What are some of the best video game theme songs?

Video games often have some great music. Then there are some of them which have exceptional music. Those are the ones I want to talk about right now.

What are some of the best video game songs you can think of? These can be vocal or instrumental pieces, and they can be from any game- but they have to be from a game.

As for my contribution, allow me to nominate Baba Yetu, from Civilization 4.

Perhaps the best thing about Baba Yetu is how uplifting and incredibly resonant it is- even when I have no clue what they are saying, it is a song that makes me feel positive and happy. It helps that it is musically so incredible too. Then there are all the various covers for the song that have proliferated in the years since it came out, and they are arguably better than the original.

Baba Yetu was the first video game song to win a Grammy, and it absolutely deserved it. It is by far one of the best pieces of video game music that I can think of. In fact, one of the big reasons that I am excited for Civilization 6 is because Christopher Tin will be back to score the main theme again- I hope what he creates this time is as great as Baba Yetu was.

Anyway, that's my pick. What are yours?

NES Castlevania

No Man Sky looks to give most games a run for its money in that department.

The one that makes me want to cry every time i hear it.

Here is a theme song from Nobuo Uematsu (a.k.a. the "Beethoven of video game music") that did the impossible for a video game song and made it to number three on the Classic FM Hall of Fame (the world's largest classical music radio station), even ahead of classical music legends like Beethoven and Mozart, introducing a whole new (old) generation of classical music listeners to video game music:

Final Fantasy VII - "Aerith's Theme"

M4 Part 2

I don't know if it's my absolute favorite or what I'd consider the best, but if I had to choose a main theme for a game or franchise that really resoates for me, it'd be this main Final Fantasy theme:

Say what you will about FFIV or its story (lord knows it can be rough to look back at now and it does have its stupidity, like how most of the cast magically survives some crazy s***)

But damn does hearing this music play during the end of the game during the Zeromus fight hit me in the feels.

One of the most beautiful, stirring songs ever made for a video game, composed by Yasunori Mitsuda and sung by Joanne Hogg:

Xenogears - "Small Two of Pieces"

Man I always feel sad when I hear this but in a good way. FF7. Such amazing memories. One of the best 250 hours I've spent on a game.

This makes me feel like I'm drinking at the Nintendo Saloon. lol:

Uncontrollable - Xenoblade Chronicles X.

It brings out my inner Weeb.

Also Satorl Marsh Night theme in Xenoblade Chronicles is just beautiful.

Final Fantasy's theme by far. It was awesome to hear it evolve over time with technology's rapid progression :)

ed- oh theme

Max Payne I guess. Different variants, like the third one best.

Maybe not technically a theme...but...

Suikoden 1 World Map theme.

Silent Hill 2

The Sax player is ON FIRE in this track.

When this song was included in the Classic FM Hall of Fame, there was some backlash from older Classic FM listeners annoyed at the inclusion of a video game song, and were ready with their pitchforks... until they actually heard "Aerith's Theme" and were amazed by the beauty of the song, making them see video game music in a whole new light.

I'd post the videos directly if I wasn't on mobile. Here are my current top 5:

Apotheosis - Journey

The First Hunter - Bloodborne

Blue Team - Halo 5: Guardians

Main Theme - Xenoblade Chronicles

All Gone - The Last of Us

Halo. The choral then leads into main theme

The MGS and Mass Effect series come to mind for me.

MGS 2!!

the only good thing about the game lmao.

Most people still view Video games as kids play things when over 50% of gamers are adults. I used to think ill grow out of gaming when I was a teen but my love for it has only grown. People frown upon it but find watching movies to be a better hobby. Society is missing out. Man I'm going to listen to some FF7 songs now "Flowers blooming in the church" is another great one.

The menu song from Kingdom Hearts 2.

And the whole soundtrack for Super Mario RPG Legend of the Seven Stars.

how do you beat this music? you don't, just a masterpiece how can humans do this?

Blood Dragon

It's kind of amazing how good music was back when composers were so heavily limited by the sounds they could use.

Snake Eater - It's so gloriously cheesy.

It probably wouldn't count as one of the "best" simply because it's from a lesser liked game, but Yasunori Mitsuda remains my favorite composer because of this one track.

Much as I abhor Xenogears, that track is a personal favorite. Kudos for including it here.

Nah screw that, I'm not much of a Chrono Cross fan, yet I listen to the OST regularly. So many great tracks, really good stuff to listen to while I'm working.

I think the music in Chrono Cross is definitely up there among gamings best, no matter how a person feels about the game itself.

@ConanTheStoner:
I meant it in the context of this thread. I consider Chrono Cross to have the BEST OST of any video game out there, and boy howdy have I heard tons of music from tons of games across tons of platforms and genres.

Unfortunately, I'm not exactly musically literate so I could not in fancy words describe WHY I think it's the best OST outside "music good me like".

For sure man, that's all that can really be said. Breaking music down mechanically by objective means is just lulzy. It either works for you or it doesn't.

Though in the case of Chrono Cross I'm with you. Great stuff. I dig a lot of its tracks, but the two that stick out to me at the moment are Forest of Illusion and Ilsand of the Earth Dragon. I can relax and concentrate at the same time when listening to those tracks if that makes any sense.

Edit: Gah, Chonopolis too lol.

The Battleborn theme song, 'Countdown' by Deltron 3030 is pretty cool when you beat the campaign

It makes sense.

Aside from the track I listed earlier, some other standout tracks for me include People Seized With Life, The Girl Who Stole the Stars, and of course Radical Dreamers ~Unstolen Jewel~. Even the English version released last year gets a mention because dammit why not?

Heck one of my best friends even made me a music box that plays Dream's Creation! No greater gift have I ever received.

Chrono Cross does have a great soundtrack, but I'd probably still rank Trigger's soundtrack over it, It's just so damn good and maybe my favorite soundtrack of all time:

@DJ-Lafleur:

Good selection, but I'm more partial to the mellow vibe of Chrono Cross, hence that one is better for me. My favorite track from Trigger being Corridors of Time (and I absolutely fell in love with the vocal version from the album released last year).

This or this

Oh man...when I see a tyrant...I CRANK UP THE VOLUME IT'S GO TIME!

Also gud ^_^

Metroid Prime's menu theme was ace.

Final fantasy, Kingdom hearts menu, Zelda are the three that come to mind immediately.

Funny how most of the songs here in this thread are from 10+ years ago. Is that nostalgia speaking, or have soundtracks regressed? The only series in recent memory which has had a moving soundtrack for me is the Witcher series (all 3 have great soundtracks, I am partial to the 3rd).

Chief Thunder's theme in Killer Instinct (2013) composed by the almighty Mick Gordon who is God of metal-oriented soundtracks. In these theme, there are actual words in Thunder's Nez Perce language. What is more, he actually recorded shouts by the audience at PAX Australia 2013 and mixed it in the track. When you actually consider that Thunder was also designed by a person belonging to the same tribe, all these facts add up to create, hands down, the best representation of a Native American protagonist in a video game, ever.

Also, when it comes to menu themes, it's hard to beat this, also by Mick Gordon:

Crysis 2 theme by Hans mothafuckin' Zimmer, and actually the theme might be much better than the game itself:

Another God of soundtracks is Graeme Norgate, and this track from Nintendo 64's Blast Corps is badass:

The game is a blast, too.

And finally, Completing the Circle in Ori and the Blind Forest, which despite it being a very modern game, has this timeless quality to it, which makes it almost transcendental:

I always liked what Paul Linford did for Need for Speed: Most Wanted

@Cobra_nVidia: I turn it up so nobody hears my horrendous rendition of an amazing song. Haha. The second track you posted is amazing as well. I feel the whole soundtrack just captured that sense of adventure so well.

Still to this day it's the "Aries theme " from ff7. Especially whrn u hear the fully orchestrated version. Hits me right at home. Or tbe Ff6 opening theme. Or a limk to the past main theme. So many goodies.

In honor of one of the greatest games ever made, Xenoblade Chronicles X is on sale $29.99 at Bestbuy ($23.99 with GamersClub).

Atlom Battle from Panzer Dragoon Saga. Remains one of my favorite music tracks from any game, ever.

Brinstar Red Soil from Super Metroid. This one theme sets the tone perfectly and defines what Metroid is to me.

The OG Metal Gear Solid. Haunting.

Beginning of SotN:

The Sacrifice:

Nowadays, the average age of gamers is closer to 30. But at the same time, the average age of classical music listeners is closer to 50, so there's clearly a generation gap there. And that's why it's great to see Final Fantasy bridging that generation gap between gamers and classical music listeners.

The one for medieval 2 total war and crysis 2,

And lets not forget the one for rome 1 as well.

Crysis 2 - Epilogue, Insertion

Modern Warfare 2 - Introduction, Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend, Betrayal, US Ranger Theme

Frankly, anything Hans Zimmer is gold.