How do you know that the soundtracks for the Streets of Rage series are all time classics? (Besides the fact that Yuzo Koshiro composed them) Well, lets start with the first game:
Dilapadated Town of Round 2 may not be that awesome, but it is undeniable that it suits the gritty, crime-ridden, rundown neighborhood theme of the Round.
The Official Soundtrack, despite being based on PC-88, is largely identical except for few little changes (the extended bit at the end of Intro theme for example). Still, the slight differences in instruments used may make the themes sound better for some. Also, ithasfivearrangedtracks.
And now for the fan-favorite, the second game:
Just Go Straight on Stage 1. Or listen to the Beatmix version in the sound test.
Expander by Motohiro Kawashima sets the mood for riding the elevator to the top.
Combining the Streets of Rage theme, You Became the Bad Guy!, The Last Soul and mixing them with SOR2's musical style, we get S.O.R. Super Mix, the theme of Stage 8.
Motohiro Kawashima delivers again with Shiva's theme Max Man.
The Official Soundtrack, like the first one, is also almost identical. Like also with first one, different instruments, volumes, etc. can make it different, most obviously with the Spin on the Bridge.
The music for the third game is hit and miss for most people, but it has some good tracks, and Motohiro Kawashima had bigger hand in composing it:
