But software prices mean that people will rarely buy a game on the strength of the music (John Carpenter's Sentinel Returns soundtrack being a notable exception), so it's a matter of chance that good tunes get the recognition they deserve. The distinct lack of personalities is also a consideration, though it's difficult to find an industry musician who hasn't been inspired by the likes of Galway and Hubbard.

Put simply, musicians on 8bit machines had to write catchy music, as there were precious few redeeming features for people to latch on to. Nowadays, top-notch production can often disguise the musical misgivings of an average soundtrack.


Remixes & revamps

But do these 8bit melodies really hold any bearing today, or does misty-eyed nostalgia stand in the way of objectivity? Apparently not. High Technology Publishing have recently released Back in Time, a professionally produced and licensed CD containing revamped C64 tunes. A sequel is already in development.

Binary Zone Interactive are another company capitalizing on this demand, with 10 C64 audio CD compilations in their catalogue and more on the way. Though you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a recent trend, enhanced remixes have been around for years (luddites will remember WHSmith's 1986 compilation Data Hits).

This long-lost musical flavour will also be finding its way back into mainstream music thanks to a recent innovation known as the SidStation, a MIDI-controlled synthesizer with realtime controllers. At the heart of this synthesizer is the C64's SID chip, producing unique analogue sounds. Demand for the unit has been phenomenal - so much for nostalgia.