There are now two pieces of video game music that have won Grammy awards: Civilization IV‘s “Baba Yetu” in 2011, and Kirby Superstar‘s Meta Knight’s Revenge in 2022. The first is a piece straight from the video game’s OST, while the second is a cover by 8-bit Big Band. While both pieces won Best Arrangement, Instrumental, or A Cappella, it might be time to allow more video game music into the running for musical awards.
Powerful music has long been an important aspect of video game experiences, just as in film and television. The Grammy awards have given respect and nods to music in other media, from musical theater to film and television soundtracks but games can get overlooked. Gamers and Redditors of all kinds can vouch for how important music can be to the experience and there are some that deserve awards.
Super Mari0 Galaxy
Redditor mykull is a fan of Super Mario Galaxy and its soundtrack, “because it’s so varied and the orchestration is pretty incredible.” The video game features literal universes of variety throughout its gameplay, and the musical direction supports that grand and varied vibe of exploration.
The Mario franchise is full of iconic music, starting with the very first game released in 1985. The Super Mario Bros. theme continues to be one of the most recognizable video game themes of all time, and the series in general endeavors to make music central to every entry – such as in Super Mario Odyssey which features an extended musical number via “Jump Up, Super Star!”
Doom
The Doom series is not typically known for its music over the brutal violence, but the 2016 reboot game changed that via its powerful soundtrack. Dharmasen believes this soundtrack is among the best in video games history, stating “Doom, what’s better than blasting demon skulls to death metal? That’s right, nothing.”
The Doom soundtrack is full of heavy metal pieces that push players on with their intensity and drive. Particularly song titles like “The Only Thing They Fear is You” emphasize the power and danger that the player represents. The incredibly exciting soundtrack builds up the fact that the Doomguy – and the player by association – is nothing to trifle with.
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 is the most well-reviewed entry in the Mass Effect series, and that includes the musical scoring behind it. CafeConLecheLover states that “The entire Suicide Mission soundtrack is just jaw-dropping IMO.” This last mission of the game is deeply stressful, added to by the soundtrack which pushes the player forwards.
The Suicide Mission soundtrack adds depths to the stress of the difficult mission and can cause the potential emotional punches of losing the player’s teammates to hit much harder. The driving score pushes the player on past their deaths, without time to stop and mourn. It emphasizes the mission’s importance and the direness of the situation.
Halo 3
Redditor FailthGuptil lauds Halo 3 for its new and re-invigorated covers of some of the series’ most iconic scores. “All of my favorite Halo songs but fully orchestrated along with new songs that were equally awesome!” The Halo series has long been loved for its score, with the Halo Theme itself quickly becoming as iconic as the Mario Theme.
Halo 3 itself was a culmination of the Halo story, and the covers of past scores provide the soundtrack with compelling tie-ins with the series as a whole. Not many games make such a conscious use of their scores when building soundtracks. But that’s why Halo is considered among the best gaming franchises of all time.
Skyrim
User Weisserfuchs puts their vote in for another long-beloved videogame series in The Elder Scrolls. “The overall sound design in Skyrim is great, and perfectly matches the grim yet dreamy tone.” The pastoral pieces of the soundtrack go perfectly with the long views of Skyrim‘s chilly fields and forests, building the incredible open world through both visuals and sound cues.
Skyrim – and the Elder Scrolls series as a whole – makes a well-intentioned choice to keep music by and large in the background. The music tends to fade into the background, becoming much more ingrained in the experience of the game itself. This is part of why the soundtrack is so memorable – it ties tightly in with other memories of the game.
Dark Souls
Redditor CasualRacoon wants more respect to be given to the Dark Souls games’ soundtracks – “You can feel the despair and darkness in them, how they lost what they were trying to protect…” The Dark Souls are in a very grim setting, of a long fallen kingdom that is in disrepair with little hope of rebuilding. But the player continues on regardless.
It’s partly this determination that inspires many to play the games in the first place – with the reputation of being the most difficult games around, players have to be determined. But the soundtrack doesn’t coddle the player with uplifting tunes or inspiration – the player has to push through on their own. The soundtrack is its own boss.
Mega Man 2
This redditor says “All the Mega Man games have had great soundtracks, all the classic Capcom games really. But Mega Man 2 is the best of them, every single stage has a memorable theme.” Many of the most memorable villains in the game have themes that are instantly identifiable, alongside stage-wide tracks that are just as thrilling.
The Mega Man series is one of the most varied around in terms of style, mechanics, and characters. There are hundreds of unique bosses throughout the series, and the feat of providing each with a unique theme is a vast undertaking – but one that has been handled deftly by composers throughout the years.
Undertale
Redditor throwitaway488 gives a mild spoiler in their vote for the score of the hit game Undertale: “I love how on the soundtrack heartache goes straight into sans. Just like in the game.” While Sans himself may object a bit, the game’s soundtrack has some of the most instantly recognizable pieces around.
Undertale is largely a passion project of one person, and that passion comes through not just in the gameplay. The characters, music, and designs are all instilled with a certain something special that most AAA games lack. From Megalovania to Heartache, the soundtrack of Undertale provides players with hours of incredible music.
Journey
This Redditor says that “Journey is the only video game I’ve never played that I regularly listen to the soundtrack to.” Journey is one of many games that provide players with very little instruction on how to play, requiring them to rely on other players who may appear alongside them as they play.
This gameplay design leaves players often alone with their thoughts, the desert, and the music of the game. This game is one of the peak examples of how a soundtrack doesn’t just build upon or support a game but is inextricably tied into the experience itself. The music intertwines itself with the player’s own journey, making something new.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
The Legend of Zelda series has often made music a key facet of the game itself, from the magic flute of A Link to the Past to Link’s howling wolf-form in Twilight Princess. Redditor zkreynolds claims that Ocarina of Time holds the best soundtrack in the series: “Zelda’s lullaby, Gerudo Desert, Epona’s Song have the ability to pull my heart strings to bring me back to my childhood.”
Ocarina of Time certainly has some of the most memorable pieces thanks to how the music often comes through both diegetically and non-diegetically – through the world itself and from outside of it. Sometimes the music even transitions from in-world music, via playing the titular ocarina, into a haunting orchestra.
