The last iconic video game theme - and also why I think it's Skyrim's

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Silly Corgan

kiwifarms.net
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24 de Abr, 2024
Throughout the 80s and 90s, video games were very limited in terms of hardware capabilities. This is most apparent in terms of the sounds consoles could produce. What this did was force composers to focus on melody and rhythm. Not only that, but there were memory restrictions as well, so the songs couldn't be particularly long. This lead to some of the catchiest and most memorable music that has ever been written. Such qualities were bolstered by people's nostalgia, so it's no shock that today the game OSTs of yesteryear are some of the most easily recognized and beloved.

Fast-forward to the year of our Lord, 2024. Hardware capabilities have increased exponentially and musical composition is a non-issue. I've found that this leads to mostly cinematic pieces more reminiscent of film scores. Often they're pretty good. Great, even. The problem is these songs are rarely memorable, and even more rarely hold the same power as what we listened to in Mega-Man and Castlevania.

One of the rare examples of truly iconic post-90s video game themes, I believe, is Skyrim's "Dragonborn", composed by Jeremy Soule. I never even gave a shit about the Elder Scrolls and this song is incredible. To say it left an impact would be an understatement, as it was the theme of one of the most anticipated RPGs of all time. It's unique, epic, and infectiously catchy. To me, it's up there with Bloody Tears, The Legend of Zelda theme, Final Fantasy VII's battle music -- all the greats. What sets it apart is that it released in 2011, long after those other games left their impact. Since then, I can't recall having heard anything which resonated with the masses on such a level.

However, I can't possibly have heard every video game OST, so I'm interested in what you may have listened to that gave off the same effect. Post any examples of iconic pieces made in the 2010s and beyond.

 
I think the first half of the theme central to the recently released "Helldivers 2" - up to about 01:37 - has the potential to be iconic long term
 
Oh, there's plenty of great video game music.
Apparently, in terms of time listened, video game music is the most popular kind of music out there and has been for years.
It's just that there are so many games out there that a game score can be really known and "iconic" among 2 million people and still be niche to everyone else.
For example, here's a track I like that I've never heard anybody talk about.
Very catchy shit:

 

Oh, there's plenty of great video game music.
Apparently, in terms of time listened, video game music is the most popular kind of music out there and has been for years.
It's just that there are so many games out there that a game score can be really known and "iconic" among 2 million people and still be niche to everyone else.
For example, here's a track I like that I've never heard anybody talk about.
Very catchy shit:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=-h5snZTfoEA
The only thing that comes to mind is of course something that is a call back to the type of music that OP mentioned from the '80s and '90s:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=MEtdyn2QEzA
The Hotline Miami and Blood Dragon OSTs did a ton of legwork pilling people on synthwave, maybe more than anything else. :semperfidelis:
 
Now here's a good contender that totally escaped me as I was writing and honestly I'm surprised it hasn't been posted yet.


As a matter of fact, this game's entire soundtrack spawned a subgenre that other artists emulate.
 
One of the rare examples of truly iconic post-90s video game themes, I believe, is Skyrim's "Dragonborn", composed by Jeremy Soule. I never even gave a shit about the Elder Scrolls and this song is incredible. To say it left an impact would be an understatement, as it was the theme of one of the most anticipated RPGs of all time. It's unique, epic, and infectiously catchy. To me, it's up there with Bloody Tears, The Legend of Zelda theme, Final Fantasy VII's battle music -- all the greats. What sets it apart is that it released in 2011, long after those other games left their impact. Since then, I can't recall having heard anything which resonated with the masses on such a level.
But it's just a new (and I'd argue worse) arrangement of the same Elder Scrolls theme Soule and Bethesda had been using since Morrowind back in 2002.
 
Halo. It's not just iconic, the arrangement is perfect, from the arias to the heavy beats back to calm. They perfectly matched the music with the CGI and menus to add extra fells to it.

Halo may even be the best music since Sonic 1's opening menu...
 
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