Highlights
- Sonic' s music has the power to evoke emotions in listeners, with both upbeat tracks and emotional melodies that make players feel moved.
- The music in Sonic games often mirrors the storyline and experiences of the characters, such as the Latin-inspired Theme of Tikal and the bittersweet My Destiny, adding depth and significance to the gameplay.
There’s no doubt about it that the Sonic franchise has some truly great music. Every era of the famous blue hedgehog’s gaming career has spawned some amazing soundtracks with instantly iconic melodies which are a hit even among those who aren’t fans of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.
As well as casually upbeat and intense boss themes there also exists many emotional tunes, both vocal and instrumental. There are raw piano melodies soaring vocals and dramatic instrumentation, and combined with the backdrop of the game’s storyline they truly possess the potential to make listeners feel moved. These songs encourage an emotional response from the player and make them want to dig deeper into the message behind Sonic’s music, and maybe tear up too.
10 Sea Bottom Segue (Sonic Lost World)
Considered the best track from Lost World, it first plays as Sonic glides along the grind rail in Tropical Coast Zone 3. Graceful yet sad-sounding piano and violin melodies are contrasted with a fast-paced beat, making this an emotional and relaxing piece of music still with that speedy ‘Sonic’ feel.
One thing this track’s composer and current Series Sound Director, Tomoya Ohtani, is famous for is his layering of multiple tracks on top of each other to create a ‘white noise’ in between. This allows for an elegant violin tune, reflecting the smoothness of Sonic’s running, to sit perfectly comfortably against a more intense beat, which further reflects Sonic’s upbeat personality and attitude. This is Sonic, summed up.
9 Planet Wisp Act 3 (Sonic Colors)
Whilst every Act in Sonic Colors is a beautiful rendition in its own right, Act 3 stands out as a poignant remix of the iconic Act 1. It’s less well-known, but this further creates a new feeling of emotion in listeners as it mirrors Sonic’s progression through the Wisp’s home world.
More prominent in this Act than the others is the ‘choking’ sensation provided by the short repeated violin riffs. Instead of the free-flowing piano and violin melody in Act 1, it’s ‘interrupted’ by the bass and increased use of techno sounds which breaks the original instrumentation. This ‘destruction’ of the original organic theme serves to highlight the mechanical destruction Eggman has caused to Planet Wisp as he erases its natural beauty. It’s a prime example of provoking emotion since the music mirrors what the player is currently experiencing in-game.
8 The Light of Hope (Sonic Forces)
In stark contrast to the fast-paced, heavy synth tracks perpetrating this game, this ending theme is dramatic and emotional with a deep meaning. The vocals are accompanied by a spectacular orchestral score. Arranged by Tomoya Ohtani and performed by Amy Hannam, it is a piano ballad focusing on themes of friendship and a better tomorrow.
As well as having a strong connection to Sonic Forces' theme, this is one song where the lyrics are very easy to apply to real life. This song’s ability truly makes the lyrics and message incredibly moving and tear-jerking.
7 Theme of Tikal (Sonic Adventure)
The echidna Tikal is, like Maria Robotnik from Sonic Adventure 2, a tragic character who loses her life caught in a struggle to protect another. Tikal stood against her people when they sought to kill the Chao and take their Chaos Emeralds. When the Chao's guardian Chaos became enraged, she sacrificed herself to take away his power and sealed him inside the Master Emerald.
What makes this song unique is its instrumentation. It’s heavily inspired by Latin and South American traditional music, featuring atmospheric background chanting, creating a fully new and different piece of Sonic music. Accompanied by a melancholic piano tune, it perfectly sums up her character and the sad story of her tragedy.
6 Dear Father (Sonic Frontiers)
This Lo-Fi vocal song doubles as the theme of the newcomer to the Sonic franchise, Sage. As well as the gentle melody, the lyrics have the potential to be very emotional as they can be universal and applicable to a Father-Daughter relationship.
Despite being an AI created by Eggman, over the course of Sonic Frontiers, the two form a deep bond and eventually think of each other as father and daughter. As the story progresses, she eventually joins Sonic to battle a malevolent monster known as The End. The normal ending to Frontiers strongly hints that Sage perished at the end of the battle. Unless the True Ending is viewed, players assume she died thus her song becomes even more tear-jerking.
5 My Destiny (Sonic the Hedgehog 2006)
Despite Princess Elise not being a well-received character among fans, her theme performed by Donna De Lory is heart-wrenching, dramatic, and beautiful, reflecting the struggle between love and doing the right thing and the resulting sacrifices needing to be made.
When Sonic and Elise find the True Solaris in its most basic state, Elise is forced to make a difficult choice with the fate of the world in her hands. She blows out Solaris’s flame, but this means she will never meet Sonic, her true love. Her resulting theme stresses the bittersweet nature of her destiny. She’s protected the world but at the cost of true love.
4 Theme of E-102 Gamma (Sonic Adventure)
Listeners may think Gamma’s instrumental theme is emotional, but that’s only amplified greater against the backdrop of his story in Sonic Adventure. Whilst Sonic and Co. are tied up in stopping Eggman’s plans, Gamma rebels against his programming and goes on a rampage to free his ‘brothers’ from their own evil programming by 'killing' them. Once his mission is done he self-destructs, releasing the Flicky trapped inside him. The theme is made harrowing by the distorted phrase that repeats, as it’s saying: "It’s my pleasure, Ready to die."
Composed by Fumie Kumatani, the sad piano melody highlights Gamma’s confused state as he navigates a sense of morality and is forced to make difficult choices, that is to kill his brothers or let them wreak havoc on the world.
3 The Last Scene (Sonic Adventure 2)
At the time of Adventure 2’s release back on the Dreamcast in 2001, this scene and its music were a truly sad experience for players. After battling the Finalhazard, Super Sonic and Super Shadow use Chaos Control to stop the ARK from hurtling toward Earth. Whilst they succeed in this, it costs Shadow his life. Sonic returns to the others and Rouge asks where he is. Sonic can only shake his head, as the music starts and the end credits roll.
It was fan demand that ‘resurrected’ Shadow and saw his appearance in later games. This ending and its music may have lost some of its potency over the years but is still a track that tugs at the heartstrings.
2 Dear My Friend (Sonic Unleashed)
This gentle soothing song carries another universal theme, that of friendship in Sonic Unleashed. It concludes the globe-trotting, Dark-Gaia-Defeating quest that has seen Sonic and the new character Chip grow a deep bond of friendship. Now Sonic has to say goodbye to Chip who is in fact Light Gaia, one of the oldest beings in the world, after all they’ve been through and accomplished together.
Composed by Mariko Nanba and performed by Brent Cash, the soft vocals gentle melody and deep meaning truly speak to anyone who has parted ways with a dear friend.
1 Lost Impact (Shadow the Hedgehog)
Like Gamma’s theme, Lost Impact’s dainty piano melody is made sadder by the wider backdrop of the game’s plot. The level focuses on Shadow’s memories aboard Space Colony ARK, just before GUN storms in to eliminate everyone involved in Project Shadow. Tragically, as the twelve-year-old Maria Robotnik attempts to save Shadow from GUN, she is shot and killed by a soldier.
Seeing that this level is set in the past, as Shadow relives the horrendous memory of losing his best friend, the soft piano becomes chilling especially as in the Hero Mission Maria follows Shadow, begging him to stop the wild Artificial Chaos. The irony of what follows genuinely makes this theme upsetting.