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Posts with tag wow-music

Blizzard music now available on Pandora

If there's one thing that's been a constant over the years of Blizzard games, it's been the music - and there's some good news for those that love Blizzard's tunes. The Video Game Music station on streaming internet radio site Pandora is now cycling in Blizzard soundtracks from Warcraft, Diablo and StarCraft as well. For those that use Pandora for listening, it means you may get a bit of Blizzard mixed in with your usual fare -- for those that don't use Pandora, you might want to check it out. The site uses your personal tastes in music to fashion a playlist for you and suggest songs you might like based on what you listen to already.

From the strains of Stormwind City to the heights of Grizzly Hills, the music in Warcraft has always been a high point of every expansion for me. While I don't leave the music running constantly when I'm playing the game, new patches and new content always has me turning up the in-game music to see what new tunes have been added. Be sure to check out Pandora for a taste of Blizzard's soundtracks -- you can listen to Pandora via online stream, or through one of their many mobile apps.

Filed under: News items

WoW's Singing Sunflower sweetens the Lament of the Highborne

The voice of Laura Shigihara will forever be synonymous among WoW fans with the Singing Sunflower pet -– that ineffably perky little companion so fond of cheerfully reminding you "There's a zombie on your law-awn ..." It's been a while since the Plants vs. Zombies theme song composer has sung any music related to World of Warcraft, but she's got a new tune out and it's one that Shigihara fans have been clamoring for years to hear: "Lament of the Highborne."

"At first I didn't want to cover this song, since there are already so many lovely covers out there (and the original is already so perfect as is)," she admits, "but hopefully folks are still able to enjoy it."

Whether it's zombies on the lawn or the haunting lament of Lady Sylvanas' banshees, we suspect that enjoying Shigihara's work is probably a safe bet. Enjoy!

Filed under: News items

Poll: What zone has the best music?

map of azeroth
I'm going to open this one with a personal story. In 2009 at a Blizzcon party, I had the good fortune to be introduced to Russell Brower, and I promptly went all starry-eyed and gushed about how much I loved WoW's music. His face lit up and he said, "Oh you are just the best thing!" and kissed my hand. Then asked me what my favorite was. My answer was immediate, and without hesitation: Black Temple.

Now, let's fast-forward to today, in 2013, almost four years later. Has my answer changed? Maybe. Black Temple is still definitely up there, but I'm not sure it's the out-and-away winner anymore. With Cataclysm many of the zones got updated music, so areas I wasn't super enthused about before suddenly became much more compelling. In the end, the five I've come up with are Grizzly Hills (a perennial favorite), Black Temple (still love it), Ashenvale ("Nightsong" alone makes this nomination), Karazhan (haunted mansion!), and Kun-Lai Summit (mostly for "Way of the Monk," which plays upon entry into the Temple of the White Tiger). Vote on your favorite in the poll, but don't think this is the definitive list. I'm sure there are plenty of zones I've overlooked, so tell us what I've missed in the comments.
Which zone has the best music?
Grizzly Hills2399 (49.8%)
Black Temple300 (6.2%)
Ashenvale597 (12.4%)
Karazhan955 (19.8%)
Kun-Lai Summit569 (11.8%)

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion

Breakfast Topic: Mobile users, what are your favorite WoW ringtones and sounds?

I can't tell you how tickled I am to get text messages these days, ever since I made the familiar murloc gurgle my text message notification sound. Text messages evoke the same feelings in me that murlocs do -- man, I get annoyed when I have to stop and deal with one, but they're actually irresistible little creatures, aren't they?

Also popular at our house is my regular morning alarm. You read that right: My family actually wants to hear my alarm go off. I use that drippingly gorgeous theme from Elwynn Forest, and it eases us into consciousness with the gentle caress of dawn. Sometimes my husband whispers in the dark, "Just let it play."

My other favorite notification sounds include The Lament of the Highborne as my alarm notification for after-school pickups (I need something gentle to nudge me from my writing and editing fugue at that point in the day) and the friendly, energetic classic Alliance tavern theme as my normal ringtone. (What, you thought I could handle the pandaren inn version?!)

What WoW ringtones and sounds do you enjoy on your own mobile devices?

Filed under: Breakfast Topics

Patch 5.1 adds new music tracks for Alliance, Horde

It's no secret that I love the music of Mists of Pandaria. But there's a part of me that missed the old themes and recognizable strains of the Alliance and Horde themes scattered about the old world. In patch 5.1, the Alliance and Horde will officially make their appearance on Pandaria's shores, bringing the conflict straight to the pandaren along with new scenarios, and new music.

Wowhead dug up some of the tracks from the PTR and put them together in a video that's a little over 45 minutes long. Despite the length, it's well worth the listen, as the glorious sounds of Alliance anthems are brought back to life, as well as a darker, more haunting set of refrains for the Horde. Included too are tracks titled "Jaina's Homeland," which are recognizable variations of the Dalaran themes from Wrath of the Lich King.

And if you'd like a little twisted fun, there's a track at the end for the new Darkmoon Faire carousel coming with the next patch, too. It's got that sweet yet slightly off feeling of any good track from a Burton movie. I love the music for Warcraft, and I love that we're getting so many music updates right along with patch updates. I hope we'll be able to purchase these pieces on a secondary soundtrack at some point!


Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.

Filed under: News items, Mists of Pandaria

Win tickets to hear WoW soundtrack composer David Arkenstone

WoW soundtrack composer David Arkenstone plays at a rennaissance festival
What, ho! If thou dost live anywhere at all near Austin, Texas, we hath a merry proposal for thy consideration: a chance to win weekend passes for two to hear WoW soundtrack composer David Arkenstone on the weekend of March 31 and April 1 at the Sherwood Forest Faire near Austin. Forsooth, 'tis verily so -- a meatspace contest for readers in a single mid-U.S. region. (Our most sincere condolences to residents of other fiefs and kingdoms ... There's only so much of the noble Sir Arkenstone to go around!) Mark you, there be no place more fitting to tarry on a sunny spring morn than a renn faire featuring three-time Grammy nominee David Arkenstone performing songs including some of his melodious compositions for World of Warcraft.

So hear ye, hear ye (in plain English): We're giving away two pairs of tickets (a $72 value per pair) for the weekend of March 31 and April 1 to Sherwood Forest Faire, 35 miles east of Austin, Texas. To enter, leave a comment on this post before the contest ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Sunday, March 18, 2012. Since this is a location-specific event, please don't enter unless you can actually attend the faire in Austin on March 31 and/or April 1; alternate dates and locations are not available, and we want a WoW fan who can be there to enjoy these shows. Winners must be legal residents of the United States or Canada (except Quebec). You may only enter once, and winners must be 18 years of age or older. Two winners will be chosen at random, and tickets will be held in their names at the Will Call window of the faire admissions area. See the official rules for more details. Jousting in your entry comment is optional.

Filed under: Contests

Breakfast Topic: Listening to music while playing WoW

I love WoW's soundtrack, but sometimes it just loops too much. I need something that'll keep me awake, excited, and bouncing between pulls in a dungeon. I realized when I started looking for stuff in my playlist that the songs depended very much on what I was playing (warrior, healer, low-level alt) and what I was doing (grinding, dungeon, leveling).

Here are four ways that I incorporate music to my play:

Leveling Undead I found that listening to The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack was a hilarious addition to leveling an Undead character. The lyrics, "This is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween!" added magic to spotting skeletal fish in a lake.

Leveling Draenei/Night Elf The Lord of the Rings soundtrack or Pirates of the Caribbean or Beats Antique are epic songs for these races, no matter where you are in Azeroth. Epic!

Dungeon DPS/warrior Black Sabbath or any heavy metal! Keeps me awake between pulls. Also, techno music works.

Dungeon healing Pink Floyd keeps me calm, cool, and relaxed. Plus, I don't feel the irresistible urge to jump around as I do when listening to heavy metal.

There you have it! What I like to listen to when I play. What do you like to listen to?

Have you ever wanted to write for WoW Insider? Your chance may be right around the corner. Watch for our next call for submissions, and be sure to sign up for Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider. The next byline you see here may be yours!

Filed under: Breakfast Topics

Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite piece of music in WoW?

This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

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

World of WarCrafts: The musical stylings of Evan Freeman

World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music, fan fiction and more. Sample the whole spectrum on our Arts and Crafts in WoW page.

It's Monday and instead of a feast for the eyes or taste buds, this week, we've got a feast for the ears!

When people hear the word "crafts," they generally assume something involving pen and paper, possibly tiny scissors or glue. But sometimes a picture or a story can't really properly convey just what it is the crafter is trying to say. Take Evan Freeman, who creates songs both Warcraft- and StarCraft-inspired, for example. While others craft artwork and stories, Evan crafts tunes inspired by his favorite games, including the above video -- a love song and lament for the loss of the beloved druid tree form.

Evan was kind enough to sit down with us to talk about writing and playing music, and of course, trees. Keep reading for more info and another of Evan's game-inspired tunes, after the break.

Read more →

Filed under: World of WarCrafts

Cataclysm Beta: Login screen music


Not much else to say here, folks -- here's your new login screen music in Cataclysm. Twelve minutes of pure epic, with themes from vanilla and every expansion afterward. Lots of references to the original login music starting at 1:30.

For more music from Cataclysm, check out DominikaSents' YouTube channel.

Filed under: Cataclysm

Breakfast Topic: Soundtrack to my e-life

This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW.com.

A few days ago, I noticed a comment on this very site that moved me. The commenter was responding to one of the dozens of voice clips that have been leaking from Cataclysm. The commenter was asking for a simple transcript of the clip, because he or she is deaf. I was instantly felt I had to write it out for them. It wasn't until later that I realized exactly why I was moved so much for this person: I love the game's soundtrack. The music of World of Warcraft is a huge part of the experience for me, and I can't imagine playing without it.

The soundtrack provides atmosphere for everything from a jaunty tavern to haunted forests and much more. Alliance players, do you remember the first time you journeyed through the Dark Portal? More specifically, Honor Hold? The trumpets, the last-stand vibe ... It was amazing. I still get nostalgic any time I happen to be flying through Dun Morogh at night. It should be a law that every Alliance player must have the game music on the first time they storm into Orgrimmar, and the same goes for Horde players raiding Stormwind. Every expansion, it seems I find one or two pieces that stick with me for years. In vanilla, it was the Song of Elune (played sporadically in Ashenvale). In The Burning Crusade, it was the theme to Honor Hold and Silvermoon City. Wrath, however, gave me my favorite: Wintergrasp.

Do you have a favorite WoW song? Is there one tune that plucks your heartstrings and makes you remember days long past? Or do you mute the game and play to your own music?

Have you ever wanted to write for WoW.com? Your chance may be right around the corner. Watch for our next call for submissions, and be sure to sign up for Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW.com. The next byline you see here may be yours!

Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts

World of WarCrafts: Player-composers create sounds of Azeroth


World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music and fan fiction. Show us how you express yourself by e-mailing lisa (at) wow (dot) com with your not-for-profit, WoW-inspired creations.

The atmospheric listening music for this week's World of WarCrafts comes to us from Rehmaar of <Knights of Valiant Fury> on US Destromath-H. This original, orchestral-style composition, "Knights of the Valiant Fury Overture," is dedicated to the composer's guild. "We are a radical bunch on the Horde side of Destromath, but we have an awesome time playing together and this is my gift to them," writes Rehmaar. "The piece captures what it means to be a member of our guild and depicts the struggles and glory our characters face in Azeroth." How's that for some faction and guild pride?

Join us after the break for two entirely -- and we do mean entirely -- different musical takes on Azeroth.

Read more →

Filed under: World of WarCrafts, Arts and Crafts

Russell Brower at Video Games Live

If you were planning to go to the Video Games Live performance on April 1st, now you have even more reason to go: Russell Brower, Director of Audio/Video for Blizzard, will be there. It's going to be (hopefully) shown on PBS in July, so if you just can't get down there, you can at least be on the lookout for it. If you like WoW's music (or that of other Blizzard games... I'm a huge sucker for Diablo II's soundtrack) it should be worth catching. If you happen to be in the area, tickets for the show are still available from Ticketmaster.

Filed under: News items

Breakfast Topic: Thank you for the music

The very first time I made a character in World of Warcraft was way back during the original beta -- I made a night elf. And then I logged in for the first time, and was immediately assaulted with visual eye-candy that has kept me entertained for over five years. But on top of the graphics, there was the music -- something about the soundtrack just gelled the whole thing into a game I really, really wanted to continue playing. The first time I entered Stormwind, the solemn choral accompaniment made the whole place seem... huge. Dramatic. This was a place where grand and interesting things happened.

After the game's launch, I made another night elf. But once I'd hit 60 and realized the only thing to do was run Scholo or Strat or UBRS if you could find someone with the key over and over until you had your blue set of amazing awesome that had just had the graphics updated... right. I got bored. I rolled Horde to see what that side of the game looked like, and once again, it wasn't just the visuals when I first walked into Orgrimmar, it was the music that really hit me.

Some time after that I started raiding, and some time after that, I'm not sure exactly when, the repetitive tracks that I'd heard play over and over again just stopped drawing me in. And so I turned them off, and enjoyed a mostly silent game in which I could play whatever happened to be on iTunes at the time. It wasn't until years later when stepping into Kara for the first time that I realized something was missing, and I went into the options and turned up the music slider. I'm glad I did, the tracks from Kara remain some of my favorite WoW music to date; they mesh with the zone so well that I can't go into the zone without listening to it.

Blizzard has really stepped up the music with Northrend. With the Invincible track that was released, and the datamined tracks from the Gnomeregan and Echo Isles events that have been posted here and there, I've fallen in love with it all over again -- although I still tend to turn it down in raids. So Breakfast Topic people -- do you leave the music on, or turn it off? What's your favorite WoW track?

Filed under: Breakfast Topics

World of WarCrafts: Music to our ears


World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music and fan fiction. Show us how you express yourself by contacting our tips line (attention: World of WarCrafts) - not-for-profit work only, please.

Despite its name, World of WarCrafts isn't only about crafts. We feature all sorts of creative endeavors fueled by your passion for the World of Warcraft. This week, we hope to inspire all you WoW-playing musicians out there (hey! send us your stuff!) by sharing three of our older favorite fan performances of WoW music on the web today.

The Stormwind theme above is played by ObsidianLord, a Hungarian pianist who interprets with obvious passion and depth. Join us after the break for another popular (from 2007) but moving rendition of Song of Elune.

Read more →

Filed under: Fan stuff, Features, Fan art, World of WarCrafts

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