Background music

[OhJohnNo]

Ahh, the most refreshingly nerdy practice of all: Listening to video game/movie soundtracks on youtube! :p

This thread is about said background music; namely, pieces of background music you think are awesome, for any reason.

I'll start us off:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2O_MyhdjY4

The opening minute-and-a-half or so is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard. Most certainly comparable to Lord of the Rings (and not just in quality - it wouldn't sound completely out of place there). It's also really fitting for the mood - it's the start of the last level (of the entire main trilogy), and feels like a resolution.

Next piece:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8owXHUK-C9E

There is simply no way you CAN'T include this piece of music in such a list. It's the best piece of atmospheric ambience I've ever heard anywhere, hands down - so fitting to the Garden of Kadesh. It sounds, for all the world, like an ocean - except given a sort of ethereal quality, so that it sounds absolutely perfect for the unimaginably vast, yet somehow claustrophobic and trapped expanse of the Great Nebula.

Now I'm going to mention a piece of film music:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx-lHDvUoqg

Everyone knows Tron: Legacy has an excellent OST, but this piece ended up being surprisingly underused. Fortunately, the part of it we did get to hear was the electronic organ that kicks in about 2/3rds of the way through, which is absolutely eargasmic. I'm not sure whether it sounds more diabolical or awe-inspiring, but regardless, it's now my favourite electronic instrument ever. Assuming it is an electronic organ - if not, then I'm in love with whatever the hell it is.

I could easily link many more excellent tracks here, but I'm going to take a break and let you guys add yours instead. If you can figure out why you like the piece (which I know is sometimes hard to do) then don't hesitate to try and tell us.

[BYOB]

Anything by Hans Zimmer and John Williams.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX_dyTkFbG0


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFNN_ADpYJ0

Need I say more? ;-)

[Sentinel]

For a game, I always found the background music for Bad Company 1 to be awesome. It really added to the tone of the game, keeping it light and fun even though it's a "war shooter". It's hard to choose my favourite piece from it, but I think the track for End Of the Line wins by a hair.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqmGLjqc6yA

For film, this is a bit of a no-brainer for me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Pjj_mxGSo&playnext=1&list=PL5CC5D318E939B51D

The soundtrack to Scarface is miles ahead of everything else out there and is responsible for my synth pop/funk weakness. Gina and Elvira's theme seems to turn even a mundane job like peeling potatoes into a slow motion worthy oscar winning performance.

[OhJohnNo]

Hah, I didn't know Hanz Zimmer did the Madagascar theme! That's awesome, I love Madagascar. My favourite of his still has to be the Inception soundtrack though.

Also, I thought John Williams was pretty much a universal constant in these threads :p.

Also, screw you youtube for not loading properly. As is literally always happening nowadays. Seriously, what is its problem? /genuinely annoyed

[Kapp'n]

Anything by Hans Zimmer indeed. LOVE the Inception theme, Oh and its a bloody good film to boot! Probably not his best work, but still a recent favorite of mine.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhiWrrSSmac

Gaming wise, anything from Borderlands, Zelda/ninty games for that matter, Mirrors Edge (quite like the "Still Alive" theme). A poor excuse for a list I know, but they are games with a good soundtrack that are within viewing distance of me. One tired little Kapp.

[Akranadas]

Pretty Much everything buy Audiomachine, Epic Score and Two Steps from Hell.

[Inquisitor Lok]

Two Steps from Hell is pretty good.

And since Hans Zimmers stuff is being thrown around my 2 favorites;
Inception OST - Mombasa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj-f8h3e-8o

The Pacific - Honor (I believe a few other composers helped with this as well, so its not just Hans)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P47yvI7SWM
The best song ever created? Its honestly the most epic song ive ever heard. A friend of mine began to play it while we were studying for a Differentials Exam last semester, and i began to feel like it was the most important thing in the world and that by studying i was somehow saving the world type of epic.
Ace Combat 6 - Liberation of Gracemaria

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HGQS5XSoJ4

[Kalimac]

I really don't see how you can call what Zimmer and especially Williams creates background music. In more cases than not their music are way better than the films in question.

[Tiresias]

Brian Eno, who rules over ambient music with an iron fist (or something) loves this idea of music as a passive background thing and invented it apparently though not sure about that claim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOgQyIMX_XU

[Mr Carrot]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlcUwUwjLrs


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUO-f-XApsI


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vcFFf9aa7k&feature=related

I personally think McReary comes up with some of the best contemporary classical music today - He is TVs Zimmer (for inception soundtrack fans listen to the inception hidden soundtrack song, its OMFG MIND BLOWN!)

I love prelude, but fuck the guy composed full new operatic pieces, and had them performed for a fucking tv show!

As for game music:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noSZa7glFc4&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohKLy59aDVw&feature=related

[n0z3k1ll3r]

I have a massive appreciation for good quality game music. Here's a couple from Jeremy Soule, and one each from Alexander Brandon and Eric Brosius.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWuNf4gxwuM


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b3hAAWmgR4


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gNOBvpytXU


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRRtq6DaBcE

[Mr Carrot]

I love the deus ex hong kong music... my only problem with it is that it just makes me smile and sort of breaks immerssion with the sordid horrid place we are meant to be killing (or tranqing) through....

SS2 hyrdo theme is just pure sex. I would murder for a dx11 graphics update of SS2.

[n0z3k1ll3r]

I love the deus ex hong kong music... my only problem with it is that it just makes me smile and sort of breaks immerssion with the sordid horrid place we are meant to be killing (or tranqing) through....I generally found it was comparatively calm music for a comparatively calm portion of the game. The Hong Kong markets didn't really involve too much gunplay, more a bit of a breathing space between missions.

[Malachi]

This thread is incomplete without this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REp-b6zd38w

Still gives me the creeps. And I still use it as background for my p&p sessions, in the chaosy parts.

[Kryopsis]

That's an excellent track, Malachi. I have very fond memories of Clive Barker's Undying, although I haven't finished it. The atmosphere was excellent and the audio played a key role in it.

My own contributions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftvpi-6Z6qw

Arcanum is one of my three favourite games. The slow violin music helped to situate the player in the bizarre steampunk/magical universe. The stringed instruments conveyed the atmosphere when the limited graphics of a 2001 RPG could not.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ovRdD6x1MU&feature=related

The Thief series had an overall excellent soundtrack but the music from the introduction to Thief: The Dark Project stands apart. The transition of the dark ambient beginning into an energetic Industrial rhythm is unexpected but it brings out the gritty, technological side of the setting. The music would not seem out of place in a Splinter Cell or a Metal Gear Solid game and the fact that it is featured in a game like Thief makes it special.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVdfgFr2-EU

This one needs no introduction. No matter if you liked or disliked Myst, the soundtrack for that game stands on its own. The music is beautiful, haunting, vivid and memorable.

[Rotlung]

Planescape Torment is a great game, and the music really enhanced the atmosphere:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixv_jRI6VqY

And of course, there's Total Annihilation, which easily has the best soundtrack and RTS game ever had:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAB59q43pbg&feature=related

[Pegman]

The Myst theme tune always held a place in my heart as one of those haunting tracks of gaming.

From TV, one of THE best intro pieces I've ever heard; needs no introduction:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7vS4z6ngQo&feature=player_detailpage

Oh, and to continue with the Firefly theme, this one. It's from the episode "The Message", and is the music from the funeral scene. I dare you to find something more beautiful from a TV series:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=um89ylS0PMM

Coming from games, I'm hard pushed to find a better (and more fitting) example than the soundtrack of the game Pharaoh (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharaoh_(video_game)):


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_5lcrIN200&feature=player_detailpage

Finally, in terms of games, I think another one of the best soundtracks was from Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=sCj6MDZN4qE

[JAL-18]

My favorite track from the entire Halo series. I think ODST in general may be my favorite Halo game. Absolutely fantastic soundtrack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzapkX5p9ao

I also really like the score and themes for NBC's Community, especially the first three in this track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXkkdp-HACE

[Malachi]

@Pegman: Firefly owns! And that song is what makes half of the atmosphere.