Magical Melodies: Five Zelda Covers You Don’t Want to Miss

Last year, I wrote a feature titled “Magical Melodies: Zelda Covers I Keep Coming Back To,” in which I brought up nine Zelda music covers that I have on repeat. I am now pleased to return to the concept with five more covers that I absolutely love.

One of my favorite things about covers is how they can take a song I already know and put a completely unique spin on it. Often, a good cover will complement my enjoyment of the original piece while giving it a different mood or tone. Such is the case with all the covers on this list today. Each of the talented fan arrangers featured here brought something new to some of my favorite Zelda songs, often accentuating details that made me appreciate the originals even more.

This incredibly impressive medley by FredtheMontyMole is comprised of 300 songs.

You read that right. 300 songs. This video, titled “The ULTIMATE Zelda Medley,” is aptly named.

This electronic medley includes songs from the original Legend of Zelda all the way up to Tears of the Kingdom, and clocks out with a formidable run time of an hour and eleven minutes. It even contains music from obscure titles such as Tri Force Heroes. A commenter kindly provided the time stamps for every game, so I highly recommend checking the comment section if you’re looking for a particular song.

I have listened to this entire thing multiple times, and I am honestly still in awe of the amount of work it must have taken. The transitions are very smooth, especially considering that the arranger had to make 299 of them. Whenever one of my favorite songs comes up, I get a rush of excitement, even on repeat listens. The synth instruments simultaneously communicate old-school vibes while still having modern flare. One reason I love this medley so much is that it consolidates Zelda music from the entire series (a series with different timbres spanning throughout all the games) into one giant conglomeration. With everything now arranged in the same musical style, it really spotlights just how good Zelda melodies are.

My favorite renditions in this medley are “Tower of Spirits” from Spirit Tracks, “Yuga Battle (Hyrule Castle)” from A Link Between Words, “Lanayru Desert (Past)” from Skyward Sword, and “Colgera” from Tears of the Kingdom. All the staff credits themes are excellent too. If you love Zelda music to any degree, give this medley a listen! There’s a good chance one of your favorite songs is here.

FredtheMontyMole: YouTube, X, Patreon, Ko-Fi, Twitch

This spooky folk version of “Stone Tower Temple” perfectly encapsulates the atmosphere of Majora’s Mask.

Stone Tower Temple from Majora’s Mask has, in my opinion, some of the best music in the game.

This folk cover of the tower’s theme aims to capture the feelings Link might’ve had when stumbling upon this dungeon for the first time. It has a sinister and looming undercurrent that makes the area feel larger and grander. As this dungeon was seemingly based on the Tower of Babel, I found the folk instrumentation to be a very appropriate choice — too appropriate, in fact. To be perfectly honest, this version of Stone Tower Temple’s theme has eclipsed the original version for me; despite it being one of my favorite tracks, I can no longer remember what the original sounds like.

I suppose that is my sign to go and listen to it again.

Big Hat: YouTube

This Spirit Tracks orchestration brings a great score to life.

If you’re a fan of medleys, I have great news for you. Today I give you two of them.

This medley re-orchestrates a good chunk of the important Spirit Tracks songs for a total run time of 23 minutes and 26 seconds. My favorite parts are “The Spirit Flute” and the “Title Theme.” Hearing these songs with more detailed acoustic guitar and pan flute VSTs makes me wish Spirit Tracks was created for hardware less limited than the DS. However, that’s exactly what fan covers are for.

One of the most fetching parts of this arrangement for me is the transition from the title theme to the theme of Malladus. That moment feels cinematic, and makes me once again yearn for a Spirit Tracks movie. I think it has that impact because, in the battle, you’re just trying not to die and therefore do not have a whole lot of time to stop and smell the roses. But this cover takes the time to give the music the weight and prominence it deserves. Whenever I’m in the mood to think about Spirit Tracks and all the potential it had to be a great game, I come back to this cover. 

Boberon: YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Portfolio

Yep, I put two Spirit Tracks covers back to back.

Not only am I providing you with two medleys today, but I am also sending you to listen to two Spirit Tracks covers.

Despite its dated technological instruments, the exuberant melodies and energetic fervor of the Spirit Tracks soundtrack lands it in my top three Zelda OSTs. This is an older cover from Zelda ReOrchestrated (now ZREO: Second Quest), but it really hits the spot for me. Not only does this cover capture the essence of the song it means to emulate, “Train Exam,” but it also adds copious color and ebullience, due in no small part to its use of live instruments. The orchestration in this piece stands out to me as particularly well done. The backing strings mimic the steady chugging of a train, while the main lead in the chorus and accompanying string instrument make me feel as if the sun were dappling on my face as I conduct my own driving exam.

If you love the Spirit Tracks soundtrack as much as I do, don’t miss this one! This song is part of a whole album of ZREO Spirit Tracks covers which I highly recommend checking out as well.

ZREO: Second Quest: Spotify, Bandcamp

Here’s a Haunting Cover of Majora’s Mask‘s Creepiest Dungeon Theme.

When I first played Majora’s Mask, I thought Woodfall Temple had really annoying music. This cover completely changed my perception.

Theophany has a way of turning a song into an experience. The introduction comprised of ghostly synths and eerie sound effects captured my attention enough to hook me into the track. As soon as the percussion kicked in, I knew I was in for something special. Up to one minute, 54 seconds, this cover sounds like it could be the score for a high-budget action-adventure movie. But after that moment, some otherworldly vocals come in and change the vibe of the song entirely. It suddenly feels like this is a real song from the ancient culture in the game.

Overall, the sound quality of this cover is exceptional, as per usual with Theophany’s music productions. I’m glad it prompted me to give Woodfall Temple’s theme a second chance.

(Although next time I play the game, I might just put this on instead.)

TheophanyRemix: YouTube, Patreon, Bandcamp, Spotify, X, Bluesky

I hope this feature has led you to discover some Zelda fan renditions that you haven’t heard before. Did you enjoy any of these covers? And do you have any Zelda covers you love? Let us know in the comments!

Aubriel Eastman

Aubriel has been an avid Zelda fan since she was 13, when she discovered Twilight Princess. She loves writing screenplays and composing music, and is currently going to school for a BA in film. Aubriel is a staff writer for Zelda Dungeon.