The powerful score from Sandfall Interactive’s breakout RPG is making waves beyond the gaming world — claiming and holding the #1 spots on both Billboard’s Classical and Classical Crossover Album charts. It has now spent an impressive six consecutive weeks at the top, a first for a contemporary video game soundtrack in 2025.
The soundtrack debuted at #1 on both Billboard’s Classical Albums and Classical Crossover Albums charts shortly after its April 24, 2025 release, and never looked back. It has attracted over 18 million streams worldwide, and standout track Lumière alone has reached millions of plays on YouTube and Spotify.
A Massive Soundtrack and a Surprise Hit
Crafted by composer Lorien Testard alongside vocalist Alice Duport-Percier, the nearly eight-hour, 154-track score weaves orchestral and lyrical elements deeply into the game’s Belle Époque world. Its success jump-started both artists’ profiles, drawing over 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify within weeks, and even earning the attention of French President Emmanuel Macron.
How Uncommon Is This for Games
Though video game music occasionally cracks charts — Halo 4 debuted at #50 on the Billboard 200 in 2012, and Cuphead: Selected Tunes reached #1 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums in 2019 — few titles have sustained #1 runs on major classical charts. Clair Obscur’s six-week reign across two genre-specific charts is virtually unprecedented, signifying a deep cultural resonance.
Why It Matters
This achievement reflects a growing appreciation of video game scores as standalone works of art—and cements Clair Obscur’s soundtrack as a landmark in both video game and classical music spheres. Its chart dominance demonstrates the album’s popularity extends well beyond standard gaming audiences, appealing to broader music lovers worldwide.