Billboard: 25 Best Video Game Songs Ever

[FunkyMonkey]

25 Best Video Game Songs Ever

It's not hyperbole to say that as today, as of this very minute, the recent crop of games may be helping saving rock n' roll, if not all of music. Suddenly, 10-year-olds know who Thin Lizzy and Mountain (!) are, suddenly Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" can be heard sung aloud in high-school cafeteria lines. Those wondering how crucial the connection between music and gaming has become need only really know two things: Lars Ulrich is making his music downloadable to "Rock Band" franchise, and that the same series will be home to the first new official Guns N' Roses song in 78 years. As such, we humbly present this admittedly subjective survey of the best video game songs. For the purposes of this article, that means actual, real-live songs, not the boss-battle music from level 5 of Ninja Gaiden, or the Fever music from Dr. Mario. No covers, no instrumentals, no MIDI versions on the NES. The songs here were picked not only because they're awesome in their own right, but also because they somehow augment or accentuate game play in a way that an anonymous shreddy instrumental couldn't.

-Jeff Vrabel


2.  GUNS N' ROSES
    
"Welcome to
 the Jungle"
    
(Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock)

25.  GUNS N' ROSES
    
"Shackler's Revenge"
    
(Rock Band 2)

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/video-games/index.shtml

[uzisuicide2002]

NICE! 

[Josh]

#1, wtf is it Rage or James Brown?

"RAGE AGAINST  THE MACHINE
    

"Bulls on Parade"
    

 (Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock)

You know what's wrong with fake-driving around a fictitious California town on a sweltering August night playing James Brown music on 11? Nothing.  Especially when it's this classic nearly eight-minute-long title soul jam from Brown's 1973 album."

[The Dog]

They kinda make fun of Shackler's:

Let's be honest, this song's no "Welcome to the Jungle," or, for that matter, "Pretty Tied Up." But "Rock Band 2" has figured out how to do what over a decade of pressure, New York Times articles, soft-drink companies, petitions, record company pleas and Bucketheadian maneuvers have failed to: get an official new Guns N' Roses song released in the universe.

[LeftToDecay]

It's cool GNR made it in there and all buuuut...

what an embarrassing fucking listing
Apparently there are 3 video game series with music out there; Guitar hero, GTA and Tony Hawk.
It's beyond lazy  and terribly unimnaginative to just browse through Guitar Hero's song list, pick dozen of most famous songs from there and decide you have complied some sort of a listing worth of publising.

Also,  what the fuck? Saying Guitar hero is a game with extremely good sound track is like saying some sort of a karaoke VHS is a movie with extremely good soundtrack.  In guitar hero/rock band/etc, the music IS  the game, not a soundtrack to the game!

There's several video game soundtracks out there that enjoy pretty legendary status and are actually original soundtracks as in, specificially composed with the game in mind. That stuff would deserve to be listed.

Things like...

Jeremy Soule's Icewind dale compositions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K7dfP3QlS4&feature=related

Or stuff from final fantasy VII:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti_yfl__lY0