Top 5 Video Game Composers of All Time
Top 5 Video Game Composers
Video game soundtracks have become the soundtracks of streamers’ lives as of late. With gaming marathons and all day grinding sessions, it is no wonder that gamers eventually take a liking to the scores that play in the background of their toil and trouble. Whether heroic, sad, creepy, sombre, or just plain quirky, these composers have managed to excite and amaze the millions of us who’ve experienced the ambiance of their skill. Let’s take a look at 5 composers who most assuredly should sit on the video game soundtrack hall of fame!
Jesper Kyd
Straight out of Denmark, Jesper Kyd has graced the background of some very popular games. Whether you are looting chests in the Borderlands franchise, getting headshots in State of Decay, leaping buildings in some of the early Assassin’s Creed games, or stalking prey in Hitman, Jesper Kyd was there with you. With a flair for merging electronica, choral, and orchestral into his iconic tracks, his career has scored some of the more memorable games and levels that gamers will forever hum.
Nobuo Uematsu
Any video game composer that can sell out crowds with their music being played by a live orchestra is a legend in any musician’s book. Nobuo Uematsu is the composer of the various unrelated adventures in the Final Fantasy games and his themes are known the world over. While non-RPG fans may not know of how fitting his work is as a backdrop to turn based combat, those that have dipped into that pool are not ashamed of their love of his soundtracks.
Jeremy Soule
It takes particular skill to compose a soundtrack for the host of open world adventures that are present in the Elder Scrolls series. Both atmospheric and iconic, Jeremy Soule has managed to score the lives of Dragonborn many times over. Toss in the fact that he’s done various Harry Potter games, Dead Rising 2 and 3, as well as the Guild Wars franchise, and (my personal fav) the Icewind Dale soundtrack and you have a body of work that is just as legendary as the shouts of Dragonspeak in Skyrim!
Martin O’Donnell – Michael Salvatori
These two legends are responsible for some of the most memorable music in video game history. The Halo franchise is iconic and the music that accompanies Master Chief along the way is as well. Whether gamers love or hate Halo, they can all agree that the music is recognizable and epic! Toss in the fact that between the two of them the Destiny franchise also have life and you have two men that will forever be remembered for their heroic scores.
Koji Kondo
Let’s face it. Anyone who’s had the original NES knows of this man’s mastery. As the composer of iconic franchises like Legend of Zelda and Star Fox, it is no wonder he is beloved. Of course, let’s not forget the unmistakable Super Mario Brothers theme. As one of the hardest working Nintendo composers, you can probably mark him as the father of Mario’s sound being he has basically scored every Mario game known to man! A hall of fame listing without this man has NO merit!
