What was the first video game soundtrack to go platinum in America?
NBA Live 2003’s companion soundtrack, NBA Livestyle 2003, became the first video game soundtrack certified platinum in the United States. Its success showed how a game’s built-in audience could help licensed music reach listeners and sell as a separate release.
Released in October 2002, the eight-track CD featured new tracks from Busta Rhymes and Flipmode Squad, alongside remixes involving artists including Snoop Dogg, Fabolous, Just Blaze and Joe Budden. By spring 2003 it had sold more than one million copies, according to the article. It was the last NBA Live soundtrack to reach platinum status, and EA’s final NBA game came out in 2018.
In short
- NBA Livestyle 2003 was the first platinum video game soundtrack in the US.
- The eight-track CD passed one million sales by spring 2003.
- It featured Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg and other hip-hop artists.
Explained simply
NBA Live is EA Sports’ basketball video game series, and its soundtracks feature music heard while playing. In 2002, EA released a separate eight-track CD alongside NBA Live 2003, with new music and remixes by well-known hip-hop artists.
The CD sold more than a million copies in the United States and became the first soundtrack made for a video game to earn platinum certification there. Its success showed how music featured in a popular game could also find an audience as a standalone album.