(Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. “Shigeru Miyamoto thanks the Nintendo Orchestra for their performance at E3 2011.”)
Jesse Nguyen
Connector Editor
When the discussion of music comes up, rarely does film, TV, and video game music become the first talking point. Despite that, the songs that fill the background of beloved movies and games can be extremely powerful and influential.
Some of the most streamed songs in recent years have come from film and TV. While they aren’t necessarily part of a soundtrack (music made specifically for the film or show), their placements are artistically sound and masterful. When “Stranger Things” season 4 came out, the emotional scene with Max escaping from Vecna featured “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush. A Spotify Wrapped report on Nov. 30, 2022, showed that streams of the song rose by more than 8,700% globally. “Stranger Things” soundtrack and music choice are stellar overall, leading to a resurgence of 80s hits in recent years.
When it comes to film, the soundtrack by Daniel Pemberton in “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is a standout in quality. Not only are all the songs top notch in quality, but they more importantly match the scenes they’re used in. The intro sequence of Gwen’s emotional monologue as she’s drumming, along with the visuals, give the film its iconic visual and musical flare. And the track “Nueva York Train Chase” is a dynamic and epic piece, with the buildup, intensity and climax of the song perfectly matching the conflict Miles faces in the film. A plethora of different instruments and sounds are used to represent each character’s themes, creating an incredibly interesting and diverse score.
Beyond the huge hits though, recent music in film and TV is not going anywhere or declining in quality. “The Gorge,” released on Feb. 14, 2025, starring Anya Taylor Joy and Miles Teller, features an excellent soundtrack by Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor. It’s a varied and unique score, featuring high octane, hellish techno music and melancholic, emotional piano. This perfectly complements the film’s setting of a romance between two highly trained operatives within a hellish, horror landscape. And excellent needle drops, such as “Spitting off the Edge of the World” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs make the emotional moments in the film even more captivating.
When it comes to video game music, these can be powerful in how they influence player’s emotions. Unlike film or TV, video games can be regularly revisited by their players, and thus, video game music is able to evoke nostalgia. “Skyrim” for example, has an excellent soundtrack ranging from peaceful town music to epic orchestral battle themes. But memorable themes, such as “Dragonborn” and “Secunda,” often remind players of their adventures in the vast world of Tamriel. The same can be said for “Minecraft,” which utilizes ambient soundscapes, designed to create a serene atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. It features soft melodies and minimalistic arrangements, and since many players first experience with “Minecraft” was when they were adolescents, the music is a powerful and emotional tool to keep players connected to the game.
While film, TV, and video games are effective in telling stories, video games engage its audiences in a more intimate way. Players actively participate in the story, making choices that can affect the outcome. This interactivity creates a personal connection to the narrative, and “NieR: Automata,” soundtrack by Keiichi Okabe and sung by Emi Evans, is a perfect example of how video games can utilize music as a storytelling device.
At The Game Awards 2017, “NieR: Automata” won the “Best Score/Music” award, and it’s understandable to see why. The story of “NieR” follows a group of androids, created by humans, to help defend earth from machines created by aliens. While the game unearths its philosophical themes visually and mechanically, it can also be heard in its music. In the game’s action-packed beginning sequence, the song “Wretched Weaponry,” has sounds of metal clanking and machines being constructed. Shortly after, when the player returns to the base of androids, the music is soft, slow, and almost set to the rhythm of a heartbeat.
One of the boss battle themes, “A Beautiful Song,” features the boss, Simone, singing. The tragic, yet epic tone of the song perfectly match the story of the Simone, a machine who just wished to be “beautiful.” The church bells littered throughout the song, may also symbolize her ultimate failure to marry her Jean Paul.
Moreover, the music in the game is entirely dynamic. Most tracks in the game have four versions, being quiet, medium, dynamic, and 8 bit. All of these tracks change dynamically based on the players actions, so music is never abruptly cut, but rather, blends in with each other seamlessly.
While the artists behind film, TV, and video game music are not as popular as mainstream artists like Ariana Grande and Kendrick Lamar, they should be celebrated in how they are able to create such masterful and emotional soundscapes, to the point where these pieces of media wouldn’t be themselves without music.
