From the catchy 8-bit era of the 80s to the beautiful orchestrated sounds of the 90s, music has always played an integral role in video games. Catchy beats and sweeping soundtracks can make even dullest game memorable, and without music most of our favorite games would simply be forgotten. This list certainly brings back a lot of memories, so go grab a pair of headphones and join us as we take a look at some of best soundtracks from the past classics to current titles. Just don’t blame us if you end up having any of these tracks stuck in your head for the rest of the day!
1. Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Super Mario Bros. has received critical acclaim since it graced our TV screens back in 1985 and its success quickly put Nintendo at the forefront of the video game industry. These days, when you hear the phrase, “video game music,” there’s a pretty good chance the original Super Mario Bros. theme will start playing in your head. Folks who don’t even play video games know this timeless classic and it still appears in every Mario game to this day.
Koji Kondo was the brains behind Super Mario Bros. six-song score and his work was one of the major forces in the shift towards music becoming an integral part of gaming. The colourful 2D levels of the Mushroom Kingdom were brought to life with Kondo’s whimsical and bouncy 8-bit beats. Every song was carefully constructed so that it complemented the sound effects made when Mario jumps, breaks blocks, falls and warps down pipes. We still can’t help put crack a smile every time we here this iconic theme.
2. Chrono Trigger (1995)
Chrono Trigger’s brilliant musical score was primarily composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, with contributions from veteran Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu. Mitsuda wanted to create music that wouldn't fit into any established genre and worked hard to deliver music that would fit into an imaginary world. For example, the opening theme delivers soft, ominous tones which capture the mystery behind the game’s time travel elements, while the bombastic beat of drums later on helps convey a sense of adventure and danger.
Chrono Trigger’s music and various character themes really help make its world feel alive and add even more character to the game’s loveable cast. As a result, Square’s classic time travel RPG delivered us with some truly captivating experiences as we fought our way through various forests, cities, and dungeons. The game's ending theme, “To Far Away Times” was certainly a befitting farewell to the 16-bit era and one that still leaves us misty-eyed to this day.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is still regarded by many critics as one of the greatest video games ever made. It’s not hard to see why this Nintendo 64 classic received such high praise, especially when it introduced so many ambitious mechanics. However, without Koji Kondo’s sweeping orchestral score, Link’s time travelling tale wouldn’t be the same. From the upbeat, cheery theme of the Kokiri Forest, to the deeply eerie nature of the Forest Temple, Ocarina of Time delivers some of the most memorable soundtracks we’ve ever heard. Few things are more exhilarating than fighting Ganon atop the remains of his crumbled castle as the sombre tones of Ganon’s theme rumble in the background.
4. Halo 3 (2007)
Halo 3’s ethereal soundtrack was the culmination of composers Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori's work on Bungie's sci-fi shooter series. While the game didn’t introduce the iconic Gregorian chant of the first Halo, it did refine and expand upon the game’s previous instrumental scores. The game's score was produced with a much larger orchestra than the pieces present in prior Halo games, making it a real treat for the ears. We’ll always remember the first time we raced across the Ark’s exploding Halo ring with our trusty Warthog, running down hordes of Flood as the classic Halo theme became more intense the further we got. We still get goosebumps just thinking about it!
5. Donkey Kong Country (1994)
David Wise carefully blended natural environmental sounds with prominent melodic and percussive beats to make Donkey Kong Country’s jungle jingles. The game features a wide variety of different musical styles that attempt to emulate the environments in which they appear. For example, “Jungle Groove” blends beating drums and clarinet chorus with various animal sounds and synths, while “Cave Dweller Concert” delivers distorted drum beats with echoes of dripping water. What makes each of Wise’s tracks so catchy is that they all fit perfectly within the differing areas of the game. The musical tones change to fit with Africa-inspired jungles, oceanic reefs, frozen landscapes, and even dark caverns.
6. Nier: Automata (2017)
Nier: Automata wasn’t just one of the best games to come out of 2017, it was also one of the most thought-provoking games we’ve ever played. Composer Keiichi Okabe, who worked on both Nier and Drakengard 3, returned with his studio band Monaca to help create Automata’s tense and often melancholic soundtrack. Nier Automata tackles some pretty heavy themes and almost every track in Yoko Taro’s masterpiece hints towards a more depressing tone, especially as the player uncovers each of the game’s unique ending.
However, it’s in Nier’s final moments where Keiichi Okabe’s soundtrack really shines. Initially sung by one woman, “The Weight of the World” provides a sad and solemn experience for players making their way through the game’s bullet hell credit sequence. However, the tone suddenly shifts part way through and it gives way to an orchestral anthem, with an entire choir of voices joining in as the player makes their way to the game’s touching conclusion. Nier: Automata’s soundtrack is definitely one to remember.
7. Furi (2016)
Furi is an action shoot-'em-up that shares similarities with both Hotline Miami and Contra. The game is entirely made up of boss fights and gameplay revolves around dodging bullets, parrying attacks, and finding weaknesses in your foe. The world has a beautiful cyberpunk feel and the bosses were all created by Takashi Okazaki, the author and artist behind the critically acclaimed Afro Samurai. However, Furi’s unique concept and intuitive boss design is not its most notable feature. What truly makes this game shine is its brilliant soundtrack.
Furi features some truly epic synthwave and electronic inspired music from artists Carpenter Brut, Danger, The Toxic Avenger, Lorn and Waveshaper. Each of these artists were briefed on the bosses and their unique abilities in order to compose music that embodied their character. As a result, you’ll find that every track fits perfectly with each boss, while the overall tempo and rhythm compliment their attacks. Furi’s soundtrack isn’t just background noise, it’s an integral part of the game’s mechanics.
8. Journey (2012)
Austin Wintory’s beautifully atmospheric Journey soundtrack is positively magical. Wintory developed the music so that it would dynamically tie in to both the actions of the player and sound effects caused by nearby game objects. As a result, our actions have a real weight to them and the music constantly helps us feel a part of the game’s story. The music doesn’t just evoke certain emotions, it also helps guide us on our journey as we transition from the mournful tones of “Nascence”, to the joy and elation felt from “The Road of Trials”. It’s certainly not hard to see why Journey was the very first video game soundtrack to be nominated for a Grammy. Journey is a timeless classic that still looks and sounds great to this day.
9. Parappa the Rapper (1997)
Created by music producer Masaya Matsuura in collaboration with artist Rodney Greenblat, Parappa the Rapper features unique visual design and rap-based gameplay that still proves influential to rhythm games today. Parappa the Rapper’s characters are as absurd and weird as the songs, but it’s the game’s overall strangeness that has kept it from being forgotten. The gameplay isn’t overly remarkable, but the songs still put a smile on our face. After all, Chop Chop Master Onion taught us some very important lessons about how “It's all in the mind!”
10. Rayman Legends (2013)
The Rayman series has delivered us with some of the best 2D platforming we’ve seen in recent years, but Ubisoft Montpellier took this a step further by working music directly into Legends’ mechanics. Each world has a lightning-fast musical platforming sequence that’s set to a popular rock or pop song, with classics such as Black Betty and Eye of the Tiger being recreated with a humorous twist. Watching our enemies sent flying to the crash of a symbol and punching enemies to the sound of Rocky’s theme is what makes this game so memorable. Rayman may not be as popular as our favourite plumber and hedgehog, but he certainly delivers a musical score that is hard to pass up.