Iconic Video Game Songs [Player's Choice Award]

[Bede]

I think the very first Professor Layton theme is as iconic as it gets.

Oh my gosh YES, the Professor Layton soundtrack is SO iconic. I feel like, when people know anything about it, it's the soundtrack. And though I do admittedly wish the story got more recognition, I am beyond happy that people seem to remember the bopping tunes, if anything.

[akesi]

Riverside Station from Paper Mario:ttyd is one of my go to picks. Relisting to VGM always reminds me of, y'know, the experience of playing through the area where a song plays. And exploring an abandoned train station as the sun sets... just an incredible liminal space.

For a more obscure pick that's nevertheless very iconic to me: Jacob Geller has this really great video essay about the beauty of calm music in moments of reprieve in horror games. And I have potentially a very silly example of this. The maintenance room theme from Hatoful Boyfriend (the pigeon dating sim) ((this song only plays after the game reveals its hand as actually being a psychological thriller)) is such an exemplar of this trope for me. Just after a whirlwind of chaos and tragedy, and hearing this song in the one place that's momentarily safe... this song still fills me with an emotion difficult to identify.

And seconding some earlier responses, I'll also agree that "Don't Ever Forget" from PMD is a great pick. And that Sonic Adventure is chock full of iconic music (my pick for "most personally iconic" there is probably Sky Deck A Go Go)

[starbreaker]

I've got a nice big list for y'all. Mostly stuff from Squaresoft games, but there's some MegaTen and other stuff in there too. Most of these are iconic to me because they provoke feelings of urgency, of an impending titanic struggle, or armoring oneself in defiance and drawing swords forged of love and determination to defend everything that ever mattered to you.

And then there's "Rock'n Rocks" from Soul Nomad and the World Eaters, which is basically Ogre Battle: the March of the Black Queen on crack, with wise-cracking anime edgelord version of Michael Moorcock's demon-sword Stormbringer.

Chrono Trigger: Undersea Palace

Secret of Mana: Star of Darkness

Secret of Mana: Prophecy

Final Fantasy IV: Boss Battle

Final Fantasy IV: Four Fiends Battle

version 1:

version 2:

Final Fantasy IV: Zeromus Theme

Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals boss theme

“Deadline” from Persona

Original:

Eternal Punishment remix:

Decisive Battle with Saruin from Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song

Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner battle themes compilation

The Last Remnant: The Gates of Hell

The Last Remnant: Schismogenesis

SaGa Frontier 2: Feldschlact I

SaGa Frontier 2: Missgestalt

SaGa Frontier 2: Todesengel

Persona 3: Memories of the City

Persona 3: Battle Hymn of the Soul

Persona 4: I’ll Face Myself

Persona 5: Will Power

Final Fantasy XIV: On Blade’s Edge

Final Fantasy XIV: Scream

Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne: Large Map, Last Area

Rockman 2: Dr. Wily, Stage 1 (Rock Mix)

Soul Nomad and the World Eaters: Rock'n Rocks

[zanarkand]

mine has to be the music from hollow bastion in kingdom hearts. i think it's so iconic in the first game when you get there and hear that theme because it captures the increasing seriousness of the game which has been really silly and fun but the danger is starting to become more real as you reach the end of the game and the plot becomes more intense, and i just remember the feeling the music gave me so strongly.

[Nonomino]

Oh yes this is my kind of thread. I've seen music I know and love, and music I've never heard before! I need to check everything.

There's sooo much I want to share, but I think I'm just going to post four links for now, from video games I enjoyed.

Harald's Theme (.hack) by Chikayo Fukuda

Departure (Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles) by Kumi Tanioka

To a World Becoming Impure (Valkyrie Profile) by Motoi Sakuraba

Limestone Quarry (Vagrant Story) by Hitoshi Sakimoto (Expect me to post a lot of him in the future)

[wygolvillage]

An Empty Tome from Castlevania Order of Ecclesia is my pick for most iconic, to me at least... It's the title theme, basically, but it never actually plays in-game until after Shanoa reclaims her agency and sees past the manipulation she had been subjected to. An Empty Tome scores perhaps the first real decision she's made of her own free will- storming Dracula's Castle. (It's also got a shared leitmotif with her brother's theme ;_;)

And it's a bop!!!!!!!

Listen here!

[Nikodile]

I got a few tunes both new and old that I've been loving.


Receive & Believe You from Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - when this track dropped near the end, I was beyond in the zone. It really set the mood and is a wonderful remix of Receive You. One of my favorite songs I've heard in any video game.

All Hail The Fishmen from LISA: The Painful - such a unique sound you don't hear too much in RPGs let alone video games in general. Fits really well for a battle theme.

National Park from Pokemon GSC - this track always hits me in the feels whenever it pops up. I love it so much, takes me back and it aged so well.

Backside of The TV from Persona 4 - When I first heard this in P4G, I felt like I was going into a war, felt like we were marching. Love the vibe.

Mt Roneal from Tales of The Abyss - One of the best overworld themes ever, period.

Aqua Star from Kirby 64 - vacationing! God, I love this whole OST to death, might be my favorite.

[mahoroa]

I have so many of these but Ill try to keep it short

Pollyanna - MOTHER

Hartmann's Youkai Girl - Touhou: Subterranean Animism

Vagrant Counting Song of Retrospective - Kirby Planet Robobot

Quartz Quadrant "G" Mix - Sonic CD

Beach - Plok!

Nutty Noon - Kirby's Return to Dream Land

Thats all Ill share bc theres just too many LOL
I have a youtube playlist of my fave VGM if thats interesting
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_J0_Eey_5PWf3mz-haFttIlhdbfaL4Qn&si=E_Pmnpwt2tHhLQg9

[Goobins]

Sega did not need to go as hard on the soundtrack for this lesser-known racing game but DAMN did it pay off.   

[konamiesque]

Man oh man. I've got a lot of favorites when it comes to video game music, but here's a very small selection of some of my recent favorites.

I think the entire Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army soundtrack is iconic but if I had to pick just one song to represent the game, it would be without a doubt Go Raidou! It's a seriously catchy tune that I could listen to for hours.

Battle B-2 from Shin Megami Tensei IV is one of those songs that I wish had lyrics so that I could scream them from the top of my lungs, but I'll stick to headbanging furiously for now.

Obligatory Castlevania shoutout, Crucifix Held Close, aka Cross on the Breast, aka Cross Your Heart has been my underrated fave for YEARS. The unused rendition from Rondo of Blood especially encapsulates so much of what I love about Castlevania music, with its creepy-yet-adventurous sound.

Last but not least, The Frozen Dark from The Messenger is just. So good. I can't really put into words what I love so much about it beyond the fact that it makes me want to start jamming out every time I hear it.

P.S.

((I remember KHInsider used to be the spot for video game OSTs...and while I haven't checked it in years, I would be pleasantly surprised if they're still kicking.))

KHInsider is absolutely still around! I visit it frequently to this very day