I came on here to post something about Eye of the Beholder, I’m not even sure if it is 1 or 2, but I remember showing people it way back when I was first to have a soundblaster on the PC, and even to this day I hear it in my head thirty years later (along with games such as Amidar).
But I couldn’t find the actual chunk of song, not sure if it was open credits, menu screen, end screen.
Katamari Damacy had a very listenable soundtrack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMH49ieL4es
The entire soundtrack for “The Crypt of the NecroDancer” is absolute fire, specially the “shopkeeper” versions
I always enjoyed the music in Space Harrier.
The theme from The Outer Worlds blows me away every time:
The greatest video game music ever.
I heard the Ink Spot’s “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire” on a TV show or movie recently, and it brought back fond memories of many hours spent wandering the wastelands of Fallout 4, blastin’ stuff, with Diamond City Radio playing on my trusty Pip-Boy.
I was going to pick out some of my favorite tracks on that game, but really, I like every single song.
I’ve never played a game that had such memorable music and probably never will. My favorite from the OST was “Lonely Rolling Star”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_QydNXI_ok
The sequel, Katamari Forever, has this SICK reimagining of it also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk_Vm9ow3Io
My God, it’s amazing!
I enjoy all the music from Child of Light, and the song Off to Sleep sung by Coeur de Pirate always moves me in how it speaks to the sadness of having to grow up despite pain and loss.
Link to full soundtrack-
(Off to Sleep is Track 18 in the list if anyone just wants to listen to that, although the whole album is moving)
“Midna’s Lament” from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Midna has been critically injured, and you’ve got to run to Zelda before it’s too late.
If there’s one forgotten song which has gotten the attention it deserves via the Fallout games, it’s “Butcher Pete” - a song so ahead of its time that explicitly singing about cannibalism was the clean part of the double entendre it was built around.
The soundtrack to Gradius V is rather awesome - Gradius V Opening Original Sound Track ( HD ) - YouTube
Far Cry 5 is not a very good game - probably the weakest in a very uneven series - but its bluegrass-tinged recurring musical motif is mesmerizing.
Pretty much all of the original Halo’s soundtrack. A FPS set in space, but it starts up with this choral theme, that tells you it’s going to be different.
Max Payne’s mesmerizing main theme.
Assassin’s Creed, Black Flag. The faux-Celtic instrumental music was pretty good, but the sea shanties are fantastic!
Another kick-ass track from a game I didn’t particularly like: Become as Gods from Nier: Automata.
Going 8-bit here… In Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar, in the town of Brittania, there’s a bard in the inn who says “We have waited such a long, long time” when you talk to him. And then, presumably, starts playing a tune on his lute, because the background music changes. Whenever I play that game, whenever I’m in Brittania, I always make sure to talk to that guy.
Mechwarrior 2 had one of the first game soundtracks written for a CD based game, rather than 8 bit or MIDI. It is still one of the most timeless and classic soundtracks out there. Goes well with just about any game, or even just music to do household chores to.
Armor Veil at 18:56 is my favorite track, but they are all quite amazing.
Don’t just take my word for it, here’s some other random people that agree. 