This better be a joke! If OP did imply this, I'm going to have to beat them with a rusty hammer.
Skyrim is many things (buggy, broken, streamlined, etc), but the music being boring and forgettable? How the fuck is the only game in the last decade that has a chorus that sounds something out of an old movie form the 70 with a heavy amount of viking lash = boring and not memorable?
For all you people listing a bunch of memorable music.... Can you sing / hum the tune to any of those songs? Or do you just remember liking the music? I think thats what the OP is talking about in terms of memorable... All those older games posted, I can sing the tune without listening to it. But games lately? Not a chance.
I can hum pretty much all of the list I made, I mean how could I have made such a list without remembering the music that made it so?
But now we're just adding more parameters into what "memorable" means. As many have mentioned, older game music was a whole lot less complicated than today's music: how many of us can hum an entire classical piece? Apart from a few famous bars, a great deal of orchestrated classics had incredibly detailed scores which changed dramatically throughout. Old game music had a few tracks and relied on a simple tune: which is as easy to remember as a commercial jingle.
A good point to make may be that new music relies less of themes and more on individual pieces that suit the scene. With a lot of newer cinematic games focused on story we can now provide orchestrated music that suits the mood of the entire 'scene' like for movies. But way back when you could only make a short track to be played in what is usually a context limited level. Those level themes had to SCREAM at you that this is that awesome game and this is that awesome level, I mean case in point: The Boss Battle
Greats like Nobou Oematsu created some of the best Final Fantasy music we love, and would weave a single theme tune throughout a great deal of the soundtrack. This reiterates the musical quality of the experience, reminding you that the great gameplay moments you enjoy will forever have its special theme tune. Same with Mario, Castlevania, Sonic, and for a modern example go no further than Halo. The sombre choir and rumbling rhythm of its theme and battle music are as much Halo as the characters and setting.
I also said this before but I really do believe it is impossible to divorce nostalgia from the value of music "memorability." I grew up in the 90s and my parents only listened to Classical, I owned no music but the sound test in my games. Of course I was also capable of listening to the radio and hearing current music but the level of hearing this popular music was so low and unappreciated that I can tell you right now that I couldn't hum or date most respected and loved 90s classics. Does that make them unmemorable?
People always complain that music today is worse than the old classics, but that doesn't mean it is. There is always current bad music and current bad music. The excellent examples posted by many here will likely be as memorable 10 years from now, while we will indeed forget the muddy generic stuff being mentioned here too.
Just watched the video and I've got a couple of things to say.
It's not even the limitations it's the chords, so to speak, Mario Galaxy 1 &2 had tracks that are stuck in my head till this day.
Sonic's songs were forgettable and HORRIBLE for a couple of years while trying to be hip, they only recently they've gotten right with the colors tracks....
Also the amazing game arc the lad collection had a wonderful set of musical score that I will remember till the day I die, however the PS2 update had absolutely forgettable ambient/epic tracsks that had me falling asleep. I was so disappointed when I was younger.
It wasn't even a matter of technology as they had orchestral versions of the character's themes included
Ambient tracks are wonderful, but they when they are the game's main track, it sort of gets pretentious after awhile. "This is so serious, so epic, no one can make light of this game", I mean let up a little!
I noticed that most the recent memorable music took their inspiration from old games or were ulta vivid hard core deals.
Also notice, most people playing games don't seem to care about the music either, off hand how many remixes are you going to hear to say Halo or Gear's themes compared to super mario rpg's "Beware the mushrooms " or butter building.
Also I am not an old foggie but they really don't make music like they used even outside of games. Seriously, they NEVER make songs like this anymore, with the chorus being used like this.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eamL5JBdcM8"]Blue Magic - Sideshow - YouTube[/ame]
i dunno.
game music has somewhat changed with the whole shift from system limitations to recording full orchestras (and the shift in composing with it)
so yeah, all recent stuff, and all instantly hummable in my head before I found the links.
I agree tho, that less of the music for games made today are instantly hummable catchy tunes. But I don't think that's a bad thing. Tech has allowed us to make far more with game music, and that's what's being done.
Memorable music didn't go away when just a series one used to know failed to retain the awesome composer that made it, especially when nobou uematsu left SE.
What he did in lost odyssey is as remember-able as ever (if one ever played it)
Even final fantasy has fallen to the "epic" syndrome 13's tracks were really forgettable compared to the rest of the series aside from Barthlandeus' theme, the whole game was waaaaay too serious.
13 did NOT have forgettable music, 12 on the other hand did mainly because of how the songs were used. If 13 had something, it was the music because they managed to make super cheesy scenes into dramatic ones. I even started to care about the characters, which I didn't initially like, because of the music! Also, after playing the game for a few hours the songs were stuck in my head for hours and apparently I wasn't alone(Check the gametrailers review for FF13). So no, the songs weren't exactly forgettable. The game on the other hand is another issue but that's highly dependent of how much you played and how much you liked the game. Say what you want about the gameplay and story but the game had great cinematography and music.
off hand how many remixes are you going to hear to say Halo or Gear's themes compared to super mario rpg's "Beware the mushrooms " or butter building.
Any good remix still needs to sound like the original tune, like you took it and remixed it as the vernacular. I'd say that you hear less remixes of current 'epic soundtracks' as classic tunes because it's a god-damn lot harder to keep the original feel but while still totally mixing it up. Old tunes pretty much had a basic bunch of keys and rhythms which could be replicated on any synthesiser; but separating symphonic instruments and keeping the feel of stuff like choirs and violins is a hole 'nother matter.
Replies
Yup, Skyrim had some solid music.
[ame="
I can hum pretty much all of the list I made, I mean how could I have made such a list without remembering the music that made it so?
But now we're just adding more parameters into what "memorable" means. As many have mentioned, older game music was a whole lot less complicated than today's music: how many of us can hum an entire classical piece? Apart from a few famous bars, a great deal of orchestrated classics had incredibly detailed scores which changed dramatically throughout. Old game music had a few tracks and relied on a simple tune: which is as easy to remember as a commercial jingle.
A good point to make may be that new music relies less of themes and more on individual pieces that suit the scene. With a lot of newer cinematic games focused on story we can now provide orchestrated music that suits the mood of the entire 'scene' like for movies. But way back when you could only make a short track to be played in what is usually a context limited level. Those level themes had to SCREAM at you that this is that awesome game and this is that awesome level, I mean case in point: The Boss Battle
Greats like Nobou Oematsu created some of the best Final Fantasy music we love, and would weave a single theme tune throughout a great deal of the soundtrack. This reiterates the musical quality of the experience, reminding you that the great gameplay moments you enjoy will forever have its special theme tune. Same with Mario, Castlevania, Sonic, and for a modern example go no further than Halo. The sombre choir and rumbling rhythm of its theme and battle music are as much Halo as the characters and setting.
I also said this before but I really do believe it is impossible to divorce nostalgia from the value of music "memorability." I grew up in the 90s and my parents only listened to Classical, I owned no music but the sound test in my games. Of course I was also capable of listening to the radio and hearing current music but the level of hearing this popular music was so low and unappreciated that I can tell you right now that I couldn't hum or date most respected and loved 90s classics. Does that make them unmemorable?
People always complain that music today is worse than the old classics, but that doesn't mean it is. There is always current bad music and current bad music. The excellent examples posted by many here will likely be as memorable 10 years from now, while we will indeed forget the muddy generic stuff being mentioned here too.
It's not even the limitations it's the chords, so to speak, Mario Galaxy 1 &2 had tracks that are stuck in my head till this day.
Sonic's songs were forgettable and HORRIBLE for a couple of years while trying to be hip, they only recently they've gotten right with the colors tracks....
seriously compare
I busted a gut at how hip and "gangster" they were trying to be
[ame="
to
[ame="
Also the amazing game arc the lad collection had a wonderful set of musical score that I will remember till the day I die, however the PS2 update had absolutely forgettable ambient/epic tracsks that had me falling asleep. I was so disappointed when I was younger.
It wasn't even a matter of technology as they had orchestral versions of the character's themes included
Seriously compare the hero's theme from the original
[ame="
to the hero of twilight of the spirits
[ame="
Which had more feeling?
Ambient tracks are wonderful, but they when they are the game's main track, it sort of gets pretentious after awhile. "This is so serious, so epic, no one can make light of this game", I mean let up a little!
I noticed that most the recent memorable music took their inspiration from old games or were ulta vivid hard core deals.
Also notice, most people playing games don't seem to care about the music either, off hand how many remixes are you going to hear to say Halo or Gear's themes compared to super mario rpg's "Beware the mushrooms " or butter building.
Also I am not an old foggie but they really don't make music like they used even outside of games. Seriously, they NEVER make songs like this anymore, with the chorus being used like this.
[ame="
Posting Blazblue without Bang's theme? COMMON!
[ame="
game music has somewhat changed with the whole shift from system limitations to recording full orchestras (and the shift in composing with it)
there's a lot of stuff like this, it's cool, but I forgot all of it instantly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfxf4x3L1bs&list=LL9xFTJusnIncAkq0Ab7b3SA
...and now I'm stuck trying to think of game music I can hum right now, that's newer than 2005.
This at least:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRT9Gx-_6OM&feature=player_detailpage
oh, and AUDITORIUM
(ALL OF THE MUSIC IN IT)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Wd7a0a5hHhQ&list=LL9xFTJusnIncAkq0Ab7b3SA
and Ace combat (several games of decent music)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=XKDzOnRydWk
does OCremix count?
[ame="
so yeah, all recent stuff, and all instantly hummable in my head before I found the links.
I agree tho, that less of the music for games made today are instantly hummable catchy tunes. But I don't think that's a bad thing. Tech has allowed us to make far more with game music, and that's what's being done.
Then again, making new video game music with an old hacked NES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaXV_koQCSw&feature=player_detailpage
What he did in lost odyssey is as remember-able as ever (if one ever played it)
[ame="
I could list a ton if you really called me out and wanted to compare
But I digress, there were a couple that actually got better
listen
[ame="
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13 did NOT have forgettable music, 12 on the other hand did mainly because of how the songs were used. If 13 had something, it was the music because they managed to make super cheesy scenes into dramatic ones. I even started to care about the characters, which I didn't initially like, because of the music! Also, after playing the game for a few hours the songs were stuck in my head for hours and apparently I wasn't alone(Check the gametrailers review for FF13). So no, the songs weren't exactly forgettable. The game on the other hand is another issue but that's highly dependent of how much you played and how much you liked the game. Say what you want about the gameplay and story but the game had great cinematography and music.
[ame="
There's more if you look beyond the scope of 'typical jeremy soulless soundtrack'
Any good remix still needs to sound like the original tune, like you took it and remixed it as the vernacular. I'd say that you hear less remixes of current 'epic soundtracks' as classic tunes because it's a god-damn lot harder to keep the original feel but while still totally mixing it up. Old tunes pretty much had a basic bunch of keys and rhythms which could be replicated on any synthesiser; but separating symphonic instruments and keeping the feel of stuff like choirs and violins is a hole 'nother matter.