Editing Rob Hubbard

{{short description|British composer (born 1955)}}
{{multiple issues|
{{Lead too short |date=May 2024}}
{{BLP sources|date=March 2010}}
}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Rob Hubbard
| image             = Rob Hubbard.jpg
| caption           = Hubbard in 2023
| background        = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_date        = {{Birth year and age|1955}}
| birth_place       = [[Kingston upon Hull]], England
| genre             = [[Video game music]], [[Chiptune]]
| occupation        = Composer, programmer
| years_active      = 1985–1996, 2004–present
}}

'''Rob Hubbard''' (born 1955) is a British [[composer]] best known for his musical and programming work for microcomputers of the 1980s, such as the [[Commodore 64]].

==Early life and career==
Hubbard was born in 1955<ref>''ZZAP!'' 64, October 1985</ref><ref>''Happy Computer'', July 1986</ref> in [[Kingston upon Hull]], [[England]].<ref name="c64.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.c64.com/interviews/hubbard_part_2.html |title=For the best in C64 nostalgia |website=C64.com |access-date=2016-06-20}}</ref> Hubbard first started playing music at age seven. Whilst at school he played in bands. After leaving school, he went to music college.<ref name="ReferenceS">{{cite web|url=http://www.c64.com/interviews/hubbard.html |title=For the best in C64 nostalgia |website=C64.com |access-date=2016-06-20}}</ref>

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.<ref name="sidmusic.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.sidmusic.org/sid/rhubbard.html |title=Interview with Rob Hubbard |website=Sidmusic.org |access-date=2016-06-20}}</ref>

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 specifically over any other computer because the others he knew of only had 8k or 16k of memory.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OxRyOSTHDM&t=250s |title=Rob Hubbard - C64 Musical Wizard - Retro Tea Break Interview |date=2019-11-11 |last=The Retro Collective |access-date=2025-03-30 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

==Music on the Commodore 64==
Hubbard subsequently wrote or converted music for a variety of publishers on over 75 games between 1985 and 1989. Some of his most popular tunes include ''[[Commando (video game)|Commando]]'', ''[[Monty on the Run]]'', ''[[Sanxion]]'', ''[[International Karate]]'', ''[[Skate or Die!]]'', ''[[Crazy Comets]]'', ''[[Master of Magic (Mastertronic)|Master of Magic]]'', ''[[Delta (video game)|Delta]]'', ''[[Thrust (game)|Thrust]]'', ''[[Lightforce]]'', ''[[Spellbound (computer game)|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]]''.<ref name = "karsmakers.nl">{{cite web|url=http://www.karsmakers.nl/metal-e-zine/robb.htm |title=Interview with Rob Hubbard |website=Karsmakers.nl |access-date=2016-06-20}}</ref>  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''.<ref name="c64.com"/> He has stated that he had many musical influences including [[Jean Michel Jarre]], [[Larry Fast]] and other synth bands.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://trondal.com/c64sid/rhubbard.html |title=Interview with Rob Hubbard |website=Trondal.com |access-date=2016-06-20}}</ref>

Hubbard mainly composed for the Commodore 64's ''[[MOS Technology SID|SID]]'' sound chip. He worked freelance and turned down offers from companies to work in-house.<ref name="ReferenceS" />

==Move to Electronic Arts and the United States==
After working for several different companies, he left [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] in 1988 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.<ref name="ReferenceS" /> He was the first person devoted to sound and music at EA and did everything from low-level programming to composing.<ref name = "karsmakers.nl"/> 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!|Skate or Die]]'', which features multiple sampled chords of electric guitar and organ. Playback of samples was facilitated by exploiting a feature in the [[MOS Technology SID|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.<ref name=sidpage>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.pauliehughes.com/page22/page22.html
| title = SID Music
| website = Pauliehughes.com 
|date=6 April 2008
}}
</ref>
He eventually became Audio Technical Director,<ref name="Reference">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sidmusic.org/sid/rhubbard.html|title=Interview with Rob Hubbard|website=Sidmusic.org|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref> 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]].

==Recent activities==
Hubbard recently{{when|date=August 2018}} contributed a few re-arrangements of his themes to Chris Abbott's C64 tribute ''Back in Time Live''. Hubbard has performed several times with the Danish C64 cover band [[PRESS PLAY ON TAPE]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arcadeattack.co.uk/rob-hubbard-chris-abbott/|title=Rob Hubbard & Chris Abbott (Gremlin/EA) - Interview|date=26 October 2017|website=Arcadeattack.co.uk|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref> 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 (sound designer)|Mark Knight]].

Hubbard left EA in 2002 and returned to England.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/19/8/Rob-Hubbard/Page8.html|title=Rob Hubbard|website=The-commodore-zone.com|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref> 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.<ref name="auto3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.8-bit-symphony.com/rob-hubbard.html|title=Rob Hubbard|website=8-bit-symphony.com|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Abertay University">{{cite web |url=http://www.abertay.ac.uk/discover/news/news-archive/2016/name,32256,en.html |title=Abertay announces honorary graduates |website=abertay.ac.uk |access-date=2016-11-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127093711/http://www.abertay.ac.uk/discover/news/news-archive/2016/name,32256,en.html |archive-date=27 November 2016}}</ref>

== Works ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| rowspan="16" | 1985
| ''[[Commando (video game)|Commando]]''<ref name="the-commodore-zone.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/20/1/Profile---The-Master-Of-Micro-Music/Page1.html|title=Profile - The Master of Micro Music|website=The-commodore-zone.com|access-date=18 January 2018}}</ref> || based on theme from ''Commando'' arcade game by [[Tamayo Kawamoto]]
|-
| ''[[Rasputin (game)|Rasputin]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/commodore-user-magazine-31|title=Commodore User Magazine Issue 31|date=25 April 1986|access-date=25 July 2020|website=Archive.org}}</ref> || features traditional Russian songs
|-
| ''[[Monty on the Run]]''<ref name="the-commodore-zone.com"/> || partially based on "[[Devil's Galop]]"<ref name="auto3"/> by [[Charles Williams (composer)|Charles Williams]]
|-
| ''[[Thing on a Spring]]''<ref name="zzap64.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.zzap64.co.uk/cgi-bin/displaypage.pl?issue=006&page=017&magazine=zzap|title=View a Scan|website=Zzap64.co.uk|access-date=18 January 2018}}</ref> || 
|-
| ''[[Confuzion]]''<ref name="zzap64.co.uk"/> || Cover of the song "Confuzion" by the band Private Property which was also on side B of the game cassette.
|-
| ''[[Crazy Comets]]''<ref name="the-commodore-zone.com"/> || Inspired by New Order and funk music.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/20/2/Profile---The-Master-Of-Micro-Music/Page2.html|title=Profile - The Master of Micro Music|website=The-commodore-zone.com|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Chimera (video game)|Chimera]]''<ref name="ReferenceB">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sidmusic.org/sid/rhubbard.html|title=Interview with Rob Hubbard|website=Sidmusic.org|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref> || 
|-
| ''[[Master of Magic (Mastertronic)|Master of Magic]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/20/1/Profile---The-Master-Of-Micro-Music/Page1.html|title=Profile - The Master of Micro Music|website=The-commodore-zone.com|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref> || partially based on "Shibolet" from the [[Synergy (music)|Synergy]] album ''Audion''
|-
| ''[[The Last V8]]''<ref name="ReferenceC">{{Cite web|url=http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/19/3/Rob-Hubbard/Page3.html|title=Rob Hubbard|website=The-commodore-zone.com|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref> || 
|-
| ''[[Action Biker]]''<ref name="zzap64.co.uk"/> || 
|-
| ''[[Formula 1 Simulator]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.zzap64.co.uk/cgi-bin/displaypage.pl?issue=017&page=113&magazine=zzap|title = Redirecting}}</ref> || 
|-
| ''[[Hunter Patrol]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.zzap64.co.uk/cgi-bin/displaypage.pl?issue=7&page=52|title=Redirecting|website=Zzap64.co.uk|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref> || 
|-
| ''[[One Man and His Droid]]''<ref name="ReferenceB"/> || 
|-
| ''[[Battle of Britain (PSS game)|Battle of Britain]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Harvey Smith Showjumping]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Up, Up and Away (song)|Up, Up and Away]]'' || cover of a song by [[The 5th Dimension]]
|-
| rowspan="24" | 1986
| ''[[Deep Strike]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Bump Set Spike]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Ninja (1986 video game)|Ninja]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Gerry the Germ]]''<ref name="the-commodore-zone.com"/> || 
|-
| ''[[Proteus (game)|Proteus]]'' || based on two separate songs from [[John Keating (musician)|John Keating]]'s album ''Space Experience'' ("The Unknown Planet" and "Space Agent")
|-
| ''[[Thrust (game)|Thrust]]''<ref name="ReferenceB"/> || 
|-
| ''[[Warhawk (1986 video game)|Warhawk]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://amr.abime.net/issue_2365_reviews|title=Commodore User (November 1986) Reviews - Amiga Magazine Rack}}</ref> || the same song as "Proteus", just an intro added
|-
| ''[[Lightforce (computer game)|Lightforce]]'' <ref name="ReferenceD">{{Cite web|url=http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/19/5/Rob-Hubbard/Page5.html|title=Rob Hubbard|website=The-commodore-zone.com|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref> || 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]]''<ref name="gamegrin.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamegrin.com/news/legendary-game-composer-rob-hubbard-to-be-immortalised-in-book-game-and-album-form/|title=Legendary Game Composer Rob Hubbard to be Immortalised in Book, Game, and Album Form|first=Gary "Dominoid"|last=Sheppard|date=21 October 2017|website=GameGrin.com|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref> || 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".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.c64.com/interviews/hubbard_part_2.html|title=C64.COM - For the best in C64 nostalgia|website=C64.com|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref> Contains "The Entertainer" by [[Scott Joplin]] and "[[The Stripper]]" by [[David Rose (songwriter)|David Rose]]
|-
| ''[[Tarzan (computer game)|Tarzan]]'' || Based on the theme from 1960s TV show "Tarzan"
|-
| ''[[W.A.R.]]''<ref name="ReferenceD"/> ||
|-
| ''[[Zoids: The Battle Begins|Zoids]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/20/3/Profile---The-Master-Of-Micro-Music/Page3.html|title=Profile - The Master of Micro Music|website=The-commodore-zone.com|access-date=18 January 2018}}</ref> || based on the track "Ancestors" from the [[Synergy (music)|Synergy]] album ''Audion''
|-
| ''[[Flash Gordon (video game)|Flash Gordon]]''<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-45677787|title=Computer game music's orchestral revamp|date=28 September 2018|access-date=25 July 2020|website=Bbc.co.uk}}</ref> || 
|-
| ''[[Spellbound (computer game)|Spellbound]]''<ref name="ReferenceB"/> ||
|-
| ''[[Hollywood or Bust (video game)|Hollywood or Bust]]'' || Covers of "12th Street Rag" by ''[[Euday L. Bowman]]'' and "Dill Pickles Rag" by ''[[Charles L. Johnson]]''
|-
| ''[[Human Race (video game)|Human Race]]''<ref name="ReferenceC"/> || 
|-
| ''[[Kentilla]]''<ref name="ReferenceB"/> || 
|-
| ''[[Phantoms of the Asteroid]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/zzap64-magazine-012/page/n25/mode/1up?view=theater|title=ZZap!64 Magazine Issue 012|date=April 1986}}</ref> || 
|-
| ''[[Chicken Song]]'' || From the TV show Spitting Image
|-
| ''[[Video Poker (computer game)|Video Poker]]'' || contains "Easy Winners" by [[Scott Joplin]]
|-
| ''[[Knucklebusters]]'' || Hubbard's longest composition, lasting 17 minutes<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/19/4/Rob-Hubbard/Page4.html|title=Rob Hubbard|website=The-commodore-zone.com|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[International Karate]]''<ref name="auto2"/> || parts are a pastiche of [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]]'s "''[[Forbidden Colours]]''" from "[[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence]]"
|-
| ''[[Sanxion]]'' || in addition to Hubbard's famous loader song,<ref name="ReferenceD"/> this contains "Dance of the Knights" from [[Prokofiev]]'s ballet "[[Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev)|Romeo and Juliet]]"
|-
| rowspan="23" | 1987
| ''[[Jet Set Willy]]'' ||[[Atari 8-bit]] version
|-
| ''[[ACE II]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[BMX Kids]]'' || the sampled voice saying "Go!" is actually Hubbard himself!<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
|-
| ''[[Saboteur II]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Sigma 7 (video game)|Sigma 7]]'' || Commodore 64 arrangement by Hubbard; Amstrad original by Julian Breeze
|-
| ''[[Thanatos (video game)|Thanatos]]'' || Commodore 64 arrangement by Hubbard; Amstrad original by Julian Breeze
|-
| ''[[Thundercats (video game)|Thundercats]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Arcade Classics]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[I-Ball]]'' || inspired by "Whip Blow" and "I Want You" by [[Cabaret Voltaire (band)|Cabaret Voltaire]]<ref name="sidmusic.org"/>
|-
| ''[[Hydrofool]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Shockway Rider]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Auf Wiedersehen Monty]]'' || with [[Ben Daglish]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.retrogamesmaster.co.uk/ben-daglish/|title = Ben Daglish &#124; RETRO GAMESMASTER|date = 12 August 2017}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Chain Reaction (video game)|Chain Reaction]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Mega Apocalypse]]'' || Re-arrangement of "Crazy Comets"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/19/2/Rob-Hubbard/Page2.html|title=Rob Hubbard|website=The-commodore-zone.com|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Nemesis the Warlock]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zzap64.co.uk/zzap26/zzap26.html |title=Issue 26 |website=Zzap64.co.uk |access-date=2016-11-04}}</ref> || 
|-
| ''[[Wiz (video game)|Wiz]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Bangkok Knights]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[IK plus]]'' (''[[International Karate plus]]'') || 
|-
| ''[[Dragons Lair Part II]]''<ref name="ReferenceB"/> || 
|-
| ''[[Star Paws]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-071|title=CVG Magazine Issue 071|date=25 September 1987|access-date=25 July 2020|website=Archive.org}}</ref> || 
|-
| ''[[Delta (computer game)|Delta]]'' || The title song borrows few bars of melody from the ''[[Koyaanisqatsi]]'' soundtrack by [[Philip Glass]]. Also inspired by [[Pink Floyd]]<ref name="c64.com"/>
|-
| ''[[Trans Atlantic Balloon Challenge]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Goldrunner]]'' || contains the same song as "Human Race"
|-
| rowspan="8" | 1988
| ''[[19 Part One: Boot Camp]]'' || an interpretation of [[Paul Hardcastle]]'s "[[19 (song)|19]]"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.crashonline.org.uk/56/19.htm|title=CRASH 56 – 19 Part One: Boot Camp|website=Crashonline.org.uk|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Jordan vs. Bird: One on One]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Kings of the Beach]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[One-on-One 2]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Power Play Hockey]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Skate or Die!]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.remix64.com/interviews/interview-rob-hubbard.html|title=An Interview with Rob Hubbard|website=Remix64.com|access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref> || 
|-
| ''[[Pandora (video game)|Pandora]]'' || Based on the main theme from [[Dune (1984 film)|Dune]]
|-
| ''[[Ricochet (1989 video game)|Ricochet]]'' || 
|-
| rowspan="7" | 1989
| ''[[688 Attack Sub]]''<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://c64audio.com/blogs/news/project-hubbard-1989-bye-bye-sid-rob-hits-the-amiga|title=The EAvolution of Rob Hubbard - part 2, 1989–1990|website=C64audio.com|date=16 October 2017 |access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref> || 
|-
| ''[[Budokan: The Martial Spirit]]''<ref name="auto1"/> || 
|-
| ''[[Indianapolis 500: The Simulation]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Keef the Thief]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Kings of the Beach]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA Playoffs]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Populous (video game)|Populous]]''<ref name="gamegrin.com"/> || 
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1990
| ''[[Low Blow (video game)|Low Blow]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Ski or Die]]''<ref name="auto1"/> || 
|-
| ''[[The Immortal (computer game)|The Immortal]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[John Madden Football (1990)|John Madden Football]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Skate or Die 2: The Search for Double Trouble]]'' || 
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1991
| ''[[PGA Tour Golf]]'' || 
|-
| ''[[Road Rash (1991 video game)|Road Rash]]'' || with [[Michael Bartlow]]<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://c64audio.com/blogs/news/the-eavolution-of-rob-hubbard-part-4|title=The EAvolution of Rob Hubbard - part 4|website=C64audi0.com|date=21 October 2017 |access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf]]'' || with [[Brian L. Schmidt]]
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1992
| ''[[Road Rash 2]]'' || with Don Veca and Tony Berkeley
|-
| ''[[The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated Scalpel]]''<ref name="auto"/> || 
|-
| ''[[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]]''|| 
|-
| 2018
|''[[Go Go Dash]]''|| 
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.c64audio.com C64Audio.com]
*{{musicbrainz artist|id=dff554f2-1da0-46d5-81ad-e6382e3ac444|name=Rob Hubbard}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hubbard, Rob}}
[[Category:1955 births]]
[[Category:British male composers]]
[[Category:Chiptune and tracker musicians]]
[[Category:Commodore 64 music]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Kingston upon Hull]]
[[Category:British video game composers]]