Top 10 Best Game Soundtracks

Keiichi Okabe's 2017 score blended choral vocals, electronic beats, and orchestral arrangements into music that dynamically shifted between 8-bit and full orchestration based on gameplay context. "Weight of the World" in four languages during the final ending is the most emotionally devastating use of music in gaming.

Yasunori Mitsuda composed 54 of Chrono Trigger's 64 tracks while battling a stomach ulcer so severe he was hospitalized, with Nobuo Uematsu completing the rest. The result is the most melodically perfect JRPG soundtrack ever, with "Corridors of Time" and "Frog's Theme" remaining iconic 30 years later.

Koji Kondo's 1998 score made music a gameplay mechanic through the ocarina songs players physically performed. "Song of Storms," "Gerudo Valley," and "Zelda's Lullaby" are so ingrained in gaming culture that even non-gamers recognize them, and orchestral performances sell out worldwide.

Toby Fox composed 101 tracks for his 2015 indie RPG, creating leitmotifs that rewarded attentive listeners across genocide and pacifist routes. "Megalovania" became a global meme, "Hopes and Dreams" soundtracks gaming's greatest final boss, and the entire OST was produced by one person.

Mick Gordon's industrial metal soundtrack was composed by running synthesizers through actual chainsaw recordings and guitar amplifiers cranked past distortion. Its BPM-synced combat music made demon-slaying feel rhythmic, and "BFG Division" became the de facto anthem of aggressive gaming.

Shoji Meguro's 2016 acid jazz score gave Persona 5 a sonic identity so distinctive that "Last Surprise" and "Beneath the Mask" topped Spotify gaming playlists for years. Its seamless blend of jazz, rock, and J-pop created the coolest-sounding RPG ever made and spawned a global concert tour.

Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori's 2001 score opened with a Gregorian chant that became the most recognizable theme in shooter history. Its monastic choir, electric guitar riffs, and sweeping orchestral compositions elevated a console launch title into an epic that defined Xbox's identity.

Christopher Larkin's 2017 score used piano, strings, and minimal instrumentation to create an atmosphere of melancholic beauty across Hallownest's ruined kingdom. "City of Tears" accompanies one of gaming's most atmospheric moments, and the boss themes escalate from somber to symphonically intense.

Ko Otani's 2005 score is silent during exploration and erupts into bombastic orchestral fury during colossus battles, creating a dynamic contrast that makes each encounter feel mythic. "The Opened Way" accompanying a climb up a living skyscraper is the single most cinematic moment in gaming audio.

Keiichi Okabe's 2017 score blended choral vocals, electronic beats, and orchestral arrangements into music that dynamically shifted between 8-bit and full orchestration based on gameplay context. "Weight of the World" in four languages during the final ending is the most emotionally devastating use of music in gaming.

Yasunori Mitsuda composed 54 of Chrono Trigger's 64 tracks while battling a stomach ulcer so severe he was hospitalized, with Nobuo Uematsu completing the rest. The result is the most melodically perfect JRPG soundtrack ever, with "Corridors of Time" and "Frog's Theme" remaining iconic 30 years later.

Koji Kondo's 1998 score made music a gameplay mechanic through the ocarina songs players physically performed. "Song of Storms," "Gerudo Valley," and "Zelda's Lullaby" are so ingrained in gaming culture that even non-gamers recognize them, and orchestral performances sell out worldwide.

Toby Fox composed 101 tracks for his 2015 indie RPG, creating leitmotifs that rewarded attentive listeners across genocide and pacifist routes. "Megalovania" became a global meme, "Hopes and Dreams" soundtracks gaming's greatest final boss, and the entire OST was produced by one person.

Mick Gordon's industrial metal soundtrack was composed by running synthesizers through actual chainsaw recordings and guitar amplifiers cranked past distortion. Its BPM-synced combat music made demon-slaying feel rhythmic, and "BFG Division" became the de facto anthem of aggressive gaming.

Shoji Meguro's 2016 acid jazz score gave Persona 5 a sonic identity so distinctive that "Last Surprise" and "Beneath the Mask" topped Spotify gaming playlists for years. Its seamless blend of jazz, rock, and J-pop created the coolest-sounding RPG ever made and spawned a global concert tour.

Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori's 2001 score opened with a Gregorian chant that became the most recognizable theme in shooter history. Its monastic choir, electric guitar riffs, and sweeping orchestral compositions elevated a console launch title into an epic that defined Xbox's identity.

Christopher Larkin's 2017 score used piano, strings, and minimal instrumentation to create an atmosphere of melancholic beauty across Hallownest's ruined kingdom. "City of Tears" accompanies one of gaming's most atmospheric moments, and the boss themes escalate from somber to symphonically intense.

Ko Otani's 2005 score is silent during exploration and erupts into bombastic orchestral fury during colossus battles, creating a dynamic contrast that makes each encounter feel mythic. "The Opened Way" accompanying a climb up a living skyscraper is the single most cinematic moment in gaming audio.