Music of Cuphead

Cuphead (Original Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by Kristofer Maddigan
Released	September 29, 2017
Recorded	2013–2017
Studio	Canterbury Music Company (Toronto)
Genre	Big band, jazz, ragtime
Length	174:10
Label	Studio MDHR
Producer	Kristofer Maddigan

The music of Cuphead comprises multiple soundtrack albums created and scored by Canadian percussionist Kristofer Maddigan. The first release, Cuphead (Original Soundtrack), accompanies the 2017 run and gun video game developed by Studio MDHR and consists of nearly three hours of original jazz, big band, and ragtime music. ^{[1] [2]}

The soundtrack was widely acclaimed for its authenticity to the 1930s era it emulates. In 2019, it became the first video game soundtrack to reach number one on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. ^{[3] [4]} A follow-up soundtrack for the game's expansion, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course , was released in 2022.

Development

Kristofer Maddigan, a childhood friend of the game's creators Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, was tasked with creating a score that matched the game's 1930s "rubber hose" visual style. ^[1] Maddigan conducted extensive research into the music of the era, citing the Raymond Scott Quintette, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and the Benny Goodman Sextet as primary influences. ^[5]

The recording sessions took place at Canterbury Music Company in Toronto and featured an ensemble of over 40 musicians, including a 13-piece big band, a 10-piece ragtime ensemble, a barbershop quartet (Shoptimus Prime), and professional tap dancers for rhythmic foley. ^{[6] [7]}

The Delicious Last Course

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course (Original Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by Kristofer Maddigan
Released	June 30, 2022
Genre	Big band, symphonic, jazz
Length	74:12
Label	Studio MDHR

For the 2022 expansion Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course , Maddigan expanded the musical scope to include symphonic elements reminiscent of early Disney and Hollywood films by composers like Max Steiner. ^[8] The recording ensemble grew to over 110 musicians, including the Inkwell Isles Philharmonic Orchestra. ^{[9] [10]}

The DLC soundtrack introduced genres not covered in the original game, such as "String jazz" inspired by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli, as well as "Western swing" and Blue yodeling featuring vocalist Russell deCarle. ^[9]

Track listings

All tracks are written by Kristofer Maddigan.

Cuphead (Original Soundtrack)

Disc 1

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Don't Deal With The Devil"	0:42
2.	"Don't Deal With The Devil (Instrumental)"	1:04
3.	"Introduction"	3:31
4.	"Tutorial"	1:40
5.	"Elder Kettle"	5:14
6.	"Inkwell Isle One"	3:15
7.	"Botanic Panic"	4:01
8.	"Die House"	1:36
9.	"Elder Kettle (Piano)"	5:11
10.	"Threatenin' Zeppelin"	3:28
11.	"Treetop Trouble"	2:54
12.	"Ruse Of An Ooze"	4:25
13.	"Floral Fury"	3:45
14.	"Inkwell Isle One (Piano)"	3:07
15.	"Clip Joint Calamity"	3:54
16.	"Forest Follies"	2:47
17.	"Inkwell Isle Two"	2:49
18.	"Sugarland Shimmy"	3:41
19.	"Aviary Action"	4:03
20.	"Inkwell Isle Two (Piano)"	2:49

Disc 2

No.	Title	Length
21.	"Carnival Kerfuffle"	4:01
22.	"Fiery Frolic"	3:37
23.	"Funfair Fever"	2:19
24.	"The Mausoleum"	1:24
25.	"Legendary Ghost"	1:45
26.	"Pyramid Peril"	5:40
27.	"Victory Tune"	1:40
28.	"Hurry Up"	0:35
29.	"A Quick Break"	1:11
30.	"Coin-Op Bop"	4:55
31.	"High Score"	1:05
32.	"Funhouse Frazzle"	3:08
33.	"Inkwell Isle Three"	2:54
34.	"Honeycomb Herald"	4:38
35.	"Porkrind's Shop"	2:14
36.	"Shootin' 'n' Lootin'"	3:47
37.	"Dramatic Fanatic"	4:57
38.	"Perilous Piers"	2:08
39.	"Murine Corps"	4:09
40.	"Junkyard Jive"	4:25

Disc 3

No.	Title	Length
41.	"Rugged Ridge"	3:20
42.	"High Seas Hi-Jinx"	3:22
43.	"Railroad Wrath"	4:14
44.	"Inkwell Isle Three (Piano)"	3:23
45.	"The Airship"	5:07
46.	"All Bets Are Off"	1:36
47.	"Inkwell Hell"	2:45
48.	"The King's Court"	3:52
49.	"Inkwell Hell (Piano)"	2:44
50.	"Chief Evil Officer"	0:42
51.	"Admission To Perdition"	3:46
52.	"Ominous Interlude"	0:10
53.	"One Hell Of A Time"	3:02
54.	"The End"	1:21
55.	"Winner Takes All"	2:13
56.	"Closing Credits"	2:14

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Delicious Last Course"	2:16
2.	"A Far Off Isle"	2:18
3.	"Chef Saltbaker"	2:03
4.	"Recipe for Ms. Chalice"	1:39
5.	"Inkwell Isle Four"	2:40
6.	"Gnome Way Out"	3:50
7.	"Porkrind's Provisions"	2:13
8.	"Snow Cult Scuffle"	3:03
9.	"Prelude and Proclamation"	0:24
10.	"King of Games' Castle"	0:45
11.	"Bourree on the Board"	1:59
12.	"Bootlegger Boogie"	3:39
13.	"King of Games' Castle (Rococo)"	2:13
14.	"The Queen's Riguadon"	2:11
15.	"High-Noon Hoopla"	3:11
16.	"Chef Saltbaker (Piano)"	2:09
17.	"Doggone Dogfight"	3:56
18.	"Inkwell Isle Four (Piano)"	2:17
19.	"One Hell of a Dream"	3:19
20.	"An Ominous Stroll"	1:47
21.	"Joyous Promenade"	2:54
22.	"An Ominous Stroll (Piano)"	1:49
23.	"Delicious Last Course Release Date Trailer"	1:32
24.	"Joyous Promenade (Piano)"	2:50
25.	"Caute Cave Mortem"	1:21
26.	"The Finishing Touch"	2:40
27.	"Baking the Wondertart"	4:57
28.	"Triumphant Trio"	2:23
29.	"A Chef's Coda"	1:33
30.	"The Key Ingredients"	4:42

Charts

Chart (2019)	Peak position
US Billboard Jazz Albums	1 [11]
US Billboard Traditional Jazz Albums	1

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Result
2017	The Game Awards 2017	Best Score/Music	Nominated [12]
2018	British Academy Games Awards	Best Music	Won [13]
2018	D.I.C.E. Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition	Won [14]
2018	SXSW Gaming Awards	Excellence in Musical Score	Won [15]
2023	Game Audio Network Guild Awards	Best Music for an Indie Game (DLC)	Won [16]

References

1. Webster, Andrew (October 2, 2017). "Cuphead's incredible soundtrack is a love letter to the 1930s". The Verge. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
2. Mayeriss, Joshua (November 22, 2017). "How Cuphead's composer brought 1930s jazz to the 21st century". The Guardian. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
3. Leight, Elias (September 13, 2019). "'Cuphead' Becomes First Video Game Soundtrack to Top Jazz Charts". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
4. Valens, Ana (September 16, 2019). "The Cuphead soundtrack just made Billboard history". The Daily Dot. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
5. High, Kamau (March 7, 2018). "How 'Cuphead's' Music Composer Kristofer Maddigan Created a Big-Band Soundtrack for the Ages". Variety. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
6. Fogel, Stefanie (June 19, 2019). "'Cuphead' Soundtrack Coming to Vinyl". Variety. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
7. "How a Toronto percussionist composed the award-winning music for Cuphead". CBC News. June 14, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
8. Mäki, Jonas (June 27, 2022). "Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course soundtrack has 110 musicians". Gamereactor. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
9. Brown, Andy (June 24, 2022). "'Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course' soundtrack features 110 musicians". NME. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
10. Inocencio, Jessica (June 30, 2022). "Review: 'Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course' is a masterclass in animation and music". Engadget. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
11. "Cuphead: Original Soundtrack (Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
12. Makuch, Eddie (December 8, 2017). "The Game Awards 2017 Winners Revealed". GameSpot. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
13. "Music in 2018". British Academy of Film and Television Arts . Retrieved January 9, 2026.
14. "21st Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Winners". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved January 9, 2026.
15. Ignatieff, Constantin (March 17, 2018). "2018 SXSW Gaming Awards Winners Revealed". IGN. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
16. Flam, Charna (March 23, 2023). "'God of War Ragnarök' Leads Game Audio Network Guild Awards With 14 Wins". Variety. Retrieved January 9, 2026.

External links

• Studio MDHR official website