Kingdom Hearts series music drops to #188 in Classic FM's Hall of Fame 2018

Classic FM has revealed their 2018 Hall of Fame list over the Easter weekend. Kingdom Hearts, including "The Other Promise" composed by Yoko Shimomura, ranked #188 out of 300. You can check out the summary of her entry below.

Yoko Shimomura is the world's most famous female video game music composer. Her Kingdom Hearts soundtrack accompanies the main character Sora on his search for friends in various virtual worlds. Shimomura's works have become a regular fixture in video game concerts and music from several of her games have been arranged for solo piano. Combining two seemingly disparate properties into one cohesive work might sound impossible, but Kingdom Hearts manages to blend the intricate stories of developer Square Enix with the beloved characters of Disney with ease. Although the main theme comes from Japanese singer Hikaru Utada, it is Yoko Shimomura's work on the score that has made an indelible mark on gamers worldwide. Creating music that sits alongside Disney classics from Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and The Nightmare Before Christmas, Shimomura's themes blend perfectly with the fun and surprising sights on offer.

This is the 4th straight year that Yoko has made an appearance on the Classic FM Hall of Fame. In 2015, she placed 30th while in 2016 she placed 31st. In 2017, she finished 119th.

Other musical compositions that have been showcased in the Kingdom Hearts series have also made it into the top 300 list for Hall of Fame 2018, including the following:

• "A Night on the Bare Mountain" ranked at no. 274
  
• "Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl" ranked at no. 201
  
• "Final Fantasy Series (including One-Winged Angel)" ranked at no. 99
  
• "Nutcracker" ranked at no. 13
  
• "Symphony no. 6 in F Major Op.68 (Pastoral)" ranked at no. 7
  

Congratulations to Yoko Shimomura and her success in making Classic FM's Hall of Fame list for the 4th straight year! We wish her the best of luck as she continues working hard on the Kingdom Hearts III soundtrack and preparing for the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra World Tour -Encore- this summer!