Strong Songs

Classic video game consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System didn't just play games; they also played music. Their onboard synthesizers put strict limits on what kinds of music game composers could write, but from those limits came a cornucopia of musical themes that remain iconic even today.

On this episode, Kirk peels back the layers of Koji Kondo's  "World 1-1" music from the first Super Mario Bros., revealing a perfectly polished musical gem.

Level: World 1-1

Game: Super Mario Bros. (1985)

Written by: Koji Kondo

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ALSO FEATURED:

• The Legend of Zelda theme and various other tracks from Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3, all by Koji Kondo
• "Nascence" from Journey by Austin Wintory feat. Tina Guo, 2012
• "El Cayuco" by Tito Puente from Dance Mania, 1958
• Audio from the Basileous Productions playthrough of World 1-1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-avspZlbOWU

KEEP IT SOCIAL

You can follow Strong Songs on Twitter @StrongSongs: http://twitter.com/strongsongs

And you can find Kirk on Twitter @Kirkhamilton and on Instagram at @kirk_Hamilton: https://www.instagram.com/kirk_hamilton/

NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

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STRONG PLAYLISTS

Kirk has condensed his Strong Songs picks into a single new list, which you can find on Spotify, Apple Music, and thanks to listener L.B., it's now on Google Play.

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!

Thank you to all of Strong Songs's Patreon backers - you all make all this possible. For more information on how to support the show, go here: https://Patreon.com/StrongSongs

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