collage of all the best video game composers

40 of the Greatest Video Game Composers of All Time [2023]

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collage of all the best video game composers

Video game music is a very young medium. The first video game, “Pong,” was only released in 1972. However, video game music has come a long way since then.

The amazing thing about video game music is that it not only spans the nostalgic and unforgettable chiptunes of the ’90s, but also the sweeping orchestral suites from games like Skyrim and World of Warcraft.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration, seeking to broaden your musical horizons, or just want a crash course on some of the best in the biz, here are 40 of the best and most famous video game composers of all time.

Note: I’ve included the composers that have not only made excellent music but also have had the greatest impact on progressing the video game music industry as a whole.

40 of the Best Video Game Music Composers

(In no particular order)

1. Koji Kondo

When you think “video game music,” a Koji Kondo song more than likely comes to mind. Koji Kondo is nothing short of a legend in the video game music industry.

He’s best known for his work on the Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda franchises, but he has also composed music for Star Fox, F-Zero, and many other Nintendo games.

Kondo always had a fascination with music but never thought he’d pursue it as a career. In university, he played in several rock, jazz, and fusion bands, the influences of which ultimately bled into his later composition work.

After seeing an ad at his university, he took a job at Nintendo as a composer, sound designer, and programmer. He brought a rare blend of technical and musical knowledge to the fledgling game company and has since composed some of the most memorable tunes in history.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time soundtrack is, in my mind, a perfect soundtrack and his magnum opus. His mastery of multiple genres in that soundtrack is unprecedented in game composition and worthy of the highest praise.

His philosophy, which he states often in interviews, is that the music in a video game mustn’t distract, but rather enhance the gameplay experience.

Perhaps it’s that philosophy that’s led to success… or perhaps he’s just an incredible composer who was in the right place at the right time.

After his work on The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Kondo took a more high-level director role at Nintendo, overseeing and maintaining that iconic Nintendo musical aesthetic.

That said, he’ll occasionally get back in the saddle and compose, gracing us with tunes like the Main Theme of Super Mario Maker and the Steam Gardens theme from Super Mario Odyssey.

It’s impossible to pigeonhole Koji Kondo as having a particular style, as his catalog includes tracks in almost all genres, from afro-pop to Latin to heavy metal to bluegrass.

Some of Kondo’s most iconic work includes:

And that’s just scratching the surface. It’s not wrong to say that Koji Kondo has had the single greatest impact on video game music as an art form.

Fun fact: the first few renditions of the classic Mario theme were universally panned by Kondo’s fellow Nintendo colleagues (including the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto himself). The theme we know and love today was the result of many iterations.

It just goes to show that even the best in the business experience rejection and miss the mark sometimes!

2. Nobuo Uematsu

Right alongside Koji Kondo as one of the most iconic composers of all time is Nobuo Uematsu.

He’s best known for his work on the Final Fantasy series, having composed music for every main entry in the series up until Final Fantasy IX.

When it comes to writing sweeping, emotional RPG music and operatic anthems, there is simply no one better.

In addition to the Final Fantasy games, Uematsu has also composed music for several other franchises such as Chrono Trigger, Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, and Nier: Automata.

At age 11, he started taking piano lessons and soon began to develop his own compositions. However, it wasn’t until high school that video games entered the picture.

While working in a music rental shop in Tokyo, a man propositioned Uematsu to score some video games. This man was employed by a little-known game company called Square, which would go on to create some of the best JRPGs of all time.

Some of Nobuo’s most iconic work includes:

Fun fact: Nobuo also composed the incredible opening theme to Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which was kind of a surprising choice considering his lack of work on Nintendo franchises. I think the results speak for themselves:

3. Masato Nakamura

Masato Nakamura is a video game music composer, bassist, and vocalist best known for his work on the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.

Nakamura started a band called Dreams Come True in the late 1980s and released several albums before eventually getting into video game music. His bass chops translated perfectly to the “grimy” FM synthesis aesthetic of the Sega Genesis.

As a result, the soundtracks of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 were the perfect foil for Mario. Where Mario was upbeat and innocent, Sonic was edgy and cool, while still maintaining killer melodies and rhythms.

I personally grew up playing these games so the soundtracks have a very special place in my heart. However, even without nostalgia goggles, these tunes slap.

Some of Masato’s most iconic work includes:

4. Yoko SHimomura

Yoko Shimomura is a video game music composer who has worked on several iconic video game franchises such as Kingdom Hearts, Street Fighter, Mario & Luigi, and Xenoblade Chronicles.

Shimomura got her start in video game music by composing for the 1988 arcade game Street Fighter II for Capcom.

She then went on to work for Square Enix where she composed music for several of their RPGs including Live A Live, Front Mission, Parasite Eve, and of course, Kingdom Hearts.

Her style is one that spans many genres, all the way from intimate, emotive piano lines (Dearly Beloved) to high-octane rock anthems (Guile’s Theme).

In recent years, Shimomura has been working as a freelance composer and has composed music for several high-profile games such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey, and Dissidia Final Fantasy NT.

Some of Yoko’s most iconic work includes:

Fun fact: Yoko Shimomura cites Dearly Beloved as her favorite original composition.

5. Kazumi Totaka

Kazumi Totaka is a video game music composer, sound designer, and voice actor. He has worked on several Nintendo franchises such as Animal Crossing, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and the Wii Sports series.

Totaka’s first video game composition was for the 1992 game X, which was followed by work on Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

Totaka then took over as the sound designer for the Animal Crossing series and has composed music for every entry in the franchise since. He also composed music for the Wii game The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

In addition to composing music, Totaka is also known for being the voice of Yoshi in the Super Mario franchise. He also sneaks a small melody into all of his games, known as “Totaka’s theme.”

Some of Kazumi’s most iconic work includes:

Koji Kondo, Masato Nakamura, and Kazumi Totaka have been the three most influential game composers for me personally.

Fun fact: K.K. Slider, the smooth-talking, guitar-playing dog from Animal Crossing, is based on Totaka.

The character’s name is “Totakeke” in Japanese. This sounds very similar to Totaka K., which is the common way to phrase first and last names in Japan.

6. Junichi Masuda

Junichi Masuda is a game composer and producer who has worked on several Pokémon games.

Masuda has been the musical savant behind the Pokémon franchise since the very beginning, working on the original Red and Blue games as a sound designer.

He then went on to compose music for several other Pokémon games including Gold and Silver, Ruby and Sapphire, and Diamond and Pearl.

In addition to video game music, Masuda has also composed songs for the Pokémon anime series.

Some of Junichi’s most iconic work includes:

Fun fact: Masuda started as a game composer for the Pokémon franchise, but his many skills led him to produce and direct many of the games, starting with Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.

Now, he is one of the main people responsible for approving or rejecting designs for all new Pokémon. Man, as a 10-year-old in the ’90s, I would’ve killed for that job!

7. Austin Wintory

Austin Wintory is an American video game music composer best known for his work on Journey, Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine and Abzu.

Wintory got his start in video game music by composing the score for the 2005 video game Flow. He then went on to compose music for several other video games including Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, the Banner Saga series, and Tooth and Tail.

Wintory’s work on Journey is particularly noteworthy as it was the first video game score to be nominated for a Grammy Award. In addition to his work in video games, Wintory has also composed music for film and television.

Some of Austin’s most iconic work includes:

8. Michiru Yamane

Michiru Yamane is a video game music composer best known for her work on Konami games and the Castlevania franchise. She has composed music for several mainline entries in the series as well as several of the spin-offs.

Her style is heavily derived from baroque and classical composers such as Bach, which she fuses with Japanese rock and jazz sounds (a perfect match for a hardcore vampire-hunting series).

Yamane got her start in video game music in 1988 when she composed the main theme for the MSX computer game King’s Valley II. She then went on to compose music for several other video games including Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Suikoden III.

Michiru’s first full score was for the 1994 game Castlevania: Bloodlines. She recalled feeling a lot of pressure to nail that “Konami sound” and do the Castlevania series justice.

Clearly, she knocked it out of the part, as she then went on to compose music for several other Castlevania games including Symphony of the Night, Harmony of Dissonance, and Portrait of Ruin. In addition to video game music, Yamane has also composed music for the anime series Wolf’s Rain.

Yamane typically composes video game music in a classical style with heavy use of orchestrated instruments. However, she has also been known to experiment with other genres and styles, particularly when working on spin-offs of the Castlevania franchise.

Some of Michiru’s most iconic work includes:

Fun fact: Michiru Yamane is a big fan of prog rock, citing Dream Theater as a major influence.

9. Koichi Sugiyama

Koichi Sugiyama is a video game music composer best known for his work on the Dragon Quest franchise. He composed music for several mainline entries in the series as well as several of the spin-offs prior to his death in 2021 at the age of 90.

Sugiyama got his start composing video game music in 1985 when he scored the Enix game World Golf. However, his first major project, which would prove to be his enduring legacy, was the first Dragon Quest game.

Sugiyama was unique in that he was one of the first game composers to record with a live orchestra and bring a truly “classical” sensibility to video game music.

In fact, prior to his entrance into the game industry, he was a trained orchestrator and composed for many musicals, TV commercials, and movie soundtracks.

He then went on to compose music for several other Dragon Quest games including Dragon Quest III, Dragon Quest VI, and Dragon Quest IX. In addition to video game music, Sugiyama has also composed music for the Dragon Quest symphonic suites and anime series.

Some of Sugiyama’s most iconic work includes:

10. Yasunori Mitsuda

Yasunori Mitsuda is a game music composer best known for his work on the Chrono series and Xenoblade Chronicles.

He got his start in game music as a sound engineer for Square in the early ’90s. After helping out on a few games, he knew he wouldn’t meet his goal of becoming a game composer unless he took a risk.

So, he gave his boss an ultimatum: give him one year to compose the music for Chrono Trigger or he’d quit. Thankfully, his boss took the gamble and it paid off. Chrono Trigger is now considered one of the best game soundtracks of all time.

And Mitsuda paid the price: he allegedly worked so hard on the soundtrack that he gave himself stomach ulcers and would frequently faint from exhaustion.

He then went on to compose music for several other games including Xenogears, Chrono Cross, and Xenoblade Chronicles.

In addition to game music, Mitsuda has also composed for several anime series and movies.

Some of Mitsuda’s most iconic work includes:

Fun fact: I’m actually friends with Yasunori Mitsuda on Facebook, but I’m pretty sure that’s just because he’s a nice guy and approves all friend requests. 🙂

11. Mahito Yokota

Mahito Yokota is a video game composer who has worked on the Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart 8, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild series. He is a longtime member of the Nintendo sound team.

He is not only a great composer but an incredible arranger with a masterful command over the orchestra.

Some of Mahito Yokota’s most iconic video game work includes:

12. Jake Kaufman (virt)

Jake Kaufman is a video game music composer who has worked on games such as Shovel Knight, BloodRayne: Betrayal, and DuckTales Remastered.

He has experience both in working on flagship franchises and on indie games.

He writes some of the best modern chiptunes and video game remixes around, and his work on Shovel Knight, in particular, has garnered critical acclaim.

Kaufman even streamed the entire creation of the Shovel Knight soundtrack on Twitch. If you’re willing to dig around, you can find tons of video footage of him writing music.

And to maintain authenticity, virt composes all his chiptune in a tracker, a primitive-looking piece of software designed to emulate the sounds and unique limitations of retro game hardware.

But he’s not just a chiptune composer. He’s got insane chops when it comes to composing funk, jazz, and fusion tunes. Listen to this track from Mighty Switch Force to hear what I mean.

Some of Kaufman’s most iconic video game work (or at least my personal favorites) includes:

13. Hirokazu “Hip” Tanaka

Hirokazu “Hip” Tanaka is a video game composer and sound designer who has worked on many classic Nintendo franchises such as Super Mario Land, Metroid, Balloon Fight, and EarthBound.

He preceded even Koji Kondo as a Nintendo employee and is one of the most prolific video game composers of all time.

He is known for his creative use of sounds and samples, especially in the era of very limited audio hardware.

Some of Hirokazu Tanaka’s most iconic video game work includes:

Fun fact: Hirokazu Tanaka has a background in electrical engineering and was one of the designers of the Game Boy Camera and Game Boy printer, as well as one of the programmers of the Game Boy audio hardware.

14. Toby Fox

Toby Fox is a video game music composer and developer best known for his work on the critically acclaimed indie game Undertale.

Toby Fox’s video game music is heavily influenced by video game soundtracks from the 16-bit era, particularly those of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. This is evident in tracks such as “Megalovania” and “Undertale”.

In addition to composing the music for Undertale, Toby Fox also wrote the game’s script and designed many of its characters.

He has stated that he was heavily influenced by EarthBound, a video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System that is similarly noted for its quirky writing and characters.

Some of Toby Fox’s most iconic video game work include:

Fun fact: Toby Fox also composed the music for Hiveswap, a game that is set in the universe of the popular webcomic Homestuck.

15. Jason Graves

Jason Graves is a game composer who has worked on games such as the Dead Space series, Tomb Raider, and The Order: 1886.

I got a chance to interview Jason on Composer Code, and he’s genuinely one of the nicest dudes I’ve ever chatted with.

He’s a skilled orchestrator, drummer, and musical alchemist, with a repertoire that spans many genres. He’s composed music for rock bands, video games, TV shows, and movies.

He cites composers like Bernard Herrmann, Jerry Goldsmith, and the band Rush as major influences.

Some of Jason Graves’ most iconic video game work includes:

Fun fact: Jason Graves has a massive collection of animals at his North Carolina home, including cats, dogs, chickens, parrots, rabbits, and much more.

16. Grant Kirkhope

Grant Kirkhope is a game composer who has worked on games such as Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

Grant Kirkhope’s music is often described as being “catchy” and “humorous”. This is likely due to his work on the Banjo-Kazooie series, which features light-hearted and whimsical music.

Kirkhope has also composed music for more serious games, such as GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark. He cites John Williams as a major influence and told me that he listened to the Harry Potter soundtrack every single day on his commute for inspiration.

Some of Grant Kirkhope’s most iconic video game tunes include:

Fun fact: Grant Kirkhope is a classically trained trumpet player, and he once got drunk in front of Shigeru Miyamoto. He told the whole story when I interviewed him on the podcast.

17. Inon Zur

Inon Zur is a game composer who has worked on games such as Fallout: New Vegas, Dragon Age: Origins, and Crysis.

Zur’s music often features grandiose orchestrations and sweeping melodies. This is likely due to the epic, cinematic nature of many of the games he has worked on, such as Fallout and Dragon Age.

Some of Inon Zur’s most iconic video game work includes:

Fun fact: Inon Zur is a classically trained musician and once conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

18. Garry Schyman

Garry Schyman is a film, TV, and video game music composer who has worked on games such as the BioShock series, Dante’s Inferno, and Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Schyman’s music often features dark, brooding tones and themes. This is likely due to the fact that many of the games he has worked on are dark and atmospheric, such as BioShock and Shadow of Mordor.

He’s a skilled orchestrator, a classically-trained composer, and cites Bernard Herrmann as a major influence.

He’s also a huge classical music nerd and knows more about the classical music genre than anyone I’ve ever talked to. Check out my interview with Garry here.

Some of Garry Schyman’s most iconic game work includes:

19. Hiroki Kikuta

Hiroki Kikuta is a composer who has worked on games such as Secret of Mana, Seiken Densetsu 3, and Soulcalibur V.

Kikuta’s music often features catchy melodies and a wide emotional range, essential qualities of JRPG composers.

He also flexed some serious orchestration chops with his work on Soul Calibur.

Some of Hiroki Kikuta’s most iconic video game work includes:

Fun fact: Kikuta cites Pink Floyd as his single greatest musical influence.

20. Shoji Meguro

Shoji Meguro is a game composer who has worked on games such as the Persona series, Catherine, and Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army.

Meguro’s music often features catchy pop melodies, synthesizers, and heavy electric guitar. This is likely due to his drawing heavy influence from J-pop and fusion bands like T-Square and Casiopea.

Some of Shoji Meguro’s most iconic video game work includes:

Fun fact: Meguro has also worked as a sound designer and voice actor for Atlus games. He’s even appeared in some of the Persona games as a character.

21. Winifred Phillips

Winifred Phillips is a game composer who has worked on games such as God of War, LittleBigPlanet, and Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation.

Phillips’ music often features grandiose orchestrations and sweeping melodies, similar to Giacchino’s work. However, she also frequently integrates traditional ethnic instrumentation into her work, giving her music a unique flavor.

Some of Winifred Phillips’ most iconic video game work includes:

22. Jack Wall

Jack Wall is a video game composer who has worked on games such as Mass Effect, Jade Empire, and Myst III: Exile.

Wall’s music often features sweeping orchestral arrangements and grandiose melodies. He also frequently integrates traditional ethnic instrumentation and rock/electronic elements into his work, giving his music a unique flavor.

Some of Jack Wall’s most iconic video game work includes:

23. Gordy Haab

Gordy Haab is a video game composer who has worked on the Star Wars Battlefront series, Halo Wars 2, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

He is an extremely talented orchestrator and arranger and has an uncanny ability to emulate the grand nature of John Williams’ film scores.

I got the opportunity to interview Gordy Haab on Composer Code, and it was a truly enlightening experience.

Some of Gordy’s most notable work in video games includes:

Fun fact: Many moons ago, Gordy Haab scored the viral YouTube video Ryan vs. Dorkman 2, which featured a fully-choreographed lightsaber fight and professional-level VFX.

24. Cris Velasco

Cris Velasco is a video game composer who has worked on the Resident Evil, Borderlands, and Star Wars Vader Immortal series among many other projects.

Velasco’s music often features dark, brooding atmospheres with occasional moments of levity. He frequently integrates traditional ethnic instrumentation and rock/electronic elements into his work.

Some of Cris Velasco’s most iconic video game work includes:

25. Kinuyo Yamashita

Kinuyo Yamashita is a Japanese video game composer who has worked on the Castlevania and Mega Man series.

She is no longer actively composing, having stopped around 2010. Still, her credits list is incredibly strong and her work is well-renowned.

Some of Kinuyo Yamashita’s most iconic video game work includes:

26. Christopher Larkin

Christopher Larkin is a film, TV, and video game composer best known for his work on the Hollow Knight series.

His work could rightfully be classified as ethereal, orchestral, and otherworldly. Although if you’ve ever played Hollow Knight, you know he can turn up the heat when it comes time to fight a boss.

Some of Christopher Larkin’s most iconic video game work includes:

27. Neal Acree

Neal Acree is a video game, film, and TV composer who has worked on many of the mainline Blizzard franchises, including World of Warcraft, Overwatch, StarCraft, and Diablo.

Some of Neal Acree’s most iconic video game work includes:

28. Peter McConnell

Peter McConnell is a video game composer who has worked on the Monkey Island, Psychonauts, and Broken Age series.

He is known for his jazzy, upbeat tunes which often feature a healthy dose of humor. He was also a technical pioneer in the early days of crafting interactive and dynamic music systems.

Some of Peter McConnell’s most iconic video game work includes:

29. Akira Yamaoka

Akira Yamaoka is a video game composer and sound designer who has worked on the Silent Hill series.

He is known for his atmospheric and often unnerving work, which frequently incorporates strange sounds and field recordings.

Some of Akira Yamaoka’s most iconic video game work includes:

30. Yasunori Nishiki

Yasunori Nishiki is a video game composer most famous for his work on the Octopath Traveler series.

He is known for his grand, sweeping compositions which often have a very traditional Japanese sound.

Some of Yasunori Nishiki’s most iconic video game work includes:

31. Matt Kenyon

Wait… am I allowed to do this?

While I’m certainly a far cry from one of the greatest video game composers, I’m at least the best video game composer in my house right now. 🙂

I wouldn’t call anything I’ve done iconic, but some of my personal favorite compositions are:

Fun fact: Matt Kenyon is the author of this blog post.

If you’re interested in talking about me scoring your next game, feel free to get in touch.

32. Kenta Nagata

Kenta Nagata is a veteran video game composer who has worked on many mainline Nintendo franchises such as The Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart, and New Super Mario Bros.

He is known for his catchy, feel-good arrangements and his strong sense of melody.

Some of Kenta Nagata’s most iconic video game work includes:

Fun fact: Kenta Nagata actually dated and eventually married fellow Nintendo composer Shinobu Tanaka.

33. Motoi Sakuraba

Motoi Sakuraba is a video game composer who has worked on games across many genres, including Dark Souls, Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, and Shining Force.

He has an incredible sonic range, going from the dark, nihilistic orchestral arrangements of Dark Souls all the way to the bouncy tunes of the Mario Tennis franchise.

Some of Motoi Sakuraba’s most iconic video game work includes:

34. Noriyuki Iwadare

Noriyuki Iwadare is a video game composer who has worked on the Lunar and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series.

He is known for his soaring, cinematic arrangements and his use of traditional Japanese instruments.

Some of Noriyuki Iwadare’s most iconic video game work includes:

35. Yuzo Koshiro

Yuzo Koshiro is a video game composer who has worked on the Streets of Rage, ActRaiser, and Etrian Odyssey series.

He is known for his innovative use of electronic music, particularly in the Streets of Rage franchise. He was also one of the first video game composers to use FM synthesis to create his music.

Some of Yuzo Koshiro’s most iconic video game work includes:

36. Jun Senoue

Jun Senoue is a guitarist, performer, and video game composer who has worked on the Sonic the Hedgehog and Shadow the Hedgehog series.

He is known for his hard rock and metal arrangements, which often feature electric guitar solos.

Some of Jun Senoue’s most iconic video game work includes:

37. Tee Lopes

Tee Lopes is a video game composer, producer, and vocalist known for his work on the Sonic and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchises.

He is known for his catchy, jazzy arrangements and his use of vintage synthesizers.

Some of Tee Lopes’ most iconic video game work includes:

Fun fact: Tee Lopes got his start making fan remixes and arrangements of classic Sonic tunes. Eventually, he partnered up with Sega and they gave him free rein to compose for Sonic Mania. Talk about a dream project!

38. David Wise

David Wise is a video game composer who has worked on the Donkey Kong Country and Diddy Kong Racing series. He’s also composed for other projects such as Snake Pass and Battletoads.

He is known for his use of organic instrumentation, atmospheric sound design, and jazz-influenced arrangements.

His work on the Super Nintendo, specifically on the Donkey Kong Country OST, pushed the limits of the 16-bit hardware and redefined what was possible in video game music.

If you were to close your eyes and listen to his music today, it barely sounds like it was made on 30-year-old hardware – it’s just that timeless.

Some of David Wise’s most iconic video game work includes:

David’s original music, such as DK Island Swing from Donkey Kong Country, has been endlessly referenced and remixed in dozens of games since its debut.

39. Hitoshi Sakimoto

Hitoshi Sakimoto is a video game composer and musician who has worked on franchises such as Final Fantasy, Vagrant Story, and Tactics Ogre.

He is known for his grandiose orchestral arrangements and his emotionally charged melodies.

Some of Hitoshi Sakimoto’s most iconic video game work include:

Fun fact: Hitoshi Sakimoto actually started his video game music career as a sound designer on the classic SNES game, Final Fantasy VI.

40. Gareth Coker

Gareth Coker is a video game composer who has worked on franchises such as Ori and the Blind Forest, Halo: Infinite, and Ark: Survival Evolved.

He is known for his ethereal, emotive soundscapes and his use of traditional instruments from around the world.

Some of Gareth Coker’s most iconic video game work includes:

Fun fact: I had Gareth on the Composer Code podcast and he taught me a ton about orchestral scoring. Definitely check it out!

Wrapping Up

As you can see, video game music is a complex and varied art form with a long and storied history.

And these are just a handful of some of the incredible composers working today. I’m sure I’ve missed some, so let me know in the comments and I’ll add them to the list.

Each of the composers featured in this article has their own unique style and approach to video game composition, but they all share one common goal: to create an unforgettable experience for players.

Whether it’s through catchy melodies, exciting rhythms, or lush orchestrations, these famous video game composers have shown time and again that they know how to capture the essence of what makes video games great and put it into music.

2 thoughts on “40 of the Greatest Video Game Composers of All Time [2023]”

  1. Hey Matt,

    Pretty cool list! Every one of these would deserve entire books about their works, so it’s interesting to see which pieces you cherrypicked for each one. Currently walking through your podcasts, seems like you also paid your respects to your former guests 😀

    If I were to add one name, Rei Kondoh would be a strong contender (Bayonetta, Fire Emblem Awakening & Three Houses)… but I would probably pick Manaka Kataoka.

    I think Breath of the Wild may be the greatest *game soundtrack* of all time (aside from the sheer quality of the music, I see it as the pinnacle of smartness in terms of how to score specifically for the medium); so, as the lead composer, she deserves a lot of praise. Her mastery of piano scoring is baffling – and this formidable Hyrule Castle theme/arrangement…

    Interesting job anyway for people in search of new horizons to explore!

    PS: I think you could’ve afforded to drop the one name whose great music, full of soule, doesn’t matter much in light of his private behaviour, but oh well 😉

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