Ign's Top Anime Soundtracks

[eugimon]

http://music.ign.com/articles/708/708910p1.html

IGN just put Robotech's OST above Macross Plus' OST...

go read, laugh and cry.

[JB0]

So IGN's making the anime world laugh, cry, and call in death threats too now?

Was nice when they stuck to video game IGNorance.

[David Hingtgen]

How does Robotech even count? Shouldn't each third be considered separately? ;P

Seriously--how are they counting Minmay's songs? Do they mean Macross songs? Because there's no way they thought Reba West is the "standard all future anime should be measured against".

[Mr March]

WTH? Robotech music is de jure vanilla audio wallpaper at best! Not that SDF Macross is any better, but Robotech ranked better than Macross Plus? There is no way any of the mediocre Robotech score ranks higher than anything Yoko Kanno does...even on a bad day. I can't understand why the Robotech score even find's itself included on such a list. The Escaflowne series score, Patlabor films score, Ghost In The Shell film score, Vampire Hunter D score, and Mononoke-hime film scores are all panel and palette above Robotech, yet nowhere are any of these to be found on IGN's list. What a travesty.

I tell ya, I don't give nearly enough credit to the HG marketting machine. They practically infect every nook and cranny of online publicity in anime fandom. Every time there's some list or feature about anime history or top tens, the HG machine can be found from Akadot to XAnime squeezing in some mention of Robotech.

Given the total lack of taste found in the ranking of this list, I'm surprised a quality work like Cowboy Bebop's score was voted number one. Must have been a natural disaster that day.

[Skullsixx]

How does Robotech even count?  Shouldn't each third be considered separately?  ;P

Seriously--how are they counting Minmay's songs?  Do they mean Macross songs?  Because there's no way they thought Reba West is the "standard all future anime should be measured against".

400016[/snapback]

Goes to show ya just how much that people do not know.

[azrael]

Meh...It's IGN. I stopped reading them years ago.

[ComicKaze]

Sorry guys, I do like Robotech's soundtrack quite a bit actually. The most redeeming feature about what is otherwise pretty bad. Then again, I love 80s cheeze...the Robotech soundtrack is just so synth and melodramatic, it just makes me weak in the knees with how much I like.

I find that with typical anime soundtracks, especially from the 80s, the Japanese composers approach it with a much different philosophy of the music not overwhelming what's on the screen...but being used to American soundtracks of anime shows, I need the high energy, high drama, ballad type soundtracks versus the quiet and almost sleepily boring soundtracks on most 80s anime.

Gundam Z and ZZ for instance, aside from the opening theme, basically puts me to sleep. Dale Schacker who did the Saber Rider soundtrack said it best that the BGM should remind you of the show and should remind you of the theme song and be constantly hitting you those riffs. Macross was typical, a sort of dark, background orchestra type soundtrack that was subdued aside from Minmei songs.

It doesn't mean I want the Reba West music, but I prefer the rock and the synth and the sheer energy of typical American soundtracks for anime in the 80s. Look what happened to Transformers after the 3rd season ended. The 3rd season was full of hard hitting rock and electronic licks inspired by the amazing movie soundtrack by Vince DiCola. After the American show ended and we got Headmasters, it was almost the same setting but I fell asleep watching the series because they switched it to a completely mind-numbing 80s Japanese orchestra piece with nothing but slow moving string sections and brain pasting repetition. (Very much like Gundam soundtracks are other than for the vocal pieces).

I'll take the Macross BGM for DYRL but I don't think I could live through the entire series with that. Part of the allure of Robotech is that the music is very much in your face and dictates your emotions. Maybe some people don't like this, but for me as a kid, it made Robotech much more endearing and moving as a pre-pubescent teenager with it's sappy love themes, warm synth pads accompanied by fast-paced pop/rock/instrumental theme music for each character...(love Rick Hunter's theme and Roy's theme) and that brooding evil music for the Zentradi.

That said, I would take Macross's theme song over Robotech's.

Edited May 17, 2006 by ComicKaze

[danth]

I think that article is a pretty dishonest hack-job. It's basically a list of all the greatest influences on US anime fandom, based on popularity or something, without any regard to the music.

Although, the Robotech OST was really good -- way better than Macross'. But they praised the US Minmei songs? Those were dismal!

Also, Yoko Kano is retardedly overrated. Please list her good songs so I can look them up and see for myself how bad your taste is.

[Graham]

Although, the Robotech OST was really good -- way better than Macross'.

400051[/snapback]

Blasphemy, burn him!

Graham

[Graham]

IMO the sound of fingernails being dragged across a blackboard is better than the RT OST. And to list the RT OST higher than the Macross Plus OST is an insult that cannot be forgiven. But yeah, whatever, I stopped reading IGN years ago, so who cares what they write.

I'm surprised that some people here prefer the RT OST to SDF Macross OST. But I guess people generally prefer what they hear first. I watched Macross long before I watched any RT, so the restrained Macross OST just seems right to me, whereas the RT OST is is just non-stop in your face over the top cheeze.

Graham

[EXO]

I like the Robotech Theme and some of the BGM. What screws up RT music is that it's mostly looped and badly editted. The Macross ST seems like it's orchestrated for the show and is seamed together better throughout. Watch RT again and see what I'm talking about. That's not counting the Reba West singing.

DYRL itself is a whole new level. I still listen to that soundtrack once and a while, including Mari's singing.

[Black Valkyrie]

Pure crap HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I in general always prefered orchestral OST`s. This is worst top 10 anime OST list, there are other animes with far better OST`s.

[Wes]

The problem isn't that Robotech's OST was rated over Macross's, is that it was rated over Macross Plus's OST, something that people who aren't tonedeaf consider a masterpiece. Jeez these guys have no tastes.

[Sumdumgai]

That's just retarded. I'm going to go back to my illness now and continue to spew out both ends, thank you very much. I wish I could give whatever I have to the people of HG and IGN.

[Southcross]

Although, the Robotech OST was really good -- way better than Macross'.

400051[/snapback]

Blasphemy, burn him!

Graham

400054[/snapback]

while I dislike the fact that there are what.... 4 Minmay songs, all played REPEATEDLY in the Robotech series... compared to what 20-30 in Macross? stepping back and looking at ALL the Robotech songs, compared to ALL the Macross songs... I prefer the Robotech ones (again looking at ALL the songs)

Now if I just look at the Robotech Minmay songs.... ehF that crap... I prefer the Macross ones (again ALL of them)

[Mr March]

Sorry guys, I do like Robotech's soundtrack quite a bit actually. The most redeeming feature about what is otherwise pretty bad. Then again, I love 80s cheeze...the Robotech soundtrack is just so synth and melodramatic, it just makes me weak in the knees with how much I like.

400049[/snapback]

I know on a Macross website this opinion would be synonymous to yelling "SHARK!" at a beach, but I now rank Super Dimension Fortress Macross and Robotech music on the same level. I don't now consider either to have any sort of quality over the other, or even think they were great scores at all. Both scores had very brief shelf lives and were quite forgettable. I personally prefer Macross, but more because it's the original score rather than some declaration of quality. I'd just as soon approve a re-score for both series than pick a favorite.

Macross Plus is another matter entirely. But I digress. The list is garbage, especially in the light of so many great scores that are trumped by the likes of Outlaw Star and Robotech. What a laugh.

[JKeats]

Right, let's not delve into the whole Macross vs. Robotech here. This is Mac+ music vs. Robotech "music". IGN needs to get its head out of its ass.

What I really don't get is how you can place Cowboy Bebops's OST at number one (done by Yoko Kanno) but then turn around and rank Robotech above Mac+ (also by Yoko Kanno)?

[The Shade]

I'm getting the feeling that they just didn't want to have a clean sweep by Yoko Kanno. That, and these people have no taste.

[Cruel Angel's Thesis]

WTF!? Robotech over Macross Plus?! Man i don't want they are smoking, sounds dangerous. Robotech had a couple good score, but overall i prefer Macross.

On a side note for their pick, anyone notice this all anime that has aired on TV, almost all on Adult Swim or Toonami. I think we see where they go to watch anime. Most of these have good scores, not great if you compare them to other anime. I think IGN needs to actually rent anime that has not been on TV or ADV's Anime Network. I never had a high opinion of IGN, now i have a really low opinion of them. Also Yoko Kanno has been seriously over rated. I prefer Kenji Kawai myself, but thats my opinion.

Cruel Angel's Thesis

[eugimon]

your opinion would be wrong...

Ghost in the Shell and Patlabor 2 are two of my all time favorite CDs.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

I don't think robotech deserves top 10. But Robotech had some good things: I actually like some of the music in NG portion. And the stuff about the zentradi 'evil' music, at the time I thought that this is very fitting for a race of warrior giants out to destroy stuff.

Also the drums: the drums for the scrambling bits were memorable. When they rush out in thier planes and the pods are destroying stuff, and you hear the dadadada dum dum brings a sense of urgency to everything. Maybe I just like heavy sounding music. Macross is still preferable since it has way more range and overall quality though. I'm finding it hard to listen to the RT stuff.

I guess nostalgia got to them and this has made them include RT. Taste in music I think is something that will always be subjective and a waste of time for these sorts of lists. No one can ever agree.

Edited May 18, 2006 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[JB0]

I honestly can't even remember any RT music beyond the singing and title sequence.

I DO still like the title sequence music, though.

[KingNor]

they didn't include inuyasha or flcl. this list is a hack.

:-)

sdfmacross or robotech might have had somewhat memorable songs, but i don't think either belong in the top ten honestly.

mac plus was well done but very techno, so it's sort of limited in it's apeal. i think macplus rated respectably

how robotech got so high is beyond me.

[Mog]

they didn't include inuyasha or flcl. this list is a hack.

Pillows-hatin' bastards! FLCL should have easily cracked the top 10.

Heck, it's gotta count for something that the animators designed the animation and scenes to match up with the Pillows' music, and NOT the other way around.

[Penguin]

mac plus was well done but very techno, so it's sort of limited in it's apeal. i think macplus rated respectably

400912[/snapback]

Ummm... yeah... all that stuff recorded with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra... totally techno...

Are we talking about the same soundtrack?

[yellowlightman]

they didn't include inuyasha or flcl. this list is a hack.

Pillows-hatin' bastards! FLCL should have easily cracked the top 10.

400942[/snapback]

Pillows are way overrated. Saw them in concert and they were nice and generic.

[KingNor]

they didn't include inuyasha or flcl. this list is a hack.

Pillows-hatin' bastards! FLCL should have easily cracked the top 10.

400942[/snapback]

Pillows are way overrated. Saw them in concert and they were nice and generic.

400955[/snapback]

could be true, butyou gotta admit their music added alot to the atmosphere of the show and was almost a character in of itself.

(this makes the soundtrack very well done)

[KingNor]

mac plus was well done but very techno, so it's sort of limited in it's apeal. i think macplus rated respectably

400912[/snapback]

Ummm... yeah... all that stuff recorded with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra... totally techno...

Are we talking about the same soundtrack?

400951[/snapback]

yes same soundtrack, but i must be forgetting some of the songs. all i can remember is sharron apple and the intro songs.

[Skullsixx]

Yo kingnor,

Is the name related to the band King Norris, as in Fred Norris of the Stern show?

[KingNor]

Yo kingnor,

  Is the name related to the band King Norris, as in Fred Norris of the Stern show?

401126[/snapback]

No.

[Wes]

I think the appeal of the Pillows is that they're Japanese and a decent rock band. Not something you see everyday.