Patch 5.3 interview with Ghostcrawler
Mystery of the Unborn Val'kyr
The latest patch 5.3 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: What's your favorite piece of music in WoW?
by Aiden James Kosciesza 
Feb 16th 2011 at 8:00AM
World of Warcraft is a game with great sound and great sound design. Players might not always notice it, but for those of us who play with the music on, these themes can really set the tone for the game. Ashenvale music never fails to remind me of my first foray into the zone; after Darkshore, which was a bit bleak, my baby druid stepped into Ashenvale and it seemed like all of Azeroth opened up, wide and colorful and filled with swelling orchestral tracks. Though the game world seems much smaller to me now, I still remember that moment whenever I hear the Ashenvale theme.
My favorite piece of WoW music, however, has got to be the one in Mulgore. I play mainly Alliance, so I don't go there often, but every time I visit the zone for the Darkmoon Faire or head to Thunder Bluff for some holiday achievement, I'm struck by the beauty and tranquility of the Mulgore music. It really fits the environment, and it never fails to relax me when I fly through. The slow, soft yearning reminds me of the Tauren people and their culture, while the undercurrent of tension hints at the conflict brewing in the world outside that secluded valley.
What's your favorite piece of WoW music? Does it remind you of a particular time or a nostalgic feeling, or is it the pure beauty of the composition that you admire? When do you feel the WoW music is at its most epic?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 8)
Sankekur Feb 16th 2011 9:28AM
The old Gallows End tavern in Brill is my favorite,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ2u8qN9EqQ
I have a huge playlist of WoW music that I listen to in my car :D
exogenesis. Feb 16th 2011 9:28AM
I think for me, it's a tie between the awesomely epic music with the beautiful choir and orchestra from Maestra's Post/Feralas/various others, the Uldum music when the eerily haunting woman gets going, and Xaxas.
I think the Xaxas music fits Deathwing so well.
exogenesis. Feb 16th 2011 9:31AM
Oh, I can't believe I forgot Shadow of the Necropolis!
I pretty much fell head over heels with the Naxxramas music the first time I set foot in that place. Especially the tick-tock part. Like counting down to your doom. Amazing.
Namus Feb 16th 2011 9:32AM
The new Goblin Towns Music, made me hang out in bogpaddle just listening to the awesome music, reminds me of Dream Theater's keyboard player Jordan Ruddess
nieboh Feb 16th 2011 9:43AM
My favorite piece of music in the game (as I said earlier) is Lament of the Highborne. It's just really pretty. There are other nice pieces, like the Celtic music in Grizzly Hills and whatnot, but my most memorable piece of music in WoW didn't actually come from the game.
I was listening to a new album by Mylène Farmer, Point de Sutre, while questing. I had just finished the questline at Fordragon Hold when a song I didn't even know was on the album started playing. The last song, Si J'avais au Moins has an easter egg buried at the end.
So I've just finished this epic questline on my Night Elf and hop onto my Bronze dragon to fly away while Ave Maria starts playing. At first I didn't even notice because there's a heavy "heartbeat" thing at the start that matched perfectly to the beating of my dragon's wings, then she starts singing as I'm slowly flying up and away with the world in flames around me.
It was just a totally amazing bit of synchronicity that left me dumbstruck for a while.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6fKq8_HyPA
AngrySlob Feb 17th 2011 2:38AM
Definitely Nagrand. It really is stunning and goes great with the zone,
Elpizo Feb 17th 2011 9:21AM
For me, Storm Peaks music always stirs the soul so-to-speak, as does the music for Silvermoon, Wintergrasp, the old Orgrimmar theme & Icecrown. My fave though has to be 'The Culling' from the WotLK OST - So epic, really gives me the feeling of Arthas' Despair, & the horror of what he has to do.
Solanum Feb 16th 2011 9:50AM
I love Grizzly Hills and Howling Fijord music, however I have a tie for my ultimate favorite:
Karazhan & Graveyard
Karazhan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR7bqc2mheA
Graveyard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbQzaCGeNQU
Karazhan has such a sinister regal quality to it that I absolutely love, while Graveyard has that haunting vocal aspect that is both relaxing (RIP) and eerie
KaijaAldith Feb 16th 2011 9:52AM
My favorite since Cata has been the Shimmering Expanse music -- so lovely and relaxing, like being on vacation or at least at a spa. Of course, I'm not sure that's optimal for killing things, but at least when I got killed myself (oh yeah, that's right, I'm leveling again), I didn't mind so much.
ravyynn Feb 16th 2011 9:56AM
One of my favorite is the music from the cut scene, via the orb, in MagT. I actually rotate it as a ring tone and everyone who hears it wants to know what that beautiful music is.
Bas Feb 16th 2011 9:57AM
The classic burning steppes theme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ham5gJWxLUM
Perfect music for a scorched,hostiled and lore heavy wasteland.
Moeru Feb 16th 2011 9:58AM
Grizzly Hills, aka Totems of Grizzlemaw on the CDs.
Also, the Gunship part from The Shattering.
snowleopard233 Feb 16th 2011 10:04AM
I find the new cataclysm track, Breath of Al’Akir, amazing. It’s just so somber and dramatic. That, and Castaways, the goblin starting zone track, which is every bit as fun and adventurous as the former track is mature and haunting.
Mayhew Feb 16th 2011 4:20PM
Yes! Castaways. <3
I really love that song. One thing that I find to be true in WoW is that there are a huge number of tracks that I can really get into, depending on my mood. I've really enjoyed the WoW soundtracks, both in vanilla and the last 3 expansions. I'm going to try to buy collector's editions of the games whenever possible from here on out (Cata was my first), just to get the soundtracks that come with them.
Gorelord Feb 16th 2011 10:11AM
my favorites have been mentioned already...but the music for the 1st boss in FoS deserves and honorable mention, if only for the james brown reference...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LLPuw0zv0o
Greenjojo Feb 16th 2011 10:16AM
Can't really narrow it down to one favorite, although if I had to I'd say Karazhan has the best in-game music. I also enjoyed the music in the Storm Peaks. Welcome to Orgrimmar is also damn epic...YOU WILL SERVE THE HORDE, OR BE CRUSHED BENEATH IT! I also like the Silvermoon City themes.
Vinyl Feb 16th 2011 10:19AM
Everyone's covered a bunch of my favorites but I'm surprised almost no one has mentioned Breath of Al'Akir (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CESGIXHU1qE). It's very lovely, very simple, but everything is layered and there's just a touch of vocals that give it an ethereal quality while the trumpets do most of the work.
It's not my favorite starting zone ever, but I do really enjoy just randomly starting blood elf toons just to hear The Sin'dorei (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCe4uisTtbo). The cello work is simply amazing and there's this mournful quality to the whole piece.
And for all the nights I spent there, I'll never forget the hymn in Icecrown Citadel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRFWSsGVrVk). Just. GUH
Xantenise Feb 16th 2011 11:58AM
Oh yes, I forgot about Breath of Al'Akir! It's beautiful. I like to imagine that's what heaven sounds like.
WoWie Zowie Feb 16th 2011 10:31AM
a topic i'm very opinionated about.
always loved the theme of the sin'dorei. very graceful and flowing; elegant like the highborne. but, also like the highborne, the tritone melody gives it a sense of unease. the breathy choir with a solo, expressive cello: superbly done.
the other that i love is the new goblin themes. cartoonish but with a sort of swashbuckly 6/8 that really paints a backstory of who they are. the whistling on the track is a perfect touch. my only criticism is that the themes only last at most a minute, never resolving to a finish, but just loop and fade in and out between the fragmented variations. i would have loved to hear these as a complete piece.
a nod to grizzly hills zone music. very characteristic and orchestrated sensitively. the instrument, called a swedish nyckelharpa of course is unmistakably scandanavian, and the orchestra that picks it up after the solo seems to breathe gently. like morning in a long lost nordic village.
Kendro Feb 16th 2011 10:38AM
RIft of Aln is pretty nice. I even use it sometimes while studying, it has a pretty soothing tone and rhythm. Kinda odd though, since the Rift of Aln is supposed to be the last shred of the Nightmare left in the Emerald Dream, that supposedly can be followed down to a(or more) Old Gods.