PokéTunes: A Definitive Ranking of Pokémon Music Throughout the Ages

Rakan

Music has always been an integral part of many different forms of entertainment and media, whether that be film, television, radio, live performances, or, of course, video games. Without the accompanying soundtrack, video games are reduced to various random character sounds and noises that aren't very attractive when singled out by themselves. By adding music to a video game, even as a background, it provides a much-needed fusion that allows the game to be more fluid and enjoyable to play. For that same reason, many avid video game players have come to pick and choose their favorite musical themes from different video games, with just the sound instantly reminding them of the game that they have played. The Pokémon video game franchise has existed for more than two decades now, so the sheer amount of music that has slowly evolved alongside the games is stunning, and there are more than just a few tunes that instill a lingering sense of nostalgia in old players like myself and Colonel M.

The following selections have been chosen due to their easily recognizable tune and association with the feeling of nostalgia. They are by no means a comprehensive list of nostalgic music in Pokémon, as it would be nigh impossible to list every viable track. It's also worth noting that we have limited our selections to the first three generations of Pokémon, as we felt anything further along wouldn't quite make the cut as nostalgic, per se, despite the fact that Diamond and Pearl were released nearly ten years ago.

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You may be wondering why a track from GSC is listed first instead of a track from RBY on the Nostalgia list, of all things, and I'm here to tell you exactly why. GSC had tons of memorable tracks straight from the get-go, with the more relaxed and melancholy sounds of New Bark Town designating your journey's beginning to the fast-paced and unforgettable Gym Battle theme that relentlessly played on and on while your feeble starter struggled futilely against the likes of Whitney's stupidly fat and yet somehow buff-as-hell Miltank. However, Azalea Town is where the game really starts feeling like a true adventure. After a long trek through an annoyingly dark passageway filled with bats and other irritating cave creatures (but mostly those damn bats), you reach Azalea Town, a quaint, yet lively town filled with numerous activities. Not only do you have to deal with Team Rocket's Slowpoke tail stealing shenanigans, but you can also procure a wide variety of specialty Poké Balls nearly exclusive to the Johto region by way of Apricorn fabrication at Kurt's small, yet productive house. There was even an Apricorn tree right outside his house for your convenience! Although he could only provide a limited number of Pokémon Ball per day in the original series (only one at a time—what the hell Kurt, after all I did for you, really?), it was still worth it in the end to land that coveted Heavy Ball to easily catch the sleeping Snorlax in Vermilion City or obtain the Lure Ball for an easier time with the one and only shiny red Gyarados at the Lake of Rage.

Anyways, back to the main point—the music. The lively, yet subdued tune that plays while traversing the few random houses within Azalea Town is an almost perfect match for the environment. It's simple yet refined, and it is just enough to catch your ear and make you want to hum along. It's nearly impossible for me not to start humming along as soon as I hear the intro to the track—a sentiment that I'm sure is shared with many other avid Pokémon players. It doesn't drone on and on and isn't boring enough to make you want to ignore it. Upon hearing this track, I am immediately reminded of my childhood days, when I spent an afternoon playing through this complex and wonderfully interactive game, and there hadn't been anything quite like it. It takes me back to a time when the most worrisome thing on my mind was whether or not I would best the Gym Leaders and eventually the Elite Four. A vast improvement on the original games, with two separate regions to explore, one of which included the Kanto region featured in the past generation, Gold and Silver definitely had some of the best gameplay along with the music. All of these aspects accompanied with the fact that it is possibly one of the most easily recognized soundtracks throughout the entire series make it extremely fitting in the Nostalgia category.

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Although most Gym Battle themes have the privilege of being categorized into "Epic" and are fairly recognizable (for the most part), no Gym theme is more nostalgic than the original RBY Gym Battle soundtrack. As soon as you finish up your brief conversation with Brock or Misty or whomever you may be challenging at the time, the screen fades to black, and the music immediately hits the ground running with its fast and upbeat tempo. The first few seconds of the music provide a great buildup to the main melody by presenting a constant, yet quick beat that instantly revs up your anxiety and excitement levels. I can almost hear the grating cry of Brock's Geodude ringing in my ears and the eerie, alien-like trill of Misty's Staryu echo in my mind as I listen to this theme begin once again. The music wastes no time and jumps into the main melodic theme as your battle commences. It jumps from high to low, from major to minor keys, from base accompaniment to a piercing upper melody—a remarkable feat for the 8-bit music capabilities of the Game Boy at the time.

This Gym Battle theme was probably one of the most complex themes in the entire game, and rightfully so, as it carried an arguably high amount of importance (Gym Leader / Elite Four Battle). A musical theme that possesses such a inexplicable amount of influence on the capability of the average Pokémon player to reminisce of their original Game Boy-playing days certainly qualifies to be in the Nostalgic category, if nothing else.

Rakan

While the music in RBY and GSC was limited to the 8-bit capabilities of the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, RSE brought the new-and-improved Game Boy Advance, which possessed not only improved graphics but also a noticeably different sound capacity. The difference in sounds between Generation 2 and 3 is quite possibly the biggest difference throughout the entire series, as it brought a multitude of new instrumental sounds, such as flutes, strings, and most importantly trumpets. The signature sound of the 3rd Generation can essentially be summarized into one word: trumpets. Although this particular selection from RSE does not contain trumpet sounds, it certainly invokes a lingering sense of nostalgia as soon as it begins with its simple, yet pleasant six-note introduction.

As I've said previously, many selections could possibly be categorized into multiple sections; however, even though this theme is quite relaxing to listen to, I feel that the waves of nostalgia that wash over you while listening to the soundtrack from Rustboro City outweigh the relaxing influence. If you listen to this music without knowing what it's from and without any context, it initially provides a sort of elevator music / shopping mall-esque ambience. As you continue to listen, however, there are subtle changes and additions here and there that really make the music stand out. Ironically, I never really noticed the little quirks of the musical theme back when I played through my Sapphire version for the first time, being wholly engrossed in beating the first Gym Leader instead. It is quite interesting to listen carefully to this familiar song standalone this time, as I'm noticing things that I hadn't before. The feeling is similar to when you read a familiar book for the second, third, or even tenth time—somehow, there's always one or two little details that you never realized were present in the book the whole time. This particular selection manages to combine probably around ten or so different instrumental sounds that come together in a surprisingly cohesive manner. The main melody is played using flute and strings sounds, accompanied by the pleasant jingle of a tambourine here and there, along with a consistent rhythmic beat from another sort of percussion instrument. It's hard to differentiate all the different sounds unless you listen closely thanks to the incredibly smooth and easy-on-the-ears nature of the composition.

Sometimes, the phrase "less is more" is applicable to certain situations—well this is quite assuredly not one of them. On the contrary, somehow, "more becomes less", so to speak, with the blend of different sounds impeccably portraying a light and carefree mood that lifts your spirits in a very subtle manner. Although these aspects might not necessarily coincide with the feeling of nostalgia, I felt that because this track plays during your exploration of the first major city (and the first Gym Battle!), it qualifies for the Nostalgic category. Another interesting fact is that this same theme was used for Mauville City and Mossdeep City, clearly a testament to its influence throughout the game and subsequently on the players that listened to it.

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Ahh... Violet City. What a familiar name. A large part of why this selection was included is because it is the first major city in GSC that contains the first real challenge: a Johto Gym Leader Battle. It's certainly a recognizable tune, although perhaps not as much as some of the other picks that were ranked; but again, with it accompanying the initial foray into the Johto League challenge, it certainly does warrant some sort of placement, hence the honorable mention status.

Rakan

And with that last humble opinion of ours on a truly vibrant selection of Pokémon music that has stood out more than most others as nostalgic, stay tuned for the next article in our series—this time taking us to a genre of music that is much more adventurous...