Rob Hubbard

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Rob Hubbard
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Hubbard in 2023
Background information
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Kingston upon Hull, England
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GenresVideo game music, Chiptune
OccupationTemplate:Pluralize from textComposer, programmer
Years active1985–1996, 2004–present

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Rob Hubbard (born 1955) is a British composer best known for his musical and programming work for microcomputers of the 1980s, in particular the Commodore 64.

Biography

Early life and career

Hubbard was born in 1955[1][2] in Kingston upon Hull, England.[3] Hubbard first started playing music at age seven. Whilst at school he played in bands. After leaving school, he went to music college.[4] He mentioned Mozart, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Ralph Vaughan Williams, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Jean Michel Jarre and Larry Fast among his musical influences.[5][6]

In the late seventies, before scoring games, he was a professional studio musician. He decided to teach himself BASIC and machine code for the Commodore 64.[7] Rob explained how he acquired his first computer, the Commodore 64, and why he chose that specific computer in an interview, "The buzz that was around at the time was that musicians are gonna have to get into computers." He ended up with a Commodore 64 computer specifically because the other ones he knew of, only had 8k or 16k of memory.[8]

Music on the Commodore 64

Hubbard subsequently wrote or converted music for a variety of publishers on over 75 videogames between 1985 and 1989. Hubbard mainly composed for the Commodore 64's SID sound chip. He worked freelance and turned down offers from companies to work in-house.[4] His first theme for a game was Thing on a Spring.[9] Some of his most popular tunes include Commando, Monty on the Run, Sanxion, International Karate, Skate or Die!, Crazy Comets, Master of Magic, Delta, Thrust, Lightforce, Spellbound, One Man and his Droid. The game Knucklebusters includes Hubbard's longest tune: a 17-minute opus. Hubbard has mentioned his personal favourites are Sanxion, Kentilla, W.A.R., International Karate, and Crazy Comets.[9] His least favourite was Samantha Fox Strip Poker, which he admitted to having done purely for money; he was listed in the game credits with the alias John York.[3]

Move to Electronic Arts and the United States

After four years producing gaming music in the United Kingdom, Hubbard joined Electronic Arts in 1988 to develop professionally as a musician.[10] He left Newcastle and had the choice to work for Electronic Arts or Microsoft. Hubbard chose EA due to their prominence in the gaming industry as Microsoft had (as yet) no gaming platform. His work with EA Electronic Arts in America was as a composer.[4] He was the first person devoted to sound and music at EA and did everything from low-level programming to composing.[9] One of his most famous compositions during his period at EA, is the music featured in the loading sequence of the Commodore 64 version of Skate or Die!, which features multiple sampled chords of electric guitar and organ. Playback of samples was facilitated by exploiting a feature in the SID sound-synthesizer chip: altering the volume register produces an audible click, and altering the register thousands of times per second enables a relatively crude (but surprisingly clear and sophisticated for eight-bit computers) form of sample playback.[11] He eventually became Audio Technical Director,[12] a more administrative job, deciding which technologies to use in games, and which to develop further.

After the Commodore 64 period, he wrote some soundtracks for games which appeared on the Amiga, Atari ST, IBM PC and Mega Drive, most notably Populous, Road Rash, and Desert Strike.

Recent activities

Hubbard contributed a few re-arrangements of his themes to Chris Abbott's C64 tribute Back in Time Live. Hubbard performed several times with the Danish C64 cover band PRESS PLAY ON TAPE[13] who have covered many of his early tunes using a full rock-band arrangement. Hubbard has also performed his old music on piano with the support of violinist and fellow chiptune composer Mark Knight.

Hubbard left EA in 2002 and returned to England.[14] He has recently resumed playing in a band, and he has revisited his past game-music work in concert. His recent compositions have included music for mobile-phone games.

In 2005, music from International Karate was performed live by a full orchestra at the third Symphonic Game Music Concert. The event took place in Leipzig, Germany. Hubbard arranged and orchestrated the piece.[15]

In 2014, Hubbard appeared in and composed music for the documentary feature film From Bedrooms to Billions, a film that tells the story of the British video games industry.

In November 2016, Hubbard received an honorary degree from Abertay University for his contributions to video-game music in the 1980s.[16]

Works

Year Title Notes
1985 Commando[17] based on theme from Commando arcade game by Tamayo Kawamoto
Rasputin[18] features traditional Russian songs
Monty on the Run[17] partially based on "Devil's Galop"[15] by Charles Williams
Thing on a Spring[19]
Confuzion[19] Cover of the song "Confuzion" by the band Private Property which was also on side B of the game cassette.
Crazy Comets[17] Inspired by New Order and funk music.[20]
Chimera[21]
Master of Magic[22] partially based on "Shibolet" from the Synergy album Audion
The Last V8[23]
Action Biker[19]
Formula 1 Simulator[24]
Hunter Patrol[25]
One Man and His Droid[21] inspired by the song Maneater by Hall & Oates
Battle of Britain
Harvey Smith Showjumping
Up, Up and Away cover of a song by The 5th Dimension
1986 Deep Strike
Bump Set Spike
Ninja
Gerry the Germ[17]
Proteus based on two separate songs from John Keating's album Space Experience ("The Unknown Planet" and "Space Agent")
Thrust[21]
Warhawk[26] the same song as "Proteus", just an intro added
Lightforce [27] He was paid £750 for the tune according to the developers (equivalent to £2324 in 2020) which they claim was an absolute bargain.
Geoff Capes Strongman Challenge
Samantha Fox Strip Poker[28] credited as John York because as he said "[it] was such a cheesy title and they wanted that cheesy lame music along with it - I didn't want to admit that I did it just for the money".[29] Contains "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin and "The Stripper" by David Rose
Tarzan Based on the theme from 1960s TV show "Tarzan"
W.A.R.[27]
Zoids[30] based on the track "Ancestors" from the Synergy album Audion
Flash Gordon[31]
Spellbound[21]
Hollywood or Bust Covers of "12th Street Rag" by Euday L. Bowman and "Dill Pickles Rag" by Charles L. Johnson
Human Race[23]
Kentilla[21]
Phantoms of the Asteroid[32]
Chicken Song From the TV show Spitting Image
Video Poker contains "Easy Winners" by Scott Joplin
Knucklebusters Hubbard's longest composition, lasting 17 minutes[33]
International Karate[31] parts are a pastiche of Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Forbidden Colours" from "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence"
Sanxion in addition to Hubbard's famous loader song,[27] this contains "Dance of the Knights" from Prokofiev's ballet "Romeo and Juliet"
1987 Jet Set Willy Atari 8-bit version
ACE II
BMX Kids the sampled voice saying "Go!" is actually Hubbard himself![21]
Saboteur II
Sigma 7 Commodore 64 arrangement by Hubbard; Amstrad original by Julian Breeze
Thanatos Commodore 64 arrangement by Hubbard; Amstrad original by Julian Breeze
Thundercats
Arcade Classics
I-Ball inspired by "Whip Blow" and "I Want You" by Cabaret Voltaire[7]
Hydrofool
Shockway Rider
Auf Wiedersehen Monty with Ben Daglish[34]
Chain Reaction
Mega Apocalypse Re-arrangement of "Crazy Comets"[35]
Nemesis the Warlock[36]
Wiz
Bangkok Knights
IK plus (International Karate plus)
Dragons Lair Part II[21]
Star Paws[37]
Delta The title song borrows few bars of melody from the Koyaanisqatsi soundtrack by Philip Glass. Also inspired by Pink Floyd[3]
Trans Atlantic Balloon Challenge
Goldrunner contains the same song as "Human Race"
1988 19 Part One: Boot Camp an interpretation of Paul Hardcastle's "19"[38]
Jordan vs. Bird: One on One
Kings of the Beach
One-on-One 2
Power Play Hockey
Skate or Die![39]
Pandora Based on the main theme from Dune
Ricochet
1989 688 Attack Sub[40]
Budokan: The Martial Spirit[40]
Indianapolis 500: The Simulation
Keef the Thief
Kings of the Beach
Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA Playoffs
Populous[28]
1990 Low Blow
Ski or Die[40]
The Immortal
John Madden Football
Skate or Die 2: The Search for Double Trouble
1991 PGA Tour Golf
Road Rash with Michael Bartlow[41]
Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf with Brian L. Schmidt
1992 Road Rash 2 with Don Veca and Tony Berkeley
The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated Scalpel[41]
John Madden Football '93
1993 NHL '94
1994 NHL '95 with Russell Lieblich
1996 The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Rose Tattoo
2014 From Bedrooms to Billions
2017 Rob's Life
2018 Go Go Dash

References

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  1. ^ ZZAP! 64, October 1985
  2. ^ Happy Computer, July 1986
  3. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."For the best in C64 nostalgia". C64.com. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."For the best in C64 nostalgia". C64.com. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Interview with Rob Hubbard". atlantis-prophecy.org. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Interviews with Rob Hubbard". sidmusic.org. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  7. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Interview with Rob Hubbard". Sidmusic.org. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.The Retro Collective (11 November 2019). Rob Hubbard - C64 Musical Wizard - Retro Tea Break Interview. Retrieved 30 March 2025 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Interview with Rob Hubbard". Karsmakers.nl. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Staff (May 1988). "Hubbard Joins EA". Action News. ST Action. No. 1. Chichester, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom: Gollner Publishing Ltd. p. 5. ISSN 0955-1395. My time at Electronic Arts convinced me that this was the right company for me to join. It could provide me with necessary support both technically and technologically, to develop my skills as a music artist to their full potential.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."SID Music". Pauliehughes.com. 6 April 2008.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Interview with Rob Hubbard". Sidmusic.org. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Rob Hubbard & Chris Abbott (Gremlin/EA) - Interview". Arcadeattack.co.uk. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Rob Hubbard". The-commodore-zone.com. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  15. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Rob Hubbard". 8-bit-symphony.com. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Abertay announces honorary graduates". abertay.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  17. ^ a b c d Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Profile - The Master of Micro Music". The-commodore-zone.com. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Commodore User Magazine Issue 31". Archive.org. 25 April 1986. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  19. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."View a Scan". Zzap64.co.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Profile - The Master of Micro Music". The-commodore-zone.com. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Interview with Rob Hubbard". Sidmusic.org. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  22. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Profile - The Master of Micro Music". The-commodore-zone.com. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  23. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Rob Hubbard". The-commodore-zone.com. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  24. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Redirecting".
  25. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Redirecting". Zzap64.co.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  26. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Commodore User (November 1986) Reviews - Amiga Magazine Rack".
  27. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Rob Hubbard". The-commodore-zone.com. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  28. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sheppard, Gary "Dominoid" (21 October 2017). "Legendary Game Composer Rob Hubbard to be Immortalised in Book, Game, and Album Form". GameGrin.com. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  29. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."C64.COM - For the best in C64 nostalgia". C64.com. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  30. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Profile - The Master of Micro Music". The-commodore-zone.com. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  31. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Computer game music's orchestral revamp". Bbc.co.uk. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  32. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."ZZap!64 Magazine Issue 012". April 1986.
  33. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Rob Hubbard". The-commodore-zone.com. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  34. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Ben Daglish | RETRO GAMESMASTER". 12 August 2017.
  35. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Rob Hubbard". The-commodore-zone.com. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  36. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Issue 26". Zzap64.co.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  37. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."CVG Magazine Issue 071". Archive.org. 25 September 1987. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  38. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."CRASH 56 – 19 Part One: Boot Camp". Crashonline.org.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  39. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."An Interview with Rob Hubbard". Remix64.com. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  40. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The EAvolution of Rob Hubbard - part 2, 1989–1990". C64audio.com. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  41. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The EAvolution of Rob Hubbard - part 4". C64audi0.com. 21 October 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2020.

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