What began as a four-note loop of bleeps and bloops squeezed onto a console chip in the early works of arcades in the 1970s has evolved from background noise into a defining force in the broad subculture of video games. In just a few decades, the simple tones behind Pac-Man and Space Invaders have grown into sweeping orchestral scores engineered to mirror emotions, signal danger, and guide players through sprawling digital worlds. The rise of composers such as Final Fantasy’s Nobuo Uematsu has transformed composers into industry stars, pushing music into the center of game design and even bringing game soundtracks to the stage as symphonies to perform fan favorites for live audiences.
Since the beginning of video game development, music in video games has been simple, catchy, and fun. In an interview about video game soundtracks from the 1980s, Rick Hummer stated, “Video games had very basic sounds, nothing flashy. They sounded very boring compared to what it is today.” The earliest game soundtracks were stripped to a tiny chip on an onboard console. Named chiptunes, these tracks contained simple melodies, with a common setting of four tracks, three synthesised waveforms, and one noise channel for sound effects. The first video game to use a continuous background soundtrack was Space Invaders, released in 1978. According to an Abbey Road Institute article, this game “featured a four-note descending chromatic passacaglia, repeating in a loop.” This sound was dynamic and interacted with the player. A few years later, music developed rapidly in both Japanese and Western gaming culture. The 1981 game Frogger created a new dynamic approach to video game music, with over 11 different gameplay tracks in addition to level-starting and game-over themes. Video game soundtracks quickly evolved into more detailed and interactive sound experiences.
The function of video game music also changed as years went by. To enhance gameplay and create better immersive experiences for the player, game creators adjusted audio and music to better fit scenes and situations within the game. In an NPR article, video game composer Tommy Tallarico explained that a person’s heart rate increases when game sounds get faster and faster. The more intense the sound, the more people would panic while playing. Video game soundtracks began to take influence from a more serious place, like the Russian folk song in the game Tetris. Similarly, as personal computers became more agile and powerful, video game soundtracks could handle something resembling real music.
Music’s impact in video games goes far beyond just the virtual world; it impacts ordinary people worldwide and creates a form of connection and universal experience between people. If the Pac-Man theme song started playing, everyone in the room would pop up. For Lance Hendrie, he explained that video games were a crucial part of his childhood, and as he got older and friends moved away, he was able to reconnect with them online and keep friendships stable. He expressed that one of his favorite games growing up was Guitar Hero. “The music combined with the graphics was honestly entrancing, and it was hard to stop playing,” Hendrie expressed. Not only did video games serve as a fun thing to do on his own, but they were also a bonding activity that both his dad and he participated in because of their shared love for music, and Guitar Hero was a way for that music to come alive. “Guitar Hero really taught me how to be competitive because my dad would always challenge me with harder songs to play,” said Hendrie. This quote truly just expresses how impactful video games are to all generations.
Although they are greatly evolving as time goes on, each game and soundtrack leaves a trace on each person it encounters. Whether it’s an impactful story plot, a memory of family experiences, or just a catchy song in the background, music in video games provides lasting and fulfilling memories.
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2008/04/13/89565567/the-evolution-of-video-game-music
https://abbeyroadinstitute.com.au/blog/history-audio-music-video-games/
