Debate: Who is the best videogame composer of all time?

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Soundtrack Sunday

Welcome to Soundtrack Sunday, where a member of the PC Gamer team takes a look at a soundtrack from one of their favourite games—or a broader look at videogame music as a whole—offering their thoughts or asking for yours!

As you might be sick of hearing me parrot by now: videogames are nothing without their music. It's not a side dish to be enjoyed alongside the main meal, but rather an integral ingredient without which the entire recipe would fall apart.

Videogame music has long had a huge influence on me—I'm regularly bumping tracks from my favourite games in my day-to-day life, and the emotions they've stirred up over the years remain with me even when I'm listening away from the big in-game moment they were originally orchestrated for.

Composer Mick Gordon looking at camera while holding a guitar over his shoulder like a weapon. — (Image credit: Bethesda, Mick Gordon)

One of the earliest memories I have of going "holy shit, videogame music is really good" (okay I probably didn't say exactly that considering I was like, four-years-old or something) was the all-out theme song for Killer Instinct Gold on the Nintendo 64. The metal anvil smack while a guitar ripped a solo over it was iconic to me. It kickstarted not only a love for fighting games but a love for videogame music.

That only continued when I became completely enamoured with JRPGs. The mixture of delicate, emotional tracks (I still choke back tears every time I listen to Kingdom Hearts' Simple and Clean or Final Fantasy 7's Aerith's Theme) and strong, bold battle themes that often dabbled in a variety of genres broadened my musical horizons and made me realise just how much power a piece of music can hold over us.

Perhaps it's nostalgia, but put a gun to my head and I would probably maintain that Nobuo Uematsu is one of the greatest videogame composers. He made the chocobo theme y'all, come on! And One Winged Angel! And Prelude, the very defining track of Final Fantasy itself! His work has encompassed fantasy and futuristic settings, and he absolutely excels when it comes to grand orchestral pieces. He was one of the most formative musical figures as I grew up, and his work still hits me like a truck today.

Masayoshi Soken plays the Otamatone — (Image credit: Square Enix)

It's hard for me to pinpoint anyone else who has had quite so big an impact on me when it comes to videogame music—Masayoshi Soken's work in Final Fantasy 14 is certainly a close second, however, another master of multiple genres and dishing out plenty of emotional gut punches.

But what about you? Who would you crown as the ultimate videogame composer? Which one has a discography filled with certifiable bangers, ones that can elevate a good game to a great one? Who gives you all the feels or gets you pumped up ready to fight some baddies? Be sure to leave a comment with your own personal choice and be sure to tell us why.

Mollie spent her early childhood deeply invested in games like Killer Instinct, Toontown and Audition Online, which continue to form the pillars of her personality today. She joined PC Gamer in 2020 as a news writer and now lends her expertise to write a wealth of features, guides and reviews with a dash of chaos. She can often be found causing mischief in Final Fantasy 14, using those experiences to write neat things about her favourite MMO. When she's not staring at her bunny girl she can be found sweating out rhythm games, pretending to be good at fighting games or spending far too much money at her local arcade.

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