Sanxion Commodore 64 Loader Tune

[@meathead919]

This is easily one of the top 3 best C64 SID songs ever composed. In this track, Rob Hubbard tortures the 6581 like no one has ever done before, at times going over the limits. I keep listening to this song every once in a while over the last 20 years and get goosebumps each and every time.

[@sadukar_7th_legion]

Love your comment, I still listen to it now. Classic. XxX

[@tonytuckwell2325]

People of Culture, we meet again. And we remember the first time the loading lines gave way to this... And we could not believe what we were hearing! A locked moment in time.

[@timburdsey]

@@tonytuckwell2325Beautifully put, Tony. So true. A masterpiece.

[@pikeflowed]

The intelligence, ability and pure creativity behind this and his other music is just simply mind-blowing using the SID chip, it definitely has the *wow* factor.

[@rhazien2502]

bro the old 8 bit songs, man they are filled with too much pure and innocent memories, when I listen to them, I just get teleported to a different time period, where I can live my childhood again

[@shawnferguson5121]

Totally with you on that one ! Luv this

[@leopold005]

This was what persuaded me to switch from my Spectrum to the C64. Not the game, but this tune! It was then and, for me, still is the very best of what we were treated to as a Commie owner. This was the only game I never used my Freeze Frame to port to floppy disc, because that would've been sacrilege. I know the gaming PC I have now is a squillion times better and more powerful than my old C64, but I always get the feeling that the hardware is coasting, like it's not being asked to do anything complicated and, frankly, it doesn't inspire me like these old boxes from back in the day. I marvel at how programmers could squeeze so much out of 64k and how composers like Rob Hubbard and Martin Galway could get SID to do so much more than it was ever intended to do.

[@radioretrogames6148]

leopold005 well said, i completely agree

[@bitchlasagna4720]

what a fuckin waist dont get a new computer just because one sounds better kids

[@echoxxxx]

Yes. So much. People used to do incredible things with hardware, now it's all high level.

[@leopold7562]

@@bitchlasagna4720 Fifteen year old me apologises for being so shallow. I shall travel back to 1986 and give myself a slap.

[@noop9k]

ZX Spectrum version of this tune was also quite decent

[@andydodd6458]

That's my childhood, right there. Sitting in an atic on the old C64 with my bro. Great memories.

[@apalmer28]

There are many, many wonderful C64 tunes made by Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway, Ben Daglish et all, but this one of Rob Hubbard's is a real masterpiece! I used to press stop on the tape loader to listen to it in entirety rather then letting the game load ;o)

[@Toaster05]

How on earth he made the chip sing so well is beyond all reasoning. The guy is an utter genius and should be acknowledged.

[@descore7578]

You should put the name of the artist, Rob Hubbard, in the description and/or title...

[@privacypodcast]

Agreed. The guy is a genius.

[@Sr19769p]

Was this a Rob Hubbard one? If so, up there w/Auf Weidersein Monty, IK+ and Commando; used to put those games on as a kid just to listen to the music

[@dailyraillive1492]

Rob Hubbard.

[@papalaz4444244]

The "Guitar solo" bit is astounding. It make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

[@ParanoimiaUK]

Going on 30 years later, and this track still sends shivers down my spine. Love it!

[@prowokator]

Man there used to be a video with this music and clips from the last starfighter movie cut into it. It was so good. Looks like I was asking about that video 14 years ago in the comments.. Just trying my luck for a reply from an another oldie..

[@shawnferguson5121]

I'm with you on that one And I'm 54

[@CartoonsKick]

Rob Hubbard. Just awesome.

[@tonytuckwell]

Once the 'cyber load' boot sequence was out the way this entire track took just 10.5 seconds to load from the 1530 tape deck.... when the face stopped flashing momentarily, this would run on its own ready for the rest of the game to load in the background....we used to take the tape out at that point and not bother loading the rest of the game 😂

[@Telukin]

Agreed, SID only makes sense for me in mono. Love this track, the guitar solo part gives me goosebumps every time.

[@timburdsey]

Agreed. And I love that mad breakdown in the middle that sounds like something RDJ would have come up with his heyday.

[@davidwylie9261]

One of the very best c64 themes of all time

[@Sadukar7thLegion]

I totally agree with cosine303, there were and still are a lot of gifted people out there, but I also have to admit, Rob does it for me. He made tunes that will be forever in my heart, right beside my youth. x

[@SimonStreet001]

Used to pause the tape just to listen to this tune loop...one of Mr Hubbard's best from his cupboard.

[@dudleyjoseph9485]

Great memories of this. I taught myself to play it on the piano.

[@mr_stoosh]

One of Rob Hubbard's finest tunes

[@iloveesr]

this was one of those games where u really didn't mind that much it u get a tape loading error at the end... u get to hear the great music again :D

[@ZaraAndJasmine]

remember the time when i used to love watching it load starting with the dark screen followed by the sudden music, then the image starts filling in slowly from side to side starting from the top line, then slowly moving downwards to reveal the ship and eventually the title, the music went perfectly with this image and it still sends shivers down my spine at the age of 31 :D

[@TheCentralScrutinizerAgain]

spot on!

[@neddystark3351]

Still THE best game music ever. Rob Hubbard, God bless you!!

[@Ziplock9000]

and to think this was just the loading music!

[@CaptSkunkbeard]

God tier work by RH.

[@QuietTomato]

PLATYPUS 2ND LEVEL!!!

[@afronic1239]

OH HELL YEAH!!

[@adhitamaprasetya4220]

Hated Area 8 / 2-3, those damned mine shrapnels >_

[@RetroDawn]

Are you saying they used this tune in it?

[@Sadukar7thLegion]

Can anyone else claim such originallity? I keep coming back, it's a masterpice, no doubt. x

[@battlemode]

Music maestro! Three tracks of audio and such a soundscape! Emotional overload too, fuckin' heavy

[@monktoncrew]

Really, this should be the loader from a real C64, including the glowing Thalamus logo and the screen drawing.

[@VilleMetsola]

I can't imagine the game living up to this masterpiece.

[@leopold7562]

It was a pretty good game, a bit hard, but definitely playable. But no, it didn't.

[@RichardM-kv4uu]

It didn't - it was a pretty awful game.

[@gee1gee1gee1]

Best C64 tune. I now realise that it was this type of music that got me into deep house music.

[@cosine303]

don't forget Galway and many more.. that's the thing though people go on about Hubbard a lot of the time, yet know little of others work.. which is a pity. Do I think anyone is the #1 sid maker? nope.. but I feel some of the people are sometimes not as rated highly.

[@plimper]

Rob Hubbard and his music was keeping us play just to listen to his great soundtracks and also inspired me along with Jean Michel Jarre to electroninc music......Great memories!!!

[@Sadukar7thLegion]

Rob 'Thee God' Hubbard, how many of us grew up with his music? I hope he understands how much he meant to us. x

[@the1marauder2]

I think it's because the gaming music today is pretty well like any other music. Big orchestral scores. The gaming music of old had that very distinctive chiptunes character. There were a lot of old C64 and Amiga games that I'd fire up just to listen to the music. Comic Bakery and Druid come to mind as well as Sanxion of course.

[@Sadukar7thLegion]

Godlike! Still makes me feel like I just heard music for the first time, never stop loving this. x

[@sadukar_7th_legion]

Still the best tune ever!

[@Sadukar7thLegion]

Not everyone was gifted in the 80's. I just cherished the fact I got a c64, and not an Oric, MSX, TI99, Dragon, Amstrad, Spectrum or other.... That's why I have a love of this music, this Ocean loader, to see gaming machines evolve from a pong to shadow of the beast, something that I'll tell my grand children, again and again, and again, and... lol xx

[@6581punk]

MSX had very few decent games in the UK and Europe. Better served in Japan. In the UK it just got quick and dirty spectrum ports.

[@markowe]

Just awesome what he did with the SID. Man, what strange emotions listening to this stuff... Rob was like some kind of DEITY to us C64 kids, he really was... Monty on the Run is the best though :D (runs for cover)

[@phoxxlotekk]

Stereo, mono, quadrophony-- the sound of SID is just A*W*E*S*O*M*E, no matter what! ;-) Cheers, Phoxx.

[@Sadukar7thLegion]

Was at one of his lectures, he is a God, and he doesn't even know it, Rob, as I said, just admit the gift you gave the world.

[@adroharv9213]

truly the best piece Rob Hubbard has done. It belongs in a museum probably. Quite possibly the most exceptional middle section of any music as well. Stunning and I bet even Rob wonders how he managed it. Shame about the god awful practice of remixes

[@adroharv9213]

I think a lot of people probably do. If I'm honest I prefer One man and his droid to this in terms of catchiness and actually listening to it more often. Rob Hubbard wrote some very melodic stuff but I think Sanxion was his best for theme and how he structures it together.Not very keen at all on Monty on the run either for the most or Crazy Comets and sequel but I think people associate it's technical wizardry more when deciding what they figure best.

[@adroharv9213]

I guess it just depends. It's an unusual structure for sure and I could certainly pick fault with it myself but generally I like it. I'd very much argue that Rob Hubbard despite the deserving credit he gets did write mostly pieces that were not entirely consistent anyway. The first piece from The Human Race for example is very good up to a point and Knucklebusters main game tune is stunning early on and then fairly awful for much after. I really quite enjoy his stuff and probably rate around 10 or so of his tunes up there as faves but this aspect is never mentioned. Other musicians at the time that wrote on the C64 also

[@adroharv9213]

yes I would agree his understanding like a lot of greats is probably his own which is why nobody ever sounded that way. He did a lot for people like myself because I always saw his music at the time as the bar. Went on to listen to others too of course which were very likely spurred on by his work as well. And yes music is certainly very interesting when you start coupling it in ways outside of where it originally came from

[@benjamind.halford3987]

I think it's a beautifully made piece of music. The middle section is emotionally powerful, a perfect counter to the medium of bleepy nasal chiptune. I had a ZX Spectrum in those days but I think as a kid this tune would have torn my heart out. I can't choose a favourite. Nemesis the Warlock is superb, as is Zoids, Thrust, in addition to the one's you've already mentioned. Really, the guy was top of the game, every tracks a banger!

[@benjamind.halford3987]

People forget the music he did for Kentilla too... never gets boring!

[@icykooldragon]

awesome man good old times are Perfect thanks to these people we have the best computers now

[@trance_vortex]

This music is epic! Rob Hubbard music is epic! I came here from Platypus actually, level 2!

[@darkhelmit1234]

best c64 music by a mile , i remember reloading it time after time just to listen to it....lol

[@gildan]

I still love listening to this ... its just amazing

[@NemesisElite2010]

SUPER Rob Hubbard

[@Bursinsky]

One of the best C 64 songs ever! Thanks for uploading in that quality!

[@stefannafets7828]

I cant add anything. I fuckin love all of your comments!!!! Its 2024. THIS never gets old. NEVER>

[@slingshotcrazy]

The C64 was and is just an amazing machine and the SID chip and Rob Hubbard were such a phenomenal pairing!!! Long live the 80s and the tech it spawned!!!

[@Vlad-1986]

I am a little bit out of this era of gaming, so I can't speak of nostalgia; but I'll totally reload the game just to listen this over and over!

[@shawnferguson5121]

My fave c64 music

[@ZaDoo22]

Thanks you so much for uploading this!

[@Sadukar7thLegion]

Thank you. Still coming back. x

[@TheBlackSpider82]

2:50 onwards is 100% made of pure win!! Awesome tune! :)

[@Toaster05]

This is still one of the best gaming memories I have. Epic tune. Rob Hubbard made that thing sing. Current composers could learn a thing or two from this.

[@HelmDeVegas]

@FeNsTa it was on the front cover of ZZAP 64 ... ahhh awesome days

[@jarq72]

the best part from 2.50, I missed that times.. my mother bought me this game

[@CyanEnjoyer]

God bless Rob, God Bless Platypus.

[@gildan]

YES, and pressed stop on the tape so it wouldnt end... many many times :)

[@smif7t3]

Me too! :)

[@Sadukar7thLegion]

Me and you both bud, I couldn't put it any better, kudos. x

[@MrJonnyboy73]

The loader to this was better than the game.... wow

[@RetroSpectreUK]

A master of the SID chip and fantastic composer

[@LeeCarl1974]

Whoah...brought some memories back that did. Rob Hubbard was amazing (probably still is). I once had a recording of this direct from the synths...(before it was run through the SID chip)...I think it was on a freebie cassette stuck on the front of a ZZAP64 magazine.

[@Chikyeungtinsi]

Still sounds mint today

[@Sadukar7thLegion]

The privelidge of time. Good on you Mr Na... x

[@darojax]

One of the best tunes out there? Long live Rob Hubbard!

[@bsdetector6908]

I honestly have no idea how Rob Hubbard came up with this - its fantastic and lasted the test of time. I get hairs on my neck rising when I hear it even now... the game was rubbish though.

[@Masonicon]

Ironman's favorite C64 loader tune

[@rollwulf]

Oh God this song is so catchy! I love it!

[@hansdegroot652]

YES 45 minutes of pure please loading. Multi Tasking ! eat that MS DOS!!!

[@pjcnet]

Another classic C64 track on the SID sound chip that was well WELL ahead of it day since the C64 was first produced in 1982!

[@Sadukar7thLegion]

@elvirtnt Thanks mate, didn't know that, was nice to let me know, I apprecaite it. x

[@Sadukar7thLegion]

Heh heh, I just put this on at my house, playing the decks, they bloody loved it! *lol* Classic, right up there with Monty and the Last Ninja! I'll try them next! *lol*

[@FloydATC]

One of my all time favorite tunes. Never even played the game. Ever.

[@zawzero]

Rob at it's finest!

[@Tokalafox]

To be honest Enjoyed loader music much more than the game back in the day. Actually do know too

[@Fensta]

sweeeeeet tune.. remember there being a studio recorded version on a tape given away with a magazine. other side of tape was pyjamara or somethin......

[@wmsang]

Haha awesome - best computer game music ever; gives me goosebumps

[@quadturbo4]

@the1marauder2 : Those are some excellent observations. I agree completely.

[@kikidaqui]

Very good ! good memories !

[@cloerenjackson3699]

To be super critical, and don't get me wrong, I love this tune and that's why I'm here listening to it, the trouble is, once it's run through it's main theme and chorus it's somewhat shot it's bolt. After a minute it's already delivered it's best parts.... well, apart from the breakdown and 1:24 and the refrain following. :-) But by 1:50 it would have used the introduction of some new big ideas since after that I'm really just waiting for the build-up to return two minutes later. By 4:20 I'm thinking "Ok, I've heard this bit already", then it runs into a lovely effect at 4:50, breaking down until it breaks down completely and stops... So much more original and capable than a simple cadence or fade. All in all though, a brilliant tune from the soft-natured man who really put the SID chip on the map by himself. No wonder music lovers still idolise him.

[@gildan]

Thanks for breaking that down CJ ... some of just realise its one of the, or not the, best loader tunes ever on the C64 and one of Hubbards BEST moments... and thats what we care about

[@Ray.Norrish]

Cloeren Jackson wow.. critical for sure. It's a loading tune tho... :) Not sure if you were around at the time, but the 1:24 section was something so special in it's own right. We don't know the brief, but who knows how long this piece was supposed to be - i.e. until the game loaded?

[@adroharv9213]

and the middle section? the best part by far at 2.50. Exceptional theme structure. The ending is definitely the weakest part though

[@Neomaster35]

2.50 is the best section by far

[@adroharv9213]

for sure, it's a remarkable section

[@psycho0815]

I loved that tune back in the days. I grew up and,guess what,I still love it!!! BTW there is a cool remix on 'Remix Kwed org' called 'Sanxion Loader (Acoustic)'.... Just two guitars and some rain that's all. Love that one too.

[@leopold7562]

Same here. On Zzap! 64, they gave away a cover cassette which had Rob Hubbard playing this on a Fairlight. Beautiful piece of work, but then who expected any less of him?

[@GovanRear]

Awesome, awesome song.

[@DanyWildTV]

Love IT ! The pic is Nice too 👍🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 ! Tie Fighters haha Yeah

[@PSL1969]

One of the best tunes ever. I would place this just below Delta (best tune ever imho), also by Rob Hubbard :)

[@Rosskoid]

There is a God Forgot how f-ing cool the loading tunes for Thalamus games were enjoy.

[@acidgecko72]

Awesome Awesome Awesome, can't stop listening to this track, once a day at the very minimum!!! :D :D :D :D

[@simongarrettmusic]

oh this is really cool.

[@barath4545]

@Hardmandez Aye. Last time I felt a soundtrack OWN a presentation was the fr08 from 2000, even if that gfx was fairly good too. But not computer games in a long time.

[@retroc6450]

Rob is god. And he just lived down the road from me, in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Good Old Days.. :)

[@ethicalcompanies]

Bloody amazing, if the C64 had been stereo and a bit more bass it would have been even more awesome

[@jonkyff]

@jimreaper i remember a sanxion version on a tape from Zzap64. Was awesome

[@donov25]

Woah it's the song CGR uses. Had no idea it came from this.

[@mptrax]

ALL HALE ROB HUBBARD ! Thank You MASTER !

[@dussum]

fan of this track ))

[@Fensta]

yeh excellent mag and good times :)

[@MrJonnyboy73]

The loader to this was better than the game.... wow the music is ace

[@Neomaster35]

Robb Hubbard, the music genius of the commodore 64, how the hell did he managed to program this outstanding tune in basic

[@leopold7562]

Not even in BASIC, mate. Have you ever seen C64 BASIC? It's crap! Programming the SID chip required two commands: PEEK and POKE. After that, it was a shit load of memory addresses and registers. It was more akin to machine language than anything.

[@nicklambert5059]

Great tune despite being a little rough in places probably one of the best on the commodore along with Thrust..... Oh sorry and Rambo Loading tune which is on par.

[@eon789]

@Alianger Every played the game Platypus? it's used in the second stage.

[@stuCameraman1]

there was a demo of this music with better instrument sounds...i think it was an example of what the commodore Amiga was capable of before it was released, i still have it on audio cassette some ware.....

[@RobFarley74]

I did a remake of this. I'm sure they'll be plenty of people cursing its existence, but I was pretty pleased with the result. Tried to keep the essence of the original. soundcloud.com/angledsocks/sanxion

[@monkehbitch]

Rob Farley if soundcloud wasn't such a cunt with its ads I'd pop over and listen, but fuck soundcloud. I'm sure it would have been a good remix.