By Javier Picazo Feliu
Madrid, Apr 17 (EFE).- There are tunes that remain etched in memory, often taking one back to childhood or a special moment marked by the popular videogames of the time.
Some of the most iconic ones are soundtracks from games that defined popular culture, such as Tetris, Super Mario Bros and Zelda.
Due to the public interest in video game music, dozens of orchestras have merged around the world focused on this phenomenon, such as the London Video Game Orchestra and the Video Game Orchestra in Boston.
This trend has also been ed by established orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which already has concerts on video games scheduled for this summer at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London.
The world of social media is no stranger to this phenomenon, with Instagramers such as the well-known pianist Elensky, among others, regularly offering live concerts and releasing dozens of music videos for her thousands of followers.
Here is a list of some of the most iconic themes from popular video games:
SUPER MARIO BROS.
Who can’t hum Super Mario’s music? It is perhaps the most famous of all time, recognized by more than two-thirds of the world’s population, according to studies.
The theme was created by Japanese composer Koji Kondo in 1985 to accompany brothers Mario and Luigi, the most famous characters in the videogame industry, in their adventures.
Kondo created it using a small keyboard, drawing inspiration from the melodies of the Japanese group T-Square, especially from the song “Sister Marian.”
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
This is another popular game in which Kondo has been involved in the music, which in turn has played a vital role in the game’s development.
In Zelda – first created and launched in 1986 by the Japanese genius Shigeru Miyamoto -, the music and sounds acquired such popularity that Nintendo even had to organize a world musical tour for five consecutive years in which an orchestra performed the best tunes.
Kondo, who had to compose the famous game theme in just one night, wanted Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero” to be the melody accompanying the title on its home screen, but due to copyright issues he had to change it.
TETRIS
Another game’s music that needs no introduction is Tetris.
The tune was composed in 1989 by another Japanese musician, Hirokazu Tanaka, who has composed more than 30 tunes for videogames, among them Metroid, Super Mario Land and the sound effects for the classic Donkey Kong in 1981.
This is one of the few cases in which the song is probably almost as popular as the game itself, despite the latter being the most famous digital puzzle ever.
The main song of the game is a version of the Russian folk song “Korobeiniki.”
THE SECRET OF THE MONKEY ISLAND
The 8-bit game with a Caribbean theme came with a much loved tune composed in 1990 by the American Michael Land for LucasArts, the video game studio created by George Lucas, who created and produced the Star Wars and Indiana Jones sagas, among others.
SONIC
In Japan, a country of video games, the arrival of the Sega Megadrive console introduced games in 16 bits, with better graphics, more vivid colors and the most elaborate music.
To compete with Mario and Nintendo, the console came up with its flagship “Sonic The Hedgehog,” with the game’s most catchy tune in the “Green Hill Zone” created by Masato Nakamura, a Japanese musician who had experience as a producer and bass player for the pop group “Dreams Come True.”
OUT RUN
Out Run was popular in all gaming arcades of the 1980s. The steering wheel with a gear lever allowed one to control a simulation of a Ferrari Testarossa, while having the option of choosing one’s music between three melodies: ing Breeze, Splash Wave and Magical Sound Shower, all composed by the Japanese Hiroshi Kawaguchi.
THE LAST OF US
The new generation of consoles has many musical references, but perhaps none like the one left by Gustavo Santaolalla. Santaolalla, who won two Oscars for best original score for ‘Brokeback Mountain’ and ‘Babel’, created the soundtrack for “The Last of Us,” in which the Argentinian composer’s guitar tunes accompany the protagonists, Joel and Ellie, on their journey through pandemic-hit United States. EFE
EFE’s playlist with some of the best music from videogames:
(https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7AGBSkpyEDPA1PUkEkVMpz)
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