Daily Debate: What is Your Favorite Re-Mix or Re-Arrangement of a Zelda Song?
Posted on February 05 2023 by Leslie Jacobson
One of the definite strengths of the Zelda series is its music. From sweeping, epic songs to inspire the heart of a hero to quiet, to contemplative pieces meant to reflect the beauty of a particular area, the music has meant a lot to everyone who has enjoyed the games.
What about re-mixes and re-arrangements, though? My first run-in with the concept of re-arrangements came from two soundtracks from Ocarina of Time, each released in 1998. The first was the The Legend of Zelda: Re-Arranged Album by MOKA. The CD used the melodies of twelve different songs from the game and as indicated by the title, re-arranged them. “Epona’s Song” even added lyrics and the “Temple of Time” track has the sound of monks chanting the “Song of Time.” The other CD was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Hyrule Symphony. Twelve of the thirteen tracks are orchestrations of melodies from the game, and the last track is a medley of themes from throughout the series.
From there, my collection has grown from a variety of sources. I was one of those who downloaded the “Zelda” track over Napster that was labeled as being by System of a Down (it’s actually by The Rabbit Joint). OverClocked ReMix was another resource I learned that had lots of re-mixes and re-arrangements of all kinds of video game music. Then, Radio Hyrule provided hours of companionship during college homework days with re-mixes of tracks from every game available. Now with lots of musicians on YouTube, Bandcamp, and other platforms, you can find tracks from the Zelda series in such varying styles such as jazz, lo-fi, progressive rock, trap, and even opera!
A few of my favorite tracks, besides those mentioned above, include:
This version of “Zelda’s Lullaby” with lyrics by ellebirdy23. I sang it to my kids.
“Kakariko Prom” – The skit at the beginning and the end makes me smile every time.
“This Valley Rocks” – The best Gerudo Valley re-mix.
“Tattered Slippers” – Shows off the similarities between “Midna’s Lament” and “Tattered Slippers.”
“Temple Trippin” – The best re-arrangement of the Temple theme besides the one in Smash Bros. Melee.
“Her Smile in Every Summer” – Lyrics added to the melody of Outset Island.
“The Legend of Cool” – Lyrics added to the Main Theme for The Legend of Zelda.
What’s your favorite re-arrangement, re-mix, or re-orchestration of a Zelda track? Do you know better re-mixes than the ones mentioned above? Let us know in the comments!
Leslie is a mom, a cosplayer, an educator, and a fervent fan of The Legend of Zelda series. She lives in an area of the United States that reminds her of the Akkala region in the fall and Hebra the other 11 months of the year. She owns The Legend of Zelda t-shirts older than most of her students.
