The Specific Genre of Video Game Music

The main question through this analysis is an easy, but complicated one: "Does Video Game Music fall underneath one specific genre?" This question arose due to the fact that I could not find a genre tag on Soundcloud one day. I had uploaded a song for Video Game Development Club, and wanted to use the game genre tag but there was not one, which led me to inquire why. I wondered if it were maybe because the songs didn't have lyrics in it, but then I remembered something important. In Oklahoma City, there are 2 radio stations that play classical music all day. I started wondering, "If classical music, without lyrics, can play on the mainstream radio, then why can't video game music?" This started my investigation into the matter.

I decided to start off with analyzing the Super Mario Series. The first thing I looked at was the different genres in the games Super Mario 3D World and Paper Mario: Sticker Star, which you can read more in depth about here. I noticed that there were a good amount of jazz and disco themes, in addition to orchestral and synthesized themes that are traditional in the series. There didn't seem to be a set specific genre within the game, as with each new level the theme changed. As a result, I came to the conclusion that the Super Mario series has it's own genre of music.

Next up, I analyzed the Zelda series. The Zelda series was noticeably consistent with its' orchestral theme, as alot of games, including the newly released Breath of the Wild, had similar sounding instruments and melodies. In addition though, there was another consistent theme in the series. Alot of songs in the Zelda series involved ethnic-traditional styled themes, including the use of instruments such as pan flute. This contributed to the face that Zelda has it's own genre as well, as it combines 2 styles into one that usually isn't heard in many other series.

Finally, I analyzed the Crash Bandicoot and Kirby series. These series are very similar in their genre, as they both combine regular instruments with synthesized sounds and repeating leit motives. They usually have some form of intro which then breaks down to a much more intense or fast song using synths. This is shown in the song Moonstruck Blossom and the song Rumble in the rocks, both analyzed here and here.

After listening to the songs multiple times and making notes, I came to the conclusion that video game music, while not specifically recognized, has a specific genre of its' own. Each different series analyzed has its' own genre while combining other styles of music to form one genre entirely. I'd define the Video Game music genre as "any form of sound or noise that occurs in the background in a video game, regardless of the genre of the song itself." The Video Game genre as a whole is just a collection of known sub-genres that mesh together well enough to form one single classification. This brings up a new point though. Why isn't video game music played on the radio?

Quick Navigation: What is the video game music genre? | A Short Timeline of Video Game Music | The Specific Genre of Video Game Music | Super Mario Series Analysis | Zelda Series Analysis | Kirby Series Analysis | Crash Bandicoot Series Analysis | Music | Sources