Halo Theme

Template:Realworld Template:Ratings 200px|right The Halo Theme is the staple music of the Halo series and is instantly recognizable by fans of the games.

In its original incarnation, featured frequently in Halo: Combat Evolved, it placed heavy emphasis on deep, powerful drums and fast paced strings. The song is heard most prominently at the start of Silent Cartographer, during the beach landing and during the end credits. The chant at the beginning of the piece was used for the main menu screen in-game, and was iconic of the religious reference throughout Halo, as well as being the first true music heard by the player. On the Halo: Original Soundtrack, however, it was the last track, and also included the bonus track Siege of Madrigal at the end.

For Halo 2, the song was remixed into the MJOLNIR Mix. The basics of the song remained the same, but it featured impressive electric guitar overlays by former Whitesnake guitarist Steve Vai. Halo 2 continued to use the song in its original form in certain parts, such as at the beginning of the level Metropolis. The MJOLNIR mix was played at the end of Metropolis, as the Master Chief boards the Scarab, and later during the end credits, is the first track on the Halo 2 Soundtrack Volume 1.

It was composed over the course of three days in the summer of 1999 by Martin O'Donnell.