Top 20 Greatest Rob Hubbard C64 Songs - The God of SID

[@pekkahorttanainen8812]

Your Ben Daglish (RIP) video has less than one tenth of viewers. That's criminal! People, go to see (listen to) it, Ben may have not been technically on par, but musically he was at least as good as Rob the Great! The Last Ninja anyone?

[@SwedishWargoat]

I agree. Ben was a maestro, as Rob also is.

[@V3ntilator]

I met Ben Daglish in Norway a few months before he died. Also met Rob Hubbard and Matt Gray at the same time. Ben were shocked when i used a real Olympus camera for pictures. "Someone still use these? and he laughed."

[@Lofote]

Bens Last Ninja music tracks are the best for me on C64. Just fantastic.

[@montymole7114]

Imagine buying a tape for 1.99 and finding out there was a game included with the Rob Hubbard music. Great times.

[@SwedishWargoat]

:)

[@trevorlack6565]

No one pushed the SID to its limit like Rob. I would quite often buy a game because he did the music

[@SwedishWargoat]

Hence the God of Sid in the title. Amazing music. :)

[@YoreHistory]

@@SwedishWargoat Jeroen Tel had some pretty amazing tracks too :)

[@axemanracing6222]

@@YoreHistory Huelsbeck had some really good tunes, too. Bad Cat & TBOT theme songs are great!

[@YoreHistory]

@@axemanracing6222 100%. Quite a few talented SID artists.

[@pchilfe6309]

Every Game with Tunes from Rob Hubbard is a Free Game! ;)

[@Sancho_Retablez]

This man is an underrated genius. Without discussion.

[@SwedishWargoat]

True!

[@Pendragon667]

Hülsbeck, Hubbard, Daglish, Gray and Galway were Wizards. They were masters of their professions. So many, many great memories. And a lot of tracks are still worth listening today.

[@SwedishWargoat]

100% Wizards. :)

[@V3ntilator]

Mark Cooksey had some huge successes too. Ghosts 'n Goblins, Paperboy and Bomb Jack.

[@christophergodawski5663]

And Jeroen Tel (Maniacs of Noise): Cybernoid etc...

[@LarsTragel-zh7ei]

Don't you forget Tim Follin.

[@kyorin6526]

Crazy Comets music blew my mind the first time I heard it (in the 80s), then Mega-Apocalypse just blew me away completely when that came out - awesome game too.

[@MarkWandRobBobPresent]

My mind is blown right now, as I'd never heard Mega-Apocalypse before and this track is great!! Nor did I even know that there was a sequel to Crazy Comets! I am just learning this now...in 2023!!! Can't wait to try it!!

[@tongey1]

Yes definitely! Both excellent music tracks! I used to play Mega Apocalypse a LOT back in those days :D

[@MrKooops]

"Auf Wiedersehen Monty" is still my all time favourite, followed closely by Lighforce, Last V8 and the original monty. Rob Hubbard is an awesome musician!

[@fredericp3130]

aren t those actually copied melodiea?

Monty on the run and commando sids are highest quality, top notch, absolutely wonderful.

[@SwedishWargoat]

Pure bliss. :)

[@RickinBaltimore]

I LOVED the Skate or Die music. I would load the game and not play it, just to listen to the soundtrack sometimes as a kid.

[@2K8Si]

Same here. It was the first time I ever heard sampled instruments in a C64 song. And I didn't understand how he got more than 3 voices playing at once!! My mind was thoroughly blasted. It remained my favorite C64 song during my time with the machine.

[@Geiermeier]

Haha... Great! I did the same. 😂

[@jasoneverett]

The Skate or Die theme still kicks hard. I remember first getting the game and just listening to it for at least 10 min before even starting the game.

[@phurniz]

I had to call my parents in the room to share my amazement. I still remember it vividly, after over 35 years. They acted well, trying to look interested. :D

[@jogibaerr50000]

56:24 - The Screen doesn't show PANDORA, it shows Impossible Mission...

[@SwedishWargoat]

Yeah, I know, people have pointed it out a bunch of times and I'll say the same thing to you as I did to them: I was drunk when I edited the video. :)

[@jogibaerr50000]

Could also happend to me... :-) Greets from Germany... @@SwedishWargoat

[@Shocker74]

My favourite c64 music track is by Hubbard, and it's not even mentioned. Nemesis the Warlock.

[@gnoink]

I never played the game, but found the soundtrack via this amazing tribute. /watch?v=ZCyHsZHfUcM

[@tongey1]

I think the problem is, there are so many awesome Hubbard tunes to fit into a top 20. Arcade Classics, Lightforce(!), KnuckeBusters, IK+ are all missing from this top 20 for example. I could list more I am sure! Great mix, love it!

[@-The-Darkside]

Mine too

[@Sprocketjoo]

Némesis The Warlock deserves a position in Top 20 by far!

[@gyrobyte626]

rob hubbard is a national treasure

[@SwedishWargoat]

Amen!

[@barelyarealdude]

You might even say he’s an international treasure :p

[@kemikemi756]

I still refuse to comprehend how he could make these pieces so long back in the days of limited kilo bytes

[@phreak761]

Skill and mastery.

[@sucaNaitoraven951]

LoL. Because music here is only a text of a few bytes with instruction for Sid chip to play. There is no real audio file, so they are very light to store

[@krisreddish3066]

Hubbard, Dalglish and others from this era are part of why I leaned to play guitar. I used to play along as a kid back in the 80s. Great stuff. Also the Commando soundtrack loop sounded a bit slow to me. I am not sure if that is my old as brain screwing up or the file.

[@bengelman2600]

Sounds like the one I remember but, this is totally a thing often because of PAL NTSC, so 50 to 60 hertz.

[@hardyTRSI]

@@bengelman2600 PAL/NTSC -> 50/60 Hertz!

[@misterdressler9345]

Did you know: The SID Chip is controlled by only 29 "registers" or bytes, which roughly equals seven pixels on this screen.

[@roygalaasen]

Registers where you can tweak parameters on the fly several times per second to create insanely unique and interesting sounds and effects.

[@jarrodhartanku3188]

Man is a musical genius, plain and simple.....

[@SwedishWargoat]

True. :)

[@argi0774]

No he is not

[@salva_75]

@@argi0774 lol wut

[@argi0774]

@@salva_75 wut?

[@Jacob-st4gz]

Many people say Rob Hubbard, Ben daglish, Fred Gray and Martin Galway are at the same level. To me Hubbard is a level above.

[@kodiak64]

Dane of Booze Design is #1. Then Matt Gray / Steve Rowlands. Then Hubbard. For me, obv.

[@vortexspinner4470]

Agreed. Rob Hubbard is amazing.

[@DEL_70]

imho Rob and Martin :) different level

[@mac5er]

Don't forget Jeroen Tel

[@Jacob-st4gz]

Of course. He is also one of the best. @@mac5er

[@patsfan4life]

A game could go from completely forgettable to indelibly etched in your memory simply by adding a Rob Hubbard soundtrack to it

[@CongaLineMonkey]

Publisher: So, Rob, it's about a mole in a track suit. Rob: Say no more.

[@ever-openingflower8737]

56:23 is Dune from the 1984 film.

[@andyhodgson7692]

Great list. Always loved the SID's for Monty on the Run and One Man and His Droid.

[@SwedishWargoat]

Thank you. Those two tracks are just insane. So awesome! :)

[@Nordischsound]

It was such a pleasure to meet him life in person at the X-Demoparty last year

[@SwedishWargoat]

I can imagine!! :)

[@FlightEagle]

Skate or Die! How Rob managed to get that music out of a SID chip is an amazing testament to his skills with the hardware and as a composer. Like others, I remember just listening to the intro music without playing the game. Thank you for the memories.

[@SwedishWargoat]

Yeah, it's insane. :) Thanks for leaving a comment!

[@DeeBellwether]

this is just lovely. total legend. thanks for compiling this collection in one place.

[@lightweave]

I loved the music of V8 but I hated the game. Still I loaded it frequently just to hear it. :) Hubbard has so many titles that I really loved where I often loaded the game only for the music. And my alltime favourite "Monty on the run".

[@donyplemmenos]

Congrats, great compilation of the absolute SID god. Rob was the best and gave us some of the best chiptunes of all time.

[@stevendoyle4522]

OMG I just got a smack of chills in the face when I realized I had Crazy Comets as a kid...game wasn't up to much, I remember just loading it to have the title tune play in my bedroom on loop...same with Commando

[@TheWeedpoppin]

same here but with international karate and human race....the good old times

[@milenkofromchile]

Commando, simply unbeatable!

[@stduserid]

Monty On The Run... legendary! Also... Zoids!!!!

[@StCreed]

Why is there an impossible mission screenshot for the Pandora music? I'm 100% sure, even if it was 30 years ago, that impossible mission doesn't have music. And certainly not by Rob Hubbard.

[@SwedishWargoat]

I was drunk.

[@StCreed]

@@SwedishWargoat ah, that happens to the best of us :)

[@AnthonyCassidy50]

Thanks so much for putting this together - prior to this I would just search for the names of tunes that people mention, and invariably get the wrong song and wonder what all the fuss is about. After hearing this list - I now see he is the greatest. And not only that, but having these all together let me find the other tunes that sound like - or have the same flourishes, sounds, instruments as my other favorite Hubbard tunes. Its like listening to a familiar band.

[@SwedishWargoat]

Sweet. Thank you for leaving a comment. :)

[@Chapperino]

Holy crap I'd forgotten how incredible Saxion is.

[@adroharv9213]

I think it was his best just in terms of how it's structured and that sensational middle. Professional in a way that I'd argue most of his weren't and of course that killer main theme. I remember reading he also considered it his best as well. I like loads of stuff he's done but he certainly produced some better than others I would personally say. The two tracks for Bump Set Spike also have excellent structures I recall. Rob Hubbard was the king of the melody itself more than anything but when it all came together his work was sensational

[@stevenallan5822]

Arcade Classics, Delta in game music, Knucklebusters, International Karate, Monty on the run, Shockway rider............... The man is a God, thank you Rob for everything you did.

[@Brew78]

20:57 Reflexively checked my phone, it's been my main ringtone for so long 😆

[@Hopkai]

Zoids would be a Hans Zimmer movie soundtrack today.

[@sieteasiete681]

Memories. I played this with my brothers in rural Sweden in an old house 1984 or something.. The Last V8. It is tru now. All musccle cars are on their last year and the future is E Muscle. No more V8 engines.

[@markwrightrf]

Squeezing all of this from a sound chip designed for arcade sound effects circa 1981. Hubbard has his honorary doctorate but he should definitely be recommended for OBE/MBE in the King's Birthday Honours.

[@DarthScorpion]

Still listen them today. I have them on my KZbin music app. Great stuff

[@MexboroughBuildings]

Crazy Comets + hi score tune omg.

[@JohnKuhles1966]

32:03 Crazy Comets

[@VenomStryker]

My favorites are Commando and Skate or Die. Saboteur 2 was pretty cool too.

[@mstrikesback168]

His music for Road Rash for Sega Genesis brought me here. Love that soundtrack

[@RichardM-kv4uu]

Search for "Dean Harris Composer" on youtube, he's an amazing musician and he's re-recorded the Road Rash soundtracks on his channel, absolutely amazing!

[@julienbraudel7109]

Spellbound, Skate or Die, Sanxion and Thundercats are my favourite as complete original compositions. Commando is great but the theme is not originally by Rob. The arrangement is awesome but the original is by Capcom/Taito lady composer and member of Zuntata, Tamayo Kawamoto.

[@magicmulder]

You learn something new every day. Thanks for that bit of info. :)

[@MorrisseysMonkey]

Sanxion, bloody marvelous

[@deanskinner1761]

How is master of magic not on here.a tune that's nearly five minutes long.used to listen to it every night after I finished school.those were the days

[@SwedishWargoat]

Easy. These are my favorites, and I think Master of Magic is boring. I know that's a rare opinion to have, but I'm entitled to it. :) Peace out!

[@ItsMrDiamondJ]

Heresy! HERESY!

[@Midwinter2]

No Master of Magic? By far the best music on the c64.

[@julienbraudel7109]

You are right. The sounds are exquisite, though the composition is not originally by Rob.

[@WeirdWonko]

I agree! Personally, I also like "Thrust" very much. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKaQoamXp6uJqpI Thanks for the collection, Swedisch Wargoat!

[@tsuikagura]

I was looking for this comment,... that's the most memorable song of them all. And maybe it wasn't entirely composed by Rob, but some of the others weren't either.

[@RichardM-kv4uu]

Mega Appocalypse is not only my favourite Rob Hubbard composition, it's one of my favourite pieces of music full stop!

[@SwedishWargoat]

It's awesome. :)

[@TheRealKaiProton]

I used to listen to Skate or Die on my NES all the time, had no idea the C64 Rocked so much harder on that guitar riff, well over all really

[@grahamsmith6764]

Sanxion, what a tune!

[@andrewk2996]

Great music, so iconic. The IK music stands out the most for me maybe because I played the game a lot. I know its a version of the music from the movie Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence. Cheers Rob

[@mosseiggy]

He looks like Chop Top in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Skate or Die and International Karate are awesome games. Both childhood favorites!

[@SwedishWargoat]

HAHA! CHOP TOP! I'm dying.

[@galy0]

Thank you for Rob's music.

[@SwedishWargoat]

Thank Rob. :) And thanks to you for commenting!

[@xcoder1122]

The biggest limitation of the SID chip was that it only had 3 channels. Through clever tricks (manipulating the volume control) it was possible to get two extra digital channels to play samples, but these samples would interfere with the playback of the normal 3 channels, so you had to arrange your music so that the conflicts were not noticeable during playback. For this reason, music that was converted to the SID usually only used the standard three channels and therefore sounded more limited, whereas music that was composed with the SID in mind from the start could sound much richer as it could use 4 or even 5 channels, but you had to be a true music guru to compose and arrange such music. People often say that the music back then had such a typical "sound" and that was simply because you didn't first compose a song and then try to realize it somehow on a SID, but the SID itself gave you certain restrictions that you had to take into account when composing and therefore certain patterns emerged over time that you can find in many songs, because these patterns could simply be implemented very well on the SID chip and they are responsible for this typical sound people refer to.

[@XENON2028]

pretty sure it also didn't work on the newer 8581 chips

[@berrys5631]

when i was teenager, i bought commodore 64 games, to enjoy the beatifull music! Rambo... Platoon.. etc

[@gintonika]

ACE 2 tune is otherwordly, so many memories

[@jeremiah7636]

your Pandora screencap is actually the opening sequence form Impossible Mission (Epyx, 1984). Played it for weeks, never could beat that game :(

[@SwedishWargoat]

Yeah, I know, I was drunk when doing this vid. :)

[@luporis2375]

Ooooh Zoids.... that music was the games atmosphere

[@SandroMassarani]

Amazing tracks. Great memories.

[@EminoMeneko]

1:18:45 is Jean-Michel Jarre - Zoolook. 1:32:13 is Ryuichi Sakamoto Theme of Furyo (from movie Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence with David Bowie)

[@StCreed]

Delta music is basically a fast version of the koyaaniqatsu music by Philip Glass. It got me interested in Philip Glass, fortunately 😆

[@DaftLuva]

„Rasputin“ is based on Katyusha, a Russian folk song from 1938 by Matvey Blanter: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyusha_(song)

[@TintorDalibor]

One man and his droid has a lot it Tubular Bells and Blade Runner in it Monty on the run IS Devil's Gallop by Charles Williams etc etc. Rob Hubbard is a legend and a maestro but nobody accused him of being original :)

[@fredericp3130]

yeah the more I look, the more I realised that most of these melodies are copied

[@TheSuperPlayer707]

Monty on the Run should be the Commodore 64 anthem…

[@armin6493]

That last song is originally from Synergy (Larry Fast). It is called "Ancestors" and taken from the Album "Audion", composed back in 1981. In 2002 it (amongst other titles) was remastered in presented in the album "Reconstructed Artifacts".

[@SwedishWargoat]

Thanks for the info! :)

[@NiiloPaasivirta]

Spellbound is "Shibolet", also by Synergy.

[@armin6493]

@@NiiloPaasivirta Are you sure? I don't really see any similarity.... Listen Shibolet here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h17Cmod5aqpspLc

[@hanskiiiid]

Rob's version is better😀

[@jakubkrcma]

❤Skate or Die❤ That is just SO not "mere" C64... An absolute masterpiece.

[@SwedishWargoat]

It's a cool track. :)

[@satan3959]

Too bad he never did the in-game music for Skate or Die though, because other than the awesome Hubbard intro music, the music from the game itself was shite.

[@jakubkrcma]

@@satan3959 I only have fond memories of the whole game. :-)

[@rareschelariu3]

To start this mix with Saboteur2 is pure justice. In my book, saboteur2 music is by far one of the best. Great job!

[@dr.ignacioglez.9677]

I REALLY LOVE C64 👍🥂🎩

[@rastermax2]

FANTASTIC

[@kefrensmegademo]

Also Jeroen Tel was the iconic composer too because of great Iron Lord song.

[@Edgel-in6bs]

My favourite SID musician, albeit Jerome Tel and Ben Dalglish did my fav SID tunes in cybernoid 2/last ninja

[@weepingscorpion8739]

I was going to say how dare you leave out the Zoolook cover. But then I was reminded that the cover was used in the game Chain Reaction and I calmed myself down. I really love Rob's work. I also have him to thank for introducing me to Jean-Michel Jarre. Highlights for me are of course Zoolook/Chain Reaction but the International Karate one is also truly amazing.

[@hyperhege]

“One man and his Droid” and “Delta” are probably my favorite Hubbard songs. Target Renegade though - by Gary Biasillo … is maybe my all time favorite, especially level 1!! My other all time favorite from different geniuses: Deflektor by Ben Daglish - amazing. Giana Sisters by Chris Huelsbeck obvi Farstar - (?) The Vindicator by Johnathan Dunn!! Jeep Command - ? Comic Bakery by Martin Galway Catalypse (intro) by Michael Tschögl Stormlord by Jeroen Tel Druid II by David Hanlon Ikari Warriors loader by Matt Gray (I think) Street Surfer by David Whittaker Love Elite Loader and Lazy Jones but they’re covers of “Living on video” and “It happened then” so idk if they count.. then again parts of Last ninja and IK+ are Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence…..anyway 😅

[@SwedishWargoat]

Bra smak! :)

[@dtox2331]

These tunes bring back memories .👌👍

[@casachezdoom2588]

Such a master

[@miikasuominen3845]

Love Hubbard's tunes.

[@lukassbeataddicts]

Sid bass is brutal but warm

[@pinnyman1911]

So good, grew up with a lot of these tunes.😍

[@XORISHE]

Robs work is brilliant. I was always kinda partial to nemesis the warlock ( and covered it in). First time I ever heard chain reaction, obvs a zoolook knock off but to me its what rob could make that chip do which is most impressive. Also, delta was inspired by phil glass' koyaaniquatsi trailer music if you didnt know.

[@dannycummings3095]

Now I understand why I like Deathcore as an adult... Grandpa was a pirate in the 80's...

[@jean-jacquesgounon1293]

Très bonne liste. Cela dit mon top 20 aurait contenu Chimera et Master of magic. Rob HUBBARD était un génie.

[@SwedishWargoat]

Merci. :)

[@Teltharion]

Spellbound music is so epic I played the game just for that

[@jenniferw8963]

What sort of tools did Rob Hubbard use to compose this? i.e. to generate all that machine code to set the VCO's, LFO's, envelopes etc at just the right time.

[@SwedishWargoat]

He didn't use any tools, he just hacked the machine and programmed it.

[@SwedishWargoat]

Dude's a legend for a reason. :D

[@jenniferw8963]

@@SwedishWargoat Oh I watched an interview video with him. He built some libraries to help. Yeah his stuff is soo GOOD.. love it :)

[@roygalaasen]

No tools? I always assumed these guys used own made tools. It must have been a nightmare to manually program the music without at least a rudimentary of tools. Which had to be home made because no such thing existed back then?

[@danielcelion]

The picture to Pandora is from Impossible Mission ;)

[@SwedishWargoat]

Yeah, I know... I was drunk while editing... :)

[@pferdebert]

Nice compilation. But where is Master of Magic and IK+? :)

[@faenethlorhalien]

He understood the limitations of the SID chip and said "HAH! HAH! I SAY! AND HAH! TO YE!", and then made magic with it.

[@diabelez]

I am leaving a little commment in a youtube that may not last 100 years... Rob Hubbard left a legacy of music that stands until enternity. But what makes Rob his own ? its his special 5 chord progressions recipe. you all didnt notice it ? its his own

[@julianuk3266]

Rob Hubbard if you ever read this.. YOU ARE A LEGEND !!!!!!!

[@robogod3000]

The List(especialy on C=64 and Amiga) is endless.... But Yes, R.Hubbard( and in my oppinion:T.Follin , Bishop, Dunn, , Galway, Hülsbeck, Maniacs of Noise...oh it's really endless.....) are THE MASTER(S) of the Game-Tune and C=64-Universe!!!!!!! Cool Track-List!!🤖👍 Oh it's Thunderchats-Time, yeah childhood 🏵️🍓🍋🍉🍒🤖🤖🤖🚬

[@waynetastic1746]

Bro, why are these songs so _LONG_ ? I can't even get past the minute mark, but this guy destroys it like 3 separate times in all his music. Life is unfair lmao 🤣

[@SwedishWargoat]

Hey, bud! You know, you gotta have buildups for those peaks to get into the right kinda mood that leads to 100% eargasm. Patience is key! :)

[@aresaurelian]

It was fun to make and hard to stop experimenting. Also, its a story.

[@axilmar254]

For a while I thought he stepped away from music and founded Scientology...:-)

[@SwedishWargoat]

Yeah, that other dude has an unfortunate name. :)

[@Lofote]

The song on CHAIN REACTION by the way is a cover of ZOOLOOK by JEAN MICHEL JARRE. :) My favorite Rob songs are the ones from One Man and his droid, IK (not +) and Commando.

[@NorthWay_no]

Formula 1 Simulator, Bump Set Spike, Thrust, Delta in-game, Knucklebusters x2, Dragon's Lair II.

[@petermorris1769]

What is that monstrosity at the start of Sanxion (1:03:09)? Did you stab your SID chip before recording? That's not how it is supposed to sound!

[@SwedishWargoat]

It's a gift, just for you.

[@petermorris1769]

@@SwedishWargoat Do you still have the receipt?

[@SwedishWargoat]

Hehe. Funny guy. :)

[@jasonrfritz]

@@SwedishWargoat I'd suggest fixing it if you can. I was loving your video until I got to Sanxion.

[@SwedishWargoat]

@Jason Friz Okok, I might be able to mute it, so gimme a day or so, and it will hopefully be fixed. :)

[@aveinmovil]

Good morning and excuse my ignorance, i find this music quite a treasure and wonder if they are ports or they are mr Hubbard originals. Thank you!

[@SwedishWargoat]

One is more or less a cover of a Jarre-track, but the rest are 100% original Rob Hubbard - the God of SID. :)

[@zarcon42]

Dudes a Legend

[@SwedishWargoat]

He sure is. :)

[@kaasmeester5903]

Hubbart was the Delia Derbyshire of the SID chip. (And if you don't know who she is... look her up, seriously. Writing the Dr. Who theme is one of her lesser achievements)

[@SwedishWargoat]

Interesting! Will give her a go. :)

[@Atombender]

My personal top five: 1) Monty on the Run, 2) Commando, 3) International Karate, 4) Crazy Comets, 5) Spellbound Honorable suggestions not listed: Thrust, Warhawk, Sigma 7, Game Over (yes, that's the game's name)

[@dogchaser520]

The intro to Auf Wiedersehen Monty at 25:55 sounds like Zelda's dungeon theme: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mX7WpHaDprJ7q80 I wonder if there was some cross-pollination here? They were released right around the same time.

[@brundelmouche8948]

Pandora's missing its picture, instead it's "Impossible mission" :) Nice playlist anyway. Technically i think R.H was also really good at filling blanks in his tracks with FX to keep them entertaining. M.Galway was much more on the J.M.Jarre style. Top composers to me : R.Hubbard, M.Galway, J.Tel / D.Whittaker / B.Daglish...

[@SwedishWargoat]

Yeah, I know, I was drunk when editing the video. :)

[@manicminer3830]

Rob Hubbard is the best to be fair!

[@Anacronian]

What no Lightforce?

[@xenobytek9583]

I thought NES had the best chiptune OST but I'm very impressed with this ones. Excellent ❤

[@Lofote]

NES was veeeery limited in its way. The SID chip of the C64 had some clear advantages.