And the best piece of music from Game of Thrones is…

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(Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Last week, we asked to vote for your favorite piece of music from Game of Thrones. What did you choose? Take a look.


The winner was “Light of the Seven,” Ramin Djawadi’s haunting ode to Cersei Lannister blowing up the Westerosi equivalent of St. Peter’s Basilica.

That’s no great shock. Even considering his impressive body of work throughout the show’s six seasons, Djawadi’s “Light of the Seven” immediately stood out as moody and different when fans first heard it in the season 6 finale. Salty broke down why it was so successful:

"[F]or me, “Light of the Seven” really stands out as being the best because, first, the arrangement and style is such a strong break from Djawadi’s other compositions for GoT that I can’t help but notice it much more…Second, “Light of the Seven” really carries the scene in a way that we haven’t seen before. It’s almost like the music itself becomes the lead actor in a scene where really there’s not a lot of dialogue. The music from “Light of the Seven” is so important and so well integrated that if I just listen to the music I can visualize everything that’s happening on screen from beginning to end. Powerful stuff!"

Very well put!

Of course the show’s now-famous main title theme got some love. DarkStark thinks it has a bright future:

"The Main Title music is iconic and recognized all over the world, so I have to choose that. It should be a given, like Shakespeare and the Bible are given to guests on Desert Island discs so they can pick another book."

I’d be hard-pressed to think of a TV theme song from the past 20 years that’s become as famous as the Game of Thrones opener. If Djawadi wrote that and nothing else, he’d already have left his mark on the world.

After that, people were pretty even split between “The Winds of Winter” (the song that plays during as Daenerys sets sail for Westeros in the season 6 finale), “Goodbye Brother” (the Stark theme) and “The Rains of Castamere” (the Lannister theme). They’re all great songs, so let’s play ’em!

As the unofficial theme of House Stark, “Goodbye Brother” connects to a lot of fans on a personal level, including LadyStark. “It makes me wanna cry.. So beautiful,” she wrote. The family has been through so many ups and downs over the years…it’s hard not to be emotionally triggered by this song.

Commenter Winter Has Come preferred the Lannister family song:

"“The Rains of Castamere” for sure. It is one of the few fully composed songs with lyrics that are both foreboding and highly evocative…. it serves as a warning to houses that dare threaten the Lannister dynasty but also is presented in a range of contexts from bragging in a brothel to the deeply sad and haunting version at the purple wedding, which turns the song on its head and foreshadows what is to come."

There were plenty of people who voted for other selections, as well. Such is the embarrassment of riches on this show. Ryan, for example, went for one of the show’s more memorable love themes:

"Jon and Ygritte’s love song, “You Know Nothing,” is a beautiful, emotional piece of music. Hearing it live really moved me."

Priscilla, meanwhile, can’t help but react when she hears the song that plays when Daenerys sacks Astapor in season 3’s “And Now His Watch Is Ended.”

"I am a sucker for “Dracarys”. There, I said it…“Dracarys” gives me goosebumps to this day."

Writing pulse-pounding battle music seems to be a specialty of Djawadi’s, as well it should be, considering how many pulse-pounding moments there are on this show. It didn’t get any votes on the poll, but I’d like to draw some attention to “Thenns,” which was featured prominently during the Battle of Castle Black in season 4. It’s another exciting, warlike track I feel needs more appreciation.

Finally, Cameron described the moment he started paying more attention to the music: when Arya sailed across the Narrow Sea to Braavos in the season 4 finale, with the strings and voices of “The Children” filling her sails.

"Enjoyed the music as a backdrop seasons 1 through 4. Was more into the story. However, finale of season 4 changed all that. “The Children” killed me. Arya on the boat with the choir singing, still makes my eyes burn as I force back tears whenever I listen to it. Allowed me to go back through the music of 1-4 and appreciate it properly. As a result, an even more satisfying, emotional and well rounded watch of seasons 5-6."

Thanks for everything, Ramin Djawadi, and continued luck during the Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience tour!

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