# Music From Video Games



## Fredx2098 (Jun 24, 2018)

I'm sure this title may cause some controversy, but in my opinion there are a few composers of video game music who I really enjoy. I'm not talking about 8-bit type chiptune music, poppy music, electronic music, ambient music, etc., but about actual classical music (come at me, semantics trolls).

I would guess that most people here aren't into video games, but I enjoy them. Some games can be more interesting than movies (I'm not a big fan of movies) and almost as intricate as books, especially role playing adventure games where you basically create your own heroic epic that unfolds before your eyes.

Anyways, on to the music.

One of my all time favorite composers (not just of video game music) is Jeremy Soule. He composed classical music for many of the most legendary games of all time, including The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Icewind Dale, and Neverwinter Nights. All of his music is beautiful, but I'm partial to his relaxing music that is used when exploring and adventuring (as opposed to during the heat of a battle). Any of The Elder Scrolls' soundtracks would be a good place to start, though I'd recommend listening to Oblivion, then Morrowind, then Skyrim.

Another great composer is Russell Shaw, who composed the music for the Fable series of games. His music sounds somewhat traditional but always conveying a sense of fantasy. I'd recommend listening to the three Fable games' soundtracks in order, because each subsequent game references motives used in the previous ones.

An honorable mention who blurs the lines between classical, ambient, and electronic is C418, the composer for the music of Minecraft. His pieces that are more on the classical side are my favorite. In particular, I find the first half of this piece "Mice On Venus" to be extremely touching:






Any thoughts? Any composers you'd like to mention? There are a few more that I could mention, but I'm not as familiar with their music. The best "classical" music from video games seems to come from fantasy/role-playing/adventure games in my experience.


----------



## Alkan (Jun 30, 2018)

I occasionally play games in the Final Fantasy series. Occasionally a lot. I've found Nobuo Uematsu credited more than once as composer. Here is a link to one of his pieces I like best.






FF is, as you say, a role-playing adventure game. The music has to create a mood for whatever "level" you are at without getting in the way. In the background it may have to cycle unobtrusively many times.

Uematsu did not write (most of) the music in FF12. There the composer tended to to use driving rhythms with highly syncopated melodies that don't get lodged in your ears.

One example: 




Another:


----------



## Fredx2098 (Jun 24, 2018)

Alkan said:


> I occasionally play games in the Final Fantasy series. Occasionally a lot. I've found Nobuo Uematsu credited more than once as composer. Here is a link to one of his pieces I like best.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I love that first piece. I'll have to listen to more of his music. It reminds me a lot of Russell Shaw's music with its happy and fantastical but calm atmosphere. I have to wonder how it fits into the game though. I haven't played much of Final Fantasy because it isn't my exact favorite type of game (I prefer real-time, ideally first-person, RPGs), but it seems more intense than the first piece alludes to. The other pieces you linked seem much more fitting to the game, but I don't enjoy them as much because I prefer the relaxing pieces.


----------



## mathisdermaler (Mar 29, 2017)

where's that guy who made all those threads about video game music and classical music being comparable? This is his moment!!

On a more serious note, Im interested in video game music too. I loved the minecraft soundtrack when I played the game.

RYM, the best website to use to find interesting non-classical music that I know of, has a really cool chart of video game music (and every other genre):


----------



## Fredx2098 (Jun 24, 2018)

mathisdermaler said:


> where's that guy who made all those threads about video game music and classical music being comparable? This is his moment!!
> 
> On a more serious note, Im interested in video game music too. I loved the minecraft soundtrack when I played the game.
> 
> RYM, the best website to use to find interesting non-classical music that I know of, has a really cool chart of video game music (and every other genre):


I hope he sees this!

I feel like the music from Minecraft is too electronic and ambient to be discussed as "classical" as a whole, but there are a few tracks that sound like at least half "classical" to me, like "Mice On Venus", "Subwoofer Lullaby", "Living Mice", "Minecraft", "Dry Hands", "Wet Hands", "Clark", "Excuse", "Sweden", "Danny", and "Beginning".

Have you played the other games I mentioned? I feel like those games' soundtracks are some of the best examples of "classical" soundtrack music, especially Soule's music.

But I totally love RYM. It's definitely the best website for exploring non-classical music that I know of, and unlike other places like last.fm it isn't based solely on popularity. It's unfortunate that it's not as good for classical music, because things are listed by album and performers rather than by piece and composer, so the lists for classical genres are usually a bunch of different recordings of the same famous pieces. I wish there was a place like RYM for classical music with lists ranking the pieces themselves instead of recordings. TC seems like a good enough place to discover new classical music though.

The Silent Hill soundtracks are definitely classic, but probably not as appropriate for discussion here.


----------



## mathisdermaler (Mar 29, 2017)

Fredx2098 said:


> I hope he sees this!
> 
> I feel like the music from Minecraft is too electronic and ambient to be discussed as "classical" as a whole, but there are a few tracks that sound like at least half "classical" to me, like "Mice On Venus", "Subwoofer Lullaby", "Living Mice", "Minecraft", "Dry Hands", "Wet Hands", "Clark", "Excuse", "Sweden", "Danny", and "Beginning".
> 
> ...


Those are all great tracks, especially Mice on Venus. I wouldnt consider the album classical either. The record disc "ward" was always my favorite music from the game.

listen 




I dont play video games very much recently, so I havent. Im 16 now and I was obsessed with minecraft from age 11-14 (4 hours a day average probably) so I guess I kind of burnt myself out for games, lol. I'll check out some of those you recommended, I've heard a lot of really good things about the Elder Scrolls soundtracks.

RYM is really incredible. Yeah, their system of weighting average rating much higher than number of ratings (an album rated a very low number of times, like <500, can still get in top 1000) is maybe not the most objective way to make a chart, but definitely makes for the most interesting ones. The film chart is really useful too, though it suffers from the same problems (people voting pretentiously and a ~20 year old demographic). Pulp Fiction being rated as the best movie of all time is all one needs to know.

I totally agree about classical music on RYM, and the records which are popular there are all Beethoven symphonies, late Romantic pieces, classical-but-not-really-music (Music for 18 Musicians, etc.) or really difficult serial music which looks cute next to Pet Sounds in your 5-star section. I don't think a Mozart fan would last a day there LOL.

RYM is working on a new site called Sonemic. Its in beta. From what I've seen its not that different from RYM, which is really annoying... Hopefully it will be better for classical.

RYM's biggest problem is actually its forum, IMO, though that may not be a problem it can fix. The community is absolutely toxic. Nearly every thread is a list of comments by people trying to act funny by being unnecessarily ironic/negative, flashing their esoteric taste, or criticizing other people's music tastes to make themselves feel better. Its just a really sad place to be honest; it lacks the sweetness which abounds on TalkClassical. Its so rare to find someone sincerely expressing their love for an artist/piece without being ironic, self-deprecating or morose. Sincere appreciation/communication should be the hallmark of music discussion, not egotism...

Whats your RYM account, if you dont mind me asking? I just made a new one, it's puce_moment. Im making a point not to rate classical music on there because the system they in place right now just really is not appropriate for doing so, like you've said.


----------



## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

I grew up with Nintendo consoles and my favorite VG soundtrack is Super Castlevania IV. It's not classical music I'd say, but just damn good video game music. The entire soundtrack is a vital part of the game and supports the atmosphere so well. The best way to experience the music is to play the game. But I also enjoy listening separately. I get passionate about this soundtrack every time, obviously there's also nostalgia involved. 
The soundtrack to Super Castlevania IV saves the best for last, in the final stages of the game, the final boss battles and the ending music. Makes it feel like a grand, epic finale. The subdued and incredibly atmospheric music that starts playing when you are about to face Dracula himself and walk up to his room in the highest tower of the castle, it's my most memorable moment in gaming.


----------



## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

My daughter's enjoyment of the occasional game of Civilisation (IV) is just about the only experience in her life that has opened her ears to some classical music!


----------



## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

Koji Kondo is one of my favorites, growing up with Nintendo systems. The Super Metroid themes are great, especially the end credits music.


----------



## Alkan (Jun 30, 2018)

DeepR said:


> I grew up with Nintendo consoles and...


I was already grown up when Nintendo came out, but that didn't stop me from spending a lot of time with it. One of my favorites was Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Music was an integral part of the story. Here somebody composed a piano quintet based on the themes:






I still have my Nintendo, and Ocarina is in a box somewhere, so I'm thinking...


----------



## Kajmanen (Jun 30, 2017)

Totally missed this thread, hehe. 

I love VGM. Im always on the search for it. I tried to find music thats not recorded for games by "normal" bands or artists that sound like vgm but no luck so far.


----------



## Fabulin (Jun 10, 2019)

A simple sentence.
The most symphonic videogame score ever:


----------



## Durendal (Oct 24, 2018)

A couple of fantastic video game soundtracks that stand out are King of Dragon Pass (1999) and Panzer General II (1995).


----------



## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

VGM compared to CM is often more about creating a unique spatial aesthetic rather than always telling a progressive story, because, it's_ dealing_ with adventure. The versatility of synth instruments and genre influences color mostly_ area music_, _small locations and scenes_. That's why, when it's done well, I really kinda enjoy it. Imaginative and emotional yet not overdoing drama and development--instead 'shifting around' provocatively.

I'll post some examples of the same composer *Motoi Sakuraba*:

*Sensual and spiritual* 



*Warm, holy, adventurous* 



*Fluffy and exciting* 



*Beautiful and moving* 



 *(the chorus synth right at 1:21 is beautiful)*
*Regal and whimsical* 



How would _you_ describe?..


----------

