Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Vulgar Soul on November 08, 2011, 01:14:47 am
-
Hey y'all!
I'm puttin together an "Arcade Party" Playlist and wondered to myself, what do other people "hear" when they think of the arcades?
Let's build an arcade soundtrack together!
Name any songs that remind you of being at the arcade!
They don't have to be video game or arcade themed (so be a little more creative than some Buckner & Garcia) and they don't necessarily have to be your personal favorite songs. They can be whatever genre! It can be retro or contemporary. They can be fast, heavy, some slow jams, or some real guilty pleasure pop ish you wouldn't wanna be caught dead humming.
Songs that instantly remind you of a fun, endless night with friends and family at the arcade!
Besides hearin some great music, I'm curious to see what "sound" and atmosphere we all associate with the arcades.
Rene & Angela - I'll Be Good
http://youtu.be/jAUfZEYccKI (http://youtu.be/jAUfZEYccKI)
D Train - You're The One For Me
http://youtu.be/JH7g6u4ASjk (http://youtu.be/JH7g6u4ASjk)
Evelyn King - Love Come Down
http://youtu.be/fIElSf5R6VE (http://youtu.be/fIElSf5R6VE)
Yaz - Situation
http://youtu.be/LVQnFzZUITM (http://youtu.be/LVQnFzZUITM)
Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots
http://youtu.be/h4jBnF8SnSE (http://youtu.be/h4jBnF8SnSE)
Shalamar - For the Lover in You
http://youtu.be/urp4LNt7Ceg (http://youtu.be/urp4LNt7Ceg)
Can't have an Arcade soundtrack without some Cars!
The Cars - Let's Go
http://youtu.be/ExYsh1W22Wo (http://youtu.be/ExYsh1W22Wo)
...Or DEVO!
Devo - Whip It
http://youtu.be/JXXe2aVa1Ek (http://youtu.be/JXXe2aVa1Ek)
Al B Sure - Nite and Day
http://youtu.be/nqQT9IXWiGU (http://youtu.be/nqQT9IXWiGU)
Mary Jane Girls - In My House
http://youtu.be/4bT9mTCO_0Q (http://youtu.be/4bT9mTCO_0Q)
Pet Shop Boys - Domino Dancing
http://youtu.be/ap8uLYaP8yA (http://youtu.be/ap8uLYaP8yA)
LL Cool J - I Need a Beat (remix)
http://youtu.be/IaaaW44uTdk (http://youtu.be/IaaaW44uTdk)
Nu Shooz - I Can't Wait
http://youtu.be/Xa4-DxQlTQs (http://youtu.be/Xa4-DxQlTQs)
SOS Band - Just be Good to Me
http://youtu.be/khj9jyNvhpQ (http://youtu.be/khj9jyNvhpQ)
-
I'd say go for 80s stuff, seeing as a great deal of popular arcade games are from that period. Synthesiser stuff is good. Maybe some Rick Astley!
-
Maybe some Rick Astley!
:laugh2:
-
Two that I remember hearing at my local arcade when I was a child is:
Ghostbusters Theme
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
Other then that I was usually too immersed in the game to care.
-
Oh yeah, Ghost Busters theme should def be played at any Arcade party!
And lol yeah Vanilla Ice is a good fit to.
Also how could I forget this New Wave classic! Obvious pick:
The Pretenders - Space Invaders
http://youtu.be/lQUdeVcLTms (http://youtu.be/lQUdeVcLTms)
-
Tears for Fears, The Cure, Talking Heads.
-
When I think of some good 80s arcade music, I think of a little different than what you listed:
Definitely some Cars is fitting,
The Police,
Eddie Grant - Electric Avenue
You've gotta have some Duran Duran
Madness
maybe some Men at work
The Cure (I hated them back then, but not now)
Billy Squier (he sucks, but thats what I heard in arcades as a kid)
David Bowie
The Clash (maybe something off of the Combat Rock album)
Berlin - Metro
Pat Benetar - Shadows of the night
The Bugles - Video killed the radiostar
Falco
I grew up with alot of 80s Heavy Metal, so I would also say Iron Maiden, Ozzy and Quiet Riot.
Slade - Run Runaway
Bon Jovi - Shes a little runaway
Definitely some old Van Halen
I could go on for days, This is just some of what I would play and what I grew up with.
-
Oops, I almost Forgot:
Journey,
Beastie Boys (depending on your era in the arcades)
Motley Crue (especially the first album and Shout at the Devil)
-
When I think of some good 80s arcade music, I think of a little different than what you listed:
Lol, that's cool because like I said I'm very interested in seeing what type of music different people associate with the atmosphere of the arcades as they remember. For those of us putting together game rooms I think the feel of your place is just as inviting as how it looks.
I grew up in the 90s but when I went to a skating rink, video arcade, or any such place for arcades, smooth 80s (and some early 90s) funk, dance-pop, disco, freestyle, synthpop,new wave, and hip hop was the SOUND of the arcades and most other family entertainment venues at the time. Sometimes they'd switch it up with some 70s stuff or popular rock but damn they use to pump that bass heavy with old school dance records.
This was the soundtrack of bein at the arcades for me.
I would def add everything you listed to my own personal soundtrack. I find it interesting you heard heavy metal when you visited arcades though lol. Interesting, mus be a regional thing. South Bronx kid here, so it was mostly dance, electro, and funk records around here.
I actually check out local thrift stores and collect 80s and 90s dance records as part of my arcade collection because the music I use to hear was so memorable to me about walking into an arcade!
Cybotron - Clear
http://youtu.be/fGqiBFqWCTU (http://youtu.be/fGqiBFqWCTU)
Man Parrish - Hip Hop Be Bop
http://youtu.be/7tsfJn8YdwQ (http://youtu.be/7tsfJn8YdwQ)
Madonna - Into the Groove
http://youtu.be/CDZ3T5S7sck (http://youtu.be/CDZ3T5S7sck)
Shannon - Let the Music Play
http://youtu.be/JQ5jTAISutM (http://youtu.be/JQ5jTAISutM)
Janet Jackson - The Pleasure Principle
http://youtu.be/6Li2iicjrio (http://youtu.be/6Li2iicjrio)
-
Great lists there! All 80s for me as well.
-
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, "Human Video Game" :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqwU61v4okw&feature=player_embedded# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqwU61v4okw&feature=player_embedded#)!
-
Some more:
Billy Thorpe - Children of the Sun
Children of the Sun - Billy Thorpe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqFV5Jw3wU8#)
Montrose - Space Station #5
Montrose- Space Station # 5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6BTTJo1KmM#)
Herbie Hancock - Rockit (I wish I could find the actual video that they used to play on Mtv)
Herbie Hancock - Rock it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww7gzmIs0W8#ws)
Asia - Heat of the Moment
Asia - Heat of the Moment (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlTvWvfEMxE#)
-
Oh Yeah,
Anything by Rush
How about some YYZ
Rush - yyz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nmOMo4OPi4#)
or some 2112
Rush 2112 (Full Song) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQEgZNqa8jE#ws)
The Clash - Rock the Casbah (Not my favorite Clash song, but always reminds me of the 80s)
The Clash - Rock The Casbah (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFAtqOLdqO8#)
-
Oh Yeah,
Anything by Rush
What? No "Moving Pictures"? ;D
-
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, "Human Video Game" :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqwU61v4okw&feature=player_embedded# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqwU61v4okw&feature=player_embedded#)!
Ha ha!
Very clever, and I use to think Fresh Prince was so corny back in the day. But ya gotta appreciate this stuff nowadays!
Some more:
Billy Thorpe - Children of the Sun
Children of the Sun - Billy Thorpe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqFV5Jw3wU8#)
Montrose - Space Station #5
Montrose- Space Station # 5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6BTTJo1KmM#)
Herbie Hancock - Rockit (I wish I could find the actual video that they used to play on Mtv)
Herbie Hancock - Rock it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww7gzmIs0W8#ws)
Asia - Heat of the Moment
Asia - Heat of the Moment (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlTvWvfEMxE#)
Oh Yeah,
Anything by Rush
How about some YYZ
Rush - yyz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nmOMo4OPi4#)
or some 2112
Rush 2112 (Full Song) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQEgZNqa8jE#ws)
The Clash - Rock the Casbah (Not my favorite Clash song, but always reminds me of the 80s)
The Clash - Rock The Casbah (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFAtqOLdqO8#)
This was great! Children of the Sun and Heat of the Moment made me wanna blast away some aliens in Galaga, old school style!
And yeah, Rush is very fittin retro arcade music. I think their more radio and synth driven stuff is great for an old school arcade playlist.
I forget the name of one of their songs. Somethin about "in the classroom halls" blah blah "submit or be shut down" but it's another song I would add. Why can't I remember the name! It was very ambient and synthy lol.
And hell yeah, Rockit! Can't have an arcade soundtrack without some electro jams!
Love these picks!
I would add The Ramones - I Wanna be Sedated (http://youtu.be/-_wssByW7JQ (http://youtu.be/-_wssByW7JQ)), Joan Jett - I Love Rock and Roll (http://youtu.be/5vFFyJ0s9m0 (http://youtu.be/5vFFyJ0s9m0)), and The Go Gos - We Got the Beat (http://youtu.be/LD1BWcf8vhE (http://youtu.be/LD1BWcf8vhE)) as some 80s punk/new wave songs that I would play at an arcade party lol.
-
Dammit, now I got Heat of the Moment stuck in my head. Dammit!
-
You're right, Rush's synth driven stuff is better for an arcade soundtrack.
The Rush song you were talkin about is Subdivisions
Subdivisions - Rush (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu9Ycq64Gy4#)
also I always remember this song from the 80s when I was a kid, Its Pass the Dutchie by Musical Youth
Musical Youth Pass the Dutchie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFtLONl4cNc#)
And I mentioned it before, but definitely some Madness:
One Step Beyond
Madness - One Step Beyond (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-uyWAe0NhQ#)
-
Revenge of the Ninja Droids by Desert Planet is what usually goes on my machines as a background menu track.
They have a whole CD of gaming inspired music.
http://personal.inet.fi/cool/ninjadroids/ (http://personal.inet.fi/cool/ninjadroids/)
http://www.desertplanet.com/ (http://www.desertplanet.com/)
-
:dunno
Cyndi Lauper - The Goonies 'R' Good Enough (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scu81EW4UC8#)
-
Revenge of the Ninja Droids by Desert Planet is what usually goes on my machines as a background menu track.
They have a whole CD of gaming inspired music.
http://personal.inet.fi/cool/ninjadroids/ (http://personal.inet.fi/cool/ninjadroids/)
http://www.desertplanet.com/ (http://www.desertplanet.com/)
I really like that stuff by desert planet, I think I will use it for some background music in the frontend. Thanks for the tip.
-
Yes, Subdivisions! That was it! Now there's a song that reminds me of the arcades. Def addin that one!
And, Pass the Dutchie is a CLASSIC!
That Cyndi Lauper tune is fittin to. Thanks fallacy, I never heard that one before.
And speakin of Ninja Droids, there's a lot of contemporary electronic music that samples 8-bit synth sounds. I think this stuff can be fitting, though a lot of it's a little to heavy for my sorta arcade setting. The music is nice though!
Crystal Castles
http://youtu.be/NNpX5Q_IAo4 (http://youtu.be/NNpX5Q_IAo4)
-
Look for the Miami Vice soundtracks. Hans Zimmer was the king of synth during that time. Also the Top Gun soundtrack. I would also look at some of the early Run DMC.
-
Man, I used to love the Miami Vice theme song. When I was a kid, I used to go to the public library and listen to it on vinyl at least once a week.
-
+1 for Top Gun!
-
Look for the Miami Vice soundtracks. Hans Zimmer was the king of synth during that time. Also the Top Gun soundtrack. I would also look at some of the early Run DMC.
I second these suggestions.