Sonic the Hedgehog is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created and owned by Sega. The franchise began in 1991 with Sonic the Hedgehog, a side-scrolling platform game, and has since expanded to include printed media, animations, a 2020 feature film, and merchandise. The music of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has been provided by a number of composers, ranging from Sega sound staff to independent contractors. Music in the Sonic franchise covers genres such as electropop, funk, rock and roll, and orchestral.
The score of first Sonic game and its sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) was composed by Masato Nakamura, bassist and songwriter of the J-pop band Dreams Come True. Nakamura did not return for 1994's Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, and was replaced by a number of composers—most notably Michael Jackson, who left the project before completion and went uncredited. Jun Senoue, with his band Crush 40, has since composed the music for most Sonic games since Sonic 3D Blast (1996), while Tomoya Ohtani has been the series' sound director since Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). Other composers who have contributed to the series include Richard Jacques, Hideki Naganuma, and Tee Lopes. Notable artists have also produced songs for Sonic games, such as Akon and the band Zebrahead, while Tom "Junkie XL" Holkenborg composed the 2020 film's score.
The Sonic franchise is well known for its music; Tom's Guide wrote that it "has always had some of the best music in all of video gaming. From Sonic 2, to Secret Rings, to Zero Gravity, to Mania Plus, Sonic's always brought an S-Rank performance to his games' musical stylings."[1] Most Sonic games have received soundtrack album releases.
Themes
editHistory
editVideo game series
editGenesis era (1991–1995)
editDevelopment on the original Sonic the Hedgehog began in 1990.
Nakamura did not return to compose the soundtrack for Sonic 2's 1994 sequels, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles. Rather, Sega replaced him with Sega sound staff, including Jun Senoue. The two games experienced a tumultuous development, beginning as a single, isometric 3D game before being restarted from scratch in mid-1993 as a more conventional 2D game so it could meet a strict February 1994 deadline. When it became clear that the game would not be finished in time, it was split in two. Sega recruited independent contractors to finish development on schedule, including composers.[2] The recruited composers included Doug Grigsby, Cirocco Jones, Brad Buxer, and most notably Michael Jackson; Jackson was a Sonic fan and had previously collaborated with Sega for Michael Jackson's Moonwalker (1990). Jackson left the project before completion and went uncredited; the exact reasons for his departure are unclear, and it remains a source of debate over whether his contributions remain in the finished game.
According to Ohshima and STI director Roger Hector, Jackson's involvement was terminated and his music removed following the first allegations of sexual abuse against him. Hector added that his music had already been implemented and had to be quickly reworked by Howard Drossin. Additionally, senior producer Mike Latham, marketing director Al Nilsen, Sonic 3 marketing director Pam Kelly, and Sega of America president Tom Kalinske stated that any involvement of Jackson was arranged without a contract or formal agreement. However, the other composers have contradicted Hector and Ohshima's narrative and said that some of Jackson's work remains. In a 2009 interview with French magazine Black & White, Buxer stated that Jackson chose to remain uncredited because he was unhappy with the sound capabilities of the Genesis. He also said that the Sonic 3 credits music became the basis for Jackson's 1996 single "Stranger in Moscow". A Sonic 3 prototype discovered in 2019 contains different music that appeared in a 1997 Windows port of Sonic 3, suggesting that those tracks were written for the Genesis before being replaced by Jackson's music.
- http://info.sonicretro.org/Masato_Nakamura_interview_by_Sonic_City
- http://www.vgmonline.net/sonicclassicliners/
- http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/sonic-the-hedgehog-3/
Senoue and Ohtani era (1996–present)
editOther media
editSonic the Hedgehog film (2020)
editMerchandise
editIn January 2017, Sega made various Sonic soundtracks available on the music streaming service Spotify.[3]
Public performances
editLegacy
edit- https://www.kotaku.co.uk/2019/02/26/brazils-president-uses-sonic-the-hedgehog-music-in-video
- https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/9bkqe7/how-sonic-the-hedgehog-kept-glam-rock-alive-after-its-grungy-demise
- https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qvk7gw/the-sonic-adventure-2-soundtrack-was-era-defining-and-awesome
- https://www.polygon.com/2016/7/5/12053024/sonic-adventure-2-city-escape-best-song-ever
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Carneval, Robert (August 29, 2018). "The 16 Best Video Game Soundtracks". Tom's Guide. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ Plunkett, Luke (November 17, 2019). "Unreleased Version Of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Found After Surviving Development Hell". Kotaku. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
- ^ Leack, Jonathan (January 25, 2017). "Sonic the Hedgehog Heads To Spotify As SEGA Adds Thousands Of Tracks". GameRevolution. Retrieved May 11, 2020.