The franchise began in 1991 with Sonic the Hedgehog, a side-scrolling platform game, and has expanded to include printed media, animations, feature films, and merchandise.

The music of Sonic the Hedgehog has been provided by a number of composers, ranging from Sega sound staff to independent contractors and popular bands.

It covers a wide array of genres, including pop, funk, rock, metal, ska, punk, hip hop, R&B, jazz, electronica, trance, breakbeat, drum and bass, disco, ambient, world, orchestral, and lo-fi.

Sega director Fujio Minegishi had connections to the music industry, and suggested his friend Yūzō Kayama write the Sonic score.

However, Sonic Team did not think Kayama's music would fit, and so commissioned Masato Nakamura, bassist and songwriter of the J-pop band Dreams Come True.

[2][3] Nakamura admitted he was surprised at the offer, as he had just founded the band, but accepted due to the team's aspirations of outperforming their rival Nintendo.

[6] The game's sound engine was programmed by Hiroshi Kubota and Yukifumi Makino; due to company policies at the time, both were credited as Jimita and Macky, although their names were added onto a hidden screen.

Sonic the Hedgehog also saw an 8-bit version released on the Master System and Game Gear, developed by Ancient; Yuzo Koshiro, the company's founder, initially ported Nakamura's compositions to the 8-bit programmable sound generator (PSG) and sought to maintain the feel of the 16-bit tracks.

[21] A number of composers contributed to the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 score, including Sega sound staff[22] and independent contractors recruited to finish the game on schedule.

According to Ohshima and Hector, Jackson's involvement was terminated and his music reworked following the first allegations of child sexual abuse against him,[25][24] but composers Doug Grigsby, Cirocco Jones, and Brad Buxer said his contributions remained.

[3][29] During the release of The Complete Jetzons vinyl, a special "Sonic Blue" edition was printed which used IceCap Zone's background for its cover, referencing the reused melody.

[59] A couple of days later, they also released the main theme of the game titled "I'm Here", featuring vocalist Merry Kirk-Holmes of the alternative metal band To Octavia.

Many have described the melody of Green Hill Zone as instantly recognizable in pop culture, often being ranked among the greatest video game songs of all time.

[76] A remix of the Star Light Zone theme was used during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan,[77][78] which Masato Nakamura expressed gratitude for.

[80][81] The concert featured performances by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tomoya Ohtani Band, Crush 40, and Nathan Sharp and was presented as a free live stream on YouTube and Twitch.