Awesome Music / World of Warcraft

STORM, EARTH AND FIRE, HEED MY CALL!

Awesome Music page for the World of Warcraft MMORPG game and its expansions.

Examples for the Real-Time Strategy Warcraft games go here.

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Login Themes

• To start it off, the original WoW and its expansions kicked off with great login themes, with great music accompanying the cinematics.
  • Seasons of War leading into Legends of Azeroth, the first main theme.
  • The Dark Portal which leads into The Burning Crusade.
  • Arthas, my Son to Wrath of the Lich King which started Blizzard's habit of making the intro themes into longer orchestral pieces.
  • Xaxas to The Shattering for Cataclysm.
  • Why Do We Fight? to Heart of Pandaria for Mists of Pandaria.
  • Times Change to A Siege of Worlds for Warlords of Draenor.
  • Azeroth's Last Hope to Kingdoms Will Burn for Legion.
  • What Makes Us Strong to Before the Storm for Battle for Azeroth.
  • The Isles Awaken for Dragonflight.

World of Warcraft / World of Warcraft Classic

• The simply titled "War" plays in several locations, the most notable of which is the Ragnaros fight in the Molten Core. It meshes so well with the tone of the battle and Rag's own quotes that it may well be WoW's first occurrence of boss music.
• The original Stormwind theme, a powerful piece that reminds all Alliance players why they love their faction.
• Likewise, the original Orgrimmar theme gave every Horde playing a feeling that at any moment they were ready to march to war.
• Call to Arms, one of the original musical themes of World of Warcraft. The Ominous Latin Chanting of "Desideratus Fatum, Desideratus Bellum" (first used in Warcraft III) is essentially the Leitmotif of the entire franchise. Much of the soundtrack for Battle for Azeroth is based off of it.
• Even the Ominous Latin Chanting from when Graveyard has a sad-but-calming feel to it.
• The Molten Core, which plays when you reach deeper into Ragnaros' lair and face his most powerful lieutenants before throwing down with the Elemental Lord of Fire himself, tense and building to an incredible climax. It also used to play in part of the Shadowfang Keep instance until Cataclysm and also and still plays in the Purple Section of Mauraudon when you're approaching and fight the section's second boss, Lord Vyletongue.

• Naxxramas is chock full of deliciously ominous and creepy themes that perfectly befit the seemingly infinite amount of undead horrors the citadel contains. Especially the Abominations wing and the Death Knights wing. The latter's themes were so good they ended up being reused as a good chunk of the themes within the Death Knight players' headquarters citadel, Acherus, as well as for some of the Burning Legion's camps.

The Burning Crusade

• They learned their lesson in the Burning Crusade expansion, and had a specific quest in mind when writing "Lament of the Highborne".
• Some of the Burning Crusade's ambient music is subdued but spectacular, be it the haunting swells of organs and strings in Terokkar Forest, or the ominous chants of Shadowmoon Valley.
• The ambiance music in Auchindoun is absolutely fantastic.
• Tempest Keep's ambiance music. It's serene and kinda ominous at the same time. Perfect for a base full of pretty but villainous elves.
• The haunting and idyllic music of Azuremyst Isle makes the starting zone a favorite of many players who decided to roll a Draenei character. It is very evocative and it feels like the player is in another world that is not too alien yet not too familiar to Azeroth. It could be useful when studying or trying to relax.
• Karazhan offers some of the best music for the ambience of a Haunted Castle that's ever been composed, particularly the Ominous Pipe Organ and ominous harpsichord of the Opera section. No wonder this raid's been a fan favorite for so many years.
• The sad but calming feel of Eversong Woods remixes with "Lament of the Highborne" to reflect on the tragedy that befell on the once glorious High Elves before their near-extinction by the undead scourge. It has a slight theme of moving on from a troubled past and looking forward into a brighter future as it reflects the elves' determination to regain the lost power they had and rename themselves as "Blood elves" while still bearing the grim scars of their historical tragedy.
• The dark and ominous techo-sounding music of Netherstorm helps make the zone the most Outlandish of well, Outland. It has a slight Science Fiction vibe with its riff and it can also remind someone of another game Blizzard had made, Starcraft.
• The Draenei Outland Base is frequently heard in any Draenei populated settlement in Outland that, just like Azuremyst Isle, reflects the deeply spiritual theme of the Draenei race. It is favored music to listen in some of the minor iconic villages in Outland like Telredor and Telaar where they are in beautiful zones.
• One of the most favorite zones among the player base is Nagrand because of the grassy and green landscape that makes it a stark contrast to the barren and lifeless zones that are commonly seen in the promotional material, and the music has enraptured people when questing in the zone. It seems to be an odd mix of Mulgore and the Barrens but with floating islands and exotic wildlife that makes it seem like the player is in an African Safari in an alien world. The music has a slight sad theme of loneliness as it is the only remaining place of the original Draenor that is uncorrupted from the explosion that turned it into Outland.

Wrath of the Lich King

• Assault on New Avalon for the Lich King's offensive. Basically a heavily militarized version of Arthas, My Son.

• Invincible, with chords which can be assumed to be Arthas' theme... except it's a dirge from Arthas' viewpoint about his horse, Invincible. He really loved that horse.

• The very soothing keyharp theme that plays on the transports in Northrend.
• Another beautiful piece of Northrend music can be found in the found in the Grizzly Hills, a gorgeous redwood forest with a distinct old Pacific Northwestern vibe, complete with lumberjacks, trappers, beavers, grizzly bears, and Native Americans-erm, trolls.
• The epic bagpipes in Howling Fjord help mesmerize the player with the zone as though they're really in Scandinavia with the race of viking-like warriors called the Vrykul that inhabit the land, making it feel like an epic tale of your hero recently arriving in Northrend to brave the dangers of the icy continent.
• The eerie tribal music in Zul'Drak really sets the mood. Bonus points for the music around the altars of the troll gods, which features choirs chanting the respective gods' names.
• The theme of Sholazar Basin seems to be out of place at first. The zone is a tropical paradise in contrast to the arctic environment of the rest of Northrend. Even still it manages to feel exotic and familiar at the same time as the Andean flutes and drums that play show that not all of Northrend is frigid and unforgiving as presented in the promotional material.
• The melodies of the Storm Peaks are quietly dignified and tend to give a feeling of sadness and great age. Mountains of Thunder includes some of them.

• The Antechamber of Ulduar. The majestic brass and haunting chants echoing through the ancient Titan fortress's vast halls and corridors... Perfection. Remade as Thaurissans Reach in Cataclysm, where it becomes the de facto dwarven national anthem.
• Yogg-Saron's theme, Halls of Iron. It's taken from the portion of the Wrath of the Lich King main theme that plays at the Whisper Gulch/Howling Fjord portion of the Wrath of the Lich King Blizzcon Trailer (for context, Yogg-Saron is just as heavily involved in Howling Fjord as the Lich King). It is epic during the actual fight against Yogg-Saron, yet in the Wrathgate cinematic and Bolvar's ascension to Lich King it becomes ominous, as if hinting that Yogg-Saron or the Sha resulting from his death are responsible for the events taking place.
• The Joust music, new to the game from Patch 3.2, is also pretty amazing.
• The background music to the Trial of the Champion/Crusader instance is incredible at setting the tone of the instance. It's a lot more noticeable than the music in many other dungeons.
• The 5-Man Dungeons for Patch 3.3 have some very nice dramatic/epic sounding pieces. Such as The Forge of Souls Dungeon and Boss Fight who is an Expy of James Brown no less, or The Pit of Saron which has so far been appraised as an improvement. The last of the three new dungeons where you finish with an escape from the Lich King. Certainly doesn't disappoint in the dramatic factor either.
• The gunship encounter from Icecrown Citadel. Reused in Cataclysm and one scenario in Mists of Pandaria: Gunships. The Cataclysm version is basically a Dark Reprise mixed with Triumphant Reprise to deliver the urgency of the situation in one powerful track as you chase a dragon that is single-handedly responsible for the events that shattered the entire world, and you're poised to bring it down once for all, on board a gunship that is being invaded by his insane followers trying to hinder your efforts, while playing the leitmotif from the previous expansion, since Northrend became the final battlefield.

Cataclysm

• The theme of Twilight's Hammer, complete with Ominous Black Speech Chanting, probably the coolest theme for a death's cult of evil ever. The music played as you face off against Deathwing really makes you feel like the world is about to end if you don't succeed.
• The new Orgrimmar theme for Cataclysm is the perfect representation of the Horde under Garrosh.
• The Stormwind theme is quite epic with its choirs and violins, in a "tragic" sense, seeing how the city suffered from Deathwing's attack. Now, it needs its heroes more than ever...
• And a new entry into the rolls of music tracks that really shouldn't be bad guy themes, Breath of Al'Akir is the sweeping theme of Skywall. Sadly, the main place players will hear this piece is the Vortex Pinnacle.
• The Night Elves get a new theme in Cataclysm called "Nightsong", and it is incredible.
• The Noble Tauren. Rest in peace, Cairne...

Mists of Pandaria

• The theme for the Wandering Isle. Bonus points that part of this theme is a remix to a Wrath of the Lich King piece that focused particularly on an Old God, hinting that Old Gods had a major play in the expansion.
• The Alliance Operation Shieldwall Theme. It's among the most epic songs in the game. And its Horde Counterpart, the Horde Dominance Offensive Theme.

• The theme of the Shado-Pan has some godlike chorus, especially the "Watchers on the Wall" part.
• Sha (Spirits of Hatred), a mixture of swelling music and a really creepy choir by the end.

• Though it may not be as epic as some of the others listed, the beauty of August Celestials cannot be adequately described. It is considered by many in the fandom to be one of the finest songs in not only Mists of Pandaria, but the whole of Warcraft.

Warlords of Draenor

• Say, remember some of the awesome music from Warcraft III, like "Doomhammer's Legacy?" Or how about "Blackrock and Roll", particularly that amazing bit at the end? If so, you'll definitely want to listen to this.
• Alliance players, on the other hand, get greeted by a Triumphant Reprise of the Black Temple theme, as in this timeline it remains a stronghold of the Light.
• An excellent piece comes at the end of the Tanaan Jungle intro, where you and your allies are running as fast as possible to the docks, with the Iron Horde in hot pursuit, and this playing in the background, with Grommash Hellscream roaring that there is no place for you to run in his world.
• Malach fits the Auchindoun Dungeon, and later when you are fighting the three warlocks Teron'gor has summoned and the last boss himself, the part at 2:33 in the video starts and you feel ready to tear shit up in Auchindoun and kick some demon ass. The track also plays during the Alliance quest chain where you retake Karabor from the Iron Horde.

• World of Warcraft has the dubious distinction of creating music so epic that it took years for the developers to find a place in the game worthy of it: "The Shaping of the World".
• The music that plays in Shadowfang Keep is pretty darn awesome.
• The music in Arcanist Doan's room in the Scarlet Monastery. It plays elsewhere as well (including one place in the Molten Core). It's the last few seconds of a track called "Legacy" from the main game's OST (the rest of the piece isn't used).
• The log-in music is pretty awesome.

Legion

• Anduin's theme takes parts of Stormwind's theme and gives it powerful vocals. Vocals lifted directly from "Arthas, My Son", for that matter... except this time it's not a sarcastic remark about Arthas' fall, and instead a heartfelt acknowledgment of Anduin as King of Stormwind.
• "Nightsong" makes a return with the first half of the song serving as a farewell to Ysera when she dies.
• Last Stand, a song that plays during important boss battles, such as Helya in Maw of Souls or Elisande in The Nighthold.
• Mardum, the Demon Hunter starting zone. It also plays during Invasion Points in Azeroth.
• Canticle of Sacrifice. Rest in peace, King Varian...
• The Emerald Nightmare. It's so wonderfully creepy and atmospheric. What really makes this piece unique is the whispers heard at various parts.
• Antorus, The Burning Throne, The Very Definitely Final Dungeon of Argus. Especially the part at 5:36.
• The theme for Highmountain is breathtaking as it uses some epic Native American music to capture the awe and mythical atmosphere of the zone.
• The music for Stormheim is, by definition, one of the most epic things ever conceived. It is a more grandiose remix of "Howling Fjord" but with a more arousing expression that matches the local Vrykul who proudly exclaim that they live and die to fight for glory. Glory to Odyn!

Battle for Azeroth

• City of Gold perfectly encapsulates the grandeur of the Zandalari.
• Boralus welcomes all Alliance warriors with a rousing opening, then turns into your everyday port town music, perfectly capturing the atmosphere.
• The theme of the Ashvane Trading Company invokes some vibes of the Argent Tournament with its thunderous drums and, in later parts, choral support, especially in the Tol Dagor dungeon.
• The theme of the desert region of Vol'dun, especially the gloomy violin that encapsulates how vast and unforgiving this region is. And also, the music associated with the Sethrak, the local race of Snake People.
• On the other side of the spectrum, the sounds of Stormsong Valley are calm and peaceful.
• The shanty sung in Warbringers: Jaina is beautiful in its haunting, mournful way.
• The music used in the dungeons is particularly catchy:
  • The rousing themes of Freehold invite all kinds of adventurers to take on the most fearsome of pirates.
  • Waycrest Manor and its glorious Ominous Pipe Organ.
  • The theme of Shrine of the Storm and its creepy chanting, hinting at the power of the Old Gods' influence over Lord Stormsong...
• A few hours after the official release of Battle for Azeroth, the World of Warcraft official YouTube account uploaded a truly amazing cover of "For Whom the Bell Tolls". Sadly, the video has been long made private, but it can be found here.
• The quirky soundtrack for Mechagon/the Mechagnomes is quite refreshing and engaging for Gnome lore fans.

Shadowlands

• The Dreamer The final quest in the Ardenweald storyline where nearly ALL of the denizens of Ardenweald gather in procession towards The Heart of The Forest to bring the Wildseed containing the soul of Ysera to the Winter Queen in order to save it. Which leads into a return of "Nightsong" as the second half serves as a Triumphant Reprise when Ysera is revived.

Dragonflight

• The Dragonflight leitmotif, which appears in many forms, such as the Take to the Skies cinematic and dragon race music, encapsulates the themes of this expansion: the thrill of the skies, adventure, discovery, and renewal.
• The triumphant Valdrakken music hits you every time you step out of the Valdrakken inn, selling the impression of a city on top of the world from where you're about to embark on your next adventure.
• Emerald Dream music in patch 10.2 is very fitting for a pristine enclave of nature, particularly the Central Encampment music.

Unsorted

• The music for Shalandis Isle took new Blood Elf players by surprise, but in a very good way. It was so popular that Blizzard has since stuck it in Night Elf inns and the Temple of the Moon in Darnassus (possibly providing the first reason to hang around the city). Blizzard even had it rearranged for Legion.

• A Call to Arms doesn't appear very often, but it usually shows up when Blizzard wants things to feel particularly epic when going into battle. It even shows up in several of the expansion's cinematic themes in one form or another.
• The distinctive leitmotif of Illidan Stormrage, found inside the Black Temple and in various places across Outland. (Unfortunately, the best examples can only be heard by going into the game's .mpq files.) A melody of ominous strings and bitter reed instruments.
• Silvermoon City is the only city to have separate music for day and night (note that the first two minutes on those videos are the same, being the theme that plays in Falconwing Square regardless of the time of day). It's so awesome it made it into the title theme for both expansions!
• The foreboding and gloomy theme of the Un'Goro Crater and the Swamp of Sorrows is great, but the Sholazar Basin theme is also good. Another theme that fits the zone is the Burning Steppes theme: you can almost feel the heat. Unfortunately, the theme for the Battle of Mount Hyjal was not used in the raid instance itself. Fortunately, the Karazhan theme did eventually appear in the game.

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