One of Shenmue's most enduring qualities often cited by fans is the glorious array of music heard throughout the games. Yu Suzuki has described how the music was recorded first, to help inspire the game's cut scene writers in producing scenes that captured the spirit and emotion of the soundtrack. Shenmue was therefore shaped by its enchanting score like no other game, and this heightens the evocative effect these tunes have on players many years later.
Last year, the voting for Classic FM's Hall of Fame resulted in top-five placements for compositions from Final Fantasy and The Elder Scrolls, paving the way for other videogames to potentially follow in 2014. And I can think of no selection of music more deserving of inclusion than Shenmue's powerful soundtrack.
To participate in the voting, you will need to choose three entries at this link. I suggest that your first two selections be "Shenmue (soundtrack)" and "Shenhua" - by Yuzo Koshiro and Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, respectively.
You will need to select a third vote before you are allowed to submit your entries. If the search box doesn't bring up anything you like, I know for a fact that "Conquest of Paradise" by Vangelis can be found amongst the possible nominations. It's not Shenmue, but I like it...
This past November at the Kölner Philharmonie in Germany, a spine tingling orchestral performance of Sedge Tree (the main Shenmue theme) formed part of a concert based on videogame music. Enjoy the video again as you cast your votes, and let's see what we can do to maximize Shenmue's chances of gaining official recognition within the Classic FM Hall of Fame!