Game of Thrones season 7 has come and gone, and now you have to wait for season 8. Don’t worry, though; there is so much other GoT content out there on the Internet for you to consume in the off-season (including It Is Known, WOTN’s Thrones podcast).
One of the most iconic parts of the show is the opening credits sequence and the theme song. You could spend all day just listening to different versions of the music on YouTube, but you don’t have to. I’ve picked ten of the most interesting ones, and I present them to you.
First, though, let’s revisit that opening sequence just so it’s fresh in your mind. Feel free to sing along. Daaa dum, da da daaa dum, da da daaaaaaa! Now let’s explore the various musical styles of Westeros! Off we go!
The smooth jazz version
Postmodern Jukebox with Dave Koz: Make sure you go to YouTube and check out the comments section on this one. It has as much pure gold as the mines of Casterly Rock:
- “Smoother than Valyrian Steel through a Stark’s neck.”
- “This is the kind of version I would make love to my sister to.”
- “Soon to be played in every Starbucks across Westeros.”
Cello Symphony version
Cellocyl: There are at least a dozen different versions done with cellos because the cello is such a dang cool instrument. Some of them are really fantastic, too, like from 2Cellos and Tina Guo, but my favorite is this one from Cellocyl. An entire symphony of cellos is hard to beat!
Galway Buskers version
The Harp, the Accordion, and the Ugly: Ah, the streets of Galway, where your ears are never too far away from the sounds of Irish musicians playing traditional jigs and reels, or popular TV theme songs! What? None of them are Irish? Non-Irish people playing non-Irish music on Irish streets. Is this really even in Galway? I’m starting to doubt everything I thought I knew about Ireland.
Buckingham Palace version
The Royal Guards: One day in 2014, even Queen Elizabeth II’s guards at Buckingham Palace got in on the act, surprising onlookers with what one commenter describes as the “most British sounding version” of the theme ever.
The Western version
BenDan Productions: Maybe you’ve tried hard to get into Game of Thrones, but fantasy just isn’t your thing. You’re more of an Ennio Morricone spaghetti Western fan. If that sounds like you, listen to this version! You’ll be loving Thrones in no time!
Indian classical version
Mahesh Raghvan: Follow the adventures of Jonachandra Snownaswami as he protects the realm from- wait, what?
The bagpipe version
The Snake Charmer: There are quite a few bagpipe versions out there, but in my estimation, this one narrowly beats out the others. Mostly just because of her dragon skull pipes. Honorable mention goes to the Unipiper, though, because he’s the Unipiper.
The METAL version
Jonathan Young: The metal version is arranged by Jonathan Young. It features Jonathan Young on guitars, Jonathan Young on bass, and Jonathan Young on drums. Weird that everyone in the band has the same name!
The opera version
Forte Tenors: Not only is this version an epic performance, it has lyrics in High Valyrian for an extra level of nerdiness!
The cat version
Some Weirdo from the Internet: Last, but definitely not least: the Game of Cats theme. When you play the game of cats, you win or end up with your hand totally shredded and bleeding.
So that’s that
Thanks for coming on this musical journey with me! Marillion the bard would be jealous of all the talent we just witnessed! What’s YOUR favorite version of the Game of Thrones theme? Let me know in the comments!
If you like #NerdMusic, follow me on Twitter (@Vault_92) or on Spotify (threeheavystones)!
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This is fucking spectacular! Thank you for brightening my day!
Glad you enjoyed it! I sure had a heck of a good time researching it.