Top 10 Legend of Zelda Dungeon Themes

I’m in a very Zelda mood (gee, what a surprise) so today I’m giving you my top 10 favorite temple songs out of all the games. It wasn’t easy, because in truth, I first wanted to do just a top 10 Zelda songs in general, but it became clear very quickly that there’s no way I could have narrowed that down. So instead I picked temples as a theme. That also means I’m likely going to do another top 10 Zelda songs in the future. Zelda fans rejoice, non-Zelda fans… get the hell out of here!

10 –  Oracle of Seasons – Dancing Dragon Dungeon

Perhaps a little surprising, and likely not even recognizable by people who don’t know the series that well, or have only started to play the series a few years ago. This is by all means a very simple repeating song, but out of all 16 dungeons songs from the Oracle games, this one is the one I most remember. Just a simple, catchy song which is more than worthy to kick of this list at number 10.

09 – Spirit Tracks – Tower of Spirits

A second, but more recent, handheld one! Say what you want about the train, but I really loved Spirit Tracks. The Tower of Spirits music is one of the games songs that I can still remember perfectly and I feel it works very nicely with the idea that you’re working as a team, trying to climb higher and higher.

08 – The Wind Waker – Earth Temple

I don’t know what it is about this song, but I just really, really liked it from the first time I heard it. It just struck as familiar straight away, and it still does. Is it just me or does this song borrow from something else that I just can’t seem to remember?

07 – a Link to the Past – Dark World Dungeon

Absolute classic. This one counts for most temples in a Link to the Past, but hell it still gives me goosebumps. Back when I was a kid this song actually scared me for a while so every time I got into a temple I just walked out straight away. Why I never realized I could just turn the volume down is beyond me.

06 – The Minish Cap – Temple of Droplets

Yes, yet another handheld song, I swear I’m not doing it on purpose, just one more after this and it’s all console! Minish Cap has some really interesting music, and this is one song that I felt worked so perfectly with the temple itself. It’s cold, it’s slow and it’s there to remind you that you are now the size of a thumb inside an icecold place.

05 – Skyward Sword – Earth Temple

Oh hey, another Earth Temple song. While Twilight Princess was rather disappointing when it came to dungeon music (you wont find any in this list) Skyward Sword thankfully improved mostly on that part. Maybe I just really like Earth Temple themed music, but you can’t deny this is quite catchy. It’s so awesome that I can feel the lava heat when just listening to it!

04 – The Minish Cap – Palace of Winds

And we’re back at the Minish Cap and the last handheld song in this list. For a handheld midi song this one is quite epic in my opinion. It starts out all nice and slowly being all: welcome to our humble Palace, enjoy your stay… and then it starts building up and it’s all BAZAM YOU IN THE SKY PALACE B*TCH! FEEL LIKE A BIRD!

03 – Skyward Sword – Lanayru Mining Facility (past)

In all honesty, I wasn’t too fond of this song at first, but it has started to grow on me quite a lot, especially the “past” version. It’s rather different from what you’re used to in a Zelda game, but then again, so is the whole damn facility. The present version is kinda so and so when you enter, but the moment you hit a timeshift stone and everything goes back to it’s earlier state, and the music suddenly hits you with it’s percussion, then it’s all “woah”.

02 – Ocarina of Time – Forest Temple

Eery, spooky, scary, haunting are several ways to describe this song. Brilliant is the term I like to use when someone asks me my opinion. It may not be catchy, or epic or have a lot of variation, but when you first enter this place and you’re just a kid, and that music starts playing… you just try your best to not pee your pants. Then a short while later your first wallmaster drops out of nowhere making that even more scary sound and you pee your pants anyway.

01 – Majora’s Mask – Stone Tower Temple

And, perhaps not surprisingly if you know Majora’s Mask is my favorite game, is Stone Tower Temple. Not only is this one of the most insane temples in any Zelda game, it has some, if not the best, temple music in the whole series. It has a catchy tune, yet the deep and heavy voices give it a certain strong impression. It makes you feel, wow, I’m way over my head here. Then you turn the whole place upside down and everything is literally hanging over your head. The music changes a long and while still maintaining the same tune everything suddenly sounds a lot more eery and it feels like you’re in a completely different place. A well deserved number 1 spot in my opinion.

So tell me, when it comes to your favorite dungeon theme, which one would it be?

Top 10 Epic Songs

The first half of january has come and gone so it’s about time I did my first monthly top 10 list. Now as you may or may not know, I am a big fan when it comes to movie music, videogame music and orchestra in genera. Due to this I have quite my share of music in that genre. Sadly, I regularly get weird looks from people when they ask me what kind of music I like and mention this genre. In my opinion, movie music is a bit underrated, so I hope to change some peoples view on that matter with this list. Not that you have to like it, but at least understand where the interest comes from. Now videogames have a lot of epic music too, but I didn’t include any as it was already hard enough to only pick 10. You can be sure I’ll have a top 10 in that genre as well however, so no worries for the lovers. The top 10 I’m giving you are songs I never tire of listening to, songs that instantly give me goosebumps. I also went with 10 different composers as I could easily fill this list with just one of them if I wanted to. With that said, let’s get to it!

10 –  28 Days Later Main Theme – John Murphy

Ever since I saw the movie that song has never let me go, it’s perfect. The way it builds and creeps up on you slowly gives it that creepy factor, and come on, it just screams zombie.

09 – Lord of the Dance – Enigma

Likely this is a lesser known song but I just love the magic in it. If I’m stressed this song always manages to relax me and I always imagine a snowy landscape when listening to it. Slow, but beautiful.

08 – Dom VS Brian – Brian Tyler

I’m not a fan of the movies at all, but goddamn this track is intense and doesn’t let go from start to finish.

07 – Wizards in Winter – Trans Siberian Orchestra

Is this freaking catchy or what? This one always brings a smile to my face when I hear it. The Trans Siberian Orchestra is master when it comes to winter songs, and Wizards in Winter is proof of that.

06 – Truth Be Known – Atlas Plug

There’s just something about this song that makes me go AW YEAAAA. I like how it starts slow and how the violins start adding to it, and then BAM. Pure epicness for your ears.

05 – Time – Hans Zimmer

Everyone should know this one. Inception is a great movie with a great soundtrack. It’s another of those songs that slowly builds up into something big and it still gives me goosebumps everytime i hear it.

04 – Statues – Alexandre Desplat

If you like Harry Potter, then this will sound familiar as well. The Harry Potter movies always have a great soundtrack, but goddamn, this one blew me away when I was watching the movie in theatre and left me with goosebumps like I’ve never had.

03 – Requim for a Dream – Clint Mansell

Another one everyone should know. How can you not love this? It’s sad, it’s anger, it’s war, it’s amazing. The 1st half takes you in and then the 2nd half completely blows you away. A timeless classic.

02 – Riddle of Steel – Basil Poledouris

This song is older than me and I can remember listening to this when I was 14, and here I am 10 year later, putting it on my nr 2 spot. This song just gets me every time. Several Legend of Zelda trailers have used this song as well, and it’s obvious why.

01 – Arise  – E.S. Posthumus

My definitive number one, always. E.S. Posthumus is where epic music is born. They have so many amazing songs that I could have filled this entire list with just songs from them. But for me, it’s Arise that jumps out of all of them. This song has given me immense inspiration for my Eternal Nightfall story, and everytime I hear it, it brings even more. I have an entire epic battle scene in my head every time I hear this song, to the point I actually made a storyboard. However my abilities are limited so I never finished it, but I still hope to do so one day when I get better. That’s just how much this song gets to me. If it’s epic you want, it’s E.S. Posthumus you need.

And that’s it unfortunately, there’s so many more I could suggest, but I have to stick with 10 or it would go on forever. I hope I introduced you to at least a few new songs for your own playlist and if you’re interested in knowing more, feel free to ask (on formspring). If you have any other songs to recommend yourself, go right ahead as I’m always glad to add to my playlist as well.