Top-Notch Video Game Music Collections Ever Created
Popular Video Game Soundtracks Shine with Emotive Compositions
Video game soundtracks have become an integral part of the gaming experience, often leaving a lasting impact on players and music enthusiasts alike. Some of the most memorable soundtracks come from iconic games such as Super Mario Bros., Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and The Legend of Zelda.
Notable themes include the Super Mario Bros. Overworld Theme and the catchy tune of Tetris, both recognized for their memorable melodies and lasting cultural impact.
Key composers in this field are:
- Koji Kondo: Known for his work on Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda series, Kondo's compositions set the standard for game music by perfectly blending mood-setting with player engagement. His theme for Super Mario Bros is considered a masterpiece and was used in Super Mario Galaxy.
- Yoko Shimomura: Renowned for composing the music for the Kingdom Hearts series, as well as Street Fighter II, Super Mario RPG, and Xenoblade Chronicles. Her work is widely performed in video game music concerts and has been published in arranged albums and piano scores.
- Hitoshi Sakimoto: Famous for scores in Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII, Sakimoto has a long career starting from 1988 and founded the music production company Basiscape.
- Winifred Phillips: A Grammy® Award-winning composer known for music in Assassin’s Creed, God of War, The Sims, LittleBigPlanet, and Wizardry, among others. Her work has received multiple awards including the Society of Composers & Lyricists Award and a BAFTA nomination.
Other celebrated composers include Austin Wintory, Jessica Curry, and Nobuo Uematsu.
Yasunori Mitsuda worked hard on the soundtrack for Chrono Trigger, leading to his hospitalization. Greg Edmonson's music for Uncharted is cinematic and dynamic, while Martin O'Donnell's soundtrack for Halo is blockbusting and the best-selling video game soundtrack of all time.
Jeremy Soule enlisted a 30-strong choir of barbarian voices singing in the invented language of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011). Nobuo Uematsu is a Japanese video game composer known for his scores in the long-running Final Fantasy series. Yoko Shimomura's music in Kingdom Hearts is light and reworks melodies from previous Disney films.
Russell Brower appears as a main composer six times in the World of Warcraft series. Todd Baker's music and sound design for Monument Valley 2 (2017) reflect the elegant simplicity of the game's design and concept.
Harry Gregson-Williams made his name as a film and TV composer before working on the Metal Gear Solid games. Christopher Tin's theme from the strategy game Civilisation IV (2005) was the first video game soundtrack to win a Grammy award.
Bear McCreary's epic soundtrack for God of War (2018) includes contributions from an Icelandic choir, Nordic instruments, and plenty of grumbling orchestral bass. Danish composer Jesper Kyd's soundtrack for Hitman 2 (2002) could easily be mistaken for a Hollywood score.
Simon Hale's soundtrack for LA Noire (2011) took a smooth, late-night jazz bar vibe and applied it to a video game. DanTDM hosts a video game music series called Next Level every Saturday at 9pm.
Bobby Krlic's score for Returnal (2021) offers a gripping undercurrent to Selene's journey through the barren landscape of an ancient, alien civilization. Austin Wintory's soundtrack to Sony's Journey (2012) was shortlisted for the Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack for Visual Media.
Even the theme song for Tetris, Korobeiniki, started as a Russian folk song from the 19th century. These composers are widely regarded not only for their technical skill but also for their ability to create memorable, emotive music that enhances the gaming experience, making their soundtracks enduringly popular.
Presenters DanTDM feature video game music series "Next Level" every Saturday at 9pm, showcasing popular and emotive compositions from various games. In the entertainment realm, music is not limited to film or concerts; it extends to playlists within video games, such as those composed by key contributors like Koji Kondo, Yoko Shimomura, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Winifred Phillips, and others, whose works have left an indelible mark on the gaming industry.
