Zelda’s Lullaby
To be fair, ‘Zelda’s Lullaby’ is what the song was called when it first appeared in Ocarina of Time. The very first version was known as ‘Princess Zelda’s Rescue,’ and it was in A Link To The Past. Following that, it shows up whenever Zelda does. Much like the princess, this track holds its own mysterious power. No matter the backdrop, no matter the stakes, she wields the power to command a room. Not with an iron fist or sharpened fangs, but with a quiet, vulnerable dignity befitting royalty. I imagine that this music, more than any other song, is what plays in Link’s head when Zelda makes an appearance. Like any good lullaby, she chases away the monstrous conflicts and brings a sense of peace.
Hyrule Castle Theme
This is a weird, complicated track. One would assume that Hyrule Castle would be the stronghold for good, the beating heart of the kingdom’s struggle against tyranny and evil. Instead, it ends up being Ganon’s new home and the source of all evil in the game. For this reason, the song has a foreboding air, like the gilded bones of an ancient god. Hearing this music reminds you of the serious nature of your quest, of the dire consequences if you fail. Like a lot of these songs, the Hyrule Castle theme has its origins in A Link to the Past. From there, the song gets more or less intense depending on what the story requires of it. For example, the Wind Waker version is stuffed with the quiet of an ancient grave. while in Breath of the Wild the song is blistering intense. Every version feels like grim work lies ahead, however.
Ganon’s Tower
Ganon’s music is so simple, I forgot it existed until it came time to write this article. Resembling a slow climb up a massive set of stone stairs, this song breeds tension in the listener. It first appeared in Ocarina of Time, culminating in a sinister shot of Ganondorf playing a colossal organ. Ever since, this music has been employed to immediately raise the stakes just before that epic final encounter. While the actual boss battle music always ends up being a little different, the anticipation leading to your meeting with Ganon just doesn’t feel right without some version of this song accompanying you. Even walking up the stairs to your apartment feels like your last moments on Earth with this song in the background. By the time the fight begins you’re relieved, simply due to the built-up tension having left your body.
Overworld
One of the frustrating things about collecting all of the most iconic songs in the series is that the most essential tracks are buried in other songs. Case in point, the most famous song in the Zelda series isn’t named in any of the soundtracks. The very first game lists it as Intro or Overworld. They return to this song in A Link To The Past, and then it disappears… sort of. Actually, the song just hides among the ending credits and final sequences of almost every other main game in the series. Even if I didn’t provide a link or two in order to provide evidence, you probably already have the song in your head. It’s so ubiquitous that Nintendo uses it in promotional material and advertising in order to evoke that Legend of Zelda feeling in viewers. Every note rings with an adventure just begun, with sparkling vistas opened wide before your steady marching boots. This song is like a weapon itself, a heartening rhythm strapped to your belt to ward off even the worst of the monsters you encounter. Although it’s only in a few games, these limited appearances are still enough to lodge this song directly in the planet’s collective brain stem. When you think of Link and his adventures, you likely think of this song.
There you have it, folks. While these aren’t the only songs to echo throughout the whole Zelda franchise, they represent some of the most endearing, timeless and infectious pieces of the Legend of Zelda’s musical history. These are the songs that followed me everywhere in one form or another throughout my formative years, coloring my world in the same way they shaped Hyrule. Although they’ve changed their shapes, sometimes growing more complex with every update, these iconic songs have a history that stretches back as far as the franchise itself.