Sami's SNES thread is fun so I figured we should be sharing similar thoughts about Genesis / Mega Drive music too.  Sure the YM2612 isn't usually as highly regarded as the SPC700 but it still has it's charm.  In many cases, I even prefer the sound of the Genesis to the SNES.

First and foremost I need to cover Naofumi Hataya's The Hybrid Front.  This actually saw an official soundtrack release back in 2006, which I didn't know about until recently and then quickly picked it up.  This has always been one of my favorite lesser known Genesis soundtracks and once you hear it, you'll know why.  Aside from Koshiro's legendary Bare Knuckle music, Hybrid Front is the king of upbeat, funky Genesis music that uses the occasional voice sample.

Combat Cars is another great funky trip.  I'd call this progressive techno with a touch of rock.  Highly recommended.  I used to love playing and mastering the game as a kid, and always remember loving the music.

Who can forget Aki Hata's Light Crusader?  Lots of people, apparently.  Classic, classic, classic!  Another one where I grew up playing the game and absolutely loved the music even as a kid.  Dare I say it, but this is my favorite Genesis RPG soundtrack.  Green Row's town theme is beautiful and all the area/battle music is insanely good.

This will sound strange but I'm gonna say Sonic 3D Blast.  I know, a Sonic game in a "lesser known" list, what's the deal?  I always thought this game's music never got the recognition it deserved.  I know many people find the Saturn version's music (by Richard Jacques) to be better but I'm on the opposing team when it comes to this.  Jun Senoue lead the team of composers who worked on the Genesis version and I find it's music to be more fitting for a Sonic game than the Saturn one.  Tracks like Diamond Dust, Green Grove, and Rusty Ruin really affirm this for me.  Doesn't hurt that a few tracks from this later ended up remixed for Sonic Adventure either!

All of Road Rash 3's stage themes are insanely catchy and make driving around on your bike while beating the crap out of other riders just that much more enjoyable.  All of the Road Rash games have great tunes, but this one sticks out for me.  Each stage theme in RR3 is based off music or a style from that particular country, but in a highly remixed way.  You really need to hear it to know what I mean though.  So good!

Lastly, how about the classic shmup Gley Lancer?  Noriyuki Iwadare contributed on this one.  There's a ton of insanely catchy tunes on here just like any good shmup should have.  Just listen to Stage 1 and you'll be hooked.  That and the opening theme are among my favorites.

To me the Genesis sound chip was atrocious.  It sounded tinny, almost grating at times, and it felt like hardly anyone knew how to produce a good soundtrack from it.  That being said, Dynamite Headdy is wonderful.  What else could you expect from Treasure?  

On the generic-RPG side, Wonder Boy in Monster World has a decent soundtrack.

I've never been able to get down with the Wonder Boy in Monster World soundtrack, probably only because I played the PC Engine version of the game first which is both redbook and has better compositions I'd say.

But on the subject of Monster World, I'm currently playing Monster World IV, and I'm really loving what I'm hearing. As a whole the game comes off very much like a SNES game, both in its pastel visuals and its pleasant music. FM synth can be a little harsh, which is great for all the amazing Genesis rock soundtracks, but in a cutesy adventure game it can be a harder fit if the composer isn't competent enough. No worries here, though. It's got an excellent main theme, and I love how it's incorporated into practically every other song in the game. I think the music would be much better known if the game wasn't Japan-only.

Jesper Kyd's Genesis tunes are awesome, especially Batman & Robin. And since I'll use any excuse to mention Sakuraba, I should say Granada has the most badass drums in any game soundtrack ever.

Probably not as obscure, but whoever hasn't listened to it yet, needs to be reminded of it: Batman. Naoki Kodaka really shines here, with some incredidbly epic tunes; This is what I think defines classic VGM (even less obscure but still: Super Fantasy Zone, I'd say it's on par if not even better than Hiro's original music).

Another one I discovered not too long ago, and I can't get enough of it is Dragon Ball Z Buu Retsuden. It's another great example of incredibly catchy music that just gets in your head nonstop, even if the music is completely unrelated to the source material (I swear to God that Character Select music has been stuck in my head for +15 years). Most of the soundtrack reprises the main theme in some way, some more noticeable than others, but with enough variety, and a constant upbeat yet epic tone to it.

Pulseman also has some really nice music, tho I'll admit a tad bit of it just isn't that suited to standalone listening. It's still good giving it a listen as kind of a musical experiment, and hear how nicely they conveyed that tech/electric/surreal feel present in most of the stages in the game (I also highly recommend playing the game if you haven't). The style centers mostly on upbeat progressive techno, with quite a few slow ambient tracks. Here are some really good examples.

Some other worthwhile off the top of my head are Batman & Robin (a tad bit hit or miss, but he hits are incredibly badass), Vectorman series (interesting ambient techno) and Hybrid Front (already mentioned but whatever; a complete must)

I cannot stress this enough. The game isn't nearly as good, but musically is up there with the classic Sonic series music in terms of melodies and variety. It's easily become one of my alltime favorite soundtracks since long ago.
Volcano Valley Act 2 still remains as one of the most emotional songs I've ever heard.

Sonic 3D blast! Man. I love both versions of the soundtrack, although I would definitely give preference to the Genesis version. I don't remember any remixes in Sonic Adventure, though......?

I'm rather disappointed that there don't seem to be any rips of Waterworld GEN (although I haven't looked very hard. Or at all). I was going to do it, but I kept hearing that VGM/Z was obsolete and there was a great new format coming in, like, ten years. So I stopped. I guess it hasn't been ten years yet.

Anyway, check out the title theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=696g2CYjUVg

I usually don't like the raw noise of the Genesis (and don't get me wrong, I love the YM family and similar chips), but something about this song just hits the right spots. Maybe it's just part of a need to appreciate good music in bad games?

along the same lines, Zero Wing. Yeah, we all know it from it's engrish intro and maybe a remix or two. But both the original arcade game and the Genesis port have a fair amount of legitimately catchy tunes. Sadly, the redbook tracks from the Turbo version are pretty bad (which is actually the case for any redbook Turbo game you intentionally seek out, apparently).

example: Open Your Eyes (stage one)
Arcade original - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-wrFBzuK7s
PCE CD - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB01cwFxioo
Genesis - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAxcSujM1iw

of the three, I feel the Genesis version carries the day - it seems to be the most in tune with the capabilities of the hardware. So here are the Genesis versions of my other favorites from the game:

New Day for Me (Stage 2)
Old Sense (Stage 5)
Hit Man (Stage 8) (my favorite of them all. This is actually the arcade version, although there isn't as large a difference compared to the other songs)

is Comix Zone too well known for this thread?

ToeJam & Earl!  The game is pretty popular but I don't think the music gets any of that attention.  The guy who composed this, John Baker, has a really neat background and I recommend you look him up if you're interested.  There was a very jazzy and very impressive "Sega Tunes" arranged album for this game released in the U.S. and it was only 7 bucks at the time!  I rocked this game as a kid.. man, nothing was cooler than speeding around in your Bonus Hi-Tops, finding presents, and riding elevators, all while ToeJam Jammin' and doing the Big Earl Bump!

Before games like Soukyugurentai, Radiant Silvergun, and Gradius V.. there was.. Verytex!  This game is yet another joint venture between Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata.  If you ask me, the composition quality is right up there with Sakimoto's other shmups and Iwata's more recent Cave contributions.  Granted the soundtrack is a little short, but what it lacks in length it more than makes up for in quality.

Youtube/Google/a Good Memory is your friend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ9XcWia … re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFELeJaZlPQ

Yes, Granada is great, and the MegaDrive version is better than the X68, I think. El Viento is also good, though its tunes are a little on the short side. I wouldn't recommend Final Zone to anyone, but Sol-Deace is really nice (best version, I think). I don't find much in Earnest Evans, but Zan: Yaksa Enbukyoku and Arcus Odyssey are well worth a listen or ten. And it's not provided that you like Sakuraba's other work, as this is pretty different. His MegaDrive music is quite flavorful, but is a tad monochrome.

Actually, that album is for the second TJ&E (Panic on Funkotron). "Very jazzy" may be a bit misleading...it might be more accurate to call it a sort of "jazz-funk". It doesn't take itself too seriously as jazz music often can.

On that tip, the duo also composed Gauntlet IV. I suspect a lot of fans aren't aware of or familiar with their Genesis stuff.

Unfortunately he does stick to a very narrow palette throughout his Genesis soundtracks. The worst has to be the overuse of the same handclap sample. I'd love to be able to edit the data to remove the calls to that sound and hear what the music sounds like without it.

Yes!  I could go on and on about Genesis music all day.

First of all, great picks, especially Hybrid Front.  But I don't have you tell you miker, that I'm a Hataya fan.

Here are some others I really dig, and it's hard to determine what's well or unknown for people:

Battle Mania Daiginjo - Some of the best rock tunes I've ever heard on the Gen.  Cool guitar and drum samples, and just overall good melody.

Dinoland - A great little pinball game by Renovation.  There's not much music in the game, but it's really catchy, and totally Renovation.

Deadly Moves - I've been ridiculed for liking this soundtrack.  But it's actually quite good!  The drum samples are similar to Shadow Dancer and Shinobi III.

Elemental Master - This may not be unknown?  But I just recently discovered this one in the past few years.  Really really good stuff by Toshiharu Yamanishi.

Exile - I've been preaching about this one for ages.  One of my all time favorite Gen soundtracks.  The Gen soundtrack is tons better than the Turbo CD version.

Mystical Fighter - Hah, I'm probably the only one who likes this soundtrack.  It's good though if you like traditional Japanesey music with a touch of rock.

Ranger-X - Another one that may not be uncommon?  Some of the best 16-bit work by Noriyuki Iwadare and Hikichi.

Rolling Thunder III - Really smooth blend of jazz, funk, and rock.  Great samples too.  Can't forget the composers' names either: "Rose and Dick Boy!!!"

Side Pocket - I've been following the Side Pocket series' music across all systems and this version for Genesis definitely has the best.  It's actually believable jazz coming from the YM2612.  Great melodies too.

Socket - Done by the same guys that did Battle Mania 2.  Some of the melodies are bit underdeveloped, but the music overall is perfect for the platform genre.  Somewhat reminiscent of Sonic I and II.

Superman - THIS is one of my all-time favorite Gen soundtracks EVER.  I've been talking about this one for years.  I thought it was Kodaka back in the day because it's a Sunsoft game, but found out later it wasn't.  Really awesome melodies, classic Sunsoft punchy drum samples, and a nice palette of synth samples.  Round 2 always reminds me of the Streets of Rage theme too.

TMNT Tournament Fighters - One of THE best soundtracks for Genesis in my opinion.  I never dreamed it was by Miki Higashino when I loved it back in the day.  Really high quality output for the Gen sound chip, colorful sampling, awesome drums, and really catchy melodies that work perfect for a fighting game.

The Lost Vikings - One of the only non-Japanese composed Gen soundtracks in my top tier, courtesy of Matt Furniss.  Really funky stuff here, cool voice samples, and great melodies to go with.

Traysia - A relatively unknown RPG by Renovation / Telenet.  The early music in the game isn't so great, but it gets really good later on.  The best music was all the town themes, which changed by district as the game progressed.

I think I'll just stop there.

- Justin Pfeiffer

Oooh, TMNT!
That's a good one!

Totally different from the SNES soundtrack, but still very good in its own way.

I was trying to find a decent rip of the SNES Lost Vikings soundtrack, when I stumbled on the Gen version, but wow, talk about getting the short end of the stick.
It's awful, nowhere NEAR as good as the SNES version.

Don't forget it's lesser known cousin, Hellfire! Not as many tunes, but the good tracks in Hellfire are, IMO, even better than the ones in ZW.

Damn, you weren't lying about this one.  It's the only I hadn't heard from your list.  Freakin' tight, I love it!  Really awesome beats and techno groove in there.  I've in fact never heard this kind of sound come from the YM2612.  This might have to go in my next set.   Great pick miker!  Thanks for pointing this one out.

- Justin Pfeiffer