Top 10 Video Game Menu Themes
watchmojo, top 10, list, countdown, video games, menu music, menu themes, music, baba yetu, mega man, deus ex, sonic, halo, civilization, Brandon Stuhr, Grinder, Command and conquer, Red Alert 2, The Next Door, Indestructible, Crush 40, exile,
Script written by Brandon Stuhr.
These are often the first and best tracks we here when we first boot up the game. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we will be ranking our Top 10 Video Game Menu Themes.
For this list, we've chosen our entries based on a combination of the entry's popularity as well as how long it will stick in our minds.
#10: Grinder
This should get you pumped for war. Heard once you reach the main menu screen of Red Alert 2, “Grinder” will get you in the right mindset to eliminate any communist threat, or allied threat if you swing that way. A game that features so much heavy metal weaponry deserves a heavy metal track, and Grinder certainly delivers.
#9: Menu
Alone in the Dark may be a famously broken game, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some individual elements that can be salvaged from it’s wreckage. One such element is its menu theme, an abridged version of the end credits song, An End of a Prelude, composed by Oliver Deriviere. The spooky, operatic harmony definitely nails the eerie tone the game is going for. Whether that tone carries on past the menu screen though, is another question…
#8: Never Forget
The Halo series is known for it awesome orchestral soundtracks, but the third entry really set moved the bar to new heights. This theme, performed by Martin O'Donnell, set the stage for the massive conclusion to the original Halo trilogy superbly. While it contains many of the same orchestral and classical elements as the main Halo theme we all know and love, it truly is a masterpiece on it’s own. Mixing hope with sadness, grandeur with subtlety, Never Forget helps to make sure you remember the Halo trilogy fondly.
#7: Menu Select Theme
The Metroid series has come along way since its inception, and so has its themes. While the ominous, mounting excitement of Super Metroid was certainly memorable, fans were in for a whole new treat when the series moved to 3D. Prime’s theme mashes several seemingly unrelated songs and sounds together in order to evoke a very specific set of feelings in the player. There’s a Halo-esque vocal harmony, the strange sci-fi radio transmission effects and the pulsing Terminator Style beat in the background – a multilayered tableau that represents the complexity of the game within.
#6: Live and Learn
“Sonic Adventure 2” (2001)
Sonic’s no stranger to good music, but Sonic Adventure 2 tried something vastly different for it’s soundtrack. Performed by the Japanese-American rock band Crush 40, Live and Learn quickly became the anthem of Sonic Adventure 2. While it was successful as the menu theme of the game, it also became associated with the transformation of Super Sonic and Super Shadow. The track has become a fan favorite of the series, even serving to introduce Sonic when he crossed over to knock some heads in Super Smash Brothers Brawl.
#5: Main Theme
Deus Ex may have secured it’s place as a PC classic nowadays, but back when it arrived, players really didn’t know what to expect of this strange new hybrid. I’m sure many a doubt was put to rest as soon as the game began to load and the song began to play. The track itself is composed of a mixture of classical instruments and electronic beats, giving itself a combative yet awe-inspiring feel – You might not have known what was in store, but you knew it was gonna be special.
#4: The Next Door/Indestructible
This track get’s a super combo bonus from those few opening bars, the ones that really carry that “ready to rumble” feeling. After that, there’s actually 2 different versions of this song, one in Japanesse with a bit of English, performed entirely by the 19 member Japanese band Exile, and one in entirely in English that features flow rida. It’s fast, it’s fun, it’s super Japanese – it’s totally Street Fighter.
#3: Title Screen
What seems almost obnoxious at first is too catchy to stop the next. Composed by Justin Scharvona, this entry relies heavily on house and UK Garage elements, making it a unique not only for this list, but also in the realm of videogames in general. As quirky as the game it’s featured in, the Buck Bumble theme certainly helped cement this strange piece of videogame history in the minds of everyone who got to play it.
#2: Baba Yetu
Peace and togetherness, that is what Civilization is about right. “Baba Yetu” is the main menu theme as well as playing over the opening video. The track is a beautiful classical track sang by Ron Ragin and the Soweto Gospel Choir. Fun fact, you may actually know the lyrics, since it’s technically just the lord’s prayer, only in Swahili. “Baba Yetu” was eventually recognized for its genius, as it became the first video game music to be nominated for a Grammy in 2010 and was even performed in front of the United Nations General Assembly.
Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Menu 1
“Super Smash Bros. Brawl” (2008)
Dearly Beloved
“Kingdom Hearts” (2002)
Icarus
“Deus Ex: Human Revolution” (2011)
Genesis 22:10
“The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth” (2014)
#1: Main Theme
Perhaps the most recognizable theme in gaming, Mega-Man 2's theme personifies the sheer pulse pounding difficulty of the game in few short bars. Starting off slow, it builds up to a fast-paced chip tune beat that will surely prepare you for what you are about to face. This one’s so memorable that it’s followed mega man pretty much everywhere he goes – whether in Marvel Vs Capcom or the Smash Brothers series.
Do you agree with our list? What is your favorite video game menu theme? For more memorable top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to Watchmojo.com.
Top 10 Video Game Menu Themes
These are often the first and best tracks we here when we first boot up the game. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we will be ranking our Top 10 Video Game Menu Themes.
For this list, we've chosen our entries based on a combination of the entry's popularity as well as how long it will stick in our minds.
#10: Grinder
“Red Alert 2” (2000)
This should get you pumped for war. Heard once you reach the main menu screen of Red Alert 2, “Grinder” will get you in the right mindset to eliminate any communist threat, or allied threat if you swing that way. A game that features so much heavy metal weaponry deserves a heavy metal track, and Grinder certainly delivers.
#9: Menu
“Alone in the Dark” (2008)
Alone in the Dark may be a famously broken game, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some individual elements that can be salvaged from it’s wreckage. One such element is its menu theme, an abridged version of the end credits song, An End of a Prelude, composed by Oliver Deriviere. The spooky, operatic harmony definitely nails the eerie tone the game is going for. Whether that tone carries on past the menu screen though, is another question…
#8: Never Forget
“Halo 3” (2007)
The Halo series is known for it awesome orchestral soundtracks, but the third entry really set moved the bar to new heights. This theme, performed by Martin O'Donnell, set the stage for the massive conclusion to the original Halo trilogy superbly. While it contains many of the same orchestral and classical elements as the main Halo theme we all know and love, it truly is a masterpiece on it’s own. Mixing hope with sadness, grandeur with subtlety, Never Forget helps to make sure you remember the Halo trilogy fondly.
#7: Menu Select Theme
“Metroid Prime” (2002)
The Metroid series has come along way since its inception, and so has its themes. While the ominous, mounting excitement of Super Metroid was certainly memorable, fans were in for a whole new treat when the series moved to 3D. Prime’s theme mashes several seemingly unrelated songs and sounds together in order to evoke a very specific set of feelings in the player. There’s a Halo-esque vocal harmony, the strange sci-fi radio transmission effects and the pulsing Terminator Style beat in the background – a multilayered tableau that represents the complexity of the game within.
#6: Live and Learn
“Sonic Adventure 2” (2001)
Sonic’s no stranger to good music, but Sonic Adventure 2 tried something vastly different for it’s soundtrack. Performed by the Japanese-American rock band Crush 40, Live and Learn quickly became the anthem of Sonic Adventure 2. While it was successful as the menu theme of the game, it also became associated with the transformation of Super Sonic and Super Shadow. The track has become a fan favorite of the series, even serving to introduce Sonic when he crossed over to knock some heads in Super Smash Brothers Brawl.
#5: Main Theme
“Deus Ex” (2000)
Deus Ex may have secured it’s place as a PC classic nowadays, but back when it arrived, players really didn’t know what to expect of this strange new hybrid. I’m sure many a doubt was put to rest as soon as the game began to load and the song began to play. The track itself is composed of a mixture of classical instruments and electronic beats, giving itself a combative yet awe-inspiring feel – You might not have known what was in store, but you knew it was gonna be special.
#4: The Next Door/Indestructible
“Street Fighter IV” (2008)
This track get’s a super combo bonus from those few opening bars, the ones that really carry that “ready to rumble” feeling. After that, there’s actually 2 different versions of this song, one in Japanesse with a bit of English, performed entirely by the 19 member Japanese band Exile, and one in entirely in English that features flow rida. It’s fast, it’s fun, it’s super Japanese – it’s totally Street Fighter.
#3: Title Screen
“Buck Bumble” (1998)
What seems almost obnoxious at first is too catchy to stop the next. Composed by Justin Scharvona, this entry relies heavily on house and UK Garage elements, making it a unique not only for this list, but also in the realm of videogames in general. As quirky as the game it’s featured in, the Buck Bumble theme certainly helped cement this strange piece of videogame history in the minds of everyone who got to play it.
#2: Baba Yetu
“Civilization IV” (2005)
Peace and togetherness, that is what Civilization is about right. “Baba Yetu” is the main menu theme as well as playing over the opening video. The track is a beautiful classical track sang by Ron Ragin and the Soweto Gospel Choir. Fun fact, you may actually know the lyrics, since it’s technically just the lord’s prayer, only in Swahili. “Baba Yetu” was eventually recognized for its genius, as it became the first video game music to be nominated for a Grammy in 2010 and was even performed in front of the United Nations General Assembly.
Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Menu 1
“Super Smash Bros. Brawl” (2008)
Dearly Beloved
“Kingdom Hearts” (2002)
Icarus
“Deus Ex: Human Revolution” (2011)
Genesis 22:10
“The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth” (2014)
#1: Main Theme
“Mega-Man 2” (1988)
Perhaps the most recognizable theme in gaming, Mega-Man 2's theme personifies the sheer pulse pounding difficulty of the game in few short bars. Starting off slow, it builds up to a fast-paced chip tune beat that will surely prepare you for what you are about to face. This one’s so memorable that it’s followed mega man pretty much everywhere he goes – whether in Marvel Vs Capcom or the Smash Brothers series.
Do you agree with our list? What is your favorite video game menu theme? For more memorable top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to Watchmojo.com.
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