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Unless you’ve been living under a rock in the Kakariko Village well for the last twenty five years, I think we can all agree that The Legend of Zelda features some of the most beloved music in all of video games. It’s such an integral part of the series that Nintendo even put on a worldwide symphony concert tour to celebrate Link and Zelda’s 25th Anniversary last year. Whether it’s that famous main fanfare or the tiny tunes of Link’s ocarina, you can always count on Koji Kondo and his team of composers to put a smile on your face.
But as with any franchise, there comes a time when simple appreciation just isn’t enough, and our insatiable need to rank things in order from one to ten rears its ugly, Dodongo-shaped head. We start compiling certain lists, knowingly igniting flame wars the world over, but we just can’t help ourselves. Just like Ganon can’t give up on the Triforce, so too do we continue our quest to take over the internet via rage-fuelled fan implosions, and today we’re tackling what’s quite possibly the most hotly contested subject outside of the Zelda timeline wars– its music.
Now I know you’re probably not going to agree with all of my choices (and that’s fine– that’s why we have comments, after all!), but I hope you enjoy my chosen tracks nonetheless. So before this turns into the Farewell Symphony, let’s count ourselves in.
And a 1, 2, 3, 4…
Great list! I don’t think I could pick 10, there’s just been so much great music in the Zelda series. Zelda 2’s warbly “instrumentation” (if you can call it that) bugged me when I was young, but I’ve come to appreciate it and it made me smile to see its main palace music on the list.
I’d love to hear a modern take on the original Zelda’s Level 9 music. Many previous dungeon themes have resurfaced in one way or another but unless I’m forgetting something, I can’t say I’ve heard that particular melody of dread and danger come up again.
Thanks! Ah, yes, Level 9. Man, that music’s creepy. It did, in fact, reappear in Four Swords Adventures in the Tower of Flames, but I know what you mean – it would be great to hear it used more often! :)
My 10 favorites in no particular order.
1. Main Hyrule field theme
2. Gerudo valley
3. Temple of time
4. Fairy fountain
5. 4 gods from majoras mask
6. Bolero of fire
7. Ballad of the goddesses.
8. Song of healing
9. Ganondorf thheme from Twilight Princess
10. Serenade of water.
All great tunes, Lukas! I was actually this close to including Queen Rutela’s Theme from Twilight Princess in the honourable mentions (a re-working of the Serenade of Water), but if I decided that if I included any more then I’d have a never-ending list!
I’m also a very big fan of Ganondorf’s Theme, especially the Twilight Princess version (that final battle music is just epic!), but it’s a close tie between that one and The Last Battle from Ocarina of Time when it comes to my top Ganon music!
Woah, I completely forgot about the Four Swords Adventures rendition! I think I played through that level exactly once… Thanks for the tip! :^)