PIPE ORGANS RANKED + REVIEWED
The professional opinion of a non-professional organist
201 Games
Rating: PERFECT
Tracks: Wedding at Tarrey Town, Hyrule Castle
As you can see from the rest of the list (yes, even including my beloved Final Fantasy VI), video games have a nasty habit of utilizing the pipe organ by pulling out every single stop and letting it rip - which is such a shame!! The instrument is so much more diverse than that. Breath of the Wild is the only game I can think of that so prominently favors the more gentle colors of the organ; the flute, vox, and string stops, as opposed to the typical diapasons. Hyrule Castle in particular uses these to incredible effect - the track is otherwise a pretty standard militarized-orchestra-march affair, save for these quiet solo passages from the organ which turn a typical Star Wars-flavored track into something with meaning. It's no longer just a plunge into an evil castle; suddenly the castle has a history, a humanity, a memory to consider. If the orchestra is the cold stone walls and the bloodthirsty enemies that patrol inside of them, the organ is the tattered books strewn on the floor and the unmade beds that used to belong to people who will never be able to see the world return to peace. It brings a distinctly human touch to the setting and completely re-contextualizes the storm through the castle to always bring forward its tragic history.
Tracks: Wedding at Tarrey Town, Hyrule Castle
As you can see from the rest of the list (yes, even including my beloved Final Fantasy VI), video games have a nasty habit of utilizing the pipe organ by pulling out every single stop and letting it rip - which is such a shame!! The instrument is so much more diverse than that. Breath of the Wild is the only game I can think of that so prominently favors the more gentle colors of the organ; the flute, vox, and string stops, as opposed to the typical diapasons. Hyrule Castle in particular uses these to incredible effect - the track is otherwise a pretty standard militarized-orchestra-march affair, save for these quiet solo passages from the organ which turn a typical Star Wars-flavored track into something with meaning. It's no longer just a plunge into an evil castle; suddenly the castle has a history, a humanity, a memory to consider. If the orchestra is the cold stone walls and the bloodthirsty enemies that patrol inside of them, the organ is the tattered books strewn on the floor and the unmade beds that used to belong to people who will never be able to see the world return to peace. It brings a distinctly human touch to the setting and completely re-contextualizes the storm through the castle to always bring forward its tragic history.
Rating: GREAT
Track: Soul Sanctum
Excellent use of the organ's many sounds and expressions. Intimate, introspective, intense, it's a deeply thoughtful piece that necessitates reflection. At least, this is true when the organ is on its own - the bulking brass hits and stabbing string ostinatos that show up after a while kind of undo a lot of what the organ was building towards. Fantastic organ writing that unfortunately winds up getting talked over right before it's about to say what it wants to say.
Track: Soul Sanctum
Excellent use of the organ's many sounds and expressions. Intimate, introspective, intense, it's a deeply thoughtful piece that necessitates reflection. At least, this is true when the organ is on its own - the bulking brass hits and stabbing string ostinatos that show up after a while kind of undo a lot of what the organ was building towards. Fantastic organ writing that unfortunately winds up getting talked over right before it's about to say what it wants to say.
Rating: BORING
Track: Laurence, the First Vicar
That cello solo is gorgeous! I wish this was a ranking of cello music. Instead I need to talk about the totally flat, lifeless organ part in this. Such a shame that I'm not a cellist instead.
Track: Laurence, the First Vicar
That cello solo is gorgeous! I wish this was a ranking of cello music. Instead I need to talk about the totally flat, lifeless organ part in this. Such a shame that I'm not a cellist instead.
Rating: GOOD
Track: Dark Colossus - Kaiju
Similar use to Final Fantasy VI, where the organ is only introduced after the rest of the ensemble hangs back. It's a great little shining moment that adds a great texture to the piece, but unfortunately the actual organ writing itself is a little sparse. By no means bad, just lacking. It could certainly do with a more "full" sounding selection of pulled stops or a more dynamic part with more movement.
Track: Dark Colossus - Kaiju
Similar use to Final Fantasy VI, where the organ is only introduced after the rest of the ensemble hangs back. It's a great little shining moment that adds a great texture to the piece, but unfortunately the actual organ writing itself is a little sparse. By no means bad, just lacking. It could certainly do with a more "full" sounding selection of pulled stops or a more dynamic part with more movement.
Rating: GREAT
Track: Deacons of the Deep
I've regularly said FromSoftware games are doing more to keep classical music traditions alive and relevant than actual classical music establishments and initiatives; tracks like this are what I'm talking about. There's a beautiful darkness that's exclusive to the languishing, dramatic elegance of something like Fauré's masterwork requiem that not many games have the confidence to approach. Dark Souls III not only has that confidence, but also the skill to back it up. This is just actual classical music and I'll eat it up every time.
Track: Deacons of the Deep
I've regularly said FromSoftware games are doing more to keep classical music traditions alive and relevant than actual classical music establishments and initiatives; tracks like this are what I'm talking about. There's a beautiful darkness that's exclusive to the languishing, dramatic elegance of something like Fauré's masterwork requiem that not many games have the confidence to approach. Dark Souls III not only has that confidence, but also the skill to back it up. This is just actual classical music and I'll eat it up every time.
Rating: GOOD
Track: The Mausoleum
Quirky little waltz with a gorgeous organ tone and fun, dynamic writing. A unique angle of the organ we don't normally hear - just a good time!
Track: The Mausoleum
Quirky little waltz with a gorgeous organ tone and fun, dynamic writing. A unique angle of the organ we don't normally hear - just a good time!
Rating: GREAT
Track: Ultimate Koopa
This is a classic. It'd be easy to write this off as a generic pipe organ track being used for an evil character simply for the sake of itself (as I will often be doing further down this list), but the writing here is incredible! The motives are all clearly defined, developed on masterfully, and effectively utilizes the full extent of the instrument's range. As far as pipe organs being included just for the sake of the villain is concerned, this is as good as it gets.
Track: Ultimate Koopa
This is a classic. It'd be easy to write this off as a generic pipe organ track being used for an evil character simply for the sake of itself (as I will often be doing further down this list), but the writing here is incredible! The motives are all clearly defined, developed on masterfully, and effectively utilizes the full extent of the instrument's range. As far as pipe organs being included just for the sake of the villain is concerned, this is as good as it gets.
Rating: GOOD
Track: Ganon's Tower
Working up the tower to the score of this organ music, only to reach the top and find that Ganondorf himself was the one playing it is the best use of a physical organ in an actual video game environment so far. The music is only so-so, but we're getting actual on-screen organ representation here, and it's a great scene at that. Fantastic moment.
Track: Ganon's Tower
Working up the tower to the score of this organ music, only to reach the top and find that Ganondorf himself was the one playing it is the best use of a physical organ in an actual video game environment so far. The music is only so-so, but we're getting actual on-screen organ representation here, and it's a great scene at that. Fantastic moment.
Rating: BORING
Track: In Labors & Dangers ~Fortitudo~
Once again, the organ is being used exclusively to accompany other things. This is one of the more boring instances of it though; it's basically only ever doing straight block chords, and when it does get more intricate it's simply doubling another more prevalent part.
Track: In Labors & Dangers ~Fortitudo~
Once again, the organ is being used exclusively to accompany other things. This is one of the more boring instances of it though; it's basically only ever doing straight block chords, and when it does get more intricate it's simply doubling another more prevalent part.
Rating: BAD
Tracks: Sudden Metamorphosis, Fecto Forgo Hunted by the Beast, Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit
I really had to strain my ears to tell if there actually were pipe organs in these tracks, but I promise there are! They're just very weak and not playing much of anything at all, existing only to add to the wall of sound these tracks are trying to impress with. Well, maybe the sound trying to be achieved here necessitates the organ being such a minuscule ingredient, but you can't fool me!! I see how boring your organ part is, and I give you a bad ranking on my Backloggd Dot Com list for it!!
Tracks: Sudden Metamorphosis, Fecto Forgo Hunted by the Beast, Two Planets Approach the Roche Limit
I really had to strain my ears to tell if there actually were pipe organs in these tracks, but I promise there are! They're just very weak and not playing much of anything at all, existing only to add to the wall of sound these tracks are trying to impress with. Well, maybe the sound trying to be achieved here necessitates the organ being such a minuscule ingredient, but you can't fool me!! I see how boring your organ part is, and I give you a bad ranking on my Backloggd Dot Com list for it!!
Rating: GOOD
Track: A Prayer to the Road That Leads
Interact with the pipe organ in the cathedral and Chrono will play these quick little chords. Well, "little" - they're gorgeous. The organ tone is rich and full, the chords are thick and creamy, it's a delight. Obviously would have preferred this to be a full piece rather than a quick little idea (and indeed, an incredible piece could be developed off this single idea alone), but it's still an excellent display of organ playing.
Track: A Prayer to the Road That Leads
Interact with the pipe organ in the cathedral and Chrono will play these quick little chords. Well, "little" - they're gorgeous. The organ tone is rich and full, the chords are thick and creamy, it's a delight. Obviously would have preferred this to be a full piece rather than a quick little idea (and indeed, an incredible piece could be developed off this single idea alone), but it's still an excellent display of organ playing.
Rating: THE WORST AND IT'S NOT CLOSE
Context: The Happy Mask Salesman teaching Link the Song of Healing
You'll notice I had to write "context" there rather than "tracks" as I have been for the entire rest of the list. The reason for this is simple; There is no organ in the Majora's Mask soundtrack. In a classic scene, the Happy Mask Salesman seems to materialize a full organ console (three manuals, and six piano pedals? It's a strange configuration) out of thin air, which is hilarious and a great way to further characterize his mysterious absurdity. Unfortunately, the organ... Makes piano sounds? This organ is not an organ. It has pipes and several keyboards, but that sure sounds like a hammer hitting a string to me. And to make it worse, he never actually plays the thing, not in any kind of meaningful way; he plays a total of three notes four times, likely using just a single finger to plunk away at them one-by-one. This is also hilarious, to summon such a massive instrument for such a trivial application, but unfortunately it does make this the absolute worst instance of a pipe organ in video game history - and like how Final fantasy VI will likely stay at the top forever, this will likely stay at the bottom forever as well (at least, I sure hope nobody discovers a worse way to use one).
Context: The Happy Mask Salesman teaching Link the Song of Healing
You'll notice I had to write "context" there rather than "tracks" as I have been for the entire rest of the list. The reason for this is simple; There is no organ in the Majora's Mask soundtrack. In a classic scene, the Happy Mask Salesman seems to materialize a full organ console (three manuals, and six piano pedals? It's a strange configuration) out of thin air, which is hilarious and a great way to further characterize his mysterious absurdity. Unfortunately, the organ... Makes piano sounds? This organ is not an organ. It has pipes and several keyboards, but that sure sounds like a hammer hitting a string to me. And to make it worse, he never actually plays the thing, not in any kind of meaningful way; he plays a total of three notes four times, likely using just a single finger to plunk away at them one-by-one. This is also hilarious, to summon such a massive instrument for such a trivial application, but unfortunately it does make this the absolute worst instance of a pipe organ in video game history - and like how Final fantasy VI will likely stay at the top forever, this will likely stay at the bottom forever as well (at least, I sure hope nobody discovers a worse way to use one).
Rating: GREAT
Tracks: Prologue, Moonlight Nocturne, Requiem for the Gods, Finale Toccata
If Final Fantasy VI introduced the pipe organ/prog rock marriage into video game music, Symphony of the Night is the next step in its evolution. I only wish it used the organ as effectively as Final Fantasy VI did; it often winds up being more of a background texture for other instruments to project on top of. There are some novel implementations of the organ here though, especially Requiem for the Gods' lowering the attack on the beginning organ chords so they gradually fade forward in a way that a real organ would not be able to do. When the organ does take center stage it's absolutely masterful; I just wish it did so more often.
Tracks: Prologue, Moonlight Nocturne, Requiem for the Gods, Finale Toccata
If Final Fantasy VI introduced the pipe organ/prog rock marriage into video game music, Symphony of the Night is the next step in its evolution. I only wish it used the organ as effectively as Final Fantasy VI did; it often winds up being more of a background texture for other instruments to project on top of. There are some novel implementations of the organ here though, especially Requiem for the Gods' lowering the attack on the beginning organ chords so they gradually fade forward in a way that a real organ would not be able to do. When the organ does take center stage it's absolutely masterful; I just wish it did so more often.
Rating: GREAT
Tracks: Theme of Sparda, Cathedral, Magic Sword Sparda Acquired, Hell's Great Temple, Awakening, Collapse of the Demon Emperor Mundus, Demon Emperor Mundus Again, Demon Emperor Mundus Battle 3 Underground
Simply looking at that track list should be a pretty good indication of how well the organ is being treated here. The writing is good and it is frequent; someone rented out a cathedral and wanted to get the most bang for their buck, and now we're the ones benefiting from it.
Tracks: Theme of Sparda, Cathedral, Magic Sword Sparda Acquired, Hell's Great Temple, Awakening, Collapse of the Demon Emperor Mundus, Demon Emperor Mundus Again, Demon Emperor Mundus Battle 3 Underground
Simply looking at that track list should be a pretty good indication of how well the organ is being treated here. The writing is good and it is frequent; someone rented out a cathedral and wanted to get the most bang for their buck, and now we're the ones benefiting from it.
Rating: GOOD
Tracks: Thou Shalt Play, Demon Fusion
It's starting to become unfair just how incredible Shin Megami Tensei's pipe organs are... And it's cool that the Nohobino plays! Just a shame that he can't scrounge up any actually engaging repertoire when he's got a full series worth of options to choose from. That little riff he plays is pretty cheesy, but Thou Shalt Play prevents this game from losing its Shin Megami Tensei Pipe Organ prestige.
Tracks: Thou Shalt Play, Demon Fusion
It's starting to become unfair just how incredible Shin Megami Tensei's pipe organs are... And it's cool that the Nohobino plays! Just a shame that he can't scrounge up any actually engaging repertoire when he's got a full series worth of options to choose from. That little riff he plays is pretty cheesy, but Thou Shalt Play prevents this game from losing its Shin Megami Tensei Pipe Organ prestige.
Rating: GREAT
Track: Thee Houses Main Theme, The Crest of Flames, Arcana Code, Life at Garreg Mach Monastary, Scales of the Goddess, Garreg Mach Cathedral, The Archbishop, At What Cost?
A lot of the pipe organ's use here is to invoke this ancient, sacred sound of the past. And well, they do it in a really boring way!! The writing is flat and lifeless - which yes, that kind of stasis is exactly the kind of emotion this context calls for - but it makes for horribly dull organ writing. Fortunately, that's not all this soundtrack has to offer; whenever the organ is used outside of these situations (save for the splash of unconvincing half-committed pop flavor of Life at Garreg Mach Monastary), there's a switch that gets flipped which decides if it's going to be Poulenc/Duruflé-flavored impressionism or Franck/d'Indy-flavored Romanticism, showcased excellently in Garreg Mach Cathedral which tends to flip between them throughout the piece. The careful, considerate, conscious bridging between these two styles is the organ's stand-out moment in the soundtrack and basically the sole reason this game ranks so highly. I get the feeling this composer is just kind of showing off their vocabulary of repertoire here - but unlike most showcases of talent for the sake of itself, this one is actually grounded in some kind of genuine artistry. There's a reverence for the history of the organ and it's being applied to create something new and beautiful.
Track: Thee Houses Main Theme, The Crest of Flames, Arcana Code, Life at Garreg Mach Monastary, Scales of the Goddess, Garreg Mach Cathedral, The Archbishop, At What Cost?
A lot of the pipe organ's use here is to invoke this ancient, sacred sound of the past. And well, they do it in a really boring way!! The writing is flat and lifeless - which yes, that kind of stasis is exactly the kind of emotion this context calls for - but it makes for horribly dull organ writing. Fortunately, that's not all this soundtrack has to offer; whenever the organ is used outside of these situations (save for the splash of unconvincing half-committed pop flavor of Life at Garreg Mach Monastary), there's a switch that gets flipped which decides if it's going to be Poulenc/Duruflé-flavored impressionism or Franck/d'Indy-flavored Romanticism, showcased excellently in Garreg Mach Cathedral which tends to flip between them throughout the piece. The careful, considerate, conscious bridging between these two styles is the organ's stand-out moment in the soundtrack and basically the sole reason this game ranks so highly. I get the feeling this composer is just kind of showing off their vocabulary of repertoire here - but unlike most showcases of talent for the sake of itself, this one is actually grounded in some kind of genuine artistry. There's a reverence for the history of the organ and it's being applied to create something new and beautiful.
Rating: PERFECT
Tracks: Resurrection, Idol Collapse, Premonition of Revival
Shadow of the Colossus is the pipe organ of video games.
Tracks: Resurrection, Idol Collapse, Premonition of Revival
Shadow of the Colossus is the pipe organ of video games.
Rating: GREAT
Tracks: Stand Up Strong, A Tiny Enormous Miracle
In the massive expanse of MOTHER 3's soundtrack, there are only two pieces that utilize the pipe organ (and one of them doesn't really, but it's written and structured exactly like one so for my purposes it counts). Actually, I just ran the numbers: these two organ tracks account for exactly 1.29% of the total soundtrack. The incredible thing is that MOTHER 3's soundtrack contains some of the most intimately human and evocatively emotional music in the history of the medium - which is to say, even just 1.29% of it is still gonna be some of the best stuff around, and indeed it is. This isn't anything that will impress the way Final Fantasy VI does, or take advantage of the unique characteristics of the organ the way Breath of the Wild does, but what's here is extremely efficient, accurate, poignant, beautiful writing that more than pulls its weight in helping to shape one of the most transcendental soundtracks of all time.
Tracks: Stand Up Strong, A Tiny Enormous Miracle
In the massive expanse of MOTHER 3's soundtrack, there are only two pieces that utilize the pipe organ (and one of them doesn't really, but it's written and structured exactly like one so for my purposes it counts). Actually, I just ran the numbers: these two organ tracks account for exactly 1.29% of the total soundtrack. The incredible thing is that MOTHER 3's soundtrack contains some of the most intimately human and evocatively emotional music in the history of the medium - which is to say, even just 1.29% of it is still gonna be some of the best stuff around, and indeed it is. This isn't anything that will impress the way Final Fantasy VI does, or take advantage of the unique characteristics of the organ the way Breath of the Wild does, but what's here is extremely efficient, accurate, poignant, beautiful writing that more than pulls its weight in helping to shape one of the most transcendental soundtracks of all time.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Tracks: Bowser Jr.'s Castle, Main Boss Castle, Final Bowser Battle
As far as Mario goes, I truly think the Boss Castle track is a great composition that completely lives up to the legendary castle themes of past Mario games (which tend to be my favorite parts of Mario soundtracks). What keeps this from getting too high though, is the fact that while it may be a great piece of music, it's not an especially good piece of organ music. If someone played the melodic line to Schubert's Ave Maria with a single finger on a pipe organ, that also would not be a good piece of organ music. Ave Maria is gorgeous, and many gorgeous arrangements of it for the organ exist, but stripping it down so bare begs the question of why to bother playing it in the first place. The organ in this game is essentially doing this for its own castle music.
Tracks: Bowser Jr.'s Castle, Main Boss Castle, Final Bowser Battle
As far as Mario goes, I truly think the Boss Castle track is a great composition that completely lives up to the legendary castle themes of past Mario games (which tend to be my favorite parts of Mario soundtracks). What keeps this from getting too high though, is the fact that while it may be a great piece of music, it's not an especially good piece of organ music. If someone played the melodic line to Schubert's Ave Maria with a single finger on a pipe organ, that also would not be a good piece of organ music. Ave Maria is gorgeous, and many gorgeous arrangements of it for the organ exist, but stripping it down so bare begs the question of why to bother playing it in the first place. The organ in this game is essentially doing this for its own castle music.
Rating: PERFECT
Tracks: Opening Theme, Dancing Mad
This is easily the most famous instance of a pipe organ being used in game music, and for good reason - Nobuo Uematsu has not only created the single most iconic organ riff since Bach's (or at least, it's attributed to him) opening theme in Toccata and Fugue in D minor, but also presents us with a full-course meal of luxuriously decadent chorales that punctuate throughout an otherwise brain-thumping prog rock final boss track which never fails to impress any listener lucky enough to stumble across it, whether in-game or out. The full spectrum of the organ is found here, with its powerful, chilling howls, its gently caressing beauty, and its sacred, enlightened profundity. This is the height of the pipe organ's appearance in the history of the medium, and it's unlikely to ever be topped.
Tracks: Opening Theme, Dancing Mad
This is easily the most famous instance of a pipe organ being used in game music, and for good reason - Nobuo Uematsu has not only created the single most iconic organ riff since Bach's (or at least, it's attributed to him) opening theme in Toccata and Fugue in D minor, but also presents us with a full-course meal of luxuriously decadent chorales that punctuate throughout an otherwise brain-thumping prog rock final boss track which never fails to impress any listener lucky enough to stumble across it, whether in-game or out. The full spectrum of the organ is found here, with its powerful, chilling howls, its gently caressing beauty, and its sacred, enlightened profundity. This is the height of the pipe organ's appearance in the history of the medium, and it's unlikely to ever be topped.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Tracks: Gris Pt. 1, Perseverance
The aggressive organ runs juxtapose well against Gris' ethereally floating soundscape, but it really is just a bit too much of a cliché for me. I'm personally not a fan of playing fast arpeggios to indicate something "exciting" is happening, but it's still a nice textural surprise to see a pipe organ doing it instead of some more typical synths or strings. There's some games that give the impression of being "pipe organ games" and Gris' genre of pop-indie games usually don't belong to that group, so some credit must be given for being willing to experiment with its sounds.
Tracks: Gris Pt. 1, Perseverance
The aggressive organ runs juxtapose well against Gris' ethereally floating soundscape, but it really is just a bit too much of a cliché for me. I'm personally not a fan of playing fast arpeggios to indicate something "exciting" is happening, but it's still a nice textural surprise to see a pipe organ doing it instead of some more typical synths or strings. There's some games that give the impression of being "pipe organ games" and Gris' genre of pop-indie games usually don't belong to that group, so some credit must be given for being willing to experiment with its sounds.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Tracks: Tower of the Gods, Gohdan
Gohdan isn't exactly a pipe organ, but coming off the heels of Tower of the Gods and the way it's structured definitely insinuates that it's supposed to be. And it's a pretty cool piece! It has two distinct halves: one that's focused on a melismatic melodic idea borrowing heavily from Baroque conventions, and one that's more rhythmically-focused pulling more from jazz. The instant switching from one to another works surprisingly well tonally, but I'd be lying if I said the actual playing didn't feel a little aimless. Any particular moment is cool on its own, but there's no real identifiable theme or consistent through-line to bring the piece together. Neat individual phrases, but it winds up feeling like a bunch of wandering around trying to find a solid idea to latch on to.
Tracks: Tower of the Gods, Gohdan
Gohdan isn't exactly a pipe organ, but coming off the heels of Tower of the Gods and the way it's structured definitely insinuates that it's supposed to be. And it's a pretty cool piece! It has two distinct halves: one that's focused on a melismatic melodic idea borrowing heavily from Baroque conventions, and one that's more rhythmically-focused pulling more from jazz. The instant switching from one to another works surprisingly well tonally, but I'd be lying if I said the actual playing didn't feel a little aimless. Any particular moment is cool on its own, but there's no real identifiable theme or consistent through-line to bring the piece together. Neat individual phrases, but it winds up feeling like a bunch of wandering around trying to find a solid idea to latch on to.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Tracks: Kingdom of Burmecia, Immortal Melody, Cleyra's Settlement, Master of Time, Pandemonium, The Darkness of Eternity
Knowing what Uematsu is capable of with the organ, the tracks here in Final Fantasy IX feel strangely empty... They're serviceable, I wouldn't call any of this writing bad at all, but there's a distinct lack of any significant character behind them. There's no guts. The Darkness of Eternity in particular seems to try and hearken back to the pipe organ/prog rock combination of Final Fantasy VI's Dancing Mad, but it just doesn't quite cut it for me. The only one I can see myself actively wanting to listen to again is Master of Time, and even then that piece only really has a few select glimmers of intrigue. There's just really nothing too special here - though Cleyra's Settlement is a cute application of an organ's flute stops.
Tracks: Kingdom of Burmecia, Immortal Melody, Cleyra's Settlement, Master of Time, Pandemonium, The Darkness of Eternity
Knowing what Uematsu is capable of with the organ, the tracks here in Final Fantasy IX feel strangely empty... They're serviceable, I wouldn't call any of this writing bad at all, but there's a distinct lack of any significant character behind them. There's no guts. The Darkness of Eternity in particular seems to try and hearken back to the pipe organ/prog rock combination of Final Fantasy VI's Dancing Mad, but it just doesn't quite cut it for me. The only one I can see myself actively wanting to listen to again is Master of Time, and even then that piece only really has a few select glimmers of intrigue. There's just really nothing too special here - though Cleyra's Settlement is a cute application of an organ's flute stops.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Track: Ministry of Education
Some great juicy chords that take advantage of the fullness of an organ's sound, but ultimately pretty safe and flat writing that doesn't utilize the organ as much as it seems to want to.
Track: Ministry of Education
Some great juicy chords that take advantage of the fullness of an organ's sound, but ultimately pretty safe and flat writing that doesn't utilize the organ as much as it seems to want to.
Rating: BAD
Tracks: Castle Mu Exterior, Judge Jury and Executioner
This game wants to be so many other games so bad
Tracks: Castle Mu Exterior, Judge Jury and Executioner
This game wants to be so many other games so bad
Rating: GREAT
Track: Pray for the People's Joy
One of the most pure, crystalline, beautiful organ pieces I've heard in a game. This piece isn't technically demanding, it doesn't use a unique combination of stops, it doesn't break genre conventions or use intense chromatic chords with tons of extensions, but it does have a heart the size of the moon and weeps with devastating compassion. There's an emotional honesty here that resonates so strongly because of its simplicity, not despite it. Simply put: a masterpiece.
Track: Pray for the People's Joy
One of the most pure, crystalline, beautiful organ pieces I've heard in a game. This piece isn't technically demanding, it doesn't use a unique combination of stops, it doesn't break genre conventions or use intense chromatic chords with tons of extensions, but it does have a heart the size of the moon and weeps with devastating compassion. There's an emotional honesty here that resonates so strongly because of its simplicity, not despite it. Simply put: a masterpiece.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Track: Dark Hyrule Castle
Another piece where the organ is just stagnant accompaniment. The second half is pretty evocative and uses the grandness of the instrument well, but it's too little too late. Would have loved to see the piece develop a little more.
Track: Dark Hyrule Castle
Another piece where the organ is just stagnant accompaniment. The second half is pretty evocative and uses the grandness of the instrument well, but it's too little too late. Would have loved to see the piece develop a little more.
Rating: GOOD
Tracks: Safety in the Sanctuary, Yuga's Plan, Osfala Captured, Zelda's Portrait
Safety in the Sanctuary is a gorgeous development of Link to the Past's iconic track, which introduces a pipe organ to the choir and gives that organ a marvelous little phrase of its own separate from just doubling the choir parts. The rest of the pipe organ music in this is acceptable bordering on pretty good, but really this just gives me an excuse to rank Link to the Past's sanctuary music on this list, since the pipe organ is not present in the SNES release. One of my favorite pieces of Zelda music, and now it has an organ in it!!
Tracks: Safety in the Sanctuary, Yuga's Plan, Osfala Captured, Zelda's Portrait
Safety in the Sanctuary is a gorgeous development of Link to the Past's iconic track, which introduces a pipe organ to the choir and gives that organ a marvelous little phrase of its own separate from just doubling the choir parts. The rest of the pipe organ music in this is acceptable bordering on pretty good, but really this just gives me an excuse to rank Link to the Past's sanctuary music on this list, since the pipe organ is not present in the SNES release. One of my favorite pieces of Zelda music, and now it has an organ in it!!
Rating: BAD
Track: Red Moon
Oh, there's a pipe organ in this? Sure there is: can't you hear the repetitive arpeggiations? That's what pipe organs are supposed to do, right? That's what a pipe organ is? That's why they exist, is to always do this and nothing else? Right?
Track: Red Moon
Oh, there's a pipe organ in this? Sure there is: can't you hear the repetitive arpeggiations? That's what pipe organs are supposed to do, right? That's what a pipe organ is? That's why they exist, is to always do this and nothing else? Right?
Rating: GREAT
Tracks: Daeq Fazol, Cutscene #9
Wow... Daeq Fazol is gorgeous. One of the more atmospheric applications of the organ I've heard. It's easy to say that and think back to the many other low-ranking entries that just sit on chords for a long time, but this is more than that. These delicate, colorful chord stabs puncturing through the fuzzy blanket of the rest of the arrangement adds a real, tangible, recognizable atmosphere in a very literal sense, as opposed to how people tend to use the word "atmospheric" when talking about music. This isn't "atmospheric" because it's slow and quiet; it's really and truly building an actual atmosphere by playing with the physical structure of when, why, and how certain sounds happen at certain times. This is beautiful.
... Oh!! And I didn't even talk about Cutscene #9 yet!! I have no idea where this plays in the game, and the name certainly doesn't help give any context (I'm referring to an unofficial upload of the soundtrack) but this is an absolutely fantastic piece of organ writing.
Later on in this list I'm going to get horribly emo about the state of pipe organs in Tales soundtracks. If only I knew how much things would improve. Tales organs are more than alive, they're thriving baby!!
Tracks: Daeq Fazol, Cutscene #9
Wow... Daeq Fazol is gorgeous. One of the more atmospheric applications of the organ I've heard. It's easy to say that and think back to the many other low-ranking entries that just sit on chords for a long time, but this is more than that. These delicate, colorful chord stabs puncturing through the fuzzy blanket of the rest of the arrangement adds a real, tangible, recognizable atmosphere in a very literal sense, as opposed to how people tend to use the word "atmospheric" when talking about music. This isn't "atmospheric" because it's slow and quiet; it's really and truly building an actual atmosphere by playing with the physical structure of when, why, and how certain sounds happen at certain times. This is beautiful.
... Oh!! And I didn't even talk about Cutscene #9 yet!! I have no idea where this plays in the game, and the name certainly doesn't help give any context (I'm referring to an unofficial upload of the soundtrack) but this is an absolutely fantastic piece of organ writing.
Later on in this list I'm going to get horribly emo about the state of pipe organs in Tales soundtracks. If only I knew how much things would improve. Tales organs are more than alive, they're thriving baby!!
Rating: NEUTRAL
Track: Final Boss Phase 2
This is the single best final boss track in the history of Mario games (well, outside of the RPGs). Unfortunately, that prestige comes from just about everything that isn't the organ; its presence is significant and welcome, but it's not pulling nearly the same weight as just about anything else in the arrangement.
Track: Final Boss Phase 2
This is the single best final boss track in the history of Mario games (well, outside of the RPGs). Unfortunately, that prestige comes from just about everything that isn't the organ; its presence is significant and welcome, but it's not pulling nearly the same weight as just about anything else in the arrangement.
Rating: GOOD
Tracks: N's Castle, Rayquaza Appears!
- Standing in for all generation 5 Pokemon games -
Another game where the organ is used as a quick shorthand for power and majesty. It does a good job in really utilizing that grandeur, but to me there's just a little something missing. Neither of these instances of the organ are even remotely bad, in fact they're exceedingly competent, but I can't bring myself to feel especially passionate about such small applications.
Tracks: N's Castle, Rayquaza Appears!
- Standing in for all generation 5 Pokemon games -
Another game where the organ is used as a quick shorthand for power and majesty. It does a good job in really utilizing that grandeur, but to me there's just a little something missing. Neither of these instances of the organ are even remotely bad, in fact they're exceedingly competent, but I can't bring myself to feel especially passionate about such small applications.
Rating: GOOD
Tracks: The Nexus, Old King Allant
Oh this is what I like. I love the room to breathe in these, the silences punctuating such powerful bellows is excellent. Gorgeously colorful yet dark writing, deliberate with its sparseness and squeamish harmonies. Despite this, the tracks are quite simple and quite short, so it's nothing that'll stick with me, but the tracks are wonderful while they're around.
Tracks: The Nexus, Old King Allant
Oh this is what I like. I love the room to breathe in these, the silences punctuating such powerful bellows is excellent. Gorgeously colorful yet dark writing, deliberate with its sparseness and squeamish harmonies. Despite this, the tracks are quite simple and quite short, so it's nothing that'll stick with me, but the tracks are wonderful while they're around.
Rating: BORING
Track: Temperantia - In Foregoing Pleasures
Similar to Bayonetta 1, the organ here just is not doing anything to really justify its presence. Doubling other orchestra parts with some arpeggiated ostinatos every now and then isn't enough.
Track: Temperantia - In Foregoing Pleasures
Similar to Bayonetta 1, the organ here just is not doing anything to really justify its presence. Doubling other orchestra parts with some arpeggiated ostinatos every now and then isn't enough.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Tracks: Chapel, Game Over, Throne Fights
Surprisingly for a Castlevania game, the organ music here is pretty underwhelming. Certainly not bad, but at least personally I can never seem to remember much about these tracks without going back to listen to them again. The organ is used effectively in the ensemble, but obviously there's something missing here to make anything about them stand out.
Tracks: Chapel, Game Over, Throne Fights
Surprisingly for a Castlevania game, the organ music here is pretty underwhelming. Certainly not bad, but at least personally I can never seem to remember much about these tracks without going back to listen to them again. The organ is used effectively in the ensemble, but obviously there's something missing here to make anything about them stand out.
Rating: GREAT
Track: Heretic Mansion (Shining Heaven)
Gorgeous flowing passages that develop and expand on each other seamlessly. Some of the absolute best counterpoint video game have to offer, with a pipe organ or otherwise. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
Track: Heretic Mansion (Shining Heaven)
Gorgeous flowing passages that develop and expand on each other seamlessly. Some of the absolute best counterpoint video game have to offer, with a pipe organ or otherwise. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
Rating: BORING
Tracks: Mad Monster Mansion, Inside the Mansion, Cemetery, Church Door Opens, Inside the Church
The only track here with anything going on even remotely is Inside the Church, and even then I really struggle to say it's anything of much value. The ideas behind the composition are already extraordinarily dull, and their arrangement on the organ does not invigorate it in any way.
Tracks: Mad Monster Mansion, Inside the Mansion, Cemetery, Church Door Opens, Inside the Church
The only track here with anything going on even remotely is Inside the Church, and even then I really struggle to say it's anything of much value. The ideas behind the composition are already extraordinarily dull, and their arrangement on the organ does not invigorate it in any way.
Rating: PERFECT
Tracks: Cathedral of Shadows (all instances), Battle b6, Reign
The culmination of all the strength, beauty, and profundity of Shin Megami Tensei's pipe organs, which will be chronicled further throughout the list. This series has an unrivaled relationship with the pipe organ, and this game establishes itself as the peak not just by introducing new gorgeous, majestic, innovative tracks of its own, but also by resurfacing some legendary pipe organ tracks from games past. A true celebration of the single video game series that consistently showcases the pipe organ with the most virtuosity and splendor. Few poor words can be uttered against any of this series' application of the instrument, and none could even begin to approach the general direction of this entry.
Tracks: Cathedral of Shadows (all instances), Battle b6, Reign
The culmination of all the strength, beauty, and profundity of Shin Megami Tensei's pipe organs, which will be chronicled further throughout the list. This series has an unrivaled relationship with the pipe organ, and this game establishes itself as the peak not just by introducing new gorgeous, majestic, innovative tracks of its own, but also by resurfacing some legendary pipe organ tracks from games past. A true celebration of the single video game series that consistently showcases the pipe organ with the most virtuosity and splendor. Few poor words can be uttered against any of this series' application of the instrument, and none could even begin to approach the general direction of this entry.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Track: Demon World
As tends to be the case, the organ in this track is mostly used just to accompany something else; in this case a choir. It gets a few bars to sing on its own, and it's a great few bars, but overall the organ writing here is simply serviceable and doesn't especially utilize anything about the organ that makes it unique. It doesn't do anything wrong, but it's not like it does anything especially great either.
Track: Demon World
As tends to be the case, the organ in this track is mostly used just to accompany something else; in this case a choir. It gets a few bars to sing on its own, and it's a great few bars, but overall the organ writing here is simply serviceable and doesn't especially utilize anything about the organ that makes it unique. It doesn't do anything wrong, but it's not like it does anything especially great either.
Rating: GREAT
Track: Ragnarok
Positively chilling. Much of the work is being carried by the choir, but the organ's got a towering presence here that shades the entire piece in this cloak of austerity. This is another instance of an organ in a video game that feels more like authentic performance repertoire than video game music (well, more like choir repertoire than organ repertoire, but one tends to beget the other). Marvelous.
Track: Ragnarok
Positively chilling. Much of the work is being carried by the choir, but the organ's got a towering presence here that shades the entire piece in this cloak of austerity. This is another instance of an organ in a video game that feels more like authentic performance repertoire than video game music (well, more like choir repertoire than organ repertoire, but one tends to beget the other). Marvelous.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Tracks: The One They Call The Witch, Daughter of the Dark God
The organ tone here is unlike anything else I've ever heard in - not in a good way - which I can only describe as "watery." It feels weirdly unstable and loose, like it has no foundation and could give out at any moment like a faulty pair of lungs. For two tracks that are full-on with the bombast and the spectacle, this is not a great sound to be using at all - and on top of it, the part writing is the same boring arpeggio runs we've seen countless times on this list. Weak tone, weak writing, weak entry on the list.
Tracks: The One They Call The Witch, Daughter of the Dark God
The organ tone here is unlike anything else I've ever heard in - not in a good way - which I can only describe as "watery." It feels weirdly unstable and loose, like it has no foundation and could give out at any moment like a faulty pair of lungs. For two tracks that are full-on with the bombast and the spectacle, this is not a great sound to be using at all - and on top of it, the part writing is the same boring arpeggio runs we've seen countless times on this list. Weak tone, weak writing, weak entry on the list.
Rating: GREAT
Tracks: Joyous Promenade, Caute Cave Mortem, Baking the Wondertart
Nobody needs me to say just how unbelievable Cuphead's music is. I've called it "one of the single most impressive audio/visual experiences since the turn of the century" and I really truly believe that. We didn't get much organ music in the base game, but the DLC manages to pull it out just a few more times - and thank goodness! What a treat. That Kristofer Maddigan manages to work impeccably with every style he tries. The organ music is just as wonderful and just as authentic as the big band stuff, which is to say, it's damn good.
Tracks: Joyous Promenade, Caute Cave Mortem, Baking the Wondertart
Nobody needs me to say just how unbelievable Cuphead's music is. I've called it "one of the single most impressive audio/visual experiences since the turn of the century" and I really truly believe that. We didn't get much organ music in the base game, but the DLC manages to pull it out just a few more times - and thank goodness! What a treat. That Kristofer Maddigan manages to work impeccably with every style he tries. The organ music is just as wonderful and just as authentic as the big band stuff, which is to say, it's damn good.
Rating: GREAT
Tracks: Koopa Castle, The Dungeon Is Full of Monsters, Geno Awakens, Celebrational Melody, Fight Against Smithy
What's incredible about Super Mario RPG is that, even back on the SNES, it utilizes a different combination of stops for every track the pipe organ is used in (several different combinations in Fight Against Smithy)! One of them is even exclusive to a quick little jingle - I have a sneaking suspicion Yoko Shimomura is an organhead just like me. Hell, composers now in 2022 hardly take the time to use different organ stops throughout their soundtracks! This alone would be enough for me to put this pretty high in this ranking of pipe organ representation, but on top of this, the music written for the organ is also sublime. It's not particularly prevalent throughout the entire soundtrack, but whenever the organ does show up it's always a treat - well, more like a meal, and let me tell you, we're eating good.
Tracks: Koopa Castle, The Dungeon Is Full of Monsters, Geno Awakens, Celebrational Melody, Fight Against Smithy
What's incredible about Super Mario RPG is that, even back on the SNES, it utilizes a different combination of stops for every track the pipe organ is used in (several different combinations in Fight Against Smithy)! One of them is even exclusive to a quick little jingle - I have a sneaking suspicion Yoko Shimomura is an organhead just like me. Hell, composers now in 2022 hardly take the time to use different organ stops throughout their soundtracks! This alone would be enough for me to put this pretty high in this ranking of pipe organ representation, but on top of this, the music written for the organ is also sublime. It's not particularly prevalent throughout the entire soundtrack, but whenever the organ does show up it's always a treat - well, more like a meal, and let me tell you, we're eating good.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Track: King Koopa Battle, Clash of the Titans, Fawful's Stronghold - Act 1, Fawful's Stronghold - Act 2, Final Boss Intro
There's a couple nice passages here, but overall the compositions in this just don't have any kind of character to make them stand out in any way. Very simple, safe applications that don't offend but also don't leave any kind of impression.
Track: King Koopa Battle, Clash of the Titans, Fawful's Stronghold - Act 1, Fawful's Stronghold - Act 2, Final Boss Intro
There's a couple nice passages here, but overall the compositions in this just don't have any kind of character to make them stand out in any way. Very simple, safe applications that don't offend but also don't leave any kind of impression.
Rating: BAD
Track: Fugue #7777
They slam on the keyboard for two chords and then leave it alone. They're good chords! But it ain't much. The following fugue itself is incredibly well-written and would adapt to an organ perfectly, but unfortunately that's not what it was written for.
Track: Fugue #7777
They slam on the keyboard for two chords and then leave it alone. They're good chords! But it ain't much. The following fugue itself is incredibly well-written and would adapt to an organ perfectly, but unfortunately that's not what it was written for.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Track: Alcamoth (Day)
There's some great chords here, and the tone of the organ is gorgeous, but the instrument is only around for just a little bit towards the beginning, and it's noodling around pretty aimlessly. The heart of a good organ part is here, but it would be a lot better if it had more of a specific, defined purpose in the piece.
Track: Alcamoth (Day)
There's some great chords here, and the tone of the organ is gorgeous, but the instrument is only around for just a little bit towards the beginning, and it's noodling around pretty aimlessly. The heart of a good organ part is here, but it would be a lot better if it had more of a specific, defined purpose in the piece.
Rating: GOOD
Track: Cackletta Theme, Agony
Yet another villain with a pipe organ. This one at least has a pretty distinct flavor to it; it's got just a bit of a lilt to it which helps characterize Cackletta as less of an outright "villain" and more of an inconvenience. Tossing the theme around between the different registers is a great way to develop a piece that is used a lot in actual organ repertoire but not so much in games; it's nice to see it here.
Track: Cackletta Theme, Agony
Yet another villain with a pipe organ. This one at least has a pretty distinct flavor to it; it's got just a bit of a lilt to it which helps characterize Cackletta as less of an outright "villain" and more of an inconvenience. Tossing the theme around between the different registers is a great way to develop a piece that is used a lot in actual organ repertoire but not so much in games; it's nice to see it here.
Rating: GOOD
Tracks: The Hierophant’s Palace, Unwavering Spear - Roland’s Battle
I was immediately disappointed by Hierophant's Palace - an astoundingly gorgeous piece of music that treated the pipe organ with less dignity than background furniture - only to be immediately won back over by Unwavering Spear. It's not a particularly intricate piece, but it is a beautiful use of the instrument and engages heartily with the rest of the ensemble. Pristine and majestic if not especially impressive.
Tracks: The Hierophant’s Palace, Unwavering Spear - Roland’s Battle
I was immediately disappointed by Hierophant's Palace - an astoundingly gorgeous piece of music that treated the pipe organ with less dignity than background furniture - only to be immediately won back over by Unwavering Spear. It's not a particularly intricate piece, but it is a beautiful use of the instrument and engages heartily with the rest of the ensemble. Pristine and majestic if not especially impressive.
Rating: GOOD
Track: Bloody Tears
The classic theme from Simon's Quest is brought back, juiced up, and developed on gorgeously here. Gorgeous organ tone, excellent writing (as it was on the NES as well - the only reason the original Simon's Quest track is not present in this list is because the genre blending and limited NES sound channels make it difficult to discern what parts are really supposed to be an organ and which are not), just an incredible win for organ lovers. It's only a shame we don't see it much else in this soundtrack, they've obviously got a great hand for it!
Track: Bloody Tears
The classic theme from Simon's Quest is brought back, juiced up, and developed on gorgeously here. Gorgeous organ tone, excellent writing (as it was on the NES as well - the only reason the original Simon's Quest track is not present in this list is because the genre blending and limited NES sound channels make it difficult to discern what parts are really supposed to be an organ and which are not), just an incredible win for organ lovers. It's only a shame we don't see it much else in this soundtrack, they've obviously got a great hand for it!
Rating: GREAT
Track: Shadowlord's Castle / Memory, Shadowlord
Similarly to MOTHER 3 and Panzer Dragoon Saga, Shadowlord's Castle / Memory does not actually use a real pipe organ, but the synthesized sounds are so clearly evocative of one and written in such exactly the same style that for our purposes it counts. Also similarly to MOTHER 3, this is one of the most incredible soundtracks of all time, in which every instrument is used with a thoughtful, considerate, deliberate hand to squeeze out the maximum expression at any possible moment. As such, the organ writing here is predictably exquisite. My only complaint is that I could have sworn it was used more often - and I wish it was with how glorious its inclusions are!! Please, Okabe, I'm starving!!
Track: Shadowlord's Castle / Memory, Shadowlord
Similarly to MOTHER 3 and Panzer Dragoon Saga, Shadowlord's Castle / Memory does not actually use a real pipe organ, but the synthesized sounds are so clearly evocative of one and written in such exactly the same style that for our purposes it counts. Also similarly to MOTHER 3, this is one of the most incredible soundtracks of all time, in which every instrument is used with a thoughtful, considerate, deliberate hand to squeeze out the maximum expression at any possible moment. As such, the organ writing here is predictably exquisite. My only complaint is that I could have sworn it was used more often - and I wish it was with how glorious its inclusions are!! Please, Okabe, I'm starving!!
Rating: NEUTRAL
Tracks: Will and Reason, The Empyrean's Throne, Kanonushi the Fifth Empyrean
The pipe organ in this is alright! Will and Reason is fine. The other tracks are pretty lacking, but there's enough going on in Will and Reason to keep it from ranking too poorly, but also not nearly enough to save the Tales series' quickly diminishing reputation on this list.
Tracks: Will and Reason, The Empyrean's Throne, Kanonushi the Fifth Empyrean
The pipe organ in this is alright! Will and Reason is fine. The other tracks are pretty lacking, but there's enough going on in Will and Reason to keep it from ranking too poorly, but also not nearly enough to save the Tales series' quickly diminishing reputation on this list.
Rating: GOOD
Tracks: Tower of Spirits (Dungeon), Tower of Spirits (Staircase), Final Battle: Malladus
The pipe organ is a very evocative sound in this soundtrack; the tone being used here is a more gentle assortment of principal stops than the typical full-stop video game organ, but not reaching such a delicate color as Breath of the Wild's flutes. It also tends to be pretty quiet in the mix; this results in a sound that, while powerful, has a smoothness to it that compliments the naturalistic folk sounds of this game. It's an inspired choice that plays an actively engaging role in this game's already unique sound profile.
Tracks: Tower of Spirits (Dungeon), Tower of Spirits (Staircase), Final Battle: Malladus
The pipe organ is a very evocative sound in this soundtrack; the tone being used here is a more gentle assortment of principal stops than the typical full-stop video game organ, but not reaching such a delicate color as Breath of the Wild's flutes. It also tends to be pretty quiet in the mix; this results in a sound that, while powerful, has a smoothness to it that compliments the naturalistic folk sounds of this game. It's an inspired choice that plays an actively engaging role in this game's already unique sound profile.
Rating: GREAT
Track: Theme of Simon (Stage 1), Entrance Hall (Stage 6-1), Dracula's Death, Ending
Conventional, but lavishly decadent writing. Entrance Hall in particular stands out, with punching staccato phrases utilizing the whole range of the organ, weaving around steadily growing layers of secondary harmonic functions that creep with a breathless anticipation. Evocative, exciting, excellent.
Track: Theme of Simon (Stage 1), Entrance Hall (Stage 6-1), Dracula's Death, Ending
Conventional, but lavishly decadent writing. Entrance Hall in particular stands out, with punching staccato phrases utilizing the whole range of the organ, weaving around steadily growing layers of secondary harmonic functions that creep with a breathless anticipation. Evocative, exciting, excellent.
Rating: GOOD
Track: A Messenger
Another piece where the organ doesn't have much going on, but I sure am a sucker for big, thick chords. The writing here isn't anything particularly special, but there are some attention-grabbing harmonic shifts that utilize the darkness and the fullness of the sound well. Ultimately, the only real reason the organ is here is because the piece needs to sound vaguely spiritual; otherwise it could be replaced handily with just about any other sustaining instrument. Far from the worst but far from the best.
Track: A Messenger
Another piece where the organ doesn't have much going on, but I sure am a sucker for big, thick chords. The writing here isn't anything particularly special, but there are some attention-grabbing harmonic shifts that utilize the darkness and the fullness of the sound well. Ultimately, the only real reason the organ is here is because the piece needs to sound vaguely spiritual; otherwise it could be replaced handily with just about any other sustaining instrument. Far from the worst but far from the best.
Rating: GREAT
Tracks: Praise Be To My Master, Passacaglia, Ceremony
These are masterfully crafted pieces of organ music, but it doesn't especially feel like anything besides "well-written music." I'm impressed, but I'm especially not moved. Compared to the first Suikoden's single organ track, these are certainly more accomplished pieces, but the first game's Requiem said something to my heart where these say something to my brain – but I can't stress enough that these are still marvelous pieces of organ music that I respect tremendously. My preference for the first game's single track does not detract just how immaculately composed these are.
Tracks: Praise Be To My Master, Passacaglia, Ceremony
These are masterfully crafted pieces of organ music, but it doesn't especially feel like anything besides "well-written music." I'm impressed, but I'm especially not moved. Compared to the first Suikoden's single organ track, these are certainly more accomplished pieces, but the first game's Requiem said something to my heart where these say something to my brain – but I can't stress enough that these are still marvelous pieces of organ music that I respect tremendously. My preference for the first game's single track does not detract just how immaculately composed these are.
Rating: BORING
Track: Golbez, Clad in Darkness
This most generic iteration of "A Bad Guy Theme That Sounds Menacing With a Pipe Organ." It does what it needs to do, but what it needs to do is nothing worth paying attention to.
Track: Golbez, Clad in Darkness
This most generic iteration of "A Bad Guy Theme That Sounds Menacing With a Pipe Organ." It does what it needs to do, but what it needs to do is nothing worth paying attention to.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Track: Healed by a Hymn
Just some nice honest organ music. It's no Franck, but it sure is Haydn, and sometimes Haydn is alright. Sometimes.
Track: Healed by a Hymn
Just some nice honest organ music. It's no Franck, but it sure is Haydn, and sometimes Haydn is alright. Sometimes.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Track: Void Termina (Flying Phase), Void Termina (Soul Phase)
Strangely meek organ tone for such a climactic moment. It sounds more like a reed organ or an accordion than pipe, but this sure is a big towering final boss, so there's no way it's anything besides a pipe organ! We get a few interesting phrases here and there, but most of the time it's just regurgitating this one single thematic idea over and over again because that's this game's idea of what a "motif" is. There's parts of this that are too competently written for me to really give it too much flack, but I'm still overall disappointed with this one.
Track: Void Termina (Flying Phase), Void Termina (Soul Phase)
Strangely meek organ tone for such a climactic moment. It sounds more like a reed organ or an accordion than pipe, but this sure is a big towering final boss, so there's no way it's anything besides a pipe organ! We get a few interesting phrases here and there, but most of the time it's just regurgitating this one single thematic idea over and over again because that's this game's idea of what a "motif" is. There's parts of this that are too competently written for me to really give it too much flack, but I'm still overall disappointed with this one.
Rating: BAD
Track: Creepy Castle
The scary area has a pipe organ. How inspired! It rolls over on a small selection of chords then leaves the rest of the track to everyone else. I can't even pretend like there's any insight to be gleamed here. Trite and completely unoriginal.
Track: Creepy Castle
The scary area has a pipe organ. How inspired! It rolls over on a small selection of chords then leaves the rest of the track to everyone else. I can't even pretend like there's any insight to be gleamed here. Trite and completely unoriginal.
Rating: GOOD
Track: Prayer
Quick little tune that sets the tone of the game with a delicious chorale obviously invoking the distinguished sound of Baroque organ music. Liturgical, yet dramatic - yep, that's a pipe organ on the NES!
Track: Prayer
Quick little tune that sets the tone of the game with a delicious chorale obviously invoking the distinguished sound of Baroque organ music. Liturgical, yet dramatic - yep, that's a pipe organ on the NES!
Rating: GOOD
Tracks: Prologue, Successor of Fate, Epilogue
"Harmony of Dissonance" is right! Very very strange harmonies in this, but never feeling unnecessary. There's a thoughtfulness behind it all that makes the lack-of-relation between chords still feel like they click into a meaningful place. Where most video game organ music leans more Baroque, this leans more Expressionist, which is a side of the organ that doesn't often appear in games. Great to see it show up here!
Tracks: Prologue, Successor of Fate, Epilogue
"Harmony of Dissonance" is right! Very very strange harmonies in this, but never feeling unnecessary. There's a thoughtfulness behind it all that makes the lack-of-relation between chords still feel like they click into a meaningful place. Where most video game organ music leans more Baroque, this leans more Expressionist, which is a side of the organ that doesn't often appear in games. Great to see it show up here!
Rating: BAD
Tracks: Prayer, Imperial Scrolls of Honor
These Dragon Quest jingles are finally being played by a discernible facsimile of some kind of sound resembling a real pipe organ, but it's still not enough to save them from being so dull.
Tracks: Prayer, Imperial Scrolls of Honor
These Dragon Quest jingles are finally being played by a discernible facsimile of some kind of sound resembling a real pipe organ, but it's still not enough to save them from being so dull.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Track: Malzeno Battle
The organ writing here is actually pretty engaging, its place in the ensemble is active and dynamic - but it's so quiet in the mix!! Bring that shit forward baby, let me hear that thing sing!! Shake what your mama gave you there's nothing to hide!!
Track: Malzeno Battle
The organ writing here is actually pretty engaging, its place in the ensemble is active and dynamic - but it's so quiet in the mix!! Bring that shit forward baby, let me hear that thing sing!! Shake what your mama gave you there's nothing to hide!!
Rating: BAD
Tracks: Witchy World - Haunted Zone, Witchy World - Dodgem Dome Lobby
The introductions to these Witchy World zones have some charm to them, but after that the organ is relegated to pure, flat, stagnant block chord accompaniment. Totally lifeless.
Tracks: Witchy World - Haunted Zone, Witchy World - Dodgem Dome Lobby
The introductions to these Witchy World zones have some charm to them, but after that the organ is relegated to pure, flat, stagnant block chord accompaniment. Totally lifeless.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Tracks: Stand And Fight Luigi!, The Nightmare Road, Neo Bowser's Castle, Neo Bowser Sunrise, Final Antasama Battle, Adventure's End
Here's some fun behind-the-scenes insight; I originally listened to this soundtrack and wrote its entry before Bowser's Inside Story. However, once getting around to that game, I simply could not scrounge up even a shrivel of insight that differed from what I already said for this game; what is currently Bowser's Inside Story's entry note used to belong to Dream Team. I copy/pasted it over since it ranked just a little higher and, if people are reading chronologically, they'll see that entry before this one. It's hard to believe a composer who has claimed several spots near the top of this list has fallen so far. Yoko Shimomura has lost her touch.
Tracks: Stand And Fight Luigi!, The Nightmare Road, Neo Bowser's Castle, Neo Bowser Sunrise, Final Antasama Battle, Adventure's End
Here's some fun behind-the-scenes insight; I originally listened to this soundtrack and wrote its entry before Bowser's Inside Story. However, once getting around to that game, I simply could not scrounge up even a shrivel of insight that differed from what I already said for this game; what is currently Bowser's Inside Story's entry note used to belong to Dream Team. I copy/pasted it over since it ranked just a little higher and, if people are reading chronologically, they'll see that entry before this one. It's hard to believe a composer who has claimed several spots near the top of this list has fallen so far. Yoko Shimomura has lost her touch.
Rating: GOOD
Tracks: Standing in Pain, Untold Despair, Tethe Alla Castle, Rest of the Heart, Mithos, Beat the Angel, Derris Kharian (Appear), Derris Kharian (Shrine), It Can Waver and Fight, Final Destination
Shockingly and disappointingly, the most popular Tales game does not wield the organ nearly as prolifically as some of the lesser-known titles. Other Tales games have the organ incredibly close to the heart and use it to play critical thematic roles in their soundtracks; Symphonia only brings out every now and then to play a couple simple accompaniment chords or loose melody lines. Tethe Alla Castle is a competent piece of organ writing, but otherwise this is a shameful showing compared to the absolutely legendary pipe organs of the earlier Tales games.
Tracks: Standing in Pain, Untold Despair, Tethe Alla Castle, Rest of the Heart, Mithos, Beat the Angel, Derris Kharian (Appear), Derris Kharian (Shrine), It Can Waver and Fight, Final Destination
Shockingly and disappointingly, the most popular Tales game does not wield the organ nearly as prolifically as some of the lesser-known titles. Other Tales games have the organ incredibly close to the heart and use it to play critical thematic roles in their soundtracks; Symphonia only brings out every now and then to play a couple simple accompaniment chords or loose melody lines. Tethe Alla Castle is a competent piece of organ writing, but otherwise this is a shameful showing compared to the absolutely legendary pipe organs of the earlier Tales games.
Rating: GOOD
Tracks: Outline of the Demon Descent Chain, That Guy's Name is Fear, Rise Above the World, To the Other Side of the Earth
In a mind-meltingly hot soundtrack, the organ here never really does all that much, but its presence in the background is always significant to the piece's texture. Hard and heavy, it's an imposing presence that contributes strongly to Valkyrie Profile's brutal desolation.
Tracks: Outline of the Demon Descent Chain, That Guy's Name is Fear, Rise Above the World, To the Other Side of the Earth
In a mind-meltingly hot soundtrack, the organ here never really does all that much, but its presence in the background is always significant to the piece's texture. Hard and heavy, it's an imposing presence that contributes strongly to Valkyrie Profile's brutal desolation.
Rating: GREAT
Tracks: The Prayer of a Tragic Queen, Pressure, Theme of Simon
I'll admit that these organs are not quite so clearly defined as Crusader of Centy's - they sound as if they could just as well be replaced with strings or a harpsichord or whatever else. With Crusader of Centy as a comparison, we can know this falls not on the Genesis' sound chip, but with the way these pieces were written. The music is great, but for this to have ranked higher they would need to be written and structured in a way more authentic and unique to an organ as opposed to anything else.
Tracks: The Prayer of a Tragic Queen, Pressure, Theme of Simon
I'll admit that these organs are not quite so clearly defined as Crusader of Centy's - they sound as if they could just as well be replaced with strings or a harpsichord or whatever else. With Crusader of Centy as a comparison, we can know this falls not on the Genesis' sound chip, but with the way these pieces were written. The music is great, but for this to have ranked higher they would need to be written and structured in a way more authentic and unique to an organ as opposed to anything else.
Rating: GREAT
Track: Water Prison, Movement of Wicked Energy, The Last Moment of the Dark
It's Ys Origin, dude. We all know. I don't gotta say nothing we all know this shit goes crazy. Moving on.
Track: Water Prison, Movement of Wicked Energy, The Last Moment of the Dark
It's Ys Origin, dude. We all know. I don't gotta say nothing we all know this shit goes crazy. Moving on.
Rating: GREAT
Tracks: Jakyou, Fusion
Breathtakingly beautiful swirling counterpoint that restlessly pushes forward, ever-growing, never halting its momentum even for a second. Phenomenal.
Tracks: Jakyou, Fusion
Breathtakingly beautiful swirling counterpoint that restlessly pushes forward, ever-growing, never halting its momentum even for a second. Phenomenal.
Rating: GREAT
Track: Tainted Lovers
The interplay here between the pipe organ and the guitar is seriously incredible - maybe the best actual blending of traditional organ writing and rock music I've seen yet, which is something a good amount of games tend to try for. The pipe organ isn't around for nearly as long as the electric organ is, but it uses its limited time on the stage to blast out some absolutely show-stopping riffs that perfectly blends the inherently technical run-on nature of both Baroque music and guitar solos without ever feeling disingenuous to either of them. Really, these are two styles that have a lot more similarities between each other than differences, but somehow a lot of games tend to get too stuck on those differences; this game understands their similarities in a gorgeously authentic way and lets it rip in one of the most exciting entries on this list.
Track: Tainted Lovers
The interplay here between the pipe organ and the guitar is seriously incredible - maybe the best actual blending of traditional organ writing and rock music I've seen yet, which is something a good amount of games tend to try for. The pipe organ isn't around for nearly as long as the electric organ is, but it uses its limited time on the stage to blast out some absolutely show-stopping riffs that perfectly blends the inherently technical run-on nature of both Baroque music and guitar solos without ever feeling disingenuous to either of them. Really, these are two styles that have a lot more similarities between each other than differences, but somehow a lot of games tend to get too stuck on those differences; this game understands their similarities in a gorgeously authentic way and lets it rip in one of the most exciting entries on this list.
Rating: GOOD
Track: Funerary Services
Beautiful chords with a sprinkle of that classic Taniguchi quirk - the organ may just be just be pure block chords, but when the chords are so fascinating and expressive, it's hard to complain.
Track: Funerary Services
Beautiful chords with a sprinkle of that classic Taniguchi quirk - the organ may just be just be pure block chords, but when the chords are so fascinating and expressive, it's hard to complain.
Rating: BORING
Tracks: Church Treatment, Pray at the Church
The classic Dragon Quest jingles are now on the Nintendo DS! Does that change anything? Not really!
Tracks: Church Treatment, Pray at the Church
The classic Dragon Quest jingles are now on the Nintendo DS! Does that change anything? Not really!
Rating: GOOD
Context: A puzzle near the end of the game
Koudelka, despite being a horror-themed RPG, does not feature a pipe organ anywhere in its soundtrack. Which is pretty funny - RPGs and horror games are the genres people probably most expect to be using those!! Well, not Koudelka - at least, not in its music. Towards the end of the game is a large, decrepit pipe organ that is used to solve a puzzle, which when solved rings out a single cluster chord slam that reverberates out through the room. The puzzle, as the game describes it, involves looking at the "keys" on the organ and "pushing" the ones that have specified markings on them. The reason I use quotation marks is because there are some pretty incredulous errors here: the "keys" they're referring to are the pipe organ's stops, and stops are not "pushed," they're pulled!! For how hyper-attentive the descriptions are for everything else in this game, I simply do not accept that the localization team saw the word "organ" in some compiled spreadsheet of text and assumed it was referring to the keyboard. The entire rest of the game could not have been written so intricately if this was the case. The only conclusion I have to come to is that they simply do not understand how pipe organs work. To make matters worse, the puzzle has to do with markings etched and scratched into the pipe organ's stops, which along with its decayed state is a tragic, gory sight for any organ aficionado. The thing is covered in dust, all the pipes are bent, there's a massive plant growing all around it so it must be horribly humid in that room, warping the wood and metal the instrument is made out of which at best would make it horribly detuned or at worse completely inoperable, plus the aforementioned damage on the stops. Human corpses are littered around Koudelka almost as commonly as the very walls and ceilings the rooms are made of, but I did not expect to be faced with a corpse of something even more morbid.
So, then, you may be wondering: why is something so inhumane ranked so highly on the list? Well, the answer is quite simple. It's a really cool set piece!!
Context: A puzzle near the end of the game
Koudelka, despite being a horror-themed RPG, does not feature a pipe organ anywhere in its soundtrack. Which is pretty funny - RPGs and horror games are the genres people probably most expect to be using those!! Well, not Koudelka - at least, not in its music. Towards the end of the game is a large, decrepit pipe organ that is used to solve a puzzle, which when solved rings out a single cluster chord slam that reverberates out through the room. The puzzle, as the game describes it, involves looking at the "keys" on the organ and "pushing" the ones that have specified markings on them. The reason I use quotation marks is because there are some pretty incredulous errors here: the "keys" they're referring to are the pipe organ's stops, and stops are not "pushed," they're pulled!! For how hyper-attentive the descriptions are for everything else in this game, I simply do not accept that the localization team saw the word "organ" in some compiled spreadsheet of text and assumed it was referring to the keyboard. The entire rest of the game could not have been written so intricately if this was the case. The only conclusion I have to come to is that they simply do not understand how pipe organs work. To make matters worse, the puzzle has to do with markings etched and scratched into the pipe organ's stops, which along with its decayed state is a tragic, gory sight for any organ aficionado. The thing is covered in dust, all the pipes are bent, there's a massive plant growing all around it so it must be horribly humid in that room, warping the wood and metal the instrument is made out of which at best would make it horribly detuned or at worse completely inoperable, plus the aforementioned damage on the stops. Human corpses are littered around Koudelka almost as commonly as the very walls and ceilings the rooms are made of, but I did not expect to be faced with a corpse of something even more morbid.
So, then, you may be wondering: why is something so inhumane ranked so highly on the list? Well, the answer is quite simple. It's a really cool set piece!!
Rating: GOOD
Tracks: Black Feet, Empire, Boxship
Many instruments in the Panzer Dragoon Saga soundtrack are more like an approximation of actual instruments than always being perfectly identifiable. Most of what's included here is, like some other entries on this list, close enough to a pipe organ both in tone and in writing to be considered as such.
Try as I might, there's very little I can muster up to actually say about the organ in this. I feel the same way about the music as I feel about the game itself; it's a feeling, it's an understanding, it's one of the most honest expressions I've ever seen of anything. Maybe to someone else the organ here will not seem much different from the "boring, lifeless" organs I place further down the list, but here I can feel such a strong and deliberate intentionality. The slowness is the point. The heaviness is the point. It is exactly what it wants to be. It is exactly what it needs to be.
Tracks: Black Feet, Empire, Boxship
Many instruments in the Panzer Dragoon Saga soundtrack are more like an approximation of actual instruments than always being perfectly identifiable. Most of what's included here is, like some other entries on this list, close enough to a pipe organ both in tone and in writing to be considered as such.
Try as I might, there's very little I can muster up to actually say about the organ in this. I feel the same way about the music as I feel about the game itself; it's a feeling, it's an understanding, it's one of the most honest expressions I've ever seen of anything. Maybe to someone else the organ here will not seem much different from the "boring, lifeless" organs I place further down the list, but here I can feel such a strong and deliberate intentionality. The slowness is the point. The heaviness is the point. It is exactly what it wants to be. It is exactly what it needs to be.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Tracks: Legendary Inheritance, Shaman in the Dark
The Game Boy Advance certainly isn't doing this organ any favors... But even still, accepting this organ for its writing rather than its meek tone, there's something to appreciate here with Shaman in the Dark. It follows the tried-and-true Baroque structure of looping around the circle of fifths, which may be a little typical sure, but shoot, it's used a lot for a reason! It's just a great sequence that always satisfies. It doesn't really do too much besides that though, the melodic line just kind of walks around to different chord tones and calls it a day; there isn't any real intrigue with the accompanying arpeggios either. Even if this piece had a more dignified appearance on a console more accommodating than the Game Boy Advance, I still don't think it'd impress all that much.
Tracks: Legendary Inheritance, Shaman in the Dark
The Game Boy Advance certainly isn't doing this organ any favors... But even still, accepting this organ for its writing rather than its meek tone, there's something to appreciate here with Shaman in the Dark. It follows the tried-and-true Baroque structure of looping around the circle of fifths, which may be a little typical sure, but shoot, it's used a lot for a reason! It's just a great sequence that always satisfies. It doesn't really do too much besides that though, the melodic line just kind of walks around to different chord tones and calls it a day; there isn't any real intrigue with the accompanying arpeggios either. Even if this piece had a more dignified appearance on a console more accommodating than the Game Boy Advance, I still don't think it'd impress all that much.
Rating: GOOD
Tracks: Boss Encounter (Gordor Version 1), Boss Encounter (Gordor Version 2), Battle! (Entei), Battle! (Arceus)
Wow! It's great to see so much solo organ music so front-and-center in a Pokemon game. And most of it is pretty good! Gorgor 2 seems more interested in showing off than constructing a meaningful piece of music, but the other ones are great. Arceus in particular really stands out. Gloriously majestic, yet in a way understated. A beautiful pairing with such a powerful being; this is the most reserved battle music I've ever heard from a Pokemon game and it's incredible that it plays while fighting God. Obviously God = religion = pipe organ isn't a terribly inspired train of thought to follow, but refraining from the typical Pokemon maximalism for this more honest refinement is an impeccable choice.
Tracks: Boss Encounter (Gordor Version 1), Boss Encounter (Gordor Version 2), Battle! (Entei), Battle! (Arceus)
Wow! It's great to see so much solo organ music so front-and-center in a Pokemon game. And most of it is pretty good! Gorgor 2 seems more interested in showing off than constructing a meaningful piece of music, but the other ones are great. Arceus in particular really stands out. Gloriously majestic, yet in a way understated. A beautiful pairing with such a powerful being; this is the most reserved battle music I've ever heard from a Pokemon game and it's incredible that it plays while fighting God. Obviously God = religion = pipe organ isn't a terribly inspired train of thought to follow, but refraining from the typical Pokemon maximalism for this more honest refinement is an impeccable choice.
Rating: PERFECT
Tracks: Journey to the Demon King, Hopelessness, The Demon King Odio, Armageddon
Live A Live ranks so highly here almost exclusively because of the track Armageddon. This is just a phenomenal organ piece. All the other tracks utilize the organ excellently as well, but Armageddon is right up there with Final Fantasy VI's Dancing Mad as one of the absolute best organ pieces the SNES - and indeed, video games as a medium - has to offer. A chillingly captivating piece of music with a distinguished air of dignity and gravitas gushing with passion. Absolutely astounding.
UPDATE: The 2022 remake of Live A Live beefs up and expands upon the game's organ repertoire. I will not be listing the remake separately from the original game, so instead I will mention it here; the new and extra work done in the remake bumps this entry up from "GREAT" to "PERFECT." Thank you, Shimomura-san.
Tracks: Journey to the Demon King, Hopelessness, The Demon King Odio, Armageddon
Live A Live ranks so highly here almost exclusively because of the track Armageddon. This is just a phenomenal organ piece. All the other tracks utilize the organ excellently as well, but Armageddon is right up there with Final Fantasy VI's Dancing Mad as one of the absolute best organ pieces the SNES - and indeed, video games as a medium - has to offer. A chillingly captivating piece of music with a distinguished air of dignity and gravitas gushing with passion. Absolutely astounding.
UPDATE: The 2022 remake of Live A Live beefs up and expands upon the game's organ repertoire. I will not be listing the remake separately from the original game, so instead I will mention it here; the new and extra work done in the remake bumps this entry up from "GREAT" to "PERFECT." Thank you, Shimomura-san.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Track: Alatreon Theme
One more on the board for a general organ theme employed to sound menacing and not much else. It earns some good-boy points for having some interesting harmonic shifts, but the organ itself isn't doing a lot of the heavy lifting here. It's just a half-interesting piece of music that happens to have an organ in it.
Track: Alatreon Theme
One more on the board for a general organ theme employed to sound menacing and not much else. It earns some good-boy points for having some interesting harmonic shifts, but the organ itself isn't doing a lot of the heavy lifting here. It's just a half-interesting piece of music that happens to have an organ in it.
Rating: BORING
Tracks: The Place of Relaxation, Kingdom of the Sky, Tales of Dragon Buster
It seems like with every new Tales release, they become less interested in the organ. In fact the previous game, Tales of Legendia, didn't have use the organ at all! So I suppose in some way this is some step up from that - but is it really a step up when there's so much nothing going on? I think I'd rather the organ just be left alone than see it in such a comatose state. How horribly disheartening it is to watch a series with such a deep, storied, intimate history with this instrument gradually fall out of love with it. Hopefully, if there's a more modern Tales game that ranks higher than this one, you can smile with the warm dramatic irony of knowing that before too long I'll see these two rekindle their flame. And if not... I suppose yet more heartache is all that awaits us further.
Tracks: The Place of Relaxation, Kingdom of the Sky, Tales of Dragon Buster
It seems like with every new Tales release, they become less interested in the organ. In fact the previous game, Tales of Legendia, didn't have use the organ at all! So I suppose in some way this is some step up from that - but is it really a step up when there's so much nothing going on? I think I'd rather the organ just be left alone than see it in such a comatose state. How horribly disheartening it is to watch a series with such a deep, storied, intimate history with this instrument gradually fall out of love with it. Hopefully, if there's a more modern Tales game that ranks higher than this one, you can smile with the warm dramatic irony of knowing that before too long I'll see these two rekindle their flame. And if not... I suppose yet more heartache is all that awaits us further.
Rating: GREAT
Track: Requiem
V to ♭VI always gets me, man. I can't hide my biases. It's just such a powerful harmonic motion. The rest of this piece is excellent as well, but towards the end where it just keeps flipping between V and ♭VI, man, it is unrelenting. That struggle, that trudging, that longing for a conclusion and having it constantly give out into imperfect cadences. It's like it keeps collapsing under the weight of itself. Standing back up, collapsing, standing back up, collapsing... Even I am not immune to basic music theory practices!!
Track: Requiem
V to ♭VI always gets me, man. I can't hide my biases. It's just such a powerful harmonic motion. The rest of this piece is excellent as well, but towards the end where it just keeps flipping between V and ♭VI, man, it is unrelenting. That struggle, that trudging, that longing for a conclusion and having it constantly give out into imperfect cadences. It's like it keeps collapsing under the weight of itself. Standing back up, collapsing, standing back up, collapsing... Even I am not immune to basic music theory practices!!
Rating: GOOD
Track: Smooch of Divine Protection
Gorgeously honest little gospel-flavored organ playing. Fun harmonic movements, fun little performance flourishes - would easily skyrocket higher up the list if not for how solidly conventional it is. When I hear the name Hirofumi Taniguchi, "conventional" is the last word I think of - would have loved to see him push it a little more here!
Track: Smooch of Divine Protection
Gorgeously honest little gospel-flavored organ playing. Fun harmonic movements, fun little performance flourishes - would easily skyrocket higher up the list if not for how solidly conventional it is. When I hear the name Hirofumi Taniguchi, "conventional" is the last word I think of - would have loved to see him push it a little more here!
Rating: GOOD
Track: Battle! Dr. Tomouki
Surprisingly intricate contrapuntal writing flying over top an uncharacteristically straight (for Soichi Terada) hip hop beat. There's a lot of confidence on display here, as well as a lot of technical accomplishment; the harmonic places the two organ lines wrap around to are incredibly inspired, and the two distinct tones being used for the two lines compliment each other charmingly. There's a lightness both in both flavor and performance that allows this piece to float around to wherever it wants - organs rarely feel so playful!
Track: Battle! Dr. Tomouki
Surprisingly intricate contrapuntal writing flying over top an uncharacteristically straight (for Soichi Terada) hip hop beat. There's a lot of confidence on display here, as well as a lot of technical accomplishment; the harmonic places the two organ lines wrap around to are incredibly inspired, and the two distinct tones being used for the two lines compliment each other charmingly. There's a lightness both in both flavor and performance that allows this piece to float around to wherever it wants - organs rarely feel so playful!
Rating: GOOD
Track: The Hilltop Mausoleum
Wow!! This one leaves quite an impression pretty immediately. By now you must be familiar with how much I love "big, juicy chords" on the pipe organ - well here we are again, with some big juicy chords to blow me away right at the start. Great opening!! This only lasts so long though; once the organ is finished establishing itself, it spends the rest of the track just outlining accompaniment chords for the rest of the ensemble to play on top of. As far as "organ as accompaniment" tracks go (which is a significant percentile of organs on this list), this one at least keeps some sense of momentum, and even gives the organ a few extra measures to shine on its own once again before too long, but it never even comes close to the height of the introduction passage. Sure is a shame it couldn't maintain that energy throughout the entire piece, but even when it gets dialed back, this is still a completely worthy piece of organ writing.
Track: The Hilltop Mausoleum
Wow!! This one leaves quite an impression pretty immediately. By now you must be familiar with how much I love "big, juicy chords" on the pipe organ - well here we are again, with some big juicy chords to blow me away right at the start. Great opening!! This only lasts so long though; once the organ is finished establishing itself, it spends the rest of the track just outlining accompaniment chords for the rest of the ensemble to play on top of. As far as "organ as accompaniment" tracks go (which is a significant percentile of organs on this list), this one at least keeps some sense of momentum, and even gives the organ a few extra measures to shine on its own once again before too long, but it never even comes close to the height of the introduction passage. Sure is a shame it couldn't maintain that energy throughout the entire piece, but even when it gets dialed back, this is still a completely worthy piece of organ writing.
Rating: GOOD
Tracks: Jakyou no Yakata, Devils Fusion, Terminal Point
Rich, powerful, profound counterpoint as expected of a Jakyou track in a Shin Megami Tensei game. The other two tracks unfortunately, while carrying an appropriate gravitas, are just a little on the grating side. Something about the tone of the organ and the pitches being sustained for so long just doesn't sit perfectly well.
Tracks: Jakyou no Yakata, Devils Fusion, Terminal Point
Rich, powerful, profound counterpoint as expected of a Jakyou track in a Shin Megami Tensei game. The other two tracks unfortunately, while carrying an appropriate gravitas, are just a little on the grating side. Something about the tone of the organ and the pitches being sustained for so long just doesn't sit perfectly well.
Rating: BORING
Track: Rising Up
It's cool that the organ was used in a vocal track..... but...... the pulse of pipe organs in Tales soundtracks has officially stopped. We've flatlined. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to save you, Pipe Organs In Tales Of Soundtracks. 20 years of a constant downward descent, only to end up here, crumpled and cold on the floor. How did it end up like this? Why did it end up like this? You did so much good and still had so much potential left... I'll miss you, Tales Pipe Organs. I'll miss you so dearly - and I'll remember you by what you were, not what you became. Please rest as however well as you're capable of in such a state.
Track: Rising Up
It's cool that the organ was used in a vocal track..... but...... the pulse of pipe organs in Tales soundtracks has officially stopped. We've flatlined. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to save you, Pipe Organs In Tales Of Soundtracks. 20 years of a constant downward descent, only to end up here, crumpled and cold on the floor. How did it end up like this? Why did it end up like this? You did so much good and still had so much potential left... I'll miss you, Tales Pipe Organs. I'll miss you so dearly - and I'll remember you by what you were, not what you became. Please rest as however well as you're capable of in such a state.
Rating: GREAT
Tracks: Valhalla, Tradition, The First Einherjar, Battle At Galdba - Castle Area, The Four Gifts, Odin's Help, Fenrir's Trap, The Four Gifts - Draupnir, Fight Between the Two Valkyries, Hilde's Last Request, Finding Out The Truth, Our Will, Last of the All-Father, Odin Regains Power, The Last Words of Odin, The Golden Wings, The Last Battle, Denouement, Theme of Odin
Using flute stops is the quickest way to climb up this list. The dynamic use of different stop combinations all throughout the soundtrack stole my heart (especially in The First Einherjarand and Last of the All-Father), and the writing that utilizes them is pretty decent to boot. Motoi Sakuraba has a long and storied history with the use of pipe organ in his soundtracks, and it's exciting to see he's still finding ways to expand his use of the instrument. He's done great work with the pipe organ before, but never has he experimented so much with its variation in tone and expression.
Tracks: Valhalla, Tradition, The First Einherjar, Battle At Galdba - Castle Area, The Four Gifts, Odin's Help, Fenrir's Trap, The Four Gifts - Draupnir, Fight Between the Two Valkyries, Hilde's Last Request, Finding Out The Truth, Our Will, Last of the All-Father, Odin Regains Power, The Last Words of Odin, The Golden Wings, The Last Battle, Denouement, Theme of Odin
Using flute stops is the quickest way to climb up this list. The dynamic use of different stop combinations all throughout the soundtrack stole my heart (especially in The First Einherjarand and Last of the All-Father), and the writing that utilizes them is pretty decent to boot. Motoi Sakuraba has a long and storied history with the use of pipe organ in his soundtracks, and it's exciting to see he's still finding ways to expand his use of the instrument. He's done great work with the pipe organ before, but never has he experimented so much with its variation in tone and expression.
Rating: GOOD
Track: Thus Spoke an Alchemist
Gorgeous selection of stops here, but the writing and playing is just a little too dry for me. Not so dry as to call it "academic" but certainly leaning more that way than anything terribly expressive.
Track: Thus Spoke an Alchemist
Gorgeous selection of stops here, but the writing and playing is just a little too dry for me. Not so dry as to call it "academic" but certainly leaning more that way than anything terribly expressive.
Rating: NEUTRAL
Track: Prayer for Love
It's a pretty straight arrangement of the same track from Ys III. The higher-fidelity rendering draws out more of its flaws by drawing painstaking attention to the incredibly inorganic MIDI playing. Nothing about the piece itself is any worse as far as how it's written - it's still nice organ writing - but it does feel considerably more soulless here than in the PC-88 original.
Track: Prayer for Love
It's a pretty straight arrangement of the same track from Ys III. The higher-fidelity rendering draws out more of its flaws by drawing painstaking attention to the incredibly inorganic MIDI playing. Nothing about the piece itself is any worse as far as how it's written - it's still nice organ writing - but it does feel considerably more soulless here than in the PC-88 original.
Rating: BORING
Track: Dark Sultan's Fortress, Drysand Desert Theme, Fierce Battle, Hello Divinus
Half of these play during a weirdly racist part in the game, and those are just doing some boring Banjo-Kazooie-esque swirling arpeggios and melodic doubling. The music itself is actually constructed incredibly well, but not the organ parts in particular. The other two, luckily, are not morally reprehensible, and also happen to be much better applications of the instrument. Especially Hello Divinus, which has some real sweet chords.
Track: Dark Sultan's Fortress, Drysand Desert Theme, Fierce Battle, Hello Divinus
Half of these play during a weirdly racist part in the game, and those are just doing some boring Banjo-Kazooie-esque swirling arpeggios and melodic doubling. The music itself is actually constructed incredibly well, but not the organ parts in particular. The other two, luckily, are not morally reprehensible, and also happen to be much better applications of the instrument. Especially Hello Divinus, which has some real sweet chords.
Rating: BAD
Track: Saint's Prayer
DRAGON'S QUEEEESSSSSTTTTT!!!!!!!!!
Track: Saint's Prayer
DRAGON'S QUEEEESSSSSTTTTT!!!!!!!!!
Rating: GOOD
Track: The Corrupted Black Bowser Battle, Black Bowser's Castle Revealed!, Black Bowser's Castle Lobby, Thing Card - Electric Battery, Blackout
Similar to Super Mario 64, this game simply does a great job of actually defining and developing its villain's theme, though the writing here is simply too conservative and typical to warrant any higher placement.
Track: The Corrupted Black Bowser Battle, Black Bowser's Castle Revealed!, Black Bowser's Castle Lobby, Thing Card - Electric Battery, Blackout
Similar to Super Mario 64, this game simply does a great job of actually defining and developing its villain's theme, though the writing here is simply too conservative and typical to warrant any higher placement.
Rating: GOOD
Track: Drawcia Sorceress
The stereo panning of the different organ lines implies some kind of manual coupling, which would be the first time I've heard this as a deliberate structural decision in any game soundtrack. Here's a quick lesson for anyone unfamiliar with how pipe organs are built: every organ console consists of however many keyboards, or "manuals" as we call them (because they're played with the hands; the "keyboard" we play with our feet is the pedal board), usually ranging from 2-4. These manuals are not just for show; they each connect to a different set of pipes. We call these sets of pipes "ranks." Since these pipes are so large, they need to be set up all around a room, they wouldn't all fit in just one spot. So, let's say we have three manuals on a console; there's one manual that connects to ranks on the left side of the room, one that connects to ranks on the right side of the room, and one that connects to a few ranks on both sides. Playing just the first manual would only sound from the left side of the room, since that's where all its associated ranks are. HOWEVER, using a certain mechanism on the organ's console, we can "couple" manuals together - now when you press a key on the first manual, it will also trigger a corresponding key on the second manual without you actually touching that manual yourself. Now, by pressing a key on the first manual, there's sound coming from different ranks on both sides of the room. This is usually used for the sake of combining sounds that are not mapped to the same manual, but it can also be used for something like this that plays with the space of the sound. Whether or not that was the goal with this track, it certainly is happening - there's one organ line that only ever exists as a direct parallel to the other lines, panned to a separate stereo channel from the other organ lines, which certainly is exactly how coupling on an organ works. Cool!
Track: Drawcia Sorceress
The stereo panning of the different organ lines implies some kind of manual coupling, which would be the first time I've heard this as a deliberate structural decision in any game soundtrack. Here's a quick lesson for anyone unfamiliar with how pipe organs are built: every organ console consists of however many keyboards, or "manuals" as we call them (because they're played with the hands; the "keyboard" we play with our feet is the pedal board), usually ranging from 2-4. These manuals are not just for show; they each connect to a different set of pipes. We call these sets of pipes "ranks." Since these pipes are so large, they need to be set up all around a room, they wouldn't all fit in just one spot. So, let's say we have three manuals on a console; there's one manual that connects to ranks on the left side of the room, one that connects to ranks on the right side of the room, and one that connects to a few ranks on both sides. Playing just the first manual would only sound from the left side of the room, since that's where all its associated ranks are. HOWEVER, using a certain mechanism on the organ's console, we can "couple" manuals together - now when you press a key on the first manual, it will also trigger a corresponding key on the second manual without you actually touching that manual yourself. Now, by pressing a key on the first manual, there's sound coming from different ranks on both sides of the room. This is usually used for the sake of combining sounds that are not mapped to the same manual, but it can also be used for something like this that plays with the space of the sound. Whether or not that was the goal with this track, it certainly is happening - there's one organ line that only ever exists as a direct parallel to the other lines, panned to a separate stereo channel from the other organ lines, which certainly is exactly how coupling on an organ works. Cool!
Rating: BAD
Track: Enshrinement
Standard organ block chords underscoring a choir. The choir is incredible, but the organ is hardly doing anything at all and offers very little to the piece. In fact, the parts without the organ tend to be the parts I like more...
Track: Enshrinement
Standard organ block chords underscoring a choir. The choir is incredible, but the organ is hardly doing anything at all and offers very little to the piece. In fact, the parts without the organ tend to be the parts I like more...
Rating: GREAT
Tracks: Organ Style, Horror
Organ Style is just a performance of the fifth movement from Charles-Marie Widor's Symphony for Organ No. 5. And a damn good performance at that! Bravo to Peter James Adcock for a brilliant interpretation of a brilliant piece. Is it unfair to have actual organ repertoire so high on a list of video game music? Only as unfair as it is to include this as part of a game soundtrack in the first place. It was French composers around La Belle Époque like Widor that really drove my interest in music to be something I pursued as significantly as I do now and I can't hide my biases. Top of the list just on principal. (Widor was never one I was specifically interested in though - hit me up if you want to hear more about French composers that actually inspired me, I've got a lot to say and not many people to say it to!!)
Oh uh, and Horror is alright too. It's an original piece and it's got some neat ideas. But I mean, come on. We're all here for Widor.
Tracks: Organ Style, Horror
Organ Style is just a performance of the fifth movement from Charles-Marie Widor's Symphony for Organ No. 5. And a damn good performance at that! Bravo to Peter James Adcock for a brilliant interpretation of a brilliant piece. Is it unfair to have actual organ repertoire so high on a list of video game music? Only as unfair as it is to include this as part of a game soundtrack in the first place. It was French composers around La Belle Époque like Widor that really drove my interest in music to be something I pursued as significantly as I do now and I can't hide my biases. Top of the list just on principal. (Widor was never one I was specifically interested in though - hit me up if you want to hear more about French composers that actually inspired me, I've got a lot to say and not many people to say it to!!)
Oh uh, and Horror is alright too. It's an original piece and it's got some neat ideas. But I mean, come on. We're all here for Widor.
Rating: GREAT
Tracks: Sky Palace, Fillmoa
Some of the juiciest chords you'll find for the organ in any game. Yuzo Koshiro really knows how to squeeze the sound out of this thing - the organ's place in this soundtrack is meaningful and deliberate. Incredible and effective writing.
Tracks: Sky Palace, Fillmoa
Some of the juiciest chords you'll find for the organ in any game. Yuzo Koshiro really knows how to squeeze the sound out of this thing - the organ's place in this soundtrack is meaningful and deliberate. Incredible and effective writing.
Rating: BORING
Tracks: Trends of the World, Nightmare Reflected in the Mirror, A Tragic Decision
Not enough to save the Tales series' rapidly declining reputation on this list. Its use in Nightmare is cliche, in Tragic Decision it's aimless and unjustified... Can nothing revive the pipe organ's spirit in these soundtracks?
Tracks: Trends of the World, Nightmare Reflected in the Mirror, A Tragic Decision
Not enough to save the Tales series' rapidly declining reputation on this list. Its use in Nightmare is cliche, in Tragic Decision it's aimless and unjustified... Can nothing revive the pipe organ's spirit in these soundtracks?
Rating: GREAT
Tracks: Opening, Legend of Firebrand, Beyond the Colosseum, Over the Demon Realm, Metropolis of Ruin, Catacombs of the Dead, Cursed Towers, Dance of the Snowy Barrens, Palace of Decadence, The Infinite Demon, Memorial of the Fallen Ones
Surprisingly beautiful and sombre tracks that apply the pipe organ exquisitely. Never would have expected a spinoff game focusing on one enemy from Ghouls n' Ghosts to take such a delicate tone, but it's delicious. Some of these tracks like Snowy Barrens could situate perfectly well as proper organ repertoire. Is this the earliest point in video game history I've said this? It's certainly true of other games as the medium matures, but most pipe organ music from the 90's – while being absolutely astounding – have a certain "je ne sais quoi" that still clues it off to clearly belonging to a video game. Someone with an ear for classical music wouldn't be fooled if an organist tried playing that stuff during a recital. I'm going to go ahead and make the claim that Demon's Crest is the first video game with pipe organ tracks which, were they to be performed with real instruments, would sound indistinguishable from authentic classical music. That person with an ear for classical music could feasibly be fooled by several tracks in this game.
Tracks: Opening, Legend of Firebrand, Beyond the Colosseum, Over the Demon Realm, Metropolis of Ruin, Catacombs of the Dead, Cursed Towers, Dance of the Snowy Barrens, Palace of Decadence, The Infinite Demon, Memorial of the Fallen Ones
Surprisingly beautiful and sombre tracks that apply the pipe organ exquisitely. Never would have expected a spinoff game focusing on one enemy from Ghouls n' Ghosts to take such a delicate tone, but it's delicious. Some of these tracks like Snowy Barrens could situate perfectly well as proper organ repertoire. Is this the earliest point in video game history I've said this? It's certainly true of other games as the medium matures, but most pipe organ music from the 90's – while being absolutely astounding – have a certain "je ne sais quoi" that still clues it off to clearly belonging to a video game. Someone with an ear for classical music wouldn't be fooled if an organist tried playing that stuff during a recital. I'm going to go ahead and make the claim that Demon's Crest is the first video game with pipe organ tracks which, were they to be performed with real instruments, would sound indistinguishable from authentic classical music. That person with an ear for classical music could feasibly be fooled by several tracks in this game.
Rating: BAD
Track: Saint's Prayer
The jingle is iconic, but woefully boring.
Track: Saint's Prayer
The jingle is iconic, but woefully boring.
Rating: GREAT
Tracks: Please God, God of Decadence
A pair of truly beautiful chorales. God of Decadence is what elevates this game to be so high on the list, but both are excellent in their own right.
Tracks: Please God, God of Decadence
A pair of truly beautiful chorales. God of Decadence is what elevates this game to be so high on the list, but both are excellent in their own right.
9 Comments
8/26/2022 - just hit 150 entries....... PIPE ORGAN LIST WILL NEVER DIE!!!
1/11/2023 - 200 entries and going strong. PIPE ORGAN LIST WILL NEVER DIE!!!
As a fledgling composer, fucking incredible list and the best list I've seen on this website so far. Following for this alone so I don't lose this list.
this list fucking rules. LOVE your notes. amazing
@DIOXYRIBOSE thank you so much
This is it. The greatest list on all of Backloggd.
Funbil
1 year ago