The Most Legendary Video Game Soundtracks

Games bring to mind visual richness, graphics, story, and gameplay mechanics, but music and sound are also among the most important elements that complete the atmosphere. In fact, there are tracks from games that we sometimes remember even more than the game itself. So, from the early days of gaming to 2023, which standout tracks have managed to lodge themselves in players' minds with their distinct qualities? We invite you to check out our list of the most legendary game music.

Before we start, a small note: to add variety to our list of legendary tracks heard in games, we've also included pieces that were released independently of any game but are still remembered for their use in one. Enjoy the read!

The Most Legendary Game Music of 2023!

Age of Empires 3 (2005) – Main Theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfeWX-rE-dA

Having raised more than one generation since 1997, Age of Empires stands among the legends as one of the titles that shaped the RTS genre. From the first game in the series to the fourth entry released last year, one of the most important things uniting Age of Empires fans of every age is surely its unforgettable theme music. Although the theme appears in different versions across all the series' games, the one from Age of Empires 3 is probably one of the most memorable.

Rome: Total War (2004) – Mayhem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_vB6sMbRb4

When it comes to Rome: Total War, it's hard to pick a clear favorite among its game music. The title, which still holds up thanks to its remastered version released in 2021, contains plenty of tracks that left their mark on gaming history. The song "Mayhem" is one of the legendary game tracks that transports you to the battlefields of the ancient world as you charge your cavalry into fleeing enemy forces...

Medieval: Total War (2002) – Euro Mobilize I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRysN3wvVAw

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Most of us remember the second game in the Total War series' Medieval line, released in 2006. But there's one track from the first game that you're likely to hear almost every day! Composed for Medieval: Total War, "Euro Mobilize I" was also used as the island council theme on Survivor Türkiye, making it a piece well known to audiences in our country. While not a global phenomenon, it can certainly count among the legendary game tracks for Turkish gamers.

Battlefield 1 (2016) – Zajdi Zajdi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8liRv8lITgk

Get your tissues ready, and take off your glasses if you're wearing any! A strong contender for the saddest track on our list, Zajdi Zajdi will bring you to tears. Actually a Macedonian folk song, the track appears in Battlefield 1 — which recreates battles that left their mark on Türkiye's history, such as Gallipoli, the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, and Galicia — in a version sung by Turkish artist Aliye Mutlu.

Call of Duty 2 (2005) – Main Menu Theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrmAuYSEKlg

After the success of the first game, the sequel raised the bar even higher, turning Call of Duty into a franchise that would run for many years and cementing it as one of gaming history's legends. Its main menu theme will transport you straight into the cold atmosphere of the Second World War.

Crysis 2 (2011) – Epilogue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnQdvnXcHMk

Crytek, founded by brothers Cevat Yerli, Avni Yerli, and Faruk Yerli, first made its name with the original Far Cry. In our country, the news that three Turkish brothers were making games was met with joy, and with the Crysis series that joy turned into astonishment and admiration: the music in the second game of the Crysis series — which changed the FPS genre's mechanics and drove a whole generation to upgrade their PCs — comes from a familiar name. Composed by Hans Zimmer, the track "Epilogue" from Crysis 2, which many of us are familiar with, is not only one of the standouts on our game music list but also one of the signature works of a two-time Oscar-winning composer...

The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth (2004) – Spreading Hope

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKr-gWKkwuM

The tracks featured in The Lord of the Rings films are perhaps among the first things that come to mind when film scores are mentioned. The music of the series' 2004 RTS title, Battle for Middle Earth, is the product of composition just as accomplished as it needs to be to stand alongside Peter Jackson's films. Entering our legendary game music list from The Lord of the Rings category, this track will give fans of the series a nostalgic moment!

Pro Evolution Soccer (2013) Michel Telo - Ai Se Eu Te Pego!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcm55lU9knw

Brazilian singer Michel Telo's energetic track Ai Se Eu Te Pego! is one of the most eye-catching entries among PES 2013's legendary tracks, and its music video is also one of the most-watched videos on YouTube with over 1 billion views.

FIFA 13 / Pro Evolution Soccer (2013) - Imagine Dragons – On Top of the World

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5tWYmIOWGk

Although the band had already made a name for itself around this time with tracks like Radioactive and Demons from their debut album, few people around the world hadn't heard Imagine Dragons after "On Top of the World" featured in PES 2013 and FIFA 13. You can probably still listen to this song — where the years-long rivalry between the two games found common ground — by firing up PES 13 at the PlayStation café nearest to you, which is likely still being played.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) - Main Theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viM0-3PXef0

Epic in scope and filled with ethnic elements, The Witcher 3's theme song is regarded as one of the works that successfully captures the game's spirit. Featuring "khoomei," a throat-singing vocal style with a prominent place in Mongolian and Tuvan music, the song won over fans of the Witcher series.

World of Warcraft (2004) – Login Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7duPLBnaeGk

Carrying meaning far beyond a game for many people, World of Warcraft is preparing to close out nearly its second decade since launch while still ranking among the most popular MMORPGs. Of course, it's almost impossible to find unsuccessful music in a Blizzard game! The music across all of World of Warcraft's expansions is good enough to warrant its own legendary lists. For now, though, we've added the theme track of the 2004 base game to our list of legendary game music.

Red Alert Series: Hell March (RA 2) and Soviet March (RA 3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HUWUtTZvK4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_rbFhbcbT8

Among the Command & Conquer games published by Electronic Arts, the Red Alert series is undoubtedly one of the most special. While the RTS Red Alert games drew millions of players worldwide, there are two songs from the series we can't skip mentioning: Hell March, whose name has become synonymous with the game, and Soviet March, living proof that Americans can write songs more Russian than the Russians themselves when they set their minds to it.

Super Mario Bros (1985)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTa6Xbzfq1U

No further explanation needed: a legendary track from gaming history that appears on every game music list... If you said "game music" to pretty much anyone on the street, the first melody they'd hum would probably be the Super Mario theme song.

Tetris (1984) – Main Theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmCCQxVBfyM

The Russian folk song Korobeiniki, whose roots stretch back to the 1800s, takes on a whole new meaning when played in 8-bit form: Tetris. Yes, for years we've arranged blocks neatly on screen while listening to a Russian folk tune about a conversation between a peddler and a young girl.

Need for Speed Underground 2 (2004) – Riders on the Storm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubWL8VAPoYw

Do you like The Doors? What about Snoop Dogg?

Riders on the Storm, considered one of The Doors' biggest hits, was reinterpreted by Snoop Dogg for Need for Speed Underground 2. The result is a Riders on the Storm with a flavor of The Next Episode. Bringing together unforgettable names from two different genres, this rendition of Riders on the Storm earns its place in the legendary game music category.

Civilization 4 (2005) - Baba Yetu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJiHDmyhE1A

We can already hear you saying, "What is this?" Baba Yetu, which you can hear in Civilization 4, familiar to fans of the grand strategy genre, has a quality that sets it apart from every other track on our list. This song, sung in Swahili, is the first piece of game music to be nominated for and win a Grammy Award. Reissued in 2009 by its composer Christopher Tin on the album Calling All Dawns, the song won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s), and the album itself was also nominated for a Grammy.

Need for Speed Underground (2003) – Get Low

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKoY1fw7yCo

Need for Speed Underground has passed two whole decades; the number of players who don't immediately picture neon-lit, nitro-boosted sports cars the moment they hear this song keeps shrinking by the day. We hope Electronic Arts releases an NFS: Underground remaster soon so new players get the chance to discover the classics of the early-2000s racing game craze too...

The Legend of Zelda – Main Theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGufy1PAeTU

Appearing in new games since 1986, The Legend of Zelda is one of the longest-running series in gaming. Not just the game itself but also its theme music has become an icon beloved by game enthusiasts.

GTA San Andreas – Main Theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4VTq0sa9yg

Released in 2004 during the golden age of hip hop culture, GTA San Andreas turned players' expectations of games upside down. With its map, massive for its time, dozens of usable vehicles ranging from trains to planes, and its seemingly endless story, it played a major role in establishing the idea that games could be entire worlds unto themselves. One of the most memorable details was its theme music, which captures the game's atmosphere perfectly even when listened to on its own.

Hogwarts Legacy - Overture to Unwritten (2023)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCyMy9ZStnM

When you think of Harry Potter, isn't there a song playing in your head? So what would you say if we told you the music in Hogwarts Legacy — the highly anticipated title that moves the series into a new era — was prepared with just as much care as the films'? Perhaps it's too soon to call Hogwarts Legacy's music legendary today, but keeping in mind the chance it may become unforgettable down the line, it earns its spot here under the "we called it" category.