Video game soundtracks have come a long way, from the bleeps and bloops of yesteryear, to the orchestral medleys and vaporwave beats of today. When we talk about how effective a game is at what it's trying to do, music often plays a key role.

The epic chorus chants in Skyrim pump you up to fight a dragon, the lonely piano medley in Breath of the Wild helps sell the quiet isolation of Hyrule, and the folksy instrumentals of The Witcher 3 make you feel at home on the Continent.

But how do these game soundtracks fare on their own, removed from the action onscreen? As someone who only listens to video game music at work so as not to be distracted by lyrics, I know the difference between a toe-tapping motivator and a forgettable cacophony. Cutting away nostalgic favoritism and instead focusing on musical achievement, here are our picks for the best video game soundtracks. Start streaming and enjoy.


Bastion (2011) As good a game as Bastion is, it's come to be defined by its impressive soundtrack. Composer Darren Korb developed a unique acoustic hip hop sound by using sampled beats along with acoustic guitar. The game's soundtrack was released separately with additional songs not included in the game, making the sounds of Bastion a true standout among the competition. $9.99 at Steam

Chrono Trigger (1995) Chrono Trigger is one of those once-in-a-lifetime creative endeavors you couldn't repeat even if you tried. While most will remember the game's design team, composers Yasunori Mitsuda and Nobuo Uematsu also did incredible work. The game includes 60 tracks, each lasting around two minutes before repeating, which was unheard of in the 16-bit era. Since its initial release in 1995, the soundtrack has been re-released on disc, redone for several remakes, and performed live. It's a true musical work of art. Mitsuda even returned in 1999 for Chrono Cross, which proved to be an even more diverse sampling of songs, though the game itself couldn't measure up. $14.99 at Steam

Crypt of the NecroDancer (2015) Composer Danny Baranowsky blew our minds with rhythm game Crypt of the NecroDancer, which asks you to navigate monster-infested dungeons as you move and attack to the beat of Baranowsky's spooky electronic rock. The incredible energy in each track makes you want to hit each note perfectly, and maybe dance a bit, too. In 2019, Zelda fans were given a gift when the series released the spin-off Cadence of Hyrule. It followed many of the tropes set by the original game, only it was set within the Zelda franchise and offerred an incredible sampling of Zelda electronic beats. $9.99 at Steam

Doom (1993) Robert Prince's soundtrack for the original Doom reshaped the way composers approached video game music. Taking inspiration from punk and heavy metal classics by Slayer, King Diamond, Metallica, and others, Prince’s tracks were pummeling and merciless, wringing every single bit of aggression from the primitive sound cards of the day. The more atmospheric tracks provide a welcome respite from the brutality. $9.99 at Steam

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (1995) 4.0 With the Donkey Kong Country series, it's impossible to pick a soundtrack winner when all five titles have such good music and each entry builds on the last, thanks to truly unparalleled work from composer David Wise. The first game features rock-infused jungle mixes, oceanic rhythms, and industrial factory beats. Diddy's Kong Quest takes on a pirate theme with flute and sax medleys throughout. While Dixie Kong's Double Trouble was mostly produced by Eveline Fischer, she honored what Wise had brought to the series and expanded on it in complex ways. Fifteen years later, Donkey Kong Country Returns produced another musical hit composed specifically to invoke the original title's soundtrack. Five hours of mesmerizing jungle temple beats makes for a winner. However, the series outdid itself with Wise returning for Tropical Freeze, creating yet another masterpiece filled with diverse island tunes and jungle anthems. That said, DKC 2 is at the top of the pile. $49.94 at Amazon Free Shipping

EarthBound (1994) EarthBound's soundtrack, developed as a jazzy evolution of the Mother soundtrack on the NES, pushed what was possible on the Super Nintendo to the very edge. The music borrowed from pop and rock and sampled classic and folk tracks. More than 20 years later, it still holds up.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) 3.5 Skyrim's main theme was recorded with a 30-man choir in the game's made-up dragon language. It was a sign of things to come as many open-world games soon followed with expansive and immersive orchestral soundtracks. There's nothing like the beating of the drums in the midst of combat to get your blood pumping or the sound of ghostly choruses in the depths of Dwarven ruins. $39.99 at Green Man Gaming

Final Fantasy VI (1994) When you’re creating a grand story with an epic scope, you need a soundtrack to match. It's virtually impossible to think of Final Fantasy VI, the greatest RPG of the 16-bit era and one of the best of all time, without its Nobuo Uematsu score. The sound chip of the Super NES is pushed to the limit by the sheer variety of tracks the game needs, from the driving, dramatic boss battle tune "The Decisive Battle" to the plaintive opera scene. $15.99 at Steam

Final Fantasy XV (2016) 3.5 While Final Fantasy music has always been solid, the franchise reached a different level with the release of Final Fantasy XV. The music mixes orchestral, bossa nova, and blues sounds to create a truly epic five-hour celebration of the bonds between family and friends. $14.99 at Amazon Free Shipping

Grim Fandango (1998) Tim Schafer made his bones – no pun intended – with this 1998 graphic adventure published by LucasArts. Starring a skeletal travel agent named Manny Calavera, the game’s offbeat sense of humor and unique locations have made it a classic. A major contributor to Grim Fandango’s place in the canon is the swinging jazz score by Peter McConnell. The tracks incorporate traditional noir-style arrangements with Mexican flourishes and even klezmer. $9.99 at Steam

Hotline Miami (2012) 2012’s unlikely indie hit Hotline Miami dropped players into a grimy world of murder and mayhem, and the music was a perfect accompaniment. Tracks were contributed by nine different artists, all working in a vein of techno heavily inspired by the 80s but glazed over with modernity. Developers Devolver Digital realized they had a hit on their hands and released the whole set for free before the game came out. A vinyl pressing came out in 2014, as well. Our pick hit is probably "Miami" by Jasper Byrne. $9.99 at Steam

Journey (2012) Thatgamecompany’s atmospheric Journey is the first video game to ever have its soundtrack nominated for a Grammy Award. It also demonstrates the incredible potential for music in an interactive medium, changing its tone and intensity in response to the player’s action. Composed by Austin Wintory, the music uses the cello as the primary instrument, mixing in other sounds as the game progresses. It took Wintory three years to develop all of Journey's music, and it shows. Fans of his work should also check out the soundtracks for Assassin's Creed Syndicate and Abzu.

Katamari Damacy (2004) A good deal of the success of this quirky 2004 cult classic can be attributed to its totally unique soundtrack, which was created under the direction of Yuu Miyake. The game featured a number of catchy numbers that stuck in your head as you played, with a mix of jazz, samba, and more traditional electronic sounds. The heavy use of vocals in the soundtrack was also very unusual at the time and added to the pop cultural appeal.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) 4.5 Editors' Choice It's hard to pick the best soundtrack out of a series filled to the brim with beautiful and catchy music. However, the music from Breath of the Wild offers such diverse sounds that it's hard to ignore. While most of the game features ambient piano music, the soundtrack is ultimately packed with moody wind instruments, uplifting horns, melancholy piano, and even some accordion for good measure. It's a true journey of sound. $59.99 at Amazon Free Shipping

Shadow Of The Colossus (2005) Fumito Ueda’s remarkable PlayStation 2 game is haunting and evocative, putting the player in the role of a nameless man tasked with destroying a dozen massive, lurching beasts. The soundtrack perfectly complements the barren landscape you find yourself in, devoid of any other humans. Composed by Kow Otani, it alternates between soothing acoustic guitar for the traveling sequences and bombastic, at times dissonant orchestration for the clashes with the Colossi. $19.89 at Amazon Free Shipping

Streets of Rage 2 (1992) The Sega Genesis’s Z80 sound chip was underpowered compared to the rival Super Nintendo, but a true artist can make something wonderful with even the worst instrument. Composer Yuzo Koshiro created his own audio programming language for Streets of Rage 2, and the end result was a seriously banging set of tunes that drew inspiration from Detroit techno and breakbeat. This was in 1992, way before the rest of the games industry caught on to techno. $0.99 at Steam

Super Mario Galaxy (2007) The Super Mario series has some of the catchiest tunes around, but Super Mario Galaxy took the franchise out of this world by putting Mario in outer space. This space opera soundtrack goes from starry shoegazing to cosmic adventure tunes, and everywhere in between. The sequel's soundtrack provides more where that came from.

Undertale (2015) Inspired by RPG games on the Super Nintendo, indie game developer Toby Fox released Undertale to near-universal praise. Its music channels the 16-bit era with catchy melodies and synth beats. The song "Megalovania" was particularly popular among gamers. $9.99 at Steam

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) The Witcher 3 is probably as close as you can get to a perfect game, in part because of the attention to detail when it comes to world building. The soundtrack includes folk music and battle hymns composed using medieval instruments, making the game feel as authentic as possible, while still leaving space for some spiritual chanting.

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