The Legacy of Spyro the Dragon's Music
Image via Activision
There have been thousands upon thousands of game soundtracks over the decades, but none of them sound quite like the original Spyro the Dragon series. While most often remembered for excellent platforming and charming levels, Spyro the Dragon was elevated by music from The Police drummer Stewart Copeland.
Yes, at the time, PlayStation, Universal, and Insomniac Games were able to hire rock royalty for the series, and his heavy focus on percussion created a unique, yet appealing OST for our favorite purple dragon.
When you first boot the game, the classic theme song welcomes you with a rambunctious melody. The drums and bassline create an exciting track alongside the whimsical piano and guitar playing, but, the interesting thing is that the majority of the music was actually MIDI tracks created by piano. In an old PlayStation Underground video that has been uncovered on YouTube, Copeland shows his process of layering tracks and sound effects to create the aesthetic we know and love today. The theme song is a great blend of attitude and levity to create a perfect 90’s tune. SquidPhysics remade this track with real instruments, and it sounds even better with an octave mandolin for the song.
The first level of Spyro the Dragon is nostalgia to the nth degree. The lively drum beat excites the player as they begin their journey, while a high-pitched percussion instrument (I think it’s a xylophone) fills them with a sense of wonder. The bassline is also prevalent throughout the piece, which was uncommon in the gaming space, with some fun little guitar riffs here and there. A YouTuber known as Dale Birrell alongside his bandmates Fraser Christie, Scott Jamieson, Iain Hannigan, Chris MacKinnon, and Andrew Scott, did a terrific cover that highlights the sweet tones of the track in a remarkable manner.
Dark Hollow’s music in the first Spyro the Dragon welcomes you to the stage with an African drum beat and a mystical piano sound. It helps you dive into the magical theme of the level, and the sustained note in the background sets an air of mystery. The bassline and drums drive the song forward, and as the notes change pitch, the piece has multiple phases that keep the track engaging in a video game context. It’s also neat when Copeland introduces different instruments and riffs in the background to keep the track from going stale.
Another track that stands out is “Sunrise Spring” in Spyro: Year of the Dragon. There’s an ethereal nature to it thanks to an otherworldly sound effect in the background. Meanwhile, there’s a catchy drumbeat and a neat melody in the foreground. The drum solo in the middle of the track is tasty as Copeland shows his skills as a drummer. He also adds a few distressing sound effects to the drums that makes the track even more strange and unique. Once again, the music gives you a stirring, magical feel thanks to Copeland’s use of sound effects and unique instrumentation.
While not as popular as other game franchises, the original Spyro the Dragon series has amazing music that should be appreciated more in today’s landscape. The original soundtracks have also been remade in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and the arrangements do a great job of bringing the OST to life with better instruments and sound effects.
Image via Activision
Copeland said to SyFy, “I was blown away. I was almost sobbing. I managed to contain myself, but like I said, I was very emotionally invested in the memories of my kids playing it, and they’re all 20 years older. They’ve got kids of their own now. And my 14-year-old back then is now 34, and he works at Insomniac developing games.”
Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and hopefully, more cover artists plan to work on these amazing and unique tracks in the future.
CHRIS PENWELL
Chris Penwell is a writer and podcaster who loves to talk about video game music. His favorite soundtracks are from the Kingdom Hearts series, Celeste, Beyond Good & Evil, Gravity Rush, and Final Fantasy X.
