[All-Time] A Collection of Masterpieces in Video Game Music [Up to the Latest Tracks]
If you’re really into a game, chances are you love it together with its music, right?
In this article, I’d like to introduce some classic gems of video game music.
When you spend a long time playing, the BGM naturally sticks in your ears.
Even if you only played it once as a kid, you might still find yourself humming it as an adult.
Follow the tracks collected here and you might rekindle memories you’d forgotten.
It also makes a great playlist for getting work done!
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- [Animal Crossing BGM] Iconic and Popular Tracks from Animal Crossing
[All-Time] Compilation of Masterpieces in Video Game Music [Up to the Latest Tracks] (1–10)
Life Will ChangePerusona 5
Persona 5 is the fifth entry in the Persona series, itself a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise.
It follows the exploits of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, with a stylish world that serves as a major draw.
An interesting point is that not only the opening and ending themes but also the background music feature vocal tracks; Life Will Change is used during boss battles.
Highlighting Lyn’s powerful vocals, it’s a striking, impactful number.
CHRONO CROSS ~Scars of Time~Kurono Kurosu
This is the opening theme for the PlayStation title Chrono Cross.
While the previous game, Chrono Trigger, also features many popular tracks, there are surely many fans who count this piece as their favorite across the series.
In addition to acoustic guitar and strings, the track incorporates Japanese instruments like the shinobue and shakuhachi, as well as the bouzouki, a traditional Greek instrument, resulting in a sound that blends a Japanese atmosphere with an exotic flair.
The composer is Yasunori Mitsuda, who has worked on numerous game soundtracks including the Chrono series.
Let’s start the adventureMOTHER2 Gīgu no Gyakushū
People in their 50s probably remember this, but when MOTHER was released, it sparked a social phenomenon you could call the “MOTHER boom.” It also made waves because Shigesato Itoi, a star copywriter of the era, handled the game’s design.
The Earth used for the letter “O” in the title is such a clever touch! Its sequel, MOTHER 2: Giygas Strikes Back, was released on the Super Famicom, Wii, and many other systems.
‘Let’s Begin the Adventure’ is the track you hear most often in the game.
Paired with the 2D characters in motion, it evokes a certain nostalgia.
I won’t go into the story to avoid spoilers, but I hope you’ll play it and savor the music!
[All-Time] Compilation of Great Video Game Music Tracks [Up to the Latest] (11–20)
Overworld BGMSūpā Mario Burazāzu
The music from the original Super Mario Bros., which sparked an unprecedented craze and expanded the popularity and recognition of home video games across generations.
In a game whose title screen was silent and had no opening sequence, this piece effectively served as its theme song.
Even within the constraints of the limited number of sound channels available in game music at the time, the fact that it delivers a catchy melody no one can forget after a single listen is, even by today’s standards, a remarkable achievement.
It’s a chiptune masterpiece that epitomizes a game that became a social phenomenon.
The sun rises.oo-kami
Okami is a work that strongly evokes a Japanese aesthetic, with a setting reminiscent of ancient Japan and colors inspired by Nihonga and sumi-e ink painting.
It is also characterized by the appearance of characters and place names modeled on traditional Japanese folktales and mythology.
Much of the music used in the game incorporates the timbres of traditional Japanese instruments into orchestral arrangements, giving the impression that it simultaneously expresses the epic story and the Japanese-style worldview.
The protagonist is Amaterasu, who also embodies the Sun Goddess, and the main theme “The Sun Rises,” derived from this, is used in particularly important scenes.
The piece conveys a powerful sense of forging a path toward the future, along with the bright light of the sun and a strong feeling of hope.
Longing of the WindKurono Terigā
Back then, to exaggerate a bit, gamers were divided into two camps: Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy.
That’s how popular those two series were.
In the midst of that, Square, the publisher of Final Fantasy, invited staff from Dragon Quest to create Chrono Trigger.
The piece I’m introducing, “Yearnings of the Wind,” is one of the game’s foundational themes, and if you’ve played it, you can probably hum the melody.
It’s gentle, yet tinged with a certain wistfulness that makes you want to keep listening forever.
The music from the games we played as kids is something we never forget.
The Last of Us Part IIThe Last of Us Part II
The theme song that sticks in your ears with its unique sound is from the 2020 PlayStation 4 game The Last of Us Part II.
It features a stringed instrument called the ronroco, a traditional instrument from the Andes, giving it a distinctive, exotic tone.
Its melancholic, lonely sound resonates deeply.
The composer is Gustavo Santaolalla, the Argentine composer who scored the game and has won an Academy Award for Best Original Score.
