So after around a month of owning and playing DJ Hero, I have come to the conclusion that not only is it a good game, but its also one of the greatest soundtracks in the history of video games. One aspect of gaming that’s highly underrated is the music. There are many excellent games with excellent music, but note that there are very few awful video games with a great soundtrack. This doesn’t happen with movies, when there are crappy movies with epic soundtracks. So, you game makers, if you want to make a memorable gaming experience, go for the nine yards and include some stellar music.
This article is now dedicated to the video games with the best soundtracks you’ll ever hear. The music ranges a variety of genres, a variety of gaming generations, and some of the soundtracks are music you’ve never heard before. Some make this list more for the technical achievements rather than the quality of the music itself—but that doesn’t mean the music was bad either. Remember, this isn’t a list of the best games ever played, but the best music ever placed in a game.
Let’s start with the Honorable Mentions, games that just missed the cut but deserve a little bit of attention:
1) Super Mario Bros.: One would wonder how much of a classic this game would have been if it didn’t have Koji Kondo providing the infectious beats that to this day we can hum in our sleep
2) Yoshi’s Story: The best soundtrack to come from a very mediocre game
3) Modern Warfare 2: With Hans Zimmer backing the score, video games are suddenly attracting professional movie composers. Will John Williams or Danny Elfman construct a score for a game in the coming years?
4) Final Fantasy VI: Opera. Nuff’ said.
a. P.S. This is still the best Final Fantasy.
#30: Fallout 3
Bottom Line: The 50s is back. The music here brings you back to a delightfully scary era when superpower nations were inches away from ending the world as we know it.
#29: Plok
Bottom Line: This unknown soundtrack was cleverly composed by not using all the possible audio channels in the gaming chip, leading the sound effects never getting in the way of the rock-influenced tunes.
#28: Earthbound
Bottom Line: This classic game has one of the most unique, varied, and trippy soundtracks of all-time. And for such variety to be placed in a game back in the early 90s was quite an achievement. Where on earth is that sequel anyway?
#27: Wipeout
Bottom Line: One of the early reasons for the Playstation beating up the N64 back in the day was because of its cutting-edge image and ability to appeal to the older kids. With a soundtrack featuring the Chemical Brothers, the Prodigy, and New Order, its hard to argue the previous statement.
#26: Tetris (Game Boy Version)
Bottom Line: The song is playing in your head because you still remember it. That or its been stuck on your head for the last several years. 3 classic songs. One classic game.
#25: Goldeneye
Bottom Line: Unlike every single other James Bond video game in the history of mankind, the game (and soundtrack itself) made you feel like you were part of the James Bond adventure.
P.S. Its still one of the best shooters ever, but don’t tell the Halo fans that…
#24: Golden Sun
Bottom Line: Incredible proof that not all amazing soundtracks come from console games, sometimes the good ol’ Game Boy can crank out some memorable tunes
#23: Gran Turismo 3
Bottom Line: While Wipeout introduced the mainstream-like soundtrack to racing fans, Gran part 3 perfected this with a wide variety of music from classic and modern-day bands.
#22: Grand Theft Auto 4
Bottom Line: While there is no stand-out track that represents GTA IV, there is so much music, and so many good selections, this game has to make the list out of sheer quantity alone.
#21: Perfect Dark
Bottom Line: If this game had been remade with Hans Zimmer providing an updated soundtrack, it would sound like it came straight out of a Jerry Bruckheimer film. Epic in every possible way.
#20: Rock Band
Bottom Line: While it never achieved the revival popularity of Guitar Hero, Rock Band had an excellent variety of music, ranging all types of decades and genres. Then with downloadable content, the actual list of songs will remain endless until the next generation of gaming.
#19: Final Fantasy VII
Bottom Line: The epic RPG experience that launched the Playstation into a new level of success is led by a soundtrack that to this day is heavily imitated and heavily admired. It only makes sense that one of the better Final Fantasys ever has the best soundtrack in the franchise.
#18: Crazy Taxi
Bottom Line: This arcade classic (and eventual successful port) had an awesome blend of punk and hard rock that increased your need for speed (and more playing time).
#17: Super Mario 64
Bottom Line: An excellent way to start the Mario 3-D era, the soundtrack here was an excellent blend of old-school remixes with some new music that to this day is placed in other video games for nostalgic reasons.
#16: Donkey Kong Country
Bottom Line: One of the first video games to feature music popular enough to warrant a soundtrack release. And to this day contains some of the best theme music ever composed.
#15: Chrono Trigger
Bottom Line: Square Soft was on fire with the music by providing yet another incredible soundtrack after the already-amazing Final Fantasy III. With famed Final Fantasy composer AND Yasunori Mitsuda at the wheel, this was a classic from the first theme to the last song.
Standout Track: Secret of the Forest
#14: Tony Hawk Underground
Bottom Line: While all the Tony Hawk games contain a nice portion of music featuring well-known bands and underground hits, Tony Hawk Underground provided the most variety, and the most quality stuff.
Standout Track: Busdriver’s amazing “Imaginary Places.”
#13: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Bottom Line: While the original Super Mario World was slightly superior, Yoshi’s Island had the musch better soundtrack by combining a slew of happy-go-lucky music, eerie dungeon songs, and infectious jungle music that skips along with the gameplay.
Standout Track: Opening Story
#12: F-Zero GX
Bottom Line: While F-Zero X’s metal music was superb (and perfectly remastered in a separate album), F-Zero GX’s blend of noisy techno, Japanese rock, and sinister trance made this quite a delight to listen while desperately trying to back away from last place.
Standout Track: Red Canyon
#11: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest
Bottom Line: While the original mastered the jungle sounds, DKC2 mastered every other type of music out there, especially the pirate level music. The soundtrack was in the epic scale, with not a single song not matching the theme and mood of the level. Part 3 never had a chance to top this.
Standout Track: Stickerbush Symphony
Oh noes! It looks like we ran out of time! Ah well, next time, we shall see which 10 video games make the list, and we shall see just how high up the ladder DJ Hero reaches. Will it be a Top 3? There is still one remaining franchise with two entires on the list. Which one could that be? Hmmmm. Give it some time, by the end of this week, you will know. But in the meantime...SUSPENSE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
On a more professional note, the top 10 gaming soundtracks will be unveiled in a couple of days. So sit tight, and predict away.
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