to even without the game, because I think those are two different lists

I agree, though the latter can contribute to the former, they aren't necessarily the same.

I'll add the mandatory Deus Ex nomination, particularly the Main Theme and UNATCO Theme. Although seeing that Deus Ex: Invisible War has an entry at slot #88, I suspect I may not need to...

Edit: Oh, and of course Halo's main theme, along with several other solid Martin O'Donnell contributions. Another game that I've left up at the menu for the sake of the music.

Making a Top 100 for Best Video Game Music

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