{"id":1394,"date":"2014-08-12T16:45:16","date_gmt":"2014-08-12T20:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sharkpuppet.com\/?p=1394"},"modified":"2014-08-12T16:45:16","modified_gmt":"2014-08-12T20:45:16","slug":"eight-video-game-songs-that-sound-way-too-similar-to-pop-songs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sharkpuppet.com\/wordpress\/eight-video-game-songs-that-sound-way-too-similar-to-pop-songs\/","title":{"rendered":"Eight Video Game Songs That Sound Way Too Similar to Pop Songs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This is a subject I\u2019ve wanted to discuss here for a long time. Have you ever played your favorite game for hours on end, then turn on the radio driving to work the next day and hear what you think is the music from the game being broadcast straight to your car? Perhaps those strange coincidences aren\u2019t as strange as you think. Indeed, there are tons of pop songs that have similar melodies to video game tracks and vice-versa. And to my knowledge, nobody has tried to put together a definitive list of the most common of these coincidences\u2026 until now.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><em>Sonic the Hedgehog <\/em>(Game Gear): \u201cBridge Zone\u201d vs. Janet Jackson, \u201cTogether Again\u201d<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/uazL8HejVJ8?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The main melody of the second level of <em>Sonic the Hedgehog<\/em> for Game Gear sounds remarkably similar to the chorus of Janet Jackson\u2019s 1998 pop hit, or as this kid knows it: the song he could not get away from hearing riding in the back of mom\u2019s minivan.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/WEqJroZSdKA?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Funnily enough, this isn\u2019t the only instance in which you can connect Sonic with the Jacksons, knowing Michael Jackson wrote several of the music tracks featured in <em>Sonic the Hedgehog 3<\/em>. More on that later.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><em>Mega Man<\/em>: \u201cElec Man Stage\u201d vs. Journey, \u201cFaithfully,\u201d AND R.E.M., \u201cAll the Right Friends\u201d<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/CJdFxTOysjo?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Those first few measures of Elec Man\u2019s theme from the first <em>Mega Man<\/em> game have the exact same time signature and key as the introductory melodies in both Journey\u2019s \u201cFaithfully\u201d and \u201cAll the Right Friends\u201d by R.E.M.:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/OMD8hBsA-RI?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/IE7z3i8PYMU?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u201cFaithfully\u201d was released in 1983, <em>Mega Man<\/em> in 1987, and R.E.M. put out \u201cAll the Right Friends\u201d in 2001. That leaves one question: what inspired R.E.M. more, Journey or the Blue Bomber?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><em>EarthBound<\/em>: \u201cDrug Store\u201d vs. The Beatles, \u201cWhen I\u2019m Sixty-Four\u201d<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/0Vuzo25ZLsk?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>If you sing the lyrics to \u201cWhen I\u2019m Sixty-Four\u201d along with this track from <em>EarthBound<\/em>, you can see how it could easily be mistaken for a karaoke version of that classic Beatles song from <em>Sgt. Pepper\u2019s Lonely Hearts Club Band<\/em>:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/eCss0kZXeyE?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Maybe that\u2019s why we\u2019re not seeing Nintendo re-releasing the game\u2026 Its music is so similar to that of The Beatles that Nintendo could risk a lawsuit from Apple Records?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><em>Street Fighter II<\/em>: \u201cKen\u2019s Theme\u201d vs. Cheap Trick, \u201cMighty Wings\u201d<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/-14W5XTqL5U?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s another one where the intros to the two songs are so similar you\u2019ll refuse to believe one wasn\u2019t inspired by the other:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/L-4XsDQYDi4?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Clearly, someone at Capcom just loves watching <em>Top Gun<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><em>Chrono Trigger<\/em>: \u201cRobo\u2019s Theme\u201d vs. Rick Astley, \u201cNever Gonna Give You Up\u201d<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/cmY2wf7T428?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>MUAHAHAHAHAHA!\u00a0 Thanks to my knowledge of video game songs that sound too similar to pop music, I now have the power to Rick Roll you TWICE!<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/dQw4w9WgXcQ?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Ahhh, that never gets old.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><em>Hotline Miami<\/em>: \u201cRelease\u201d vs. the end theme from <em>Blade Runner<\/em><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/00mrFv2QbG0?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Not only does same melody appear in both songs, in the same tone; they both use the same instrument that is so defining of 1980s pop music, the synthesizer:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/JAwo7DPUFUM?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>I previously wrote about how the soundtrack to <em>Hotline Miami<\/em> is one of the <a href=\"http:\/\/sharkpuppet.com\/the-top-5-video-games-with-licensed-soundtracks\/\">best licensed soundtracks<\/a> in gaming for capturing the feel of the 1980s, and this further proves it. I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if when writing this track, M|O|O|N looked to the <em>Blade Runner <\/em>soundtrack for inspiration.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><em>Sonic the Hedgehog 3<\/em>: \u201cIce Cap Zone\u201d vs. The Jetzons, \u201cHard Times\u201d<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/hYxlqTpZ-24?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s where things get interesting when comparing game music to pop music. For years, most of us thought Michael Jackson composed this fan favorite tune from <em>Sonic 3 <\/em>(with many finding similarities between this song and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pKYBO5M5vb8\">Smooth Criminal<\/a>\u201d)\u2026 until last year, when Sonic fans discovered a song composed in the early 1980s by a new wave band called The Jetzons:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/H2OWC5Hosv8?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The fact that Ice Cap Zone is a note-for-note instrumental of \u201cHard Times\u201d is likely no coincidence, fans conclude: Brad Buxer, keyboardist for The Jetzons, was also Michael Jackson\u2019s music director. Buxer too was involved in Jackson\u2019s collaboration with Sega producing music for <em>Sonic 3 <\/em>and was even credited in the final version of the game, where Jackson was not.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><em>Mega Man X6<\/em>: \u201cInfinity Mijinion Stage\u201d vs. Europe, \u201cThe Final Countdown\u201d<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/Cvm1aR8FrNg?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>It seems the <em>Mega Man<\/em> and <em>Sonic<\/em> franchises have the most music with similarities to pop songs. The very same slow buildup with guitars and horns blaring, followed by a similarly paced rock epic is what make up both Infinity Mijinion\u2019s theme and Europe\u2019s sportsball favorite:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/9jK-NcRmVcw?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>A sports-themed robot master doesn\u2019t appear until <em>Mega Man 10<\/em>. After hearing this, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nDradgfj5EM\">Strike Man\u2019s theme<\/a> doesn\u2019t even feel appropriate anymore. This truly is the game theme that screams, \u201cARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This only scratches the surface of the many strange similarities between songs written for video games and mainstream music. Perhaps I will revisit this subject at a later date, bringing up even more famous video game songs and their pop counterparts. Until that day, keep listening, my friends. In a world where thousands of songs are written each day, you never know what curiosity will catch the ear next, on a game system or on your radio.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-style: italic;\">The Minus World is written by Steven Brasley. You can keep up with his thoughts on gaming via\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-style: italic;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/StevenBrasley\">Twitter<\/a><span style=\"font-style: italic;\">. Check back every Tuesday for new articles.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is a subject I\u2019ve wanted to discuss here for a long time. Have you ever played your favorite game for hours on end, then turn on the radio driving to work the next day and hear what you think is the music from the game being broadcast straight to your car? Perhaps those strange <a href='http:\/\/sharkpuppet.com\/wordpress\/eight-video-game-songs-that-sound-way-too-similar-to-pop-songs\/' class='excerpt-more'>[Read more&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sharkpuppet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1394"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sharkpuppet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sharkpuppet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sharkpuppet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sharkpuppet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1394"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/sharkpuppet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1394\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1397,"href":"http:\/\/sharkpuppet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1394\/revisions\/1397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sharkpuppet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sharkpuppet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sharkpuppet.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}