History Main / MagicMusic

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** In {{Macross II}}, the Zentraedi have developed their own morale-boost-giving singers. The plot gets definitely kickstarted when one of them, a girl named Ishtar, is retrieved by IntrepidReporter Hibiki and starts learning about humanity...

** In {{Macross 2}}, the Zentraedi have developed their own morale-boost-giving singers. The plot gets a huge boost when one of them, a girl named Ishtar, is retrieved by IntrepidReporter Hibiki and starts learning about humanity...

** There was a magical ocarina in the last ''DragonBallZ'' [[TheMovie movie]].

** [[SpoonyBard Edward]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' can inflict damage on enemies, as well as confuse them and put them to sleep, with his harp-playing. He can't be considered a terrible musician; just one that knows his audience, given in the DS remake he can learn Life's Anthem, which rapidly restores the HP of the party as long as he isn't interrupted. And then there's the songs available to the Bardsong Augment...

* In the CordwainerSmith short story ''The Fife of Bodhidharma'', the fife can cause either serenity or madness, depending on how it is played.

* In the shared universe novel ''Exiled: Caln of the Claw'' the Dancers of the Mrem use drums, dance and i at least one case bagpipes to strengthen their psychic powers.

* In TamoraPierce's ''[[TortallUniverse Protector Of The Small]]'' quartet, there is a scene where [[spoiler:Numair Salmalin]] uses a flute tune called the Sorcerer's Dance (stated by WordOfGod to refer to the Sorcerer's Apprentice music) to move boulders in order to improve the fortifications of a fort.

* Several characters in Creator/JRRTolkien's [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Middle-earth]] stories, including ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', could achieve magical effects through singing, including Tom Bombadil, Old Man Willow and Lúthien Tinúviel. It helps that Arda, the world of Middle-earth, was literally sung into existence through the Ainulindalë (Music of the Ainur), so anyone with the genealogical and lyrical oomph can do a lot of subtle and overt magic. Finrod the elf sang an illusion into existence, then dueled with Sauron by chanting songs of power. [[spoiler: Finrod lost.]]

* ''KamenRider''
** Most seasons only use music as incidental sound effects during transformations or special attacks, but ''KamenRiderKiva'' has a violin-playing protagonist, and one episode had him playing the mystically-created violin built by his father to force himself into shapeshifting. His sentient TransformationTrinket, Kivat, uses whistles to summon weapons, call Castle Doran, or even start Kiva's Rider Kick.
** Then there's ''KamenRiderHibiki'', where the enemies can only be fought using "pure sound". The {{Transformation Trinket}}s are weaponized instruments, as well, and each Rider carries a set of Disc Animals, which when not in use fold up into compact discs.

* [[MusicForCourage Maybe it]] [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve isn't magic]], but the Soldier's Buff Banner, Battalion's Backup, and Concheror from ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' has got to count for something. After all, ordinary music doesn't normally give you and your teammates [[CriticalHit mini-crits]] in attacksing, [[StatusBuff reduced damage]] from enemy attacks, or [[LifeDrain healing from the damage you and your teammates deal]]. There's also the Medic's Amputator, which can heal his teammates when he taunts with it (read: playing it like a violin).

* [[{{Bishounen}} Fai D Fluorite]] of TsubasaReservoirChronicle can [[spoiler: summon up a magic shield by whistling]].

* In the HarryPotter fic ''Hephaestus'' Harry invented a craft called metaldancing, in which a skilled practitioner could shape metal and give it certain properties by singing while manipulating it with their magic.

* Most of the combat system in DoubleDragon Neon revolves around collecting mixtapes to gain statboosts and new abilities and attacks, and using the Tapesmith to make them stronger via mythril.

* Most spells in ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' series require Link to use an instrument and a certain tune to cast them.
** This is most explicit in ''Ocarina of Time'', ''Majora's Mask'', and ''Wind Waker'', with several varieties of magical effects available through music, but nearly every game has at least one example of Magic Music, most often as the WarpWhistle.
** Taken to the full extent of the trope in ''Link's Awakening'', where the [[PlotCoupon 8 Instruments of the Sirens]] were required to wake the Wind Fish and leave the island, in addition to having a flute which had 3 plotdevice songs.
** Also used in ''Twilight Princess'' to summon the Golden Wolf, who teaches you combos.

** This tradition was started in the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda original game]]. It had a flute with certain magical effects.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'' has the harp, which is stated from the very beginning to have been passed down by the goddess. [[FairyCompanion Fi]] also dances along to the songs that Link plays.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle of Ages]]'' also has a harp, which is used to travel through time.

* In Creator/DianaWynneJones' "The Magicians of Caprona" this is how most spells work. A particularly amusing example occurs when one of the children decide to use the most powerful song spell ever created, used to drive out an evil devil centuries ago, but with the words changed around to clean the dinner dishes. While it did make the dishes look clean, it backfired when for weeks afterward, anything eaten or cooked with those dishes wound up having a greasy, soapy taste. Oops.

* Fanfic/TheWizardInTheShadows takes a cue from Luthien, and by extension, the Silmarillion. How? [[spoiler: Eirian]] is of half-maia heritage and uses her magic mostly via singing.

** Ranka from ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'' ended a small war with her moe song