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Andrew HulshultPATCH 2026.10.16

Doom Soundtrack Albums Compared: Which Release Should You Listen To?

By VGSources Team 8 min read

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If you want the music that defines the 1993 game, choose Bobby Prince’s original score. If you want a long, modern album built around industrial-metal production, choose Mick Gordon’s DOOM (2016). If you want updated arrangements while playing both classic games, use Andrew Hulshult’s IDKFA remaster in the enhanced DOOM + DOOM II release.

These are not interchangeable versions of one soundtrack. They represent different composers, eras, formats and listening purposes, so identify the composer and game year before you buy or press play.

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The three practical choices

The phrase “DOOM soundtrack” can describe an original-game album, music embedded in an enhanced game release, or the later score for the 2016 reboot. The comparison below separates those options by what they actually are.

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Release Composer and game What you get Best fit Documented length or format
DOOM (1993) [Original Game Soundtrack] Bobby Prince; DOOM (1993) Official digital album of the classic game score Listeners seeking the original game’s music and its metal-inflected, blues-rooted writing Apple Music lists 23 songs and 56 minutes; dated May 8, 2026
Classic MIDI music in enhanced DOOM + DOOM II Original game music; in-game presentation The classic tunes as they play during the enhanced combined release Players who want the familiar music while playing Toggle documented by Bethesda; no standalone-album runtime stated
IDKFA Andrew Hulshult; arrangements for the original games Remastered soundtrack included in enhanced DOOM + DOOM II Players who want an updated arrangement spanning both classic games Complete track list spans DOOM (1993) and DOOM II; runtime and standalone physical edition not stated
DOOM (Original Game Soundtrack) Mick Gordon; DOOM (2016) Official modern soundtrack album Listeners who want a longer industrial-metal score away from the game Apple Music lists 31 songs and 2 hours 8 minutes; dated September 28, 2016

The table’s runtime figures come from the respective Apple Music listings, not from a measurement of game playback. Bethesda’s descriptions establish the in-game options and the physical-edition track count.

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What is the original DOOM soundtrack?

Bobby Prince’s 1993 score

Bobby Prince wrote the music custom for DOOM rather than licensing existing popular songs. A Library of Congress essay by Dan Spencer characterizes its surface as metal built on blues-derived harmonic patterns. Riffs, layered progressions and parts that accumulate as a track advances help the pieces feel aggressive without reducing them to undifferentiated noise.

The official digital listing is titled DOOM (1993) [Original Game Soundtrack]. Apple Music lists 23 songs running 56 minutes and gives the release date as May 8, 2026, under ℗ 2026 Bethesda Softworks. That listing is the clearest documented album path for hearing the score outside the game.

Prince’s music is the right starting point when “DOOM” means the 1993 identity: compact loops, instantly recognizable riffs and the tension between blues harmony and metal attack. The album format lets you hear the pieces in sequence, while the game’s MIDI implementation is designed to respond to play rather than function as a conventional continuous record.

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Classic MIDI in the enhanced release

Bethesda’s enhanced DOOM + DOOM II release preserves an option to switch to the classic MIDI tunes. This is an in-game setting, not evidence of a separate digital or physical album. Choose it when your priority is hearing the original music alongside the levels, weapons and pacing that give those cues their context.

What is IDKFA?

IDKFA is Andrew Hulshult’s remastered, arranged soundtrack for the enhanced DOOM + DOOM II release. Bethesda describes a complete track list covering both DOOM (1993) and DOOM II. It therefore differs from Prince’s original presentation in two ways: the arrangements are later reinterpretations, and the coverage extends across both classic games.

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Bethesda’s cited release information does not establish a separate album runtime or a standalone physical edition for IDKFA. Treat it as an in-game listening choice unless a current listing explicitly documents another format. If you want a remastered sound while playing the original campaigns, it is the relevant option; if you want the historically original MIDI presentation, select the classic setting instead.

Is the DOOM 2016 soundtrack the same as the original?

No. Mick Gordon’s DOOM (2016) score is a separate soundtrack for a different game. Apple Music’s catalog description emphasizes heavy-metal guitar riffs, pounding drums and industrial synths. Those words are catalog copy, but they accurately identify the intended contrast with Prince’s MIDI-era writing: Gordon’s album is a modern, studio-produced score built around dense low end, electronic texture and extended development.

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The Apple Music digital listing gives Gordon’s album 31 songs and 2 hours 8 minutes, with a release date of September 28, 2016. Its longer listed duration makes it the practical choice for a substantial standalone listening session. It should not be labeled as the original DOOM soundtrack, and the presence of familiar franchise imagery does not make the two albums editions of the same recording.

How the musical character differs

Prince: riffs with blues-derived harmony

Spencer’s Library of Congress analysis points to metal sonorities placed over blues-based harmonic patterns. The writing often develops by adding layers, so a cue can grow from a spare figure into a fuller attack. That combination explains why the music remains recognizable even when heard as game loops rather than as a pop-style song sequence.

Gordon: industrial-metal scale

Apple Music’s editorial description of Gordon’s score highlights guitar, drums and industrial synthesizers. The catalog presents it as a large, modern soundtrack rather than a short collection of MIDI cues. Its two-hour-plus listing accommodates a broader album arc and more variation in texture, making it easier to use as background listening away from the game.

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Hulshult: arranged versions of the classics

IDKFA occupies the middle ground conceptually. It keeps the source material tied to the two original games but presents it as a remaster arranged for the enhanced release. The available official description establishes its scope, not a claim that every arrangement is sonically equivalent to Prince’s original or to Gordon’s later work.

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Which release should you listen to?

Choose Bobby Prince if you want the classic identity

Start with Prince when your reference point is the 1993 game, its original MIDI sound and the riffs that established the series’ musical language. The album is concise enough to hear in one sitting, and its custom-written status matters: these were game cues composed for DOOM, not a playlist of licensed songs.

Choose Mick Gordon for a modern album

Choose Gordon when you want the reboot’s industrial-metal palette or the longest documented album in this comparison. The 2016 listing is the most substantial digital listening option by runtime and track count. It suits focused listening, workouts or other situations where you want a continuous, high-intensity score rather than short classic-game loops.

Choose IDKFA while playing both classic campaigns

Use IDKFA when you are playing the enhanced combined release and want remastered arrangements across DOOM and DOOM II. It is particularly useful for a replay in which you know the original cues but want a refreshed presentation. Because the documented format is in-game, do not purchase it expecting a separately cataloged album unless a current product listing says otherwise.

Use classic MIDI when authenticity matters more than modernization

If your goal is to reproduce the sound associated with the original release, select the classic MIDI option in enhanced DOOM + DOOM II. This gives you the music as an integrated game component instead of an extracted album. The exact menu wording can vary by platform and update, so use the release’s current audio or music setting rather than assuming a universal button path.

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Digital album versus music in the game

An album and an in-game soundtrack answer different needs. A digital album offers a fixed sequence and stated catalog duration. Game music is triggered, looped or layered around level progression, so its experience depends on how you play. The classic MIDI option and IDKFA are therefore not competing “album versions” in the strict catalog sense; they are modes inside the enhanced game release.

For an album you can queue independently of gameplay, the documented choices are Prince’s 1993 digital listing and Gordon’s 2016 digital listing. For music synchronized with exploration and combat, the enhanced DOOM + DOOM II options are the relevant path.

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Physical editions and track-count traps

The documented vinyl release

Bethesda’s Gear Store lists a deluxe double-vinyl edition of Mick Gordon’s DOOM (2016) soundtrack and specifies 20 tracks. It is a physical edition of the 2016 score, not a pressing of Bobby Prince’s 1993 soundtrack.

Apple Music lists 31 songs for the digital Gordon album, while the vinyl listing specifies 20 tracks. The cited product information does not explain which songs are omitted, combined or sequenced differently. Do not describe the vinyl as complete or assume that its contents match the digital edition without checking the current product page.

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The 1993 physical-release question

The available official information establishes Prince’s album as a digital Apple Music listing. It does not establish an authorized physical edition for that score. The existence of a 2016 double vinyl does not imply that the 1993 music is included, reissued or available on the same records.

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Do not confuse a game collection with a soundtrack

Bethesda’s DOOM Anthology is a physical game collection. Its listed contents include DOOM (1993), DOOM II, DOOM 64, DOOM 3, DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal Deluxe Edition, along with a SteelBook and BFG replica. It is useful for a game-collection purchase, but it is not an album and should not be presented as a soundtrack bundle.

Why the original score has historical significance

The Library of Congress essay says that on May 14, 2026, the score became the third video-game recording selected for the National Recording Registry. That gives Prince’s music cultural-history importance beyond its role as a game soundtrack. Spencer is identified as a music teacher, music-book author and video-game music composer, and the essay states that its views may not represent the Library of Congress as an institution.

This recognition does not turn the 1993 and 2016 scores into comparable editions of one album. It does explain why listeners interested in video-game music history may want to hear Prince’s original work even if they normally prefer modern production.

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A quick decision checklist

  • Want the sound associated with the 1993 game? Hear Bobby Prince’s digital album or select classic MIDI in enhanced DOOM + DOOM II.
  • Want a remastered arrangement spanning both original games? Select Andrew Hulshult’s IDKFA option in the enhanced release.
  • Want the longest documented standalone album? Choose Mick Gordon’s 2016 digital soundtrack, listed at 2 hours 8 minutes.
  • Want a physical record? The documented vinyl is Gordon’s 2016 score and lists 20 tracks.
  • Want historical context? Start with Prince, whose score received National Recording Registry recognition in 2026.

Availability notes

Streaming catalogs, regional access and store inventory can change. Apple Music’s dates and counts describe the listings cited here; they are not guarantees that every territory will display the same catalog. The Gear Store’s stock and edition details can also change. Check the current listing immediately before buying, especially when comparing the 20-track vinyl with the 31-song digital album.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Andrew HulshultBobby PrinceDOOMDOOM 1993DOOM 2016Mick Gordonvideo game soundtracks

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