so i don't really value the grammys on this because they never cared much for video game music. like it's an argument for Journey but the game and its soundtrack came and went. there's no long lasting legacy which is where i'd place the Rushmore as mattering more, as something iconic. award shows
could
matter but only if it also reflects
cultural
importance too and that just plain ain't what the grammys are for with video games. and i say this knowing that Baba Yetu will one day be in this contest for something and that'll be an argument for it too (though it has a way, way greater and longer lasting impact than anything Journey). i also don't need the noms to necessarily be "things that everyone knows" because the more niche something is the less it's going to be relevant. there's certainly a factor of recognizability but just because everyone knows the Mario theme doesn't make people go "oh yeah so that got me into video game soundtracks." here my thought goes it needs to be something that makes people go "wow, that came from a video game? what else is there?" basically it needs to represent the niche more and be something impactful,
not
just recognizable.
on to the noms:
Undertale
Chrono Cross
Kingdom Hearts
Undertale fits the bill of importance and culture. it went way beyond everything else. it's also with really good standouts.
Chrono Cross i feel belongs more on a
soundtrack
situation because it stands out on its own and definitely influenced plenty of others. to this day it's known less as an RPG and more as the game with the really good soundtrack. love Trigger and i can easily see both get snubbed for competing with each other, Cross is just the one of "oh the soundtrack" and gets beyond the chiptune era and into full orchestration, which is important.
KH is there because there's a handful of songs which are just immortalized in gaming music from it and a good chunk of the love of the series is in its music. in some cases that does play pretty close to the licensed music rule but the versions representing the series are to the game itself. that still doesn't cover Dearly Beloved or Hikari/Simple and Clean though so hey. the game also helps bridge that gap into making people interested in VGM more, they may be lured in by Disney but end up falling in love with the Shimomura pieces more, at which point it's done. definitely was a gateway for a lot of people.
uncertain of the 4th and i don't want to have to repost this wall of text if i switch.
do have thoughts on DKC2, Guilty Gear X2, and Nier. surprising nobody's mentioned guilty gear yet. like okay not influential enough but nobody's favorite eh? there's an argument for a shooter or street fighter or hell, MGS1/2/3, like there's
definitely
an argument for a Metal Gear. but not gonna nom any of those yet.
"Maybe it's a tentacle, molesting the planet itself. - Aschen Brodel.