100 Most Iconic Video Game Songs (1980-2018)
Iconic : Widely recognized and acknowledged
Although I tried my hardest to be objective, it will always be the nature of something like this to be biased. I have consulted with other people and pooled thoughts regarding potentially iconic songs I’m unfamiliar with, but it was difficult to fully separate my nostalgia from logic. Nevertheless, enjoy. 🙂
I’ve made 2 other iconic video game lists, and I plan on making more! Subscribe to help me out!
Shout out to my friend for being my Nintendo consultant, as well as helping me in constructing the list.
His Twitter:
His YouTube channel:
Also, a lot of these clips are from World of Longplays.
Their YouTube:
Their Website: longplays.org
Honorable Mentions:
The Dark World – The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Simian Segue – Donkey Kong Country (In hindsight, this should probably be on the list)
Corridors of Time – Chrono Trigger (I really wanted to add this)
Pokemon Center – Pokemon Red
The Great Sea – The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
Main Theme – Super Mario Galaxy
Space Junk Galaxy – Super Mario Galaxy
Main Theme – God of War
Main Theme – The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Stickerbrush Symphony – Donkey Kong Country 2
Main Theme – Banjo-Kazooie
Pizza Theme – Spider-Man 2: The Game
Main Theme – Batman: Arkham City
Battle Theme – Final Fantasy
Paris – Sly Cooper 2 (I really wanted to add this but I felt it was too niche)
Clock Town – The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Baby Park – Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Main Theme – Star Fox
Drake’s Theme – Uncharted
Devils Never Cry – Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening (I REALLY wanted to add this one but I knew it was my nostalgia talking)
Metropolis – Ratchet & Clank
Revived Power – Shadow of the Colossus
Studiopolis – Sonic Mania
Dr Wily’s Castle – MegaMan II
Ending Theme – Super Mario World
Athletic Theme – Super Mario World
Overworld Theme – Super Mario Land
Subscribe! 🙂 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – It’s right there ^^^
im here for the BFG DIVISION
2:16 adiós CTM C va volando xD
No Banjo-Kzooie.
Hey where the fuck is stardew valley.
I know I can’t be the only one kinda bummed out from not seeing any Touhou music on here… I really think that the music of the Touhou franchise deserves to be on this list but I guess that not as many people are nostalgic to Touhou as to Zelda or Super Mario
fake
25:28 this and minecraft are the only things why am here because i forget what it was named like lol
2:03 M E T R O I D !
What happened to one winged angel
Anything that has to do with the Wii or the Xbox 360, as well as old Xbox 360 Minecraft is super nostalgic to me, I sadly didn't get the joy of playing PS3 and haven't gotten it.
how do u not have music from the 2 most iconic shooting platforms of all time: Gradius and R-Type…….smh . and mario kart only has 1 iconic song which is the rainbow road track or title screen from the original snes.
5:28
21:50 is by far my all time favorite video game then of all time. Nostalgia, freakin Latin, uptempo beat, build. A+
This really is an amazing list, but it's only missing one thing… MW2 End Credits
5:46 KSI/FIFA Theme (Street Fighter)
The amount of pain when I didn't hear Portals 2 "Want You Gone"
15:18 who's chopping the onions guys?
all Zelda songs are iconic
pepeD
22:25
You just got coconut MALLED
Ocarina of Time gave me instant goosebumps
It might miss :
Dr. Willy Stage – Mega Man 2 (1988)
Pursuit ~ Cornered – Phoenix Wright (2001)
J.E.N.O.V.A – Final Fantasy VII (1997)
Dance Theme – Fortnite (2017)
Ranked Theme Song – League of Legends (2009)
Cynthia's Theme – Pokemon Platinum (2009)
Terran Theme 1 – StarCraft (1996)
ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US (?)
Ocarina of Time gave me instant goosebumps
Mario galaxy and Metroid 👌
24:14 STOP IT STOP IT 😭
At least glad Chrono Trigger is SOMEWHERE here.
No one talking about how good BFG Division is..?
Not gonna ask how this op left all the original killer instinct, NBA street, mega man x5, super bomberman 4, bomberman 64, the metal gear “I’ve been spotted” music off the list but there’s 5000 different Zelda and Mario themes. I hope yt sends you a DMCA notice and takedown lol
Edit: and NONE of the BO2 music?! Smh
Where is Proof Of a Hero from Monster Hunter, wtf ? ? ?
StarCraft Terran theme, no 🙁
How come there is no metion of Aerith's theme among the Final Fantasy VII songs?
Or arcades like Golden Axe and Altered Beast?
What was the intro song from 0:00 to 0:10?
16:35 now were talking
let's escape
I know there's the alert theme from Metal Gear Solid here…
BUT WHERE'S SNAKE EATER? HOW ABOUT SINS OF THE FATHER?
so you have human 1 and red alert theme but not terran 2? smh
"Some songs are so powerful that they can make us cry" LoZ – OoT Overworld/Kokiri forest
Although i find the lack of other iconic music tracks disturbing and the overwhelming amount of Mario related ones a little bit odd and too much, i have to agree with that statement.
…Also why is Majora's Mask a highlighted game in the video description, when there's not even one single song from that game in the video?
This is highly disappointing, to be honest.
No Terranigma Songs, even tho they are sooooo good
The moon theme got me real good doe
Dang no Doom, Gooldeneye or Duke Nukem in the 90s? Those were banger sound tracks.
23:16 oh my god… my childhood memories…
26:40 final destination would be better. Or gang plank galleon
I only know 32/100 of these songs but I gotta tell you I felt like throwing a party when the Minecraft, Terraria and especially Undertale musics came on LMAO
22:34
YOU JUST GOT COCONUT MALLED!!!
Ocarina of Time: I'll take your entire stock
That's a lot of meme songs
Where is my tetris?
Where is tetrisss??
Please tell me one comment has time stamps 😭
note: OP's list is explicitly chronological, this isn't a ranking
00:00 – beginning [Beware of the Forest's Mushrooms – Super Mario RPG]
00:13 – 1. Intro Theme – PAC-MAN (1980)
00:18 – 2. Title Screen – Donkey Kong (1981)
00:29 – 3. Main Theme – Tetris (1984) [fun fact: this melody comes from the Russian folk song "Korobeiniki"]
00:45 – 4. Overworld Theme – Super Mario Bros. (1985)
00:58 – 5. Underworld Theme – Super Mario Bros. (1985)
01:10 – 6. Underwater Theme – Super Mario Bros. (1985)
01:21 – 7. Vampire Killer – Castlevania (1986)
01:33 – 8. Overture – Dragon Warrior / Dragon Quest (1986)
01:50 – 9. Overworld Theme – The Legend of Zelda (1986)
02:03 – 10. Brinstar Theme – Metroid (1986)
02:16 – 11. Moon Theme – DuckTales (1987)
02:36 – 12. Prelude – Final Fantasy (1987)
02:51 – 13. Victory Theme – Final Fantasy (1987)
03:04 – 14. Bloody Tears – Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (1987)
03:17 – 15. Title Screen – MegaMan II (1988)
03:29 – 16. Overworld Theme – Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)
03:43 – 17. Overworld Theme – Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)
03:55 – 18. Fever – Dr. Mario (1990)
04:09 – 19. Chocobo Theme – Final Fantasy III (1990)
04:22 – 20. Overworld Theme – Super Mario World (1990)
04:37 – 21. Title Screen – MegaMan III (1990)
04:52 – 22. Theme of Love – Final Fantasy IV (1991)
05:09 – 23. Green Hill Zone – Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
05:28 – 24. Chemical Plant Zone – Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)
05:44 – 25. Guile's Theme – Street Fighter II (1991)
05:59 – 26. Fairy Fountain – The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991)
06:16 – 27. Princess Zelda – The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991)
06:33 – 28. Mt. Dedede – Kirby's Dreamland (1992)
06:51 – 29. At Doom's Gate – DOOM (1993)
07:02 – 30. (nuked by copyright) Techno Syndrome – The Immortals (1994) – Mortal Kombat (1993)
07:26 – 31. Aquatic Ambiance – Donkey Kong Country (1994)
07:38 – 32. Jungle Hijinx – Donkey Kong Country (1994)
07:51 – 33. Terra's Theme – Final Fantasy VI (1994)
08:06 – 34. Human I – Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness (1995)
08:22 – 35. Flower Garden – Yoshi's Island (1995)
08:37 – 36. Athletic Theme – Yoshi's Island (1995)
08:50 – 37. Hell March – Command and Conquer: Red Alert (1996)
09:13 – 38. Opening – Crash Bandicoot (1996)
09:29 – 39. Tristram – Diablo (1996)
09:47 – 40. Gourmet Race – Kirby: Super Star (1996)
10:02 – 41. Rainbow Road – Mario Kart 64 (1996)
10:15 – 42. Title Theme – Pokémon Red/Blue (1996) [fun fact 2: there's also a Pokémon Green in this generation!]
10:28 – 43. Route 1 – Pokémon Red/Blue (1996)
10:38 – 44. Battle Theme – Pokémon Red/Blue (1996)
10:56 – 45. Main Theme / Bob-omb Battlefield – Super Mario 64 (1996)
11:10 – 46. Slider – Super Mario 64 (1996) ~
11:27 – 47. Dire, Dire Docks – Super Mario 64 (1996)
11:39 – 48. Beware of the Forest's Mushrooms – Super Mario RPG (1996)
11:52 – 49. Dracula's Castle – Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)
12:08 – 50. Fighting – Final Fantasy VII (1997)
12:22 – 51. One Winged Angel – Final Fantasy VII (1997)
12:36 – 52. Main Theme – Metal Gear Solid (1998)
12:54 – 53. Title Screen – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
13:13 – 54. Lost Woods – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
13:24 – 55. Hyrule Field – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
13:50 – 56. Song of Storms – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
14:06 – 57. Gerudo Valley – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
14:24 – 58. DK Rap – Donkey Kong 64 (1999)
14:38 – 59. Liberi Fatali – Final Fantasy VIII (1999)
15:01 – 60. Character Select – Super Smash Bros. (1999)
15:17 – 61. To Zanarkand – Final Fantasy X (2001)
15:33 – 62. Halo – Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) ~
15:54 – 63. Mansion (High Health) – Luigi's Mansion (2001) [fun fact 3: there are 3 versions of this song, based on luigi's health]
16:15 – 64. Scape Main – Runescape (2001)
16:32 – 65. Escape from the City – Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)
16:51 – 66. Opening Theme – Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)
17:10 – 67. Menu 1 – Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) ~
17:27 – 68. (nuked by copyright) Dearly Beloved – Kingdom Hearts (2002)
17:44 – 69. Menu Theme – Metroid Prime (2002)
18:00 – 70. Delfino Plaza – Super Mario Sunshine (2002)
18:19 – 71. Dragon Roost Island – The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (2003)
18:34 – 72. Theme from San Andreas – Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) ~
18:47 – 73. Cave Story – Cave Story (2004) ~
19:03 – 74. Legends of Azeroth – World of Warcraft (2004) ~
19:22 – 75. Title – Animal Crossing (2005)
19:40 – 76. Waluigi Pinball – Mario Kart DS (2005)
19:56 – 77. Bath Time – Nintendogs (2005)
20:11 – 78. Title – Brain Age (2006)
20:27 – 79. Main Theme – Bully (2006)
20:39 – 80. Overworld Theme – New Super Mario Bros. (2006)
20:54 – 81. Title Screen – Wii Sports (2006) ~
21:11 – 82. Still Alive – Portal (2007)
21:31 – 83. Gusty Garden Galaxy – Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
21:49 – 84. Main Theme – Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2007)
22:03 – 85. Main Theme – Team Fortress 2 (2007) [i'd argue "Right Behind You" is more iconic, but whatever]
22:25 – 86. Coconut Mall – Mario Kart Wii (2008)
22:42 – 87. Minecraft – Minecraft (2009)
23:00 – 88. Sweden – Minecraft (2009)
23:15 – 89. Main Menu – Plants vs. Zombies (2009)
23:30 – 90. Firelink Shrine – Dark Souls (2011)
23:51 – 91. Dragonborn – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) ~
24:15 – 92. Day – Terraria (2011)
24:31 – 93. Let's GO – Counter Strike: Global Offensive (2012) ~
24:51 – 94. The Last of Us – The Last of Us (2013) ~
25:13 – 95. Pull up a Chair – Hearthstone (2014) ~
25:28 – 96. Megalovania – Undertale (2015)
25:39 – 97. BFG Division – DOOM (2016)
25:54 – 98. Victory Theme – Overwatch (2016)
26:10 – 99. Jump Up, Super Star! – Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
26:38 – 100. Menu – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018)
27:00 – outro [Piranha Plant's Lullaby – Super Mario 64]
1980 – 1989: 17 songs
1990 – 1999: 43 songs (counting the outro, 44)
2000 – 2009: 29 songs
2010 – 2018: 11 songs
this was a really cool list, even if it's a little 90s heavy. a few had incorrect titles (marked with tildes), but most were okay.
Splattack (Splatoon-2015) Hyrule Field , Midnas Lament (Twilight Princess-2006)