The All-Time Top C64 Game Tunes

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1: Monty on the Run: (Rob Hubbard)
One of the C64's most fondly remembered games was accompanied by this energetic, progressive masterpiece. From the otherworldly oscillating introduction, it soon develops into a frantic "race against the clock" extravaganza. The tune's multiple sections blend together seamlessly, with excellent improvisation throughout the latter part and even some Mozart influence creeping in! Both technically and melodically, this could be considered Hubbard's finest moment.

1: Monty on the Run: (Chris Huelsbeck & Ramiro Vaca)
The excellent techno intro is a feat in itself, but what separates this title from the others are the in-game tracks. What is apparent to anyone who has played the arcade or PlayStation versions, is the significant improvement in the quality of the multi-level music of C64 R-type. Huelsbeck and Vaca performed a remarkable job in sprucing these up in just about every way possible, incorporating meaty bass-lines and rhythm tracks that perfectly suited the pace of the game. What makes the achievement all the more impressive is that this was done using just two of the C64's three sound channels!

3: One Man and His Droid: (Rob Hubbard)
One Man & His Droid: As with Monty on the Run, this is another fast-paced extravaganza from Hubbard to get your adrenaline racing. The evolving chorus is complemented perfectly by the intricate and constantly moving note patterns. This tune could sometimes be heard as part of "Invade-a-Load", a Space Invaders clone which you played whilst waiting for your favourite game to load. Not surprising really, as it has all the atmosphere and impact of an iminent stellar invasion!

4: Spellbound: (Rob Hubbard)
Spellbound: Another timeless Hubbard classic makes the top 5 and with good reason. Suspense, mystery, intrigue - this piece has it all and more. Embellished with an array of interesting space-age sound effects, it helped maintain your interest as you went about solving puzzles and harassing robots in this space adventure. Along with the unique and well-structured chord sequences, this piece is notable for its (probably unintentional) Eastern/Medieval overtones.

5: Ocean Loader v3_0: (Pete Clark)
Ocean Loader v3: An adaptation of Galway's original Ocean Loader tunes, Peter Clarke improved on the former by introducing an upbeat tempo and completely new melody follwing the introduction. Quite classical in nature, it is unusual for the C64 in the way it harmoniously intertwines the intricate melody, bass and descount. A true classic that captures the very best of a bygone era.

6: After the War: (Charles Deenen)
This much overlooked title by Deenen contains two magnificent pieces. Tune 1 sets the tone with its tension-building siren introduction, before developing into what must be one of the most atmospheric, melancholic scores around - never mind on the C64. Tune 3 is the perfect counterpart - also sad, but conveying a sense of relief that the war is finally over.

7: Ghouls 'n' Ghosts: (Tim Follin)
Now THIS has atmosphere! Whilst their roots in the Capcom arcade game are evident, Follin has enriched the C64 level tunes to such a degree that they vastly outperform the original scores. Level 2 (tune 8) is probably the pick of the bunch, followed by level 4 (tune 10), but all the pieces have something to offer. Ethereal yet intricate, deep yet subtle, this is about as artistic as music can get.

8: Kinetix: (Jeroen Tel)
Something of a rollercoster ride and lasting more than ten minutes, this techno-style track has enough juicy nuggets to merit its inclusion in the top 10. It's very much a tune that grows on you the more the listen to it, and it is both complex and detailed. The occasional screechy sections can grate, but its originality and compulsive nature more than compensate for any shortcomings. Tune 3 is a short but enjoyable melody and a fine complement to the main theme.

9: Auf Wiedersehen Monty: (Rob Hubbard and Ben Daglish)
Wiedersehen by name, weird by nature! As with Hubbard's other works, this is a progressive, developing piece, where each component has been jelled together skilfully. What makes AWM stand out from the crowd, though, is the unusual, clever melody and surreal chord sequences. These attributes, combined with the hypnotic "tick-tock" intervals, elevate it to an almost dream-like status, not captured by any other tune before or since.

10: Bionic Commando: (Tim Follin)
Loosely based on the Capcom arcade scores, Follin reached a new level of technical accomplishment with C64 Bionic Commando. Each of the individual level tunes are deep and intricate, with improvisation featuring prominently throughout the latter parts. Fans may note a similarity with Follin's later X-Men scores on the Super NES.

11: Turbo Outrun: (Jeroen Tel)
"1-2-3-Hit it!" Sorry, couldn't resist it - these tunes are so cool. Tel spent a lot of time getting C64 Turbo Outrun music just right - and it shows. The intro tracks are notable for the very well implemented sample loops and overall grooviness. However, what really impresses are the in-game tunes. Like C64 R-Type, these utilise just two sound channels and (also like C64 R-Type) greatly surpass the coin-op originals. Special mention must go also to the short-but-sweet high-score tune (#11).

12: Batman The Caped Crusader: (Fred Gray)
This was one of the games bundled with my C64 when I first acquired it many years ago. I can still remember being blown away by the film-like score that accompanied this arcade adventure. Atmospheric and moody, it inspired a real sense of urgency as you battled to thwart the evil Joker and Penguin (with his devious umbrella factory operation, natch).

13: Zamzara: (Charles Deenen)
After listening to over one minute of what appears to be a mundane repeating loop, Zamzara explodes into life with arguably the most tuneful piece of music heard on the C64. By oscillating notes at a very high speed, rich and meaningful chords have been created, and this is a very good example of the power of Deenen's sound editor (used to create most of Maniacs of Noise's C64 music). The mellow high-score piece also deserves more than a couple of hearings.

14: Battle Ships: (Mark Cooksey)
14 Simply an excellent piece of music, classically styled. Despite lasting a good few minutes, it never gets boring - and the interspersion of sound effects (bombs dropping, explosions etc.) is the icing on the cake. Cooksey's finest hour.

15: Loopz: (David Whittaker)
This Pipemania-meets-Tetris clone featured three great melodies to help spur you on to impossibly high scores. Tune 1 has an advante-garde feel, which Whittaker fans will recognise from the impossibly weird Archipelagos game music on the Amiga, whereas tune 8 is solid and nostalgic. However, the ninth leaves both of these behind as it stylishly whizzes up and down the diminished 7th scale. A must hear!

16: Ocean Loader 4/5: (Jonathan Dunn)
This will be familiar to C64 users past and present, as it was used as the loading music for many of Ocean's biggest titles. Bold and adventurous, it almost made the painstakingly slow loading of the games seem worthwhile.

17: Wonderboy in Monsterland: (James Smart (original - Sega))
Expertly recreated from the original Sega arcade game, these tunes bring about a real sense of atmosphere as you progess through this action adventure. This is a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, but special mention must go to tune 10 "Life on the Ocean Waves (!)" and tune 12, with its clever construction and sense of 'finality'.

18: DNA Warrior: (Thomas Petersen & K. Christensen)
A professional package of jazz-influenced music. Each of the tracks on offer progress in a creative, intelligent manner, whilst the synth instruments augment the proceedings very well.

19:Rubicon: Jeroen Tel & Reyn Oeuwehand
A firm favourite among SID fans and it's easy to see why. Tune 1 is solid and technically very competent, though sadly doesn't reach its full potential, as it sticks rigidly to the same chord base throughout. Stronger is tune 11, which is energetic and has a Turrican-esque feel about it. Top marks though, go to tune 3 (which should be played at NTSC speed) - a very nice piece, divided into two sections - both excellent.

20: The Last V8: Rob Hubbard
The deep rumbly bass of the opening section leaves you in no doubt that another Hubbard stormer is brewing. Sure enough, the piece develops in classic style, featuring almost as many twists and turns as those you negotiate in the game itself!

21: Alloyrun: Jeroen Tel
21 Unquestionably the funkiest intro to a C64 tune ever. Powerful and fast-paced, it would score even higher, but unfortunately is a bit repetitive after the first minute or so.

22: Hawkeye: Jeroen Tel
22 Hawkeye is a typical example of what Tel does very well: he develops a theme which is used almost throughout the entire piece and then builds the other sections around it. Excellent progession as always, culminating in a fantasic rippling up and down the scale section at around the 3-minute mark. Tune 6 must also rank as one of the greatest high-score tunes.

23: Hotrod: (tunes 1 & 2) Jeroen Tel
23 Another Tel winner, Hotrod's first two tunes are similar in style to the Turbo Outrun intro music - the first in particular making great use of the sample channel. I would actually say they're better than the Turbo Outrun intro tracks, being more structured and with greater variety.

24: Super Hang-On: Steve Barrett
24 Apparently different from the Sega originals, Barrett's compositions are simple in orchestration, but high on melody. This is especially true of tune 4 - without doubt the pick of the bunch.

25: Cataball: Mark Cooksey
25 This is a simple yet highly effective tune, similar in style to Cooksey's Battle Ships. Whilst not quite reaching the latter's high standard, Cataball is anything if not catchy. You'll be humming it for weeks :-)

26: Ghosts'n'Goblins: Mark Cooksey
26 Interestingly, it would appear that each home computer version of G'n'G was accompanied by a different music track. Cooksey's timeless score wins hands down though. Spooky and funky, it suited the game perfectly.

27: Black Lamp: (tune 2) Tim Follin
A very creative piece, classically styled. Ghouls'n'Ghosts overtones are evident around the 40-second mark, and there's some excellent use of echo at this point.

28: Slap Fight: Martin Galway (original - Taito)
Although lacking some of the channels of the arcade original, Galway did a sterling job of converting Slap Fight's diverse range of tunes. The synths are somewhat basic, but everything else is magic.

29: Delta: Rob Hubbard
Delta is some people's fave C64 music of all-time. Although it is hard to see the appeal of the Pink Floyd-influenced tune 1, the upbeat pulsating tune 12 and the more reflective tune 13 are both quality pieces.

30: Supremacy: Jeroen Tel (tune 1)
Classically medieval-orientated to start with, Supremacy builds up into a highly polished piece of music. Excellent variety, it mixes multiple styles to great effect.

31: Turrican: (tunes 2 & 6) C. Huelsbeck & R. Vaca & S. Hartwig
Ah - the legendary Turrican! Action-packed and technically exemplary, these two tracks demonstrate the power of the SID chip with aplomb.

32: Gauntlet III: Tim Follin
Gauntlet III (tune 1): Featuring Follin's trademark ethereal quality, this piece scores highly due to its originality: an imaginitive melody sprinkled with the type of eerie embellishments that made Ghouls 'n' Ghosts so great.

33: Startrash: (tune 2) Ramiro Vaca & Chris Huelsbeck
Startrash (tune 2): Similar in style to the R-type intro tune, this solid track has enough hooks to keep you listening, with the highlight being a rippling chord sequence around 1:15. The in-game tune (3) is also good in a mysterious kind of way.

34: Flimbo's Quest: Reyn Ouwehand & J. Bjerregaard
A nice mix of bouncy, cheerful platformy type tunes.

35: Cybernoid: Jeroen Tel
Possibly Tel's most famous composition, this is a long track which is generally of a high standard throughout.

36: Scorpion: Marcel Donne
I remember playing this game many years ago on, I think, a Zzap! 64 covertape. It was great to rediscover the fabulous intro tune more recently, which has a very Maniacs of Noise-y sound to it.

37: The Last Ninja: (tune 6) Ben Daglish & Anthony Lees
A nice upbeat oriental tune which suited the game perfectly. In this genre, only bettered by Allistair Brimble's Dojo Dan (level 1) on the Amiga.

38: Blood Money: (tune 2) Fredrik Segarfalk
An interesting melody with logical chord progression ensures its place in the top 64.

39: L.E.D. Storm: Tim Follin
Another one of those titles where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Tune 6 is especially good (but oh so short!), while the others are enjoyable to listen to in sequence.

40: Thing on a Spring: Rob Hubbard
Although not spectacular, this chirpy piece bounces along nicely and has a definite Hubbard feel to it.

41: Fruitbank: Johannes Bjerregaard
Very much the type of music you would expect from an arcade fruit machine simulator. I like the way the main theme is continually being played around with, creating a sequence of very listenable melodies.

42: Trivia, The Ultimate Challenge: (tune 1 & 2) Jeroen Tel
As with Fruitbank, this very much lives up to the theme of its name. Both tunes are pleasant on the ears.

43: Commando: Rob Hubbard
Tune 1 (in-game) is a reworking of Capcom's arcade theme, but improves upon it thanks to some Hubbard grooviness, whereas tune 2 (high score) has a warm nostalgic feel to it.

44: Hollywood or Bust: Rob Hubbard
Let the good times roll with these very reasonable "show-time" pieces.

45: Speedball: David Whittaker
Tune 1 is a direct conversion of the excellent Amiga original. This version is almost as good, retaining all of the former's interesting chord progressions.

46: Peter Pack Rat: Tim Follin
Tunes 1 and 2 have a retro early eighties quality about them (cf. Super Pipeline), which mix nicely with Follin's orchestration.

47: International Karate: Rob Hubbard
Ah so! Oriental meditation music combines with Hubbard genius like yin and yang.

48: Last Ninja 3: (tune 3) Reyn Ouwehand
Broody yet subtle, this piece evokes an atmosphere similar to that of Chariots of Fire, but a bit darker.

49: Gerry the Germ: Rob Hubbard
Another chirpy/bouncy/jolly title in the mould of Thing on a Spring. Tune 1 is the pick of the bunch, but the others are fun to listen to as well.

50: Battle of Britain: Rob Hubbard
This triumphant RAF-themed track is one of the more overlooked of Hubbard's works.

51: Agent X II: Tim Follin
The Mad Prof's Back (tune 1): Although not the strongest of Follin's scores, an intricate melody line with some nice touches should maintain interest.

52: Revenge of Doh: Jonathan Dunn
Nostalgic brick-bustin' tunes as you battle the forces of Doh.

53: Stormlord: (tune 1) Johannes Bjerregaard & Jeroen Tel
A creepy introduction followed by some well-chosen chords sets the pace for this groovy number. Very good use of the fourth (sample) channel.

54: Tilt: (tune 1) Jeroen Tel
What a great game this was! The title tune is also good - simple, but catchy.

55: Savage: (tune 1) ?
"Savage... Savage... oooooooohhhhh..." A well funky one, this. I especially like the way the tune progresses. You can find a fantastic update/remix by Chris Abbott on his website at www.c64audio.com

56: Dragon Breed: Martin Walker (original - IREM)
Martin Walker was one of the C64's most technically accomplished composers, as this flawless coin-op conversion testifies. Mystical and imaginative.

57: Eliminator: Jeroen Tel
A marathon of a tune that never seems to end. Despite some of the later improvisation lacking direction, Eliminator still packs a punch.

58: Scumball: Tim Follin
Short but sweet - holds a certain film-like charm.

59: ShadowFire: Fred Gray
What this piece lacks in technical innovation, it more than makes up for a melody which is both endearing and captivating.

60: Cybernoid II: Jeroen Tel
Not quite reaching the high standard of the first Cybernoid, this is still a solid track with a "chunky" feel to it.

61: Paperboy: Mark Cooksey
The in-game tune (2) suited the game perfectly, but isn't quite so enjoyable to listen to on its own. However, the high score track (5) is still as classic as ever.

62: Altered Beast: (original - Sega)
As with Dragon Breed, an outstanding effort from Walker. The arcade music from this mythical Sega beat 'em up has been converted brilliantly.

63: Task III: (tune 1) (unknown)
This energetic track from an unknown composer has enough interesting twists and turns to warrant a place in the top 64.

64: Mr. Heli: Charles Deenen
Tunes 1 and 5 have a "clean-cut" feel to them and are both fairly cool, hence its placing.

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All music on this page borrowed with the kind permission of the High Voltage SID Collection crew. All SID tunes are the copyright of their respective owners.