Music of Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic's music spans genres and decades, praised across gaming.
The music across the *Sonic the Hedgehog* games and related media comes from many hands: in-house Sega sound staff, freelance composers, and well-known bands. The styles are all over the map, touching pop, funk, rock, metal, ska, punk, hip hop, R&B, jazz, electronica, trance, breakbeat, drum and bass, disco, ambient, world, orchestral, and lo-fi. Tom's Guide once noted that the franchise "has always had some of the best music in all of video gaming." Soundtrack albums have come out for nearly every *Sonic* title.
**Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)**
Sega director Fujio Minegishi knew people in the music business and suggested his friend Yūzō Kayama compose the score. Sonic Team didn't think Kayama's music would work, so they turned to Masato Nakamura, bassist and songwriter for the J-pop band Dreams Come True. Nakamura was surprised—the band had just formed—but he accepted because the team wanted to outperform rival Nintendo. He later said the Genesis hardware limited him: only four sounds could play at once, and he didn't know how to compose on computers. With only concept art to go on, he treated the game like a film, writing music to match the atmosphere in the drawings. After composing the tracks, they were digitized on an Atari ST using Notator. Hiroshi Kubota and Yukifumi Makino programmed the sound engine; company policies meant they were credited as Jimita and Macky, though their real names appear on a hidden screen. Makino also gets credit for the drowning and Chaos Emerald jingles. An 8-bit version for the Master System and Game Gear was developed by Ancient. Founder Yuzo Koshiro first tried porting Nakamura's compositions to the 8-bit PSG, aiming to keep the feel of the 16-bit tracks, but only three of those conversions made it in. He wrote the rest of the soundtrack himself; among the unused conversions was an 8-bit version of the Marble Zone theme.
**Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)**
Sega of America initially wanted an in-house soundtrack, but the development staff rejected it as "awful." Nakamura returned for the sequel, raising his fee because the first game had been a hit. He started work before seeing the game, again basing the music on concept art and using the same methods. Since the sequel was more technically advanced, he said he "wanted to create music that showed progress… It was like the Indiana Jones sequels. Same concept, but with more fun
- First game
- Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
- Notable early composer
- Masato Nakamura
- Longtime composer
- Jun Senoue
- Sound director since 2006
- Tomoya Ohtani
- Genre range
- Pop, funk, rock, metal, ska, punk, hip hop, R&B, jazz, electronica, trance, breakbeat, drum and bass, disco, ambient, world, orchestral, lo-fi
Lore & Background
The first Sonic game's score was commissioned from Masato Nakamura, bassist of the J-pop band Dreams Come True, after Sega director Fujio Minegishi's suggestion of Yūzō Kayama was rejected. Nakamura worked from concept art, treating the game like a film, and was limited by the Genesis hardware allowing only four simultaneous sounds. The sound engine was programmed by Hiroshi Kubota and Yukifumi Makino, with Makino also composing the drowning and Chaos Emerald jingles. An 8-bit version for Master System and Game Gear was ported by Yuzo Koshiro, though only three of his conversions were used.
For Sonic 2, Nakamura returned with a higher fee, again composing from concept art and using a Roland MC-4 Microcomposer. He produced an alternate ending theme, 'Sweet Sweet Sweet,' released the same day as the game. Sonic CD had two soundtracks: a Japanese/European score by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata inspired by house and techno, and a North American score by Spencer Nilsen, David Young, and Mark Crew, which included the theme 'Sonic Boom.' Sonic 3 involved multiple composers, including Michael Jackson, though it is unclear if his contributions remain in the final game; some sources say his music was reworked after allegations, while others say his contributions stayed but he went uncredited.
Reader's Guide
The Sonic franchise's music has been a defining element of its identity, evolving from the electropop of the Genesis era to the funk and rock of Jun Senoue's scores with his band Crush 40. Tomoya Ohtani, sound director since 2006, has aimed to express each game's greatest features through music, as seen in the diverse Sonic Unleashed and science-fiction Sonic Colors. The series has also featured contributions from notable artists such as Zebrahead, Akon, Hoobastank, DangerKids, One Ok Rock, and Sleeping with Sirens' Kellin Quinn. Soundtrack albums have been released for almost all games, and in January 2017, Sega made various Sonic soundtracks available on Spotify. The music's legacy includes fan remixes by Tee Lopes, who later became lead composer for Sonic Mania, and ongoing debate about the inclusion of Michael Jackson's work in Sonic 3.
Did You Know?
- Masato Nakamura was surprised to be asked to compose for Sonic, as he had just founded Dreams Come True.
- The North American version of Sonic CD had a completely different soundtrack, including the theme 'Sonic Boom.'
- Michael Jackson's involvement in Sonic 3 is disputed; some say his music was reworked, others say it remained but he went uncredited.
- The IceCap Zone theme in Sonic 3 was lifted from an unreleased Jetzons track called 'Hard Times.'
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