Best Rayman Soundtrack?

[Keane]

I thought it'd be interesting to see whether you guys prefer trilogy or newray music?

[Bradandez]

New Rayman Music. But overall, every main Rayman game has a fantastic soundtrack. Except for Rayman 2. The music for R2 is plain boring.

[DandyGuy]

Rayman 1. Nothing else like it.

[RayCarrot]

For me it has to be Rayman Legends, though I do really like the music from Rayman 2 as well.

[SpyroGuy]

I was pretty conflicted between R2 and R3, howewer all in all R3 has better OST imo with more memorable tunes, while R2 mostly focuses on atmospheric buildup which means a LOT of ambience tracks. Soothing for the soul, but not as melodious as R3's OST.

[Droolie]

You left out Rayman M, it's a pretty strong contender too.

But I definitely prefer the main trilogy's soundtrack -- Rayman 1's soundtrack especially, even though Rayman 2 and Rayman M come really close. My order of preference is R1 > R2 > RM > RL > R3 > RHR & RRR GBA > RRR > RO > all other Rayman soundtracks.

1. Rayman 1's soundtrack is very melodic and memorable.
2. As SpyroGuy said Rayman 2's soundtrack focuses more on creating a unique and adventurous atmosphere for the game, but it's not as melodic.
3. Rayman M has some great character themes, but what it really nails are the area themes, creating a magical yet tense atmosphere for the battles.
4. Rayman Legends has lots of highs (Lost in the Clouds, most of the invasion songs, Fiesta de los Muertos, Mansion of the Deep) and a few lows (Olympus Maximus, most of the music levels) but manages to sound good most of the time. However, Lost in the Clouds is the only track that I really found memorable.
5. R3's soundtrack has some good area themes (FC, LotLD, DotK especially) but its atmosphere is completely destroyed every time a combat theme starts playing (and there are a lot).
6. I think Rayman Hoodlums' Revenge and RRR GBA's soundtracks wouldn't be bad if redone with modern samples.
7. Rayman Raving Rabbids's soundtrack is very mediocre, but then again, a soundtrack has to fit the game, doesn't it?
8. Rayman Origins' soundtrack is boring, the craziness is overdone and is very monotonous. There's like one or two tracks that I like a bit.

[Harpic fraîcheur]

I prefer the Rayman 3 soundtrack. I like the other soundtracks too anyway.

[TFDS]

Very hard choice right here. Hmm... my favorites would probably be from RM, R3 and RL, but out of these, I can't pick a leading one.

[Lysol]

The Rayman Bowling soundtrack, of course!

[Yharu]

Don't know if I'm the only metal-head here, but definitely like Rayman 2 soundtrack better. I just love the slight electric guitar in the music. In Rayman 3 I really appreciate the ambient, though. While Origins and Legends sound like the soundtrack of some marvellous cartoons. I loved Heral's job, indeed.

[SpyroGuy]

This poll should have an extra option called:

"The Fucking Epic and Marvelously Intense Countdown Sequences of Rayman M/Arena's time limited battles."

[deton24]

My vote for Rayman 2.
Eric Chevalier is a professional artist who compose soundtracks for a few full-length movies.
Rayman 2 OST is one of the most sophisticated and film style soundtracks in games I ever heard.
And it was released in '99. (1st track comes from 97').
But in-game compression deteriorated proper perceiving of a work, which work in fact, was deeply sophisticated in a form and content. Some kind of a film style.
I put plenty of effort to release 44kHz version from PSX, and remaster it, and Revolution songs, to prove that this music has so much big potential, is so inspiring that it always deserved wider recognition. But it still requires more effort and better equipment to master files enough to show it's full potential. It is definitely not finished.
You can try to listen the soundtrack once again from my link (signature), in this better quality, if you haven't done so, if you wish.

Rayman 3 was too chaotic, and childish in form imho, samples were less sophisticated, but content was much bigger, and it would turn out that half of the song's which I really, really love from R3, states half of a R2:TGE OST content in duration.
Droolie said one thing that I agree with:

Rayman 2's soundtrack focuses more on creating a unique and adventurous atmosphere for the game, but it's not as melodic.

And this "melodic" is just sometimes foolery for me in a form.
Maybe I'm a little angry on R3 OST because we just extract R3 OST from HD version, which gives not that bad quality, but I'm still not happy with it's mastering, it is mostly 32kHz and it's hard material to do anything useful with it.
But, maybe, once upon a time...

[Haruka]

I am surprised that Rayman M is not in the poll. How it is possible Rayman Bowling is here instead of it? Someone explain me please (it is rhetorical by the way).

I do find Claude Samard's work quite notable. For me this soundtrack managed something in which I believe it is not easy to do, especially done by a different musician, which is to give a feeling that the music is part of the same universe as Rayman 2. I know it sounds very different from Éric's work but there is something special in Rayman M/Arena/Rush's soundtrack that allows to create a bond with both games. I personally love (almost) everything: since the suspense and tension tunes right in the last minute of a timed battle to the racing themes of the characters that really gives us a feeling of "I can't stop running".

Excluding Rayman M, it is a very difficult decision for me as I am balanced between R1 and R2. Rayman 1 is that kind of soundtrack that doesn't need a long list of musics in order to remember every moment of the game. I listen to the Mr. Skops battle theme and I can clearly remember the first time I had to face the limbless scorpion that tried to make me fall to the lava lake. I listen to the Picture's City violin and flute accords and I remember the field of moving pencils that was my way out from the lake of Indian Ink; and so on. I love that. It is songs you do not forget about. I also love Rayman 2's soundtrack for its spirit of adventure and discovery, as if I was watching a movie of the genre. In different points of the game, the music was also successfully matching with what was going on on the screen and consequently moving my feelings: the sadness of seeing a desperate mother who had her children kidnapped and arrested, the confusion and the thirst of answers for your questions after facing a mysterious spiritual figure or the adrenaline of escaping with all what you got from an army of pirates that are trying to capture you in any way possible because anything goes, even dead or alive Razorbeard wants you. It was not an easy pick but I have chosen Rayman 2 given the fact that its soundtrack is still for me one of the best ones I've ever caught in a video game and a great example of how a soundtrack quality can really make the difference in the gaming experience. I do think that R2 without the music, it would not be the same thing. It would lose a lot (That is why I think that ports like N64/DS really harm the gameplay experience, especially for first timers in R2. And I am not counting the numerous problems both ports own, especially the latter!).

Rayman 3 has got good musics. Some of my favourites are the "Fairy Council - The Entrance Hall", "The Land of the Livid Dead", "Reflux - The Knaaren Warrior" and the scrapped tune of RaymanZone's Cartoscope (also used in R3 Making Of video). However, I see the soundtrack working more as atmospheric/environmental and I believe it is because of that that I do not appreciate it as much as the previous two I talked about. You also have questionable musics like "The Muddibog Posse"...

Rayman Legends' manages to overcome the general quality of Hoodlum Havoc by picking up a bit of the adventure formula of R2. Some of my favourites are "Teensies in Trouble", "When the Wind Blows" and "20000 Lums Under the Sea (Guitar & Bass)".

Then there is Rayman Origins. Too silly for my taste. I can only think of a very minor number of songs that I do appreciate: "The Abyss", "The Lums' Dream", "The Dragon's Chef Belly" and "Steampunk Suspense".

While Christophe Héral is a great musician, I liked much more his work in Beyond Good and Evil by far. Quoting some RayTunes titles, "Invasion", "Fun and Mini-Games" and "The Akuda Bar - Propaganda".

[deton24]

I also love Rayman 2's soundtrack for its spirit of adventure and discovery, as if I was watching a movie of the genre. In different points of the game, the music was also successfully matching with what was going on on the screen and consequently moving my feelings: the sadness of seeing a desperate mother who had her children kidnapped and arrested, the confusion and the thirst of answers for your questions after facing a mysterious spiritual figure or the adrenaline of escaping with all what you got from an army of pirates that are trying to capture you in any way possible because anything goes, even dead or alive Razorbeard wants you. It was not an easy pick but I have chosen Rayman 2 given the fact that its soundtrack is still for me one of the best ones I've ever caught in a video game and a great example of how a soundtrack quality can really make the difference in the gaming experience. I do think that R2 without the music, it would not be the same thing. It would lose a lot (That is why I think that ports like N64/DS really harm the gameplay experience, especially for first timers in R2. And I am not counting the numerous problems both ports own, especially the latter!).

I absolutely agree with you. Thanks for the comment!

[OCG]

These two soundtracks are my favourites of them all:

[Bzzit]

Rayman 1 > Rayman 2 = Rayman Legends > Rayman 3 > Rayman Origins

[Bradandez]

Oh boy, Unkle Brad is here to crap on your favorite games' soundtracks from childhood.

First off, Rayman 1. I gotta say, this soundtrack is simply delightful.I may not favor Rayman 1 for its gameplay, but its aesthetics are truly very charming. The soundtrack is definitely a really good one. It has such a variety of songs with different genres. The upbeat tune of "Firsts Steps" is so fitting for the first level, it gives off a great feel and sets up the atmosphere for the entire game. I love Band Land's music (ironically enough). "Harmony" is a classic, it's a lovely tune that also represents the game very well. And the atmospherical track, "Fear of Heights, does what R2 doesn't do. It's an atmospheric track that doesn't bore to death. It has somewhat of a melody in the middle of it, but it's a dam catchy one to me at least. Rayman 1's soundtrack is just a pleasant one. It has plenty of great and memorable tracks.

Now, Rayman 2.


Honestly, I've said that Rayman 2 has the worst soundtrack but I gave it another listen and maybe I was a little harsh. Though, it's still my least favorite. You guys holler how atmospherical the tracks can be, and yeah, I guess they do that part alright, but the tracks are so dull. They don't entertain me like any other soundtrack. You can say that they're not supposed to be melodic, but I call bull on that. You can have a very atmosperical track with a melodic tune.Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze's soundtrack has a ton of tracks that do both amazingly. Yeah, I might be going to extremes to prove my point, but my main point is that soundtracks can pull off tracks being atmospheric and matching the actions/melodic. I can't even say anything good about Rayman 2's soundtrack because it just draining. It's boring. That's it.

[deton24]

And because of an opinions like this, Rayman 2 deserves for completely remastered soundtrack by a pros, studio, with good equipment.
Not by one hotspur. To see what it got better.
Music strictly relates to a gameplay. Maybe you didn't quite like R2 as others used to.

[RibShark]

I actually agree with Brad on the Rayman 2 soundtrack. I think it is good, but it certainly doesn't shine as much as the other games do. One big factor is that the same few jingles are used throughout most of the games music. This sort of effect can be good (see: Undertale's soundtrack), but it is overly used here with not enough different melodies for it to not become boring after a while.

[Bradandez]

You took the words right outta my mouth, Rib. The same melody over and over without drastic change gets really dull. And it's a shame seeing as the melody to "Riding the Shell" is damn catchy one, but it's so overused.