Crush 40
Hard rock duo behind iconic Sonic the Hedgehog soundtracks.
DVD Smith · via Wikipedia: Crush 40 · Public domain
Crush 40 is a hard rock band made up of Japanese guitarist and composer Jun Senoue and American vocalist Johnny Gioeli. They were responsible for the majority of the soundtracks for the Sonic the Hedgehog series throughout the 2000s.
Jun Senoue joined Sega as a composer in 1993 after finishing college. His early work on the Sonic series included *Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles* (1994), and he also contributed to *Dark Wizard*, *Sonic 3D Blast*, and *Sega Rally 2*. For *Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition*, he worked with Eric Martin of Mr. Big on the track "Sons of Angels". Senoue has described himself as a "rock guy" and aimed to bring that feel to the games he worked on.
In 1998, while working on *Sonic Adventure*, Senoue reached out to Johnny Gioeli to record the theme song "Open Your Heart". Senoue had initially recorded a demo with Eizo Sakamoto on vocals, but had written the song with Gioeli in mind. Gioeli has said that Senoue was a fan of his band Hardline and connected with him through Doug Aldrich, guitarist for Whitesnake. After that collaboration, the two stayed in touch, enjoying the work and wanting to do more. They reunited for songs in *NASCAR Arcade*, with Naoto Shibata on bass and Hirotsugu Homma of Loudness on drums. They called themselves Sons of Angels, a name taken from Senoue's earlier track with Eric Martin. In 2000, the band released *Thrill of the Feel* in Japan through Victor Entertainment, which included the *NASCAR Arcade* tracks and "Open Your Heart".
For *Sonic Adventure 2*, Senoue and Gioeli came together again to record the title track "Live & Learn". Since Shibata and Homma were busy with Loudness and later Anthem, Takeshi Taneda played bass and Katsuji Kirita from Gargoyle and the Cro-Magnons played drums. Gioeli has called "Live & Learn" one of his favorite songs. Senoue recorded the intro for the game's trial edition, finished the rest of the arrangement within a day, and sent a demo to Gioeli for vocals. Gioeli was nervous about writing the lyrics and asked Senoue multiple times if they were okay, but the song became one of the most memorable on the *Sonic Adventure 2* soundtrack and later appeared in the third *Sonic the Hedgehog* movie.
Around this time, the band changed its name to Crush 40 after discovering a Norwegian rock band already called Sons of Angels.
Quick Facts
- Alias
- Sons of Angels
- Origin
- Japan, United States
- Genre
- Hard rock · video game music
- Years Active
- 1998–present
- Label
- Wave Master · Frontiers · Victor
- Current Members
- Jun Senoue / Johnny Gioeli
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Jun Senoue was hired by Sega in 1993 and contributed to Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, and Sega Rally 2. In 1998, he contacted vocalist Johnny Gioeli to record the theme song "Open Your Heart" for Sonic Adventure. Senoue had first recorded a demo with Eizo Sakamoto, but wrote the song assuming Gioeli would sing it. Gioeli connected with Senoue via Doug Aldrich, guitarist for Whitesnake, as Senoue was a fan of Gioeli's band Hardline. The two continued working together on songs for NASCAR Arcade under the name Sons of Angels, releasing the album Thrill of the Feel in Japan in 2000.
For Sonic Adventure 2, Senoue and Gioeli reunited to record "Live & Learn." The band was renamed Crush 40 after discovering a Norwegian rock band already named Sons of Angels. Senoue chose "Crush" as a word he liked, and Gioeli added the number, inspired by a desire to "crush" his forties. The album Crush 40 was released in 2003, containing vocal tracks from NASCAR Arcade, Sonic Adventure, and Sonic Adventure 2. The band continued recording for Sonic Heroes, Shadow the Hedgehog, and other Sonic titles through the 2000s.
Crush 40 performed live for the first time at the Tokyo Game Show in 2008. After 2010, their contributions to Sonic games decreased, but they continued live performances and recordings, including the EP Rise Again (2011) and live albums Live! (2012) and 2 Nights 2 Remember (2015). In 2018, Senoue was named lead composer for Team Sonic Racing, and Crush 40 recorded "Green Light Ride," their first Sonic game theme in several years. The band participated in the Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Symphony in 2021.
Reader's Guide
Crush 40's significance lies in their defining role in shaping the sound of the Sonic the Hedgehog series during the 2000s. Their hard rock style, considered by some to be a continuation of glam rock, became synonymous with the franchise's high-energy identity, particularly through iconic tracks like "Open Your Heart" and "Live & Learn." The latter appeared in the third Sonic the Hedgehog movie, demonstrating the enduring cultural impact of their work. Beyond Sonic, the band's music reached fans through live performances at conventions and festivals, as well as compilation albums like The Best of Crush 40 – Super Sonic Songs and Driving Through Forever. Their legacy is cemented by a dedicated fanbase that continues to celebrate their contributions, with "Live & Learn" being one of Gioeli's favorite songs and a standout track in the series' history. The band's ability to create memorable, rock-driven anthems for video games has influenced how game music is perceived, bridging the gap between interactive entertainment and mainstream rock.
Did You Know?
- The band was originally named Sons of Angels but changed to Crush 40 after discovering a Norwegian rock band with the same name.
- Johnny Gioeli added the number 40 to the band name, inspired by a desire to 'crush' his forties.
- Crush 40's song 'Live & Learn' was used in the climax of the third Sonic the Hedgehog movie.
- The band's first live performance was at the Tokyo Game Show in 2008.
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