Rob Hubbard - select a track to play -
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Hull, England · 1985–2002 · SID Chip Composer

Rob Hubbard

The composer who turned three oscillators and a noise channel
into the defining soundtrack of a generation.

75+ games scored
1985 C64 debut
'87 Golden Joystick

The Man Behind the SID

Rob Hubbard was born in 1955 in Kingston upon Hull, England. Trained as a classical musician and studio session player, he arrived at the C64 in 1985 almost by accident - a friend introduced him to the machine, he read the SID chip documentation cover to cover, and within months had produced music that stopped the industry in its tracks.

His debut on Commando (1985) - a propulsive march that somehow coaxed orchestral energy from three square waves - made his name overnight. The titles that followed read like a hall of fame of the C64 golden age: Sanxion, Monty on the Run, Delta, Auf Wiedersehen Monty, Knucklebusters.

In 1988 he joined Electronic Arts, where he worked as Director of Music until approximately 2002, scoring titles across multiple platforms. In retirement he has made rare live appearances, most notably at the X demoscene party and 8-Bit Symphony concerts.

Read the full biography or explore the complete SID catalogue.

Hear the SID Chip

The player bar at the bottom of this page plays authentic SID files via jsSID - a Web Audio API emulator of the Commodore 64's SID chip. Every subtune of every composition is available. Use the Music page to browse the full catalogue, filter by platform, and jump directly to any track or subtune.

Keyboard shortcuts: Space = Play/Pause · ←/→ = Previous/Next track · , / . = Previous/Next subtune

Open the Full Catalogue

Retro Tea Break Interview

In 2019, Rob Hubbard sat down with Retro Tea Break for an extended conversation about his C64 years, his working methods, and what it was like to write music for a chip that nobody else had fully explored. This is one of the most candid interviews he has given.

More interviews and quotes collected on the Interviews page.

Key Facts

75+ Games

1985–2002

From Action Biker to the EA era, Hubbard scored more C64 titles in the freelance period alone than most composers managed in entire careers.

Golden Joystick 1987

Best Music

Voted Best Music composer at the 1987 Golden Joystick Awards - the first time a C64 musician had been recognised at a major industry event.

Electronic Arts, 1988

Director of Music

Joined EA in 1988, overseeing audio across their catalogue through the 16-bit and 32-bit eras - a role that cemented his influence across the industry.