Blog

I’m a sucker for music from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. But I also adore the music from Sega in general. I don’t know what it is about it that makes their music magical. It’s not a 90s thing, but the jonesing for even modern SEGA Sound Team sounds is strong.

I am a 90s kid, so I am obligated to highlight several tracks from a team of amazing composers that defined a generation. It’s said that the Arcade and Saturn era was the best for Sega music, and I humbly agree!

Thanks to wasting 100+ hours on YouTube discovering classic tracks from Sega composers, and from my childhood, here are the Top 7 SEGA Sound Team Tracks You’ve Never Heard, until today.

Takenobu Mitsuyoshi – Sky High (Daytona USA – Saturn version)

I first heard of this song from the series of memes featuring the iconic tune from Sega composer, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi. It’s cheesy, but you can’t deny the energy it emits from “I WANNA FLY~ SKY HIGH!”

Hiroshi Kawaguchi – Step on Beat (OutRun)

There’s Magical Sound Shower, but Step on Beat is an underrated track from the OutRun series from way back when. It’s not even a choice to hear in OutRun 2: Coast to Coast, or in the soundtrack re-release on digital streaming and music services.

Richard Jacques – Living in the City (Sonic R)

The Sonic R soundtrack is a gem, and for those who have a guilty pleasure for late-90s pop tunes. The entire soundtrack is composed by Richard Jacques (who also contributed a few tracks on the Jet Set Radio soundtrack, along with Hideki Naganuma), but a few tracks feature the vocals of TJ Davis. Sonic is known for having many fans who like to nitpick every detail of every Sonic game release, and this soundtrack is one of the “issues”, as the mood of the tracks could very well be for another game. But there are many who appreciate the soundtrack anyway, such as myself.

Naofumi Hataya – Forest Replay (Sega Rally Championship)

Sega Rally Championship is the game where the meme “GAME OVER, YEAH!” originated. Also included in the soundtrack is one of many rare beats from the composer of the Sonic CD soundtrack, Naofumi Hataya. It also sounds like a beta song for the earlier entries of the Gran Turismo game series.

Hideki Naganuma – Sweet Soul Brother (Jet Set Radio)

Of course, this list is not complete with a mention of the composer of Jet Set Radio, Hideki Naganuma. “Humming the Baseline” is a tune that many people recognize, but “Sweet Soul Brother” is one of my favorites, and a perfect celebratory track for finishing the game. 😉

Yuzo Koshiro – The Shinobi (The Revenge of Shinobi)

One of the main tracks in Revenge of Shinobi, and a classic overlooked Sega Genesis game. It was a challenge playing through this game as young as I was when I picked it up, and I even struggled through the first stage. Maybe it was because of how much this song slapped?

What is your favorite SEGA Sound Team track? Share your favorite in the comments!

Affiliates