Top 20 Music Pieces in Video Games

Music doesn't play such a big part in games today, but it was big back on the NES and Genesis. Can you imagine trying to play Tetris without the kickass music?
With that in mind, here are my top 20 favourite pieces of video game music. Bear in mind, most of these options will be on old-school consoles just because back then, music meant more in games than it does now. Also, creating music in a video game now is easy, whereas back then, you had to make a catchy tune, AND keep it 8-bit. I'll also warn you now, these are just my choices, therefore, you shouldn't get overly angry if I leave out a tune you like.
All the same, if you really like a different tune, leave it in the comments.
And to save you the trouble of looking up the music if you want to hear it, I'll try to provide links.

20) Green Hill Zone, Sonic the Hedgehog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHL4vs566Yg

Back when the Sonic VS Mario war was still going on, each side had advantages and disadvantages. Super Mario Bros had good gameplay and controls, while Sonic had just as great controls, varying boss fights, and was more fast-paced. One major advantage it had, was the music. Even though the Mario tune is more recognisable, the Sonic jingle in Green Hill Zone is one catchy piece of music.

19) Awake, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GncgB3rI6hM

Some people might not have heard of this, because it was a GBA Castlevania game that didn't really keep tradition: there was no link to other castlevania games, you didn't play as Simon, and the only similarity was that you were fighting Dracula. However, this didn't stop the game from doing a few remixes of old tunes, and in this case, an original piece. It stands as one of the most underrated pieces of Castlevania music to date.

18) Corneria, Starfox.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIP0TxIb8zg

Even though the graphics were amazing for an SNES game, nowadays, Starfox for the SNES is shunned. It might be because by now, we've seen Starfox 64, Lylat Wars, or it might be that now, we've moved on to other games. But one thing we will always remember is that catchy tune that played as we first caught a glimpse of the 3D Lylat universe.

17) The Gift of Forever, Eternal Darkness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxYHLw1WFrU

Bear with me on this one... Eternal Darkness is mostly known for it's creepy sound effects, and sanity decreases that can make your character's head fall off, but in the fourth chapter of the game, the music stood out to me.
For the first few minutes (just wait for the video to load, then skip to 1:52 and it will be over) you just get the weird music that sounds, not bad, but nothing special. Then, suddenly, a tune comes up. Soon enough, a haunting chorus sets in a echoing, human voices sing the notes that really makes you feel like you're exploring the creepy temple in the game. It's a good one.

16) Dragon Roost Island, The Wind Waker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXJDr8GPLk4

The Wind Waker didn't make any startling advances on Zelda music, but there were still a few tunes that caught player's ears. Most of them were either the credits, or the boss battles, but one infectious ditty was played as soon as Link landed on Dragon Roost Island.
It quickly became beloved, and luckily, was brought in as a track in Super Smash Bros Brawl, unchanged. Let the Rito people rejoice!

15) Jogging scene, Mike Tyson's Punch Out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26r8J1-lpsE

Do I even need to explain myself? This game had such great music, I had to have one of the tunes in it, and unfortunately, although the 3 second victory tune is amazing, it's a little too short to put here, so I'll put the second greatest tune, the jogging theme. This was NES music at it's best.

14) Lavender Town, Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g76W944CXzo

Despite being on the Gameboy, the Pokemon games there always had great music. Nothing outstanding, but catchy jingles for each town. Then, when this one came, it was amazing. The original Lavender Town theme was similar, but with one difference; it was creepy. This one took the same tune, but somehow made it really happy and upbeat, in a mournful sort of way, if that makes sense. Anyway, it's stuck in my mind now, so it's on the list.

13) Intro + Title Screen, Megaman 2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8Ao63nmzuE

Megaman games on the NES were always known for 3 things:
1) They were harder than the average NES game.
2) They were simple games based on running and shooting.
3) They had awesome music.
No matter what way you look at it, this intro and title screen have some of the most downright awesome music in any video game ever, and if you've never heard it, you cannot call yourself a true gamer.

12) Bloody Tears, Castlevania 2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjazC45Qkww

Like I said earlier, Castlevania has some of the best known tunes in the video game industry, and this shows us why that is easily true. Despite Castlevania 2 being shunned by a few gamers, (Most famously, AVGN) it's still a decent game, and for all it's flaws, it can always rely on it's amazing music. This is (in my opinion) the best Castlevania music ever.

11) Intro, Ninja Gaiden 2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgIb5T9HYEc

Another underrated piece of music, this is better than all the music of the original Ninja Gaiden put together. It starts out moody and slow, then picks up speed and more notes as the scene progresses, and is undoubtedly one of the greatest musical intros to a game ever. A very worthy follow up to Ninja Gaiden.

10) Mach Rider Medley, Super Smash Bros Melee.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oyDD9k6dLg

Mach Rider was one of the few games I played before I got into gaming, and I always remembered it's little musical jingles and tunes, but they never really linked together until I heard this. As alternate music on the 'Big Blue' stage, this techno-style tune delivers practically every piece of music from Mach Rider, revamped and joined together. A great nod to the great music of the NES game.

9) Ending, A Link to the Past.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZo-Tt6CnmA

Being one of the greatest games of all time, A Link to the Past had to have great music, and it did. However, one piece stands out, just because of what it went with.
In Super Mario Bros 3, when the game ended, you got a little tune while you saw each world again. But in A Link to the Past, you got to see all the different characters you interracted with, and what they were doing at the end of the game. It was a precursor to the ending sequences of Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess, and the music that went with it was, as could be expected from the Zelda series, absolutely legendary.

8) Main Theme, Monty on the run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7Ht2nmoy-A

Finally, a game that isn't on a Nintendo system, but you've never heard of it. Not available in the US, this was a Commodore 64 game that was pretty tough, but also fun. Now, chances are, you haven't heard of that many Commodore 64 games, so why have I heard of this one? Because of the music, which singlehandedly gives the game it's legendary status among C64 games.

7) Moon Level, Duck Tales.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_80PQ543rM

Another great track from the NES, this was some of the most famous music for the NES, let alone the game Duck Tales. There's a reason why this music is constantly used in lists like these, and usually placed highly.
Because it's awesome, and is responsible for most of the memories of Duck Tales nowadays.

6) Pokey Means Business, Earthbound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grQkblTqSMs

This is the first (and second last) entry on the list that is boss-battle music, which is always regarded highly in video games, and when you listen to them, you can see why. In the final battle against Giygas, the theme starts out slowly, with beeping and booping that reminds you of good old NES music. Then, it changes into fast, dark guitar and drums, and you realise that this is the final battle for the fate of mankind. And you realise that one of your enemies, Pokey, really means business.

5) Don't Cry Jennifer, Clock Tower.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WxrXvDdKuw

I'm talking about clock tower for the SNES, the one that was only released in Japan. Luckily, with a translation patch and an emulator, this great game could be brought to Europe and the USA through computers, making sure that we didn't miss this amazing music that plays whenever you're being chased by the crazed ten-year old wielding giant scissors, known creatively as 'Scissorman'. This is the kind of music where you prolong hiding, even though it makes you more likely to get killed, just to hear the music. Not scary, but very creepy and atmospheric, especially when paired with the slicing sound of the scissors in the game.

4) Elecman's stage, Megaman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjnnxsWIA_0

My favourite Megaman tune, this was the one that stood out for me on the original Megaman game. Despite being an insanely catchy and memorable tune, people often choose other Megaman jingles to be their favourite, but this will always be my favourite one. The upbeat, yet simple music, is what makes NES music so much more creative than more recent games.

3) Butsutekkai, Ikaruga.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpKZCg22pXA

The last entry on the list to be music in a boss battle, picture the scene. You've just fought your way through loads of planes, having to switch the colours of your ship at high speed to survive, then, you finally come to a clear spot.
Then, the siren sounds. A message in red flashes across the screen.
"WARNING! The big enemy is approaching at full throttle. According to the data, it is identified as Butsutekkai."
Then, the robot comes and the battle starts. However, you're not just fighting to save the world, or kill the bad guy. You're fighting because you know that if you die, you won't be able to listen to the epic boss music that is currently playing. It's good.

2) Smiles and Tears, Earthbound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwHZwvTdnPI

This is a more personal choice rather than a musical choice, but after seeing one Earthbound credits video, with a last look at the cast of characters, you get a slideshow of various pictures that were taken of you by the mysterious photographer who would often fly into the screen, snap a photo, then fly out.
The tune that plays when you view the cast of characters is a jazzy piece, whereas this one is slower and more relaxed, as well as including the 'Eight melodies' tune also found in Earthbound.
If you like music fast and energetic, this one isn't for you. But if you get attached to a game that you've played for 24+ hours to beat and want to look through the photos of you and your friends, saving the world, this might be for you.

And the number 1 is...

1) Overworld Theme, The Legend of Zelda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpEzYEoV9qY

This entry doesn't really apply to just the tune in the NES game, but the same tune, no matter what Zelda game it is. Super Mario Bros might be the theme tune that EVERYONE recognises, but this is the most memorable tune to gamers. Whether it's redone on Ocarina of Time, A Link to the Past, or even Link's Awakening, this tune will always be the same, because it's too damn perfect to change. I love this theme. I have friends who play Zelda who love this theme. I have friends who don't play Zelda who love this theme. I have friends who hate Zelda, but I still catch them humming this to themselves every once in a while. Truly the pride of video game music, this should be the inspiration of every piece of video game music today.

Well, thanks for reading this long list, I hope you agreed with a few entries, but obviously, everyone's favourite game music is different.
Still, hope you enjoyed the list.

-Elmo 3000