My Ten Favorite Tracks from Video Game Soundtracks

ByPaul Posted on Updated on

My friends all laugh at me, because whenever I drive anywhere, the first song playing from my iPod is generally from a video game or movie soundtrack. I’m a product of my environment, and my musical tastes are heavily influenced by movies, trailers, tv shows and games, and as such I have “terrible” taste in music according to everyone else. So be it.

But I think there are some damn good tracks out there, particularly on video game soundtracks. You might not notice them as you’re playing, but if you do, chances are they’re pretty damn good to distract you from your task at hand.

These ten tracks I’ve been listening to long after I put down the controller. See if my terrible musical tastes might actually match your own with a few of these.

10. Portal 2 – Science is Fun

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgqaGW0QIc4

It’s too stereotypical to put “Still Alive” on this list, and honestly, it wouldn’t be truthful if I did. While that was a hilarious track from the game, I haven’t listened to it more than a handful of times since. But “Science is Fun?” It’s a kickass electronic track that really motivates me when I work out.

9. Mirror’s Edge – Still Alive

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TERyxFfMqDk

Aha! I did manage to get Still Alive in here, but not the one you were thinking. MIrror’s Edge’s titular track had the same name, and I though it made for a nice contrast with the tone of the game. It’s a pretty damn good song to boot.

8. Ocarina of Time – Epona’s Song

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BClFe2U8p7E

Zelda games are known for their music, but Epona’s Song is still stuck in my head after all these years. It’s sort of relaxing, but vaguely creepy. I thought about replacing it with Saria’s Song or Song of Storms, but those kind of stress me out.

7. Mass Effect – Vigil

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w097Q0fZE-A

I love the soundtracks for both Mass Effect games, but now Vigil is actually a nostalgic track for me, as it’s what played when you first loaded your character every time in the original game. It’s ambient and lovely, and I’ll never forget it.

6. Bastion – The Singer

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-95BeFyMFYY

I  just finished playing Bastion about a week ago, but The Singer is already cemented in my mind as a classic track in a game filled with wonderful music.

Pages: 1 2

I think I'm a part of the first generation of journalists to skip print media entirely, and I've learned a lot these last few years at Forbes. My work has appeared on TVOvermind, IGN, and most importantly, a segment on The Colbert Report at one point.

Similar Posts

48 Comments

  4. There’s so much great videogame soundtracks, I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I’ll try a top ten:

    10. Sonic 1 – Sonic 3/Sonic & Knuckles
    9. Mega Man X1 – X3 (X5 had a few good tracks)
    8. Mega Man 1 – 4 (8 had some damn good music as well)
    7. Ninja Gaiden NES Trilogy
    6. Castlevania SOTN (I’m sure the earlier games ost’s could go here, but I’ve only played Simon’s Quest)
    5. Chrono Trigger
    4. Need For Speed 1-5
    3. Resident Evil 1&2 (spooky ambiance FTW)
    2. Pretty much ANY Mario game (the original trilogy on NES, Mario World 1&2, RPG on SNES, and Mario 64)
    1. Metroid series, but most importantly, SUPER METROID. No game soundtrack does it better.

    Paul, I hope you’re as familiar with gh.ffshrine.org (Galbadia Hotel) as I am, because if not, GO THERE RIGHT NOW and prepare to spend the entire weekend doing nothing but downloading original vg music, as well as a PLETHORA of AWESOME remixes.

  10. In my opinion, Mass Effect 2 had the greatest soundtrack of any game ever. It’s just far and away better than the generic stuff most roleplaying games (Fable, Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim to a lesser degree) throw at you.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCk4RiKH9H0

    Unfortunately they got rid of the guy who did that soundtrack and replaced him with a film score veteran for the third game. I’ll keep my mind open, but the dude has his work cut out for him if he wants to top ME2’s music.

  12. No Kingdom Hearts 1 AND 2!!! Those were some of the best piano songs I ever heard on a video game. And lets not forget Utada singing the themes songs for both of them.

  16. Civilization IV – Baba Yetu
    Chrono Cross – Time’s Scar and Dreamwatch of Time
    Chrono Trigger – To Faraway Times
    Secret of Evermore – Greek Temple and Introduction (still Jeremy Soule’s best soundtrack)
    Secret of Mana – The Second Truth from the Left
    Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles – Kazezone
    Tales of the Abyss – Karma

    Clearly I’m a sucker for great intro and ending themes.

  17. Soul Blazer – Sad Town

    Secret of Mana – The Color of the Summer Sky

    Final Fantasy VI – Kids Run Through the City Corner

    Final Fantasy VI – Terra

    Mega Man 2 – Dr Wily’s Castle

    Street Fighter 2 – Guile’s Theme

    Castlevania SOTN – Dracula’s Castle

    Metroid – Kraid’s Theme

    Dragon Warrior – Chateau Ladutorm

    Final Fantasy – Town

    It’s possible I missed something, but this is a pretty good lineup off the top of my head. NES and SNES really can’t be beaten in the music department…

  18. Final Fantasy VIII – Fisherman’s Horizon
    Chrono Cross – the entire soundtrack is great
    Heavy Rain – Before the Storm
    Rival Schools (opening theme)
    Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver – Ozar Midrashim

  22. That song isn’t from Final Fantasy X. Here is a link that shows the music of FF X:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_X_soundtrack#Final_Fantasy_X_Original_Soundtrack

    There are a lot of good FF songs.Here are a list of a few great FF songs:

    FF X – Besaid Island
    FF X-2 Eternity~Memories of Waves and Light
    FF VII- Cosmo Canyon
    FF VIII – Blue Fields
    FF IX – Vamo’ Alla Flamenco

    As a video game list well…

    1) Old Snake – Metal Gear Solid 4
    2) You Were There – ICO ( I find it fun to sing the course)
    3) (Sorry) Besaid Island – FFX
    4) Cohens Masterpiece – Bioshock
    5) Witchcraft – Silent Hill Homecoming
    6) Dog Ending Music – Silent Hill 2 (have that as a text ring tone pretty awesome to here people tell you that your phone was barking)
    7) Megacorp Outlet – Ratchet and Clank Going Commando
    8) King of King’s – We <3 Katamari (crazy ass song but pretty awesome)
    9) Snake Eater – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
    10) Pool of Tears – American McGee's Alice

    ^_^

  31. Some of my favorites, can’t remember individual song titles at the moment:

    Metal Gear Solid. MGS2 was also incredible.
    Serious Sam (original). Always pumped me up to kill wave after wave of baddies.
    Quake 1. Trent has perfected the art of gloomy environments.

  33. No real addition here other than to add that I’ve had Kefka’s theme and Celes’ opera on my ipod since it came out.

    Oh, and the final Kefka battle (around 28 minutes; two tracks)… greatness.

    Excellent post…. just excellent.

  37. Silent Hill 1: Hometown

    Silent Hill 2: Room of Angel

    Silent Hill 3: You’re Not Here, I want Love

    Rule of Rose: A Love Suicide

    Dragon Age Origins: Leiliana’s Song soundtrack

    Bioshock 1: Ocean on His Shoulders, Empty Houses, and Cohen’s Masterpiece

    Seventh Guest: The Game

    Final Fantasy 10: Guardian’s sending

    Max Payne: Main Theme (Tragedy of a Bullet)

    Parasite Eve: Beauty’s Abomination

  38. Any of the Myst series soundtracks, though Riven (Myst 2) is my favourite. Composed by Robyn Miller.

    Jack Wall did the later ones and also worked on games like Mass Effect. Myst is an extremely immersive game and the soundtracks really capture the amazing worlds.

  45. Chrono Cross – Garden of the Gods, Shadow Forest & Predicament

    Okami – Harami Lake, Ushiwaka’s Appearance, Kusanagi Village & The Tribe of the Heavenly God’s Theme

    Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – Lost Painting & Prayer

    Final Fantasy VI – Terra’s Theme

    Silent Hill 3 – You’re Not Here & Memory of the Waters

    Parasite Eve – Missing Perspective, Wheel of Fortune & Kyrie

    Kyrie from Parasite Eve is probably one of the most haunting/creepy songs I’ve heard from a game soundtrack. I would really recommend the whole Parasite Eve Soundtrack since it is one of the most unique soundtracks I’ve ever heard for a game.

    On a side note: my friend gave me some Mt. Eden dubstep for Still Alive from Mirror’s Edge. I’ve been trying to find out where the original came from ’cause I really wanted to hear the song in a non-dubstep format. Now I know where the song is from, so thanks for that! I really don’t like dubstep, but that one is actually pretty nice.

  48. For me Chrono Trigger has always held a special place in my heart for all of the music in it. To me, nothing else will ever quite come close to the musical brilliance that is Chrono Trigger. From the opening of the game, to each character’s own music to battle fights and the end of the game it is a masterpiece.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.