SimCity soundtrack listing

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SimCity 3000

Most music that comes on the actual game disc is encoded in the proprietary Maxis XA format, which has of course long been reverse-engineered and can be decoded by programs like FFmpeg.

Ten of the game’s tracks were released as a CD compilation, which contains additional performance credits in its liner notes.

Title Composer Edition Filename Length
SimCity Theme Jerry Martin 3000 n/a 1:01

Heard during the game’s introductory movie. The track isn’t stored as a separate audio file in the game installation, but it’s on the official soundtrack albums.
SimCity 3000 Loop Jerry Martin 3000 3kloop.wav 0:11
SimCity 3000 Unlimited Loop ? Unlimited 3kloop.wav 0:22

Unsurprisingly, this is the tune that plays on a loop while the game is doing busywork, such as loading or saving a city.
Window Washer’s Dream Robi Kauker & Kent Jolly Both 3kd1.xa 4:59
SIM Broadway Jerry Martin 3000 3kg2.xa 6:02

Mysteriously, this track was completely removed from SimCity 3000 Unlimited — unlike Concrete Jungle, it’s not even on the disc.
Updown Town Jerry Martin Both 3kj1m.xa 3:42
Night Life Jerry Martin Both 3kj2m.xa 6:28
South Bridge Kirk Casey Both 3kj3m.xa 6:38
Central Park Sunday Marc Russo Both 3kj4m.xa 5:29
Building Jerry Martin Both 3kp1.xa 6:01
Magic City Jerry Martin Both 3kp2.xa 6:06
Illumination Jerry Martin Both 3kp3m.xa 7:47
New Terrain Jerry Martin Both 3kp4.xa 5:41

As the name implies, this is the first song you hear after the inception of a new city.
Concrete Jungle Jerry Martin Both 3kp5m.xa 7:00

This track is only present by default in 3000, but can be re-enabled fairly easily in Unlimited by opening Apps/Res/Sound/audio.ini in the game’s installation folder, searching for Concrete Jungle, and changing the beginning of the line from ;0x0a to 0x13 — note the removal of the semicolon.
Power Grid Jerry Martin Both 3kt1.xa 5:44
Infrastructure Jerry Martin Both 3kt2.xa 7:06
Urban Complex Anna Karney Both 3kt3.xa 6:29
The Howling Wind Jerry Martin Unlimited 3kse1.xa 6:38
Sixth Floor ? Unlimited 3kse2.xa 4:49

Prior to Maxis’ acquisition by Electronic Arts, the company’s headquarters were located on the sixth floor of California Plaza in Walnut Creek, California. I’m fairly certain the title is a reference to that, and not the assassination of John F. Kennedy, but I could be mistaken.
Desert Sand ? Unlimited 3kse3.xa 4:49
City Lights ? Unlimited 3kse4.xa 5:02
City of Dreams ? Unlimited 3kse5.xa 5:08
SimCity 2000 Theme ? Both sc2kbug.xa 0:56

Hidden track in both 3000 and Unlimited. It can be enabled by opening Apps/Res/Sound/audio.ini in the game’s installation folder, searching for SimCity 2000 Theme, and changing the string 0,0,0,1 at the end of the line to 0,1,0,1.

SimCity 4

Unlike its predecessor, SimCity 4 conveniently stores its music in MP3 format. You can find the files under Radio/Stations in the game’s installation folder.

Once again, thirteen of the game’s tracks were put out on a CD compilation, with performance credits in the liner notes.

Mayor Mode

Title Composer Edition Filename Length
Rush Hour Jerry Martin Both SC4m01.mp3 5:24

SimCity 4’s first expansion pack was also named Rush Hour. Speculation abounded that a follow-up would thus be called By the Bay, and focus on water transport.
By The Bay Jerry Martin Both SC4m02.mp3 6:03
The New Hood Jerry Martin Both SC4m03.mp3 5:16
No Gridlock Jerry Martin Both SC4m04.mp3 7:48
Re-Development Jerry Martin Both SC4m05.mp3 5:09

Most of the gameplay teasers posted prior to SimCity 4’s release used this tune as background music.
Bohemian Street Jam Jerry Martin Both SC4m06.mp3 5:37
Urban Underground Anna Karney Both SC4m07.mp3 5:04
Street Sweeper Marc Russo Both SC4m08.mp3 4:59

Instead of a separate theme, as in 3000, SimCity 4 and Rush Hour’s introductory movies use a snippet of this track.
Crosswalk Talk ? Both SC4m09.mp3 5:03

This track is the only one missing from the full SimCity 4 soundtrack album available on streaming services and the iTunes Store. In its place is a track labeled Simmin’ by Rock Hendricks that is actually an erroneous duplicate of Bohemian Street Jam. This may imply that Crosswalk Talk was in fact composed by Hendricks, with Simmin’ as an alternate title.
Tarmack Kirk Casey Both SC4m10.mp3 5:31
Night Owl Kirk Casey Both SC4m11.mp3 5:19
EpiCenter The Humble Brothers Both SC4m12.mp3 6:26
Gritty City Walt Szalva Both SC4m13.mp3 5:31

The full soundtrack album calls this Rockin’ Down.
Zone System Kent Jolly Both SC4m14.mp3 3:32
Transit Angst Robi Kauker Both SC4m15.mp3 4:41
Landfill Marc Russo Both SC4m16.mp3 5:16

Thanks to Jenko Grund for composer credits.
Oasis The Humble Brothers Both SC4m17.mp3 6:04

Thanks to Andrew Hamilton for composer credits.
Bumper to Bumper Jerry Martin Rush Hour SC4ep1_01_M.mp3 7:06
The Morning Commute Jerry Martin Rush Hour SC4ep1_04_M.mp3 4:47
Wheels of Progress Andy Brick Rush Hour SC4ep1_05_M.mp3 6:00
Deserted Andy Brick Rush Hour SC4ep1_06_M.mp3 5:11
Metropolis The Humble Brothers Rush Hour SC4ep1_07_M.mp3 5:06
ElectriCITY The Humble Brothers Rush Hour SC4ep1_09_M.mp3 5:11

NPR borrowed this track to use as the opening theme for a 7 December 2005 On Point episode on video games, which mentioned SimCity a grand total of zero times.
Floating Population Walt Szalva Rush Hour SC4ep1_10_M.mp3 5:13
Chain Reaction Edwin Dolinski Rush Hour SC4ep1_11_M.mp3 6:15

Region Mode

Title Composer Edition Filename Length
Above the Clouds Jerry Martin Both SC4g1.mp3 3:56

Jerry Martin’s Web site referred to this piece as From Above.
Shape Shifter Jerry Martin Both SC4g2.mp3 7:32

Jerry Martin’s Web site referred to this piece as The Creator.
Terrain The Humble Brothers Both SC4g3.mp3 5:35
Without Form Jerry Martin Both SC4g4.mp3 6:28
Taking Shape Bob Marshall Both SC4g5.mp3 4:22

Mr. Marshall himself wrote in with the following: I am the composer of Taking Shape from the Region mode music in the game. I was working on a contract basis for Jerry Martin as a music composer at the time. We were asked to submit 5 minute tunes. For some reason, I wasn’t credited, although I did get paid for the job.
Primordial Dream Michael Land Both SC4g6.mp3 5:20

Disabled by default, but easily turned back on by checking its box in the audio settings.

Thanks to Jenko Grund for composer credits.
Parallel View Kirk Casey Both SC4g7.mp3 5:28

Thanks to Jenko Grund for composer credits.
Area 52 Jerry Martin Rush Hour SC4ep1_02_G.mp3 5:13

SimCity.com and Jerry Martin’s Web site called this Bombay.
Dig Deep Jerry Martin Rush Hour SC4ep1_03_G.mp3 5:56
Arctica The Humble Brothers Rush Hour SC4ep1_08_G.mp3 5:09