# Will video game music ever become a "serious" genre of music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 6, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607 "2009-11-06T17:35:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/1 "2009-11-06T17:35:26Z")
If so, how long will it take and what will it take to become so? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/2 "2009-11-06T17:50:16Z")
When all of us for whom “video game music” means [Pac-Man Fever](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man_Fever_(album)) have died off? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/3 "2009-11-06T18:18:26Z")
It depends on what you mean by “serious”. There are orchestral concerts of videogame music. Musicologists do research on videogame music. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/4 "2009-11-06T18:30:26Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > It depends on what you mean by “serious”. > > There are orchestral concerts of videogame music. > > Musicologists do research on videogame music. > > Does that count? I guess when mainstream music awards start adding an award for “Best Video Game Track”? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/5 "2009-11-06T18:43:14Z")
How can it be a genre, though? Couldn’t anything be video game music? It just seems like saying that movie music is a genre, but that could mean anything from Whitney Houston to John Williams. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/6 "2009-11-06T18:48:00Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > How can it be a genre, though? Couldn’t anything be video game music? It just seems like saying that movie music is a genre, but that could mean anything from Whitney Houston to John Williams. Video game music is really no different than movie music. You have your orchestral stuff that is more or less “new classical music” and you have your licensed songs from commercial musicians just like Pretty in Pink, Titanic, The Bodyguard just like any other famous movie soundtrack does. As for awards, the Grammys offers awards for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. Video game soundtracks would qualify for all of those categories. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/7 "2009-11-06T18:49:26Z")
8-bit flavoured pop is a “serious” genre. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/8 "2009-11-06T18:49:46Z")
So is the question is less about video game music as a serious genre and more about will people start rewarding/recognizing video game music? ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/9 "2009-11-06T18:50:53Z")
The OP may be talking about 8/16-bit digital stuff, which is sort of a genre unto its own. It’s also one that stopped producing new material, at least in the original medium, about 15 years ago. So the answer there would be “never”. I still think it’s fun though. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/10 "2009-11-06T19:01:00Z")
Mainstream music awards still don’t have awards yet for classical music, or new-age classical. I don’t think the entire problem is that its not seen as “serious”, simply that it’s not as popular. And it’s not popular because some people don’t consider it serious. Until video games rival movies as serious art, and it would be difficult due to the interactivity factor, video game music will not join the mainstream ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/11 "2009-11-06T19:08:44Z")
> [@Wheeljack](#): > > The OP may be talking about 8/16-bit digital stuff, which is sort of a genre unto its own. > > It’s also one that stopped producing new material, at least in the original medium, about 15 years ago. So the answer there would be “never”. I still think it’s fun though. ?? Lots and lots of people are making 8/16 bit music - on original hardware, too. A google search for “8-bit music” brings up lots of hits. It is definitely a valid electronica subgenre with plenty of stuff going on. There are even 8/16 bit music festivals. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/12 "2009-11-06T19:11:09Z")
Video game music is a genre by itself, definitively. I basing this off the review of the Mines of Moria soundtrack where the difference between movie music and game music is stated as: > [@](#): > > Because the music can handle being repeated without leaving the listener unsatisfied. These pieces aren’t set to specific moments within a film, and as such, Thomas and DiGregorio were able to write fully-developed music for each and every track, instead little one-minute clips of music that have abrupt starts and ends. From [here](http://www.originalsoundversion.com/?p=1656). I believe if one ask around on the overclocked remix board ([http://www.ocremix.org](http://www.ocremix.org)) the remixers would probably come up with a better response than I did. ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/13 "2009-11-06T19:59:46Z")
> [@Panurge](#): > > ?? Lots and lots of people are making 8/16 bit music - on original hardware, too. A google search for “8-bit music” brings up lots of hits. It is definitely a valid electronica subgenre with plenty of stuff going on. There are even 8/16 bit music festivals. Oh, I know. It’s a bit of a flash in the pan though, dontcha think? It’s enjoying some creativity at the moment because the people who grew up listening to it are now of an age where they can do that kind of thing, but right behind us is a generation that has never heard it and probably will find it as irritating as disco is to me. Just my opinion, of course. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/14 "2009-11-06T20:06:51Z")
I have a hard time viewing video game soundtracks as a ‘genre’, there’s too much variation in them. Also, most of the time they are not meant to be ‘songs’ as much as an atmospheric background. ---
**Author:** ![bagga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@bagga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bagga)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/15 "2009-11-06T20:15:02Z")
[This](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_the_Final_Fantasy_series#Public_performances) is interesting and relevant ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/16 "2009-11-06T20:37:44Z")
> [@Wheeljack](#): > > Oh, I know. It’s a bit of a flash in the pan though, dontcha think? It’s enjoying some creativity at the moment because the people who grew up listening to it are now of an age where they can do that kind of thing, but right behind us is a generation that has never heard it and probably will find it as irritating as disco is to me. > > Just my opinion, of course. I think the reason you give for the popularity of the genre [eta: i.e: 8/16 bit music] right now is spot on, and I do think that it will fade in the future, like _any other musical genre_. And then it’ll resurrect in another form in 20 years or so.. I am not even sure that I am willing to recognize “video game music” as such as a proper genre. The diversity is incredibly wide - as wide as different types of games - and contains much more variation than anyone would normally allow within one genre of music. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/17 "2009-11-06T20:42:13Z")
I think Wave Race 64’s music was pretty amazing - a lot of Philip Glass-esque arpeggios and complex synthesizer riffs. It’s definitely background music, not a “serious genre,” but for video game music it’s one of the best. Final Fantasy’s music is on a whole different level. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/18 "2009-11-06T20:43:19Z")
I agree that it ought not to be a genre unto itself. However, I do wish that such music would be respected within the music genre it occupies. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/19 "2009-11-06T20:44:51Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I think Wave Race 64’s music was pretty amazing - a lot of Philip Glass-esque arpeggios and complex synthesizer riffs. It’s definitely background music, not a “serious genre,” but for video game music it’s one of the best. > > Final Fantasy’s music is on a whole different level. Other video games with good soundtracks: Donkey Kong Country (1, 2, & 3) Super Mario Galaxy Mother 3 (and probably the other two, but I wouldn’t know) Super Smash Bros Brawl (if you can unlock them all) ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607/20 "2009-11-06T20:55:57Z")
> **[Amon Tobin - Chaos Theory: Splinter Cell 3 Soundtrack - Amazon.com Music](https://www.amazon.com/Chaos-Theory-Splinter-Cell-Soundtrack/dp/B00070FUG2)** > > Amon Tobin - Chaos Theory: Splinter Cell 3 Soundtrack - Amazon.com Music the entire sound track made by one world famous dj…does that count? (much love for Amon Tobin) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-video-game-music-ever-become-a-serious-genre-of-music/516607.md?page=2)