When a video game has a good soundtrack, it elicits emotions in the player that helps them connect with the story, builds suspense for exciting battles, and generally sticks with them even once they have turned off the game. When a composer goes to create a score for a game, they know that they are creating a song that will forever be associated with the fond memory of completing that level.
For that reason, the soundtrack of a classic title is often regarded nostalgically by gamers. Just like a soundtrack for a film, these songs become iconic for the game that they were composed for, such as "Zelda's Lullaby" from the Zelda games or "One-Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy VII. However, fans of various games may have a hard time agreeing on which games have the best music. To help, fans took to a vote on Ranker and definitively discovered which game's soundtrack is the very best.
The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Majora's Mask came out in 2000 for the Nintendo 64 as a direct sequel to the wildly popular The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The soundtrack was composed by Koji Kondo, who had been responsible for all the music in the Zelda games up to that point.
Kondo did a phenomenal job of combining his old compositions from OoT with new songs, that perfectly build the anticipation for the impending end of the world (caused by the collapsing moon.) The result was a soundtrack that wonderfully followed up the previous game, but maybe not to the same success.
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo: Combat Evolved was the first game in the Halo series, released in 2001, and the start of a popular franchise that has now gained its own TV series, simply named Halo. It was the launch game for the Xbox, which meant that composers Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori had brand new possibilities for the quality of music they could include in the game.
The result was a soundtrack that featured an extensive range of instruments, from a string orchestra, dramatic percussion, and vocal chanting. This style would become a popular theme for games, as the ancient and mysterious sound perfectly captivated audiences.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skyrim was the fifth installment of the Elder Scrolls games and shared many of the same songs repurposed to fit the new game, including the main title theme, "Dragonborn." A great deal of effort was put into this song, and the soundtrack as a whole, as the lyrics were written completely in the fictional Language of the Dragons.
The soundtrack's composer, Jeremy Soule, created the entire soundtrack, including the voices and instrumentals, digitally with a midi keyboard. The layers and layers of exciting melody came together wonderfully to inspire gamers to take up the mantle of Dragonborn.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was released in 2015 as the third installment of The Witcher games, which are based on the novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. The game has an open-world format, which allows players to explore the hidden details and adventures that The Witcher has to offer. The music is largely composed by Marcin Przbylowicz, with contributions from Mikolai Stroinski and Percival Schuttenbach.
The soundtrack has 35 tracks, which combined run for a total of 81 minutes of music performed by the Brandenburg State Orchestra. The beautiful compositions, combined with the game's open-world concept, allow gamers to spend hours just riding around on the hero's horse, Roach, listening to the music and observing the gorgeous scenery.
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country was released in 1994 for the SNES and is the first title in which Nintendo fans saw this ape in the way he is portrayed today. The game was considered ground-breaking for its time, for both its advanced graphics and the historic soundtrack composed by Eveline Fischer and Robin Beanland.
The soundtrack for Donkey Kong Country contains several songs that will forever be associated with Donkey Kong and his nephew, Diddy Kong. The composers took inspiration from the jungle environment of the game by adding fun and exciting percussion, as well as a swing jazz style that revolutionized the expectations for music in video games.
Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is an action role-playing game released for the PlayStation in 1997 and the direct sequel to Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. It saw poor sales upon its release, but the game picked up a devoted following years later and has since become a favorite amongst classic gamers.
The soundtrack was composed by Michiru Yamane. The music perfectly lines up with the creepy suspense of the game, successfully setting players' skin tingling as they play. It combines the dramatic vocal chanting that has since become so popular in video games, with wailing electric guitars that perfectly pump players up for battle.
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy was released for the Wii in 2007 and followed Mario as he once again set off to defeat Bowser and save Princess Peach, but this time through space with the help of adorable stars called Lumas.
The soundtrack for Super Mario Galaxy is part of what makes it one of the best Mario games. It contains 81 tracks composed by Mahito Yokota and Koji Kondo and performed by its very own orchestra, the Mario Galaxy Orchestra. The composers used their genius to combine classic orchestral sounds with space-like tones that perfectly bring to mind instruments from another world. Some songs are soothing and calm, perfect for solving puzzles, while others were intense and exciting, motivating players to defeat the bad guys.
Shadow Of The Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus is a 2005 title that was released for the PlayStation 2. It takes place in a fantasy world and follows a character named Wander as he seeks out an ancient power to help him revive a girl named Mono.
The game is known for its beautiful graphics and the soundtrack that expertly takes gamers through the climbing emotions of the game. All 42 songs within the title are composed by Kō Ōtani, a Japanese composer who is best known for his work on the Heisei Gamera trilogy. The music and design of the game come together beautifully to create a classic, with both enjoyable gameplay and an unforgettable story.
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a wildly popular game that was first released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997. OoT changed the gaming industry forever and introduced the most in-depth story that Zelda fans had ever seen.
The soundtrack was composed by Koji Kondo, who had worked on every Zelda game up to that point. For this title, however, he had an added challenge, as the music was incorporated in both the story and the gameplay. Players could manipulate time, weather, and other elements of the game by playing songs on their Ocarina. Many songs from this title have become iconic to the series, and are still heard in games like Breath of the Wild.
Final Fantasy VII
The Final Fantasy games are all known for their magical music, but Final Fantasy VII took it to a whole new level. The game was released in 1997 for the PlayStation and introduced new characters like Cloud, Aerith, and the infamous Sephiroth.
The soundtrack was composed by Nobuo Uematsu and includes 85 tracks. Among these is the famous "One-Winged Angel," which has become the theme song for the game's villain, Sephiroth. This track, which contains the dramatic vocal chanting so popular in video game music, brings to mind classic pieces like Wagner's "Flight of the Valkyries."