From early chip-tune melodies to complex orchestrations, video games have always been home to some of the catchiest and most creative tunes. While many video games have showcased brilliant scoring and audio design, there are a few themes that have captured the ears of enough listeners to be recognizable across the globe.
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The most recognizable themes skew towards older titles, gaming classics that multiple generations have been able to enjoy and that have had time to successfully disseminate the earworms within them. Here, we explore gaming’s most recognizable songs and the games they call home.
15Green Greens - Kirby
First introduced in Kirby’s Dream Land, Green Greens serves as the unofficial main theme for gaming’s hungriest hero and the soundtrack for the very firstKirbylevel in existence. A sprightly and chipper song fitting for Kirby’s first stroll through the classic green plain/forest level, it has been remixed and remastered consistently as the series has evolved.
While other Kirby songs like King Dedede’s Theme and Gourmet Race are notable, Green Greens’s simple melody is easily the catchiest and most iconic of the series.
14Techno Syndrome - Mortal Kombat
This upbeat techno jam from one of gaming’s bloodiest fighting series is certainly one to remember. Used in the 1995Mortal Kombatmovie and other remixes, this song is famous for its synth syncopation, gong crashes, and the signature ‘Mortal Kombat’ scream.
Made entirely on an Atari computer, the song has the same self-aware oddball humor found in the game’s over-the-top finishers:brutal, bloody Fatalities, even more gorey Brutalities, and inexplicably, Friendships. One of the few gaming songs that has charted on Billboard, Techno Syndrome’s catchiness is truly fatal.
13Megalovania - Undertale
Undertalecaptured countless hearts after launch and is memorable for countless reasons. Created by independent developer Toby Fox, who worked as a composer before venturing into video games, Undertale’s most iconic song is undoubtedly Megalovania, a grungy and frenetic boss theme forthe nihilistic skeleton Sans.
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The intense guitar bassline and ferocious chip-tune synths create a web of sound befitting of a notoriously difficult fight. Though Undertale might have you make some questionable choices, this song is never a bad time. The song also has a rich history, having appeared previously as both the final boss music to a popular Earthbound fan-made romhack, and as part of the Homestuck soundtrack.
12Dearly Beloved - Kingdom Hearts
The pensive and emotional Dearly Beloved serves as the main theme of theKingdom Heartsfranchise.Composed by Yoko Shimomuraas a solo piano instrumental, this beautiful and simple song plays on the menu screen of these titles.
Though it has been remixed into orchestral and even big-band versions, the simple piano melody and ambient ocean waves remain the most memorable form of this song. Dearly Beloved is a sentimental and melancholic main theme that reminds us all of the heart in these games.
11Main Theme - Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Though Lifelight fromSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateis rapidly becoming a modern classic, 2008’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl still takes the cake forSmash’s most recognizable theme. With epic stringed orchestration, energetic snare drums, and a Latin choir, this song carries immense gravitas.
Composed by the Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, this song transforms this Nintendo fighting title into a clashing of epic Roman warriors. One of the few video game songs with vocals, the choir brings glory to this tune like no instrument could.
10Sweden - Minecraft
WithMinecraft’s dominance of the gaming world, it’s no surprise that its music has shared the spotlight. Spare and unobtrusive like the rest of the soundtrack, the slow and simple piano theme Sweden has become an industry favorite.
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While other songs like Wet Hands and Minecraft (Overworld) are similarly iconic, Sweden has been praised by critics and adored by fans, becoming one of themost-streamed video game songs on Spotify. This contemplative and lonely piece is sure to woo the hearts of any future survivalists.
9Mii Channel - Wii
The Mii Channel theme, much like many otherNintendo Wiisongs, is famous (or perhaps infamous) in the video game community. Despite accompanying the Wii’s avatar creator instead of a proper game, its simple organ and sharp strings have given it a legendary status.
Along with the Wii Shop Channel theme, this song has been reused in countless memes and immortalized across the internet. Undeniably catchy, this Nintendo song has captured thousands of listeners with this offbeat bop.
8Zelda’s Lullaby - The Legend of Zelda
This catchy melody appears as frequently as the Hero and the Princess themselves. Composed by Koji Kondo for A Link to the Past in 1991, this song was largely popularized in the universally laudedOcarina of Time, which largely solidifiedZelda’s musical canon.
A simple five-note melody characteristic of Kondo’s simple genius, Zelda’s Lullaby has also been remastered and reused throughout the series as a royal motif or a leitmotif for the princess. Simple and elegant, this piece is recognized the world over.
7Main Theme - Pokemon Red & Blue
The first installments of thePokemonseries contain an iconic piece of music and the main theme for the series. Created in 1996 by Junichi Masuda, the games' shared main theme uses an energetic progression combined with funky sound effects.
Though loved by fans and remastered several times throughout the series, this Pokemon theme is often overshadowed by the anime’s epic title song, ‘Gotta Catch ‘Em All.’ Despite this, Red and Blue’s main theme holds its own as an icon in its own right.
6Green Hill Zone - Sonic the Hedgehog
Composed by Masato Nakamura, The Blue Blur’s starter theme remains one of the most iconic songs of the 16-bit classic era. This game and its bouncy synth-pop theme were composed with the goal of competing with Nintendo and establishingSonicasa rival to Super Mario.
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Inspired by Japanese pop and able to capture uncharacteristic richness by harnessing the more advanced audio capabilities of the Genesis, this theme has remained a standout song despiteSonic’s rich progression of musical stylinginto the modern era.
