My Top 12 Favorite Video Game Songs

My Personal Favorite Tunes

It’s my birthday today! (March 11). I have now orbited the sun thirty-seven times, and I am both lucky and blessed to still be here. As much as I enjoy my birthday, I will let you in on a little secret… I enjoy Father’s Day more :P. That being said, for my birthday, I wanted to release something a little more fun. So I decided to write about my favorite video game songs of all time. Now, I’ll admit this list was made a little quicker and less thoughtful than I usually do for lists, but I was dead set on making this happen, and I figured the ten songs that came to my mind the quickest made sense to make the list. I’ll say this… the top three are without a doubt my favorite songs in the medium. There are a lot of great songs and compositions I wish I could put here, but I challenged myself to just do twelve. I also limited myself to one per franchise, or there would’ve been a lot of repeats from The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy. So, enjoy, and maybe you’ll learn a little about me in the process.

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12 - Gourmet Race

Kirby Super Star

I am a diehard Kirby fan. I don’t mind the easy difficulty, the simple gameplay, and the sameness that the series tends to have. I find Kirby to be a comfort or relaxing series that feels like a trip back into childlike wonder. When it comes to the series, Gourmet Race is without a doubt my favorite track. It first appeared in Kirby Super Star as part of a minigame, but has since been used in many entries. What I love about it is that it fits the title, because the song's tempo and pacing feel like a race itself. Every time it comes on, either in a compilation of Nintendo music or when I’m playing, it immediately perks me up, and I can’t help but hum to it. It’s gone on to become the song people tend to think of when it comes to the cute pink puffball.

11 - Jungle Hijynx

Donkey Kong Country

I have a history with the Donkey Kong Country series that’s tied to Thanksgiving. My cousin and I were really close during our family trips to visit my uncle. She had a Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, and a vast library of Disney films. A tradition was born that we would play the trilogy every chance we got, since we could play together. I have one specific Thanksgiving memory of playing almost through the whole Donkey Kong Country 3 campaign as we stayed up really late (extremely late into the night parties are common in Puerto Rican households). One song that has stayed stuck in my head for a long time is the first track that plays when you first play as DK, Jungle Hijynx. It’s an extremely catchy tune that mixes an upbeat tempo with the drums and seems to pick up more and more as it goes. It’s that song that has come to symbolize those Donkey Kong Country memories.

10 - The Only Thing They Fear is You

Doom Eternal

Doom Eternal was an important game for me because it was the game I played through COVID, and my one-year-old daughter was constantly getting up in the middle of the night and refusing to go back to sleep. It became a game that let me vent some frustration by destroying and killing demons. As expected, the main theme to come out of the game is the modern icon, The Only Thing They Fear Is You by Mick Gordon. As someone who used to listen to a lot of rock and metal music during my teen years, this song is just badass. It fits the theme of the Doom Slayer and the game so well, and it adds to doing what these modern Doom games do best: give you the feeling of an unstoppable 80s-type of action hero badass. I have this song on my Apple Music playlist, and it’s one of those you put on to get your energy level up. From the moment this thing kicks off, it’s like you’ve been strapped into a roller coaster and it ain’t stopping anytime soon. It truly is a rush.

9 - BB’s Theme

Death Stranding

Death Stranding has been an emotional and compelling set of games for me. While I experienced the first game through a Let’s Play, I played through the sequel, and it became my favorite game of 2025. The song that ties the most to the franchise is BB’s Theme, which is featured many times throughout the games. The song is about the protection and care of the bridge baby, and it resonates with me as a father. When you make that final trip at the end of both games, BB’s Theme hits, and it gets you right in the feels. It’s a bit of a haunting song, the way it’s sung, but it always leaves you a little emotional and, in a way, kind of hyped to be a dad.

8 - The Final Battle

Elden Ring

Elden Ring is one of the best experiences I’ve had this decade so far. As a From Software and soulslike fan, it puts you in a world without any markers and lets you pick what you want to do. I remember when I got into it, I called it a mature Breath of the Wild, due to the similarities in how you explore the world. From Software’s games tend to have underrated soundtracks, and Elden Ring is no exception. There are many bangers in the game’s soundtrack, but it’s the final battle’s song and execution that has stuck with me the most. First of all, it helps that it’s an extended version of the title screen theme, so when it hits you, you immediately recognize it, and it adds to that epic feeling you have because you know, after over a hundred hours here, you are ready to finish this epic adventure. The chorus and orchestra all come together, and it’s like I’m at a symphony listening to that last ultimate song to end it.

7 - Cohen’s Masterpiece

Bioshock

Bioshock is a masterpiece; I consider it the video game equivalent of Metropolis. Its themes, characters, world, and lore are second to none and still age well, despite the gameplay aging a bit. I loved Bioshock because, in a lot of ways, it's a reversal of Ayn Rand’s works, and Andrew Ryan serves as a symbol of Rand. If it hasn’t become apparent, and sorry to any fans of hers, but I really don’t like that woman. I always tell people: if you want to know what my philosophy in politics, culture, and even religion is, look at everything Ayn Rand wrote, and I’m the exact opposite. This and other factors, like the story of the Little Sisters and the story of the Rapture's decay, helped make Bioshock one of my favorite games of all time.

Sander Cohen is one of those video game villains who has always fascinated me. I know Andrew Ryan gets a lot of talk, and trust me, I’m with you guys, but it’s always been Cohen that I considered one of the best villains to come out of 2007. Cohen’s madness is on full display when you encounter him, and nothing says madness like his masterpiece, a piano song he wrote, which, from what I can guess, is probably a tough song to play. It’s just every bit as chaotic as the mad artist, and it’s also, funny enough, a beautiful track. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since I played Bioshock; Cohen’s masterpiece has stayed stuck in my brain as one of those songs I can never forget.

6 - Simple and Clean

Kingdom Hearts

Kingdom Hearts is a game I have a long history with, but mostly it was me wanting to play it badly and not having a chance. See I was a Nintendo guy and I never got a PS2. The hype around the game in 2002, with the commercials and the Disney tie-in, had me screaming for the game as a forbidden title I could never play. As a Disney fan, I had to sit back and be jealous of PS2 owners who got to play it. Throughout the years, I saw some of my friends play it on their PS2, and I was aware of some of the series' themes. Eventually, the remaster came to PlayStation 3, and I could FINALLY play it. My time with the game is seared into my brain because my wife, who is a huge Disney fan but not a gamer, would actually sit and watch me play because she wanted to see all the Disney characters, and she absolutely lost it when I got to the Hundred-Acre Woods, as Pooh Bear is one of her favorite fictional characters.

Obviously, Dearly Beloved is a great track that has become the series' theme, but it’s Simple and Clean that has stuck as the most memorable song from the series. It helps that the opening of the game uses it and sets the mood for what you’re going to experience. To this day, whenever I hear the song, it evokes feelings that remind me of that Kingdom Hearts playthrough, and it’s also become a theme for me as a Disney fan. If I hear it, I’m going to sit back and listen to it on repeat as many times as I can. It’s without a doubt one of the best pieces of music to come out thanks to the video game medium.

5 - File Select / Title Theme

Metroid Prime

I bet you might be surprised how high this one is, unless you remember that Metroid is my all-time favorite series. My gateway to the series was through the 2002 GameCube classic, Metroid Prime. Ever since I played it, I have loved every experience I’ve had with this franchise, even when I’m left a bit disappointed with certain entries. The title screen of Metroid Prime can play like a loop in my head if I let it. I once played the game three times in a row in one day, rushing to beat it as fast as possible and get to 100%. I had become good at finishing the game with every item and pickup in about five to six hours. That’s how obsessed I became with it, and of course, that’s why it’s my favorite game of all time. The title screen theme of the first Prime game is too iconic and too central to my gaming memories and life not to be this high.

4 - Orchestra Piece #1

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

I have been on record that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess isn’t just one of my favorite Zelda games, but also among my top five favorite video game soundtracks of all time. The series has a long history of producing 10/10 soundtracks for almost every entry, so it’s subjective which one sticks out to you. Don’t get me wrong, Ocarina of Time is high, and despite being one of my lesser favorites of the series, Skyward Sword has some banger songs, but Twilight Princess is a soundtrack that has become my go-to as the soundtrack of the Zelda series. When it comes to songs, it’s the Orchestra Piece #1, which was used in the trailer, that has stuck with me as my favorite from the game. It’s a pretty quick song since it was used for promotional videos, but it fits its name and is like a minute-plus mashup of the best scores the game has to offer, leaving you with a feeling of an epic adventure, ready to fill Link’s boots and save Zelda.

3 - Staff Roll

Super Mario 64

Super Mario 64 is a big part of my evolution as a gamer. It was the first game I really took seriously, and it was a game that when I finished it, felt to me as a kid, like I had just been through the greatest story I’ve played. Now, obviously looking back, Super Mario 64 is an important and consequential game, but we all know it hasn’t aged well compared to modern titles, and it’s actually a pretty easy game to beat, which is crazy since it took me nearly a year to beat as a kid (mostly because I would get distracted by renting other games). But man… when that ending happened, and Peach invited Mario to bake a cake, and the credits began, that song just still hits me in the feels. The upbeat theme, the credits showing the levels and worlds you’ve visited. To this day, I consider the credits and the song that accompany them the best credits for a video game ever. I know a big part of it is nostalgia, but I can watch these credits and listen to this song, and it becomes one of those comforting experiences that briefly brings you back to simpler days when we were kids.

2 - Dancing Mad

Final Fantasy VI

What can I say that hasn’t been said about Dancing Mad? How about the fact that it was compared to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling (and compared to pulling it off with crayons, no less!). It is, in my opinion, among the greatest songs EVER made in video games. It is to me, Uematsu’s masterpiece. It’s a long song, but it’s worth it. The title Dancing Mad fits, because it moves through multiple tempos and is almost a mish-mash of different genres. It is a song that feels like it is dancing wildly, yet it comes together and makes sense, signifying the final climactic battle against one of gaming’s most evil characters, Kefka. The best way to listen to it is the orchestral version that came out for the Final Fantasy orchestras recently, but even in its chiptune form, it’s a chef’s kiss. It’s a damn work of art, is what it is.

1 - Pollyanna (I Believe In You)

Mother

Did you see this one coming? I am an optimist by nature, but even optimistic, hopeful people like me can have times of sorrow and feel like things aren’t going to be okay. However, there is one song that to me feels like an anthem of confidence and just tells you to go out there and believe in yourself. Mother’s Pollyanna theme is that song for me. It’s been used through the trilogy of games and has a lyrically sung version that I love, sung by Catherine Warwick. The YouTube channel 8-Bit Big Band has an amazing R&B cover of the song, sung by Alan H. Green. It comes out almost like a gospel or soulful version, which is perfect given the song's themes. Here’s a link if you’re interested in listening, and check out them out because they have other awesome covers.

Pollyanna is about believing in yourself, and I’m a sucker for stories about kids learning to believe in themselves and overcome obstacles. If I’m feeling down, I can pop this in, and I feel a lot better about myself. It’s in many ways the video game version of Mr. Blue Sky. As I enter a new year of my life, I’ll be leaning on this song to get me through some rough times.

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