Game music from 80's & 90's is memorable because it was a pack of simple tones played again and again. I don't recall any grand soundtrack because of it all felt same. Fake Wagner's opera, Broken Sword or FF8 intros were exceptions.

Game soundtracks got better with time. More sophisticated and listenable even outside of game.

Music in general this generation in games is terrible for the most part

My rule with games is: If I play a game and when I'm done, I cannot hum at least one tune from it off the top of my head, then the Music in that game is Dogshit

Games that have passed this test: Bulletstorm, Vanquish, Bayonetta, Witcher 2, De Blob 2, LAIR, Devil May Cry 4 - All have many catchy tunes and memorable music, along many other great games

Games that have failed this test: over 90% of games this generation with their shitty "Epic orchestras" that have no finnesse or character and just unmemorable trash like the music from the yearly COD releases

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM2YqbsEzp0

Best Halo song imo

Give it twenty or ten years of time to distinguish themselves.

Honestly, most "was it better before threads" can be summed up by the fact that we are always comparing a selection of the best of the past with everything that is available now. Of course the selection sounds more impressive.

Just take the James Bond movies:

"You know my name" and "Skyfall" are easily as memorable as the older songs.

Or the Batman soundtrack. Or Inception.

(Just take just about any Hans Zimmer soundtrack)

There's a reason for that though. 007 is about the last film series in existence that still uses official theme songs in the opening credits! (And some of that is just because people love Skyfall/Casino Royale, it's not like people go crazy over the opening theme to Tommorrow Never Dies or Die Another Day)

Goldeneye was good

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXGBfKSVnlo

The Avengers - "The Avengers Theme"
Braid - "Downstream"
Captain America: The First Avenger - "Captain America March"
Casino Royale - "You Know My Name"
La-Mulana - "Fearless Challenger"
Legend Of Grimrock - "Main Theme"
The Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring - "Concerning Hobbits"
Skyfall - "Skyfall"
Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith - "Battle Of The Heroes"
VVVVVV - "Pushing Ownwards"

Loved the Avengers theme really underrated.

There Will Be Blood had a very memorable score

I wonder what Adorno would have said to this thread.

OH MY GOD, IT'S A NIGHTMARE! It's like boiling shit trying to pierce my ears and cover my brain! What fucking moron came up with this acoustic diarrhea?

"Skyfall" sounds so much like "Diamonds Are Forever" that it isn't even funny.

One thing I miss is that the composers seem to use less "extreme" sounds that many people actually would call noise.
A good example for that is how the music of lavendar town changed through the Pokemon games.

That's like suggesting someone doesn't like walking if they dislike stepping on dog droppings..