I don't know much, but I do know that the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack is straight-up fire. Yes, most - if not all of it - is cheesy as hell. But lord help me I love it. I love the unholy selection of kid-friendly pop punk, metal, hip-hop, and dance numbers. I love that its unashamed bombast, painfully on-the-nose lyrics, and delicious guitar riffs went on to inform and influence my tastes for years to come.
The idea behind the music in Sonic Adventure 2, according the history books, is that SEGA really wanted the tunes to stand out. To be more than just background music. Given the sheer number of absolute bangers we heard across the game, I think it's fair to say that composer Jun Senoue succeeded... with the help of a team of talented artists and vocalists. Among them, Crush 40, who'd go on to perform the main themes for a number of 3D sonic games including Heroes and Shadow The Hedgehog.
Anyway, you can see where this is going. I love me some Sonic Adventure 2, and I'm feeling nostalgic for a time when, much like Sonic, I could leave the house and run more than once a day. Although I guess to be fair, Sonic was locked up for it. Still, let's rank the best songs from the Sonic Adventure 2 Soundtrack, shall we? I mean, what else are we gonna do today?
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Oh, and to be clear, I'll be doing this ranking based on the songs available on the official Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack on Spotify. So if I've missed any old favourites, you can blame SEGA and Spotify, not me. For added fun, why not listen along at home? It's right here. Go ahead. Please.
Keys The Ruin... for Pyramid Cave (SEGA SOUND TEAM, Jun Senoue)
If the vibe this song was going for was ancient Egypt by way of rocking guitar licks... well, I don't quite know how, but they smashed it. Plus this one has the cahonies to pull out a steel drum breakdown from nowhere and I can't help but respect that.
The Mad Convoy Race... for City Escape (SEGA SOUND TEAM, Jun Senoue)
AKA that great little piece of music that plays when you're being chased by a giant GUN truck at the end of City Escape. Fast, punchy, and does exactly what it needs to.
Vengeance Is Mine... for Radical Highway (SEGA SOUND TEAM, Jun Senoue)
Radical Highway is a great name for a band and I'm shocked such a band doesn't exist yet. Someone start that band. And then exclusively play a cover of this over and over again.
Boss: GUN - Mobile (SEGA SOUND TEAM, Jun Senoue)
You tell me how the hell I'm supposed to fight a boss when I'm too busy playing air guitar to these sweet riffs? No seriously, tell me. I've been stuck on this boss battle for nearly 20 years now.
Mr. Unsmiley... for Sky Rail (SEGA SOUND TEAM, Jun Senoue)
Seriously, this soundtrack just keeps slapping and doesn't stop. Jun Senoue and the SEGA SOUND TEAM didn't have to go this hard for us. But they did. They went hard. And I LOVE IT.
That's The Way I Like It... for Metal Harbour (SEGA SOUND TEAM, Jun Senoue)
Man, they really saved all the best music in this game for the Sonic levels, huh? A blistering back and forth of chugging guitars and rousing brass, this one always kind of reminds me of Eric Johnson's Cliffs Of Dover. But better, because it involves a speedy blue hedgehog.
Won't Stop, Just Go!... for Green Forest (SEGA SOUND TEAM, Jun Senoue)
This one gets my motor running every damn time. The crashing drums and spiky guitars are the perfect soundtrack to the level itself, which (if I recall) is Sonic legging it out of a forest before it explodes. That's pretty badass.
A Ghost's Pumpkin Soup... for Pumpkin Hill (SEGA Sound Team)
Okay, so you think you've heard everything Sonic Adventure 2 has to offer? BOOM, have a straight-up rap out of NOWHERE. This should be awful. It should be an embarrassing mess. I dunno, maybe it is... but through the rose-tinted glasses of my youth, all I hear is greatness. Open your heart, and you'll hear it too.
Escape From The City... for City Escape (Ted Poley, Tony Harnell)
Oh you just knew this was gonna be up here near the top. What a banger. What a goddamn tune. An slick slice of pop punk perfection with lyrics that would make a grown man cringe - but blast it all if you won't catch me rolling around at the speed of sound at every given opportunity. Oh, and that bass riff at the start. Oof. Ya'll hear that and it becomes clear something special is about to go down.
Live & Learn... Main Theme Of "Sonic Adventure" (Crush 40)
Crush 40 coming in hot and, erm, crushing it with this prime example of what I like to call motivational metal. That term has yet to catch on, I'm sorry to report. Still, what's not to love about this belter of a song? As long as you've got two ears connected to a heart, you'll vibe with this cocktail of riffs and kind words.
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"Live and Learn!" Crush 40 implore us through a haze of distorted guitars before diving into a solo that I think might secretly have been the reason I decided to learn guitar. I told girls at the time my taking up guitar was because of Green Day because I wasn't sure Sonic would impress them. According to my wife, all these years later, I was right to trust that instinct.
Featured Image Credit: SEGATopics: Sega, Sonic The Hedgehog