It's no secret. Compared to the Super Nintendo, the Genesis wasn't exactly a killer in the sound department. It was fueled in part by what soundtracks really caught your ear, but for a real classic, you didn't have to look any farther than the Sega mascot.
Everyone's favorite hedgehog speedster has had quite a number of notable themes over the years which cements that although the ride has been rocky with plenty of ups and downs, there's one thing that everyone can agree on, the music is almost always awesome.
And you can now get a lot of this music on iTunes!
The Scrap Brain Zone theme (especially the first part) is one of the best tracks ever written to give the impression of "prepare for insane difficulty". Notably it, along with Star Light Zone, was reused as the music on the optionscreens for Sonic Advance. Furthermore, Scrap Brain Zone's theme, along with Green Hill Zone's music, were both included in Super Smash Bros. Brawl's awesome soundtrack.
The Death Egg Zone theme is, for a 16-bit era track, an eerie, haunting piece of genius, with an undercurrent of madness. You normally only hear a couple seconds of it as you run to the right and face Silver Sonic, but if you stand there and wait for a little while you'll start getting thoroughly creeped out.
Bonus points for the top melody sounding like some sort of deranged lullaby.
Blasphemy. Oil Ocean can hold its own just as well.
If you're going to mention so many individually, Aquatic Ruin has to be among them.
No variant on the boss music is complete without a reference to the realboss theme. Where the original game had its own unique flavor and Sonic 3 would later aim for straight-up intensity, this is too iconic to go unmentioned.
Hidden Palace Zone's Beta music (a sped up version of 2 player Mystic Cave) is really good, the final version's soundtrack, not as much.some would beg to differ.
Actually, Hidden Palace's music is really a slowed down version of the Special Stage from Sonic the Hedgehog.
The Super Sonic theme in itself is almost enough incentive to get all the Chaos emeralds. It's similar to the invincibility theme (itself a feel-good sound) but rocked up and really gets the impression of "powering up". Also, unlike the Sonic 3 version, it's not just a loop of a few seconds.
It's been said three times before, but it needs its own section. If you are not loving Chemical Plant Zone, you are not living. Ten-minute extended version in link.
I'd like to place emphasis on the above Final Boss theme. This song first shows up in Sonic 3, and it marks the first - and one of the only times - that Super Sonic is NOT invincible. A grab attack from this boss will outright knock you clean out of your super form. This is the first time that Robotnik's REALLY a true threat, and this music really knocks it home.((This troper would like to add that this was supposedly a glitch, according to many people at Sonic-Retro. Think about this, why doesn't it happen in Sonic 3 with Knuckles (Sonic 3 attached to Sonic and Knuckles) when you play that level? Also, it should be noted that getting to that fight as Super Sonic is very difficult, thanks to the two boss fights and long cut-scene that precede it. Still, for a glitch, it's a fairly impressive one))
Azure Lake, Balloon Park, Chrome Gadget, Desert Palace, and Endless Mine. From Sonic 3's two-player competition mode, which gamers largely ignored in favor of the the one-player mode. Sonic Team had to have known this would happen, in which case, I gotta admire the composers for writing kickass songs for levels that would barely ever get played.
The Sonic & Knucklesopening screen theme. I've still got it stuck in my head to this day...
It's Fanfare-like reprise in the very end of the Ending Credits will always make this troper weep nostalgic tears.
The Special Stage theme. This is the version heard ingame, where it gets fast and unbelievably awesome. That surreal blend of chirpy and mysterious at high speed is glorious.
Thank you. This troper loves the beat that's going on.
No mention of Sandopolis Zone at all? Tropers, how could you?
This troper freaking lovesCarnival Night Zone. Just the sound of that synthesized refrain as the deep bass and beats jam... so cool.
Michael Jackson was the influence for almost the entire soundtrack of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Ice Cap was influenced by Who is it? (or Smooth Criminal), and Carnival Night has riffs from Jam in it. Perhaps the most noticeable, the beats of the BGM in in the Marble Garden zones (Act 1)were heavily influenced by Remember The Time.
Knuckles' theme only makes a brief appearance in Sonic & Knuckles, but MAN, is it catchy.
Where to begin? First, the music shared between both soundtracks: the 'Past' music.
The tropical sounding music for Palmtree Panic, which is more laid back than the present music
Collision Chaos, which has a more subdued version of the beat from the JP soundtrack's present track
Tidal Tempest, which is calm to go with the fact that there's still time to fix the future when you're there
Quartz Quadrant, which like Collision Chaos has a subdued version of the beat from the JP present music
Wacky Workbench, a Western-sounding track that goes with the wide open space around the area that can be seen in this time period's less developed version of the factory
Stardust Speedway, which takes the "Hey, hey, hey, hey!" lyrics from the JP version's tracks and makes them and the main track more quiet
Metallic Madness, which has the urgent beat of the Japanese present soundtrack and unlike that version is instrumental
The Boss theme, which starts with a younger man and an older man laughing as if they're making fun of how Robotnik's machines are always broken apart by a few bashes against them by Sonic, and it is also more easy-going and upbeat than its American counterpart, getting your heart pumping as you work that sucker (Robotnik) to death. Its lyrics even say " Work that sucker to death! Come on now! Work that sucker to death!"
Palmtree Panic: the upbeat Present and Good Future. The former seems good for a day at the beach, while the latter is fitting for an outright beach party.
Wacky Workbench: the chaotic, fast-paced techno Present and the bright, mechanical Good Future.
Stardust Speedway: the funky Present, the darker Bad Future, and the much brighter, calmer, and peaceful-sounding Good Future. Note that the Bad Future music plays during the Metal Sonic race even in the Good Future.
Metallic Madness: The urgent Present, fitting for the final level, the you-screwed-up-big-time Bad Future complete with with sinister-souding instead of jolly versions of the laughing men from the boss track and a robotic voice in the background saying stuff resembling anti-Sonic propaganda from Robitnik (e.g. "You can't do anything, so don't even try it," "Don't do what Sonic does," and finally, "Sonic, dead or alive, is mine"), and the a-winner-is-you Good Future that takes the instruments from the intro of the urgent present music and uses them for an upbeat background instrument.
Wacky Workbench: Starting of course at the awesomely funky Present music, you then have the Bad Future, and, as with the JP/EU version, the bright (yet still mechanical) Good Future.
Stardust Speedway. Stardust Speedway. Present, Bad Future, and especially the Good Future. Note that during the race with Metal Sonic, the Bad Future music plays even in the Good Future.
Metallic Madness: the suitably metallic-sounding Present, Bad Future, and the Good Future, which is upbeat yet still mechanical as with the Good Future music for Wacky Workbench in both soundtracks.
Also from Sonic Adventure comes the Casinopolis level. While it may not be anything special, the NiGHTS pinball area music is quite a joy to listen to.
"Calm After the Storm" , a relaxing, upbeat number that ostensibly serves as the music for the Egg Carrier after it crashes into the ocean, but for whatever reason, doesn't get used for this purpose. It's only used once in the game, during a cutscene of E-102 Gamma boarding the ditched carrier.
What, you people don't love how epic and at times, depressingE-102's theme is? It... it's beautiful. Combined with the fact that an equally as awesome remix plays during the death of E-102, realizing that he is the last of the series... It deserves a place here!
Widely considered one of the best boss themes in the series: "Militant Missionary", the theme for the Egg Viper and Egg Walker.
Fishing. Even if you hated Big's storymode, there's no denying how awesome this theme is.
While not being all powerful, manly or exciting like most music here in this page, Chao Garden on Sonic Adventure 2 is the most relaxing (and cutest) piece of music around. It's awesome in its own way.
Mystic Mansion. Without it, this page would be a heaping pile of failure.
Hang Castle was pretty awesome too. Well, at least the default, non-inverted version of the theme.
Egg Fleet? And compared to most of the other tracks in the OST, which were happy and rocking, Final Fortress is no slouch either, with its definite intensity, cementing it as the final stage indeed.
Power Plant's theme is suitably epic for, well, a power plant.
Don't tell Me I'm the only one who loves Frog Forest I mean it has such a relaxing fast paced feel to it, it's music actually inspired a location in an original story of mine.
Somebody remixed several of the songs here for the DS version of Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. And boy is it 'AWESOME'. Exhibit A: Final Fortress and Seaside Hill.
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
One of the redeemable qualities of Sonic '06 was its phenomenal soundtrack, which ironically was done mostly by Mariko Nanba (Aquatic Base ~Level 1~, an ambient IDM song and White Acropolis ~Snowy Peak~, her doing techno), Tomoya Ohtani (Crisis City ~The Flame ~ Skyscraper ~ Whirlwind ~ Tornado~, a progressive d'nb song, End Of The World, one of the most beautiful tracks in the game) , and Hideaki Kobayashi (Almost all of the event and boss music; most notable would be Mephiles & Mephiles Phase 2, both of which are reminiscent of his PSO works).
While we're at it, His World. Sure, the game it's from sucked, but the song itself? Awesome in a can.
Oh how could anyone forget Sonic's ending theme? It was originally the ending song for Sonicthe Hedgehog 2 for the Mega Drive; it was called "Sweet Sweet" Sweet" and was performed by the Japanese band Dreams Come True. For Sonic06, they actually did a remix of this song for Sonic's ending, and they did it with Akon! The Japanese version is "SWEET SWEET SWEET -06 AKON MIX-" and the English version is "Sweet Dreams". Pretty smooth tune, even if the English lyrics are disturbing when one thinks about Sonic's, uh, kiss.
Though, it should be added that, while both versions can be listened to in-game, neither one was included on either the official soundtrack or the Vocal Traxx album, for God knows why.
How 'bout some event music? Mephiles' Whisper is supremely creepy, yet epic at the end as well. You Are My Companion (though not totally fitting for Silver's Ending) is a nice piece to set a tone of "I WILL get through the next character's story."
Crush 40's All Hail Shadow Remix from the game. It's one of their better covers of another bands song which actually manages to be better than even the original from Magna-fi just listen here which technically the Crush 40 remix first appeared in this game rather than Shadow the Hedgehog.
This song right here, which plays at the end pf Shadow's story. It was actually part of the track "Showdown with Mephiles," for whatever reason.
Is this troper the only one who will stay on the main menu for hours just listening to the looped menu theme?
Everyone needs to take at least one look at Dusty Desert. Seriously, if you don't listen to any of the other Sonic 06 tracks at all, please take a moment to listen to this one.
Sonic Unleashed
Unleashed has a rather impressive soundtrack. For starters, there's the Super Mario Galaxy-inspired World Map music.
There are no words to adequately describe the final boss music. Justlisten. Also note that the first phase may very possibly be the only final boss music ever to feature taiko drumming.
Even the Result music is fantastic. Consider it an epic reward for making it through a stage.
And that was just a short rendition of the Title Screen music. That song gives you the thrill that you're about to embark on a grand adventure!
From the DS version's exclusive Super Sonic final boss there is the Nega Mother Wisp's music which is another instrumental version of "Reach for the stars" only this time it plays like old school style game music but that doesn't stop it from being awesome.
Continuing the trend of awesome final boss themes, phase 1, sounding doomier than ever, and phase 2, once again an orchestrated version of the main theme, and sounding more victorious than ever.
Game Land 3, a remix of Starlight Carnival Act 1's music using the Game Gear's chiptune sounds. It definitely sounds like something straight out of that era, and it's beautiful. Not that the other Game Land songs aren't great either.
To start with, the Hub World Music. ALL of it, especially the way the music transitions based on what stage/rival/boss you're near. For best results, try spindashing or boosting back and forth through the hub world at least once. It'll blow your mind
Green Hill Zone was awesome when it was first composed, and it's Classic and Modern versions are just as awesome.
City Escape's remixes are 2 very different takes on the original track:
How about the Death Egg Robot boss fight, which has three stages of increasingly frantic awesomeness? First stage is all brass, the second phase adds more rock, and the final phase adds a psychotic drumbeat.
Shadow's boss fight theme. Shadow's fight actually switches between multiple CMOA. If Sonic and Shadow are neutral in the boss fight, "For True Story" plays. If you're winning the boss fight, "Live and Learn" will play. If Shadow's winning, "All Hail Shadow" plays instead.
Silver's boss battle theme, which is the theme used in Sonic '06 whenever you fight him, Shadow or Sonic in the three storylines. Now it's given a darker more badass revamp to fit the stage.
Despite being infamously inferior to its home console counterpart for various reasons, the Nintendo 3DS version of the game has (among equally notable redeeming qualities) its fair share of awesome music, and therefore it can't go unmentioned on this page.
Classic Emerald Coast, now performed with actual guitars instead of electric sitars, and guaranteed to bring a nostalgic tear to your eye as the song brings back memories of 1999.
How about the Act 2 Sky Base? Sure it loops after only about 15 seconds, but so did quite a few tunes in the Mario Universe.
It also helps that the soundtrack was composed by none other than Yuzo Koshiro, who did the impossible with the Genesis sound card by crafting the most epic video game soundtracks, EVER!
Jungle Zone is a nice song. It has a real Disney vibe to it.
The ending theme is possibly the most upbeat and happy ending song I've ever heard.
I would like to name here the Green Hills (yes, that's hills with an S) Zone tune from the Sega Master System version of Sonic 2. What's special about it, you may ask? Well, I didn't think there was anything at first, until it reached a certain point... and then I froze, my eyes widening in amazement, and then laughed and began to sing along: "Toot toot Sonic warrior, toot toot Sonic warrior..." It's "Sonic - You Can Do Anything" from the Japan/Europe version of Sonic CD!!! Even better is that Sonic CD was made way after the Master System version of Sonic 2, so for Sonic CD they took a tune from a (probably) lesser-known Sonic game and turned it into a song. THAT is awesome.
Don't forget the outstanding Game Gear version of the Boss Theme became THIS
The Sonic 2s and Sonic CD were actually all in development at the same time (Sonic CD was originally meant to be the SEGA CD version of Sonic 2), so it's not surprising that there'd be some links like that.
Underground Zone from the Game Gear version (from the first stage of the game, at that) is a great track that really exemplifies the speed of the series.
The Sunset Park Act 3 music from Sonic Triple Trouble, on top of being awesome, caught off guard many players, this troper included, who completed Act 2 and didn't expect the game to immediately segue into Act 3, with no end-of-stage bonus screen or title card in between.
Needs more Surging Power. Best invincibility music ever.
How could you miss Speed of Sound, Speed Slider's theme?
Beats me. This literally made the game for me.
So am I the only one here who loved This Horizon? I mean I thought it was a really great theme for the title screen and even think it would be worthy of someone creating and singing lyrics for it (not that I could plus My vocals aren't that great).
Red Volcano Zone has a catchy tune with a sweet hip-hop rhythm that was pulled off pretty nicely despite the limits of the Game Gear/Master System sound chip.
Sonic 3 D Blast
Genesis/Mega Drive
The 16-bit version, soundtracked by Jun Senoue, had some tunes just as good as the technically superior Saturn version:
The boss music which is just made all the more epic by Robotnik's laugh in the background. And I suppose I'd have to include the final boss theme as well.
Wave Taste and Pig City. Fun Fun Sonic and Sonic DJ respectively, two of the small handful of unique minigames that even the Mario Party series can't compete with.
Not strictly the music itself, but after it not happening in Sonic CD (which I first played post-Sonic 3) and Sonic Adventure, having the invincibility music speed up when you hit a speed boots powerup? Little tear.
The original Sonic Advance may have been largely forgettable, but the same cannot be said of the Egg Rocket Zone.
The Egg Rocket's Zone's "Act 2," the Cosmic Angel Zone, kicks it up a notch. BAM!
Going back to the first Sonic Advance, that game offers Secret Base Zone Act 1 as part of its awesome soundtrack.
Sonic Advance Invincibility. Sound familiar? Interestingly, they were going to use a different Invincible song, but they decided to go nostalgic, and instead it went to be used in Sonic Advance 2 and 3.
Chaos Angel (acts "1", 2 and "3", and "the""final""bosses". Sheer awesome, and very good at conveying the sense that you are gonna die. Frequently. Imagine what they could have done with better sound quality...
Westopolis is the very first level, and it definitely gives This Troper the vibe of wanting to run away very quickly. Considering the surroundings it succeeds very well.
And Lethal Highway also wins in terms of wanting to make you do the opposite and chase something down.
Rounding out the list with Digital Circuit, Central City, GUN Fortress, Black Bull... Oh hell, this is taking too long... just go look up all the stage themes or something. Chances are unimaginably slim that you'll find one that isn't awesome, let alone a bad one.
Don't forget Almost Dead by none other than Powerman5000!
You have to include the LOST TRACKS too! Broken by Sins Of A Divine Mother was to be used, but since they couldn't find one of the members to get permission, two of the others formed A2 and did Chosen One. Magna-Fi also had another song Who I Am.
Not to mention m-flo's remix of Tripod Baby to promote the game.
What about the song that plays during the battles against Black Doom?
Sonic and the Black Knight's soundtrack brought the return of Crush 40, who didn't fail to impress. Then again, Jun Senoue is the composer and part of the music department for Sega in general, so...
Then we have the insanely awesome Molten Mine music by Tommy Tallarico... which is itself a rearrangement of the "Action Theme" he composed for the completely-unrelated-to-Sonic game Black Dawn. Not that it's a bad thing.
The entire soundtrack was a wasted due to the terrible sound compression. The remixes from both the US and Japan Sonic CD soundtracks, as well as both the Genesis and Saturn versions of Sonic 3D Blast, and Doomsday from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 would've been good.
Other
General
The medleys that played over the credits of most of the 16-bit games.
This troper has heard numerous themes and countless remixes, but even though it's been over a decade since I first heard them, the original boss themes from Sonic 2, Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knucklesstill remain the perennial favorites.
On the subject of remixes and the Marble Zone, nothing - and I do mean nothing - beats Marble Dash. If you think otherwise, you weren't listening to it right.
The Sonic 2 Final Boss remix "Eggshell Bolero" by zykO (formerly available on VGMix.com, but now only available here) makes it even better by stretching it out to a hypnotic ten minutes.
This troper enjoys MaxieDaMan's version. It feels like if you don't beat Robotnik this time, he's gonna take over the world.
Obligatory fan remixes of "How it Started": 8-bit, MIDI.
Someone decided it would be a fun idea to combine Black Knight's main theme, "Knight of the Wind", with the game's Faraway Avalon music. The ensuing mashup works on so many levels.
Not only did their hit song "Sweet, Sweet, Sweet" get turned into the ending for Sonic 2 for the Genesis, Dreams Come True later took songs that Nakamura composed for the first two games, and turned them into hit songs!
For those wondering how the original trilogy's music would have sounded like on the good old NES, Danooct1's 8-bit VRC 6 remixes of Sonic 1to3 & Knuckles's OS Ts are about as accurate-sounding as they'll ever be.
What would happen if someone combined Act 1 of Planet Wisp from Colors, with its Sonic Simulator and Generations versions? Let's find out...
This is the best Planet Wisp mashup of all time, and I will fight anyone who claims otherwise.
Wizards of the Sonic by Westbam, a German techno DJ, samples the boss music from Sonic 2 (see above).
For shame all of you...all this talk 'bout the love of classic Sonic music, and no one bothers to put MASATO NAKAMURA on this list?! the man who gave us the -original- Green Hill Zone and started a franchise trend for Music of Awesome. Sonic the Hedgehog would not be the same if it weren't for his original compositions for the start of this series.
Cash Cash should at least be mentioned for their theme for Colors, as well as their work remixing stuff for Generations. Their auto-tuney power-pop sound fits in the series quite nicely.
The Dub's opening isn't half bad either, I give you Gotta Go Fast
The Japanese ending is sad enough without lyrics or context. When you remember what events "Hikaru Michi" underscored, it becomes an automatic Tear Jerker.
How awesome is Sonic music in general? Awesome enough to have one of the most popular internet radio stations on the entire web.
Before any piece of the Sonic Colors soundtrack was heard besides trailer music, props to whoever made this concept music which perfectly captures the tone of the game!
Not sure where else to put this but the Super Smash Bros. Brawl Remix of Sonic 3 & Knuckles' Angel Island Zone composed by Jun Senoue is pretty awesome.
