History Main / PublicDomainSoundtrack

* Both ''Film/TheHudsuckerProxy'' and ''WesternAnimation/IceAge2TheMeltdown'' use [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of5ebCY5__Q Adagio from Spartacus]].

* The Mystic Cave Zone theme in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' is based on Julius Fučík's "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrance_of_the_Gladiators Entrance of the Gladiators]]" (also known as "that circus theme").

* ''VideoGame/StarFox'' used various folk melodies in the Out of this Dimension level; namely "Voices of Spring" by Johann Strauss for the main stage theme, and a medley of the Japanese folk song "Yuki (Snow)", "When the Saints Go Marching In", and "Lightly Row" for the boss theme.
* The [=PlayStation=] game ''VideoGame/{{Wild9}}'' using "Amazing Grace" on its Game Over screen. The somber mood is soon broken up by the laughter of the little green aliens you spend most of the game fighting...

--> '''Radio''': [[WeInterruptThisProgram We interrupt this public domain music]] to [[BreakingTheFourthWall bring you some important exposition!]]

* The intro theme of ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay'', referencing the intro of ''Film/AClockworkOrange'', is a direct quotation of Henry Purcell's "Music For The Funeral of Queen Mary".

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongJr.'s'' opening cutscene is set to Music/ToccataAndFugueInDMinor.

* ''VisualNovel/FamicomDetectiveClub'' for the Famicom and its remake for the Super Famicom's Nintendo Power kiosk service use Bach's Invention No. 15 in one part of the game.

* ''VisualNovel/TheDevilOnGString'' uses "Air on a G-String" as a motif and the title screen music, as evidenced by the title ("The Devil on G-String"). "Songs My Mother Taught Me" and "Music/RideOfTheValkyries" are also used as BackgroundMusic for Kanon's figure-skating competition. In fact, the former is an important motif and the title for Kanon's chapter.
** Almost of the BackgroundMusic in ''G-Senjou no Maou'' are remixed versions of various classical pieces.

** ''[[MissionPackSequel Oh No! More Lemmings]]'' had an original soundtrack in its Amiga/PC release. Its Acorn Archimedes port, however, had a rewritten soundtrack with an absolute ''crapload'' of public domain songs, even more than in the original game: "The Trumpet Hornpipe" (better known as the ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPugwash'' theme), "K-K-K-Katy", "Camptown Races", "Three Blind Mice", the Finale from the William Tell overture, "Greensleeves", "Old [=McDonald=]", "Waltzing Matilda", "The British Grenadiers", "On Ilka Moor Baht 'at", "Trepak", "The Old Bazaar in Cairo", "Music/{{Toccata and Fugue in D Minor}}", "Don't Dilly-Dally on the Way" (also used in the Platform/SegaMasterSystem and Platform/GameGear ports of the first game), "Rule, Britannia!", "Sobre las Olas" (also used in ''Lemmings 2''), "Yakety Sax", "Country Gardens" (also appearing in the SNES port of ''Lemmings 2''), and finally "Portsmouth".

* In ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'', the Overworld theme inerpolates the English folk song "The Girl I Left Behind".

* In ''Film/MissionImpossibleRogueNation'', while [[PlayingGamesAtWork playing]] ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'' on his UsefulNotes/XboxOne, Benji can be heard listening to "The Marriage of Figaro".

* The UsefulNotes/DSiWare downloadable ''Soul of Darkness'', Gameloft's ''Castlevania'' clone, uses the "Dies Irae" from Mozart's Requiem Mass for its credits music.

* Grieg's ''In the Hall of the Mountain King'' shows up quite often as well, including ''Manic Miner'' for UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum, ''VideoGame/HuntTheWumpus'' for [[UsefulNotes/TI99 TI-99/4A]], and... you guessed it... ''VideoGame/{{Parodius}}''.

* Another [[UsefulNotes/TI99 TI-99/4A]] game, ''VideoGame/{{Alpiner}}'', featured as its main music another song from Grieg's ''Peer Gynt'' soundtrack, "Anitra's Dance".

** ''[[MissionPackSequel Oh No! More Lemmings]]'' had an original soundtrack in its Amiga/PC release. Its Acorn Archimedes port, however, had a rewritten soundtrack with an absolute ''crapload'' of public domain songs, even more than in the original game: "The Trumpet Hornpipe" (better known as the ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPugwash'' theme), "K-K-K-Katy", "Camptown Races", "Three Blind Mice", the Finale from the William Tell overture, "Greensleeves", "Old [=McDonald=]", "Waltzing Matilda", "The British Grenadiers", "On Ilka Moor Baht 'at", "Trepak", "The Old Bazaar in Cairo", "Music/{{Toccata and Fugue in D Minor}}", "Don't Dilly-Dally on the Way" (also used in the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem and UsefulNotes/GameGear ports of the first game), "Rule, Britannia!", "Sobre las Olas" (also used in ''Lemmings 2''), "Yakety Sax", "Country Gardens" (also appearing in the SNES port of ''Lemmings 2''), and finally "Portsmouth".

* ''Nasen Jack'', a German game for UsefulNotes/Atari8BitComputers, played "Greensleeves" when the player collected all the letters in the word EXTRA.

* The UsefulNotes/PC88 game ''How Many Robot'' features "L'apprenti Sorcier" by Paul Dukas as its opening theme.

* Mozart's ''Eine Kleine Nachtmusik'' starts off the arcade ''VideoGame/MarioBros'' game.

* ''VideoGame/CrystalCastles'' plays two different parts of the "Nutcracker March". The one that plays depends on whether or not Bentley Bear or the enemies get the last gem. The intro theme is "Mephisto Waltz No. 1" by Music/FranzLiszt.

* Both ''Film/TheHudsuckerProxy'' and ''WesternAnimation/IceAge2'' use [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of5ebCY5__Q Adagio from Spartacus]].

* Episode 6 of ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'', the field day episode, has a [[IncrediblyLamePun field day]] with this trope: "Csikos Post," "Camptown Races," Offenbach's "Infernal Gallop" ("Music/TheCancanSong"), "Clarinet Polka," Kabalevsky's ''Comedians'', and "Turkey in the Straw" are all featured as BackgroundMusic. All are typical tunes played during typical sports days at Japanese schools.

* ''[[Anime/GiantRoboTheDayTheEarthStoodStill Giant Robo: The Animation]]'' has "Una Furtiva Lagrima" from Donizetti's ''L'elisir d'amore''. It also has an original composition based on "Dies Irae" that briefly features [[ShoutOut the melody of the original hymn]].

* In ''VideoGame/CaptainSilver'', the BGM of the first two stages is based on "Anitra's Dance" from ''Theatre/PeerGynt'', and the song of the Pied Piper in the first stage is a variation of "In The Halls of the Mountain King" {{in the style of}} CreepyCircusMusic.

* In ''VideoGame/CaptainSilver'', the song of the Pied Piper in the first stage is a variation of "In The Halls of the Mountain King" {{in the style of}} CreepyCircusMusic.

* In ''VideoGame/AloneInTheDark1992'', the in-game gramophone records include Music/JohannStrauss's "Blue Danube", Music/FryderykChopin's "Posthumous Opus 69 Nr. 1", and Music/CamilleSaintSaen's "Danse macabre", the last of which is required to get the ghost dancers to move away from the Pirate's Key in the ballroom.