You enjoy playing board games. You likely like listening to music too. We can mix these together to make a special music list for the game Imperial Struggle, created by Ananda Gupta and Jason Matthews from GMT Games. Let it run quietly in the background next time you play Imperial Struggle. This will help you feel completely wrapped up in that time period.

Let’s start with the basics: Here is the music list!

Before we look closer at what is in the music list, here are a few general notes:

• Back in the time of Imperial Struggle, people did not record music like we do today. So every song here was made in the 1900s or 2000s.
• The whole list lasts just 1 hour and 38 minutes. You may need to play it more than once during a full game. That is, unless one side wins quickly, like if France beats Britain right away.
• The songs are grouped by theme. This makes it easy to find ones that go together. But it might feel a bit the same until you reach the next group. I suggest turning on the random play feature.

So, what can you expect to hear in this music list?

#1-3: Religious classical music

Imperial Struggle starts after the big religious fights in Europe. But faith was still a big part of daily life for everyone, from simple farmers to the highest kings. Their week ended with church on Sunday. Their year had many holy days. Music writers made works for special holy times, like Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, which gives us song number 2. Others aimed to teach deep religious lessons, like Handel’s Messiah, first shown on Easter in 1742 in Dublin, which provides song number 3.

#4-11: Non-religious classical music

In the Baroque style, music was seen as something for everyone. Holy and everyday music used the same rules. So the same writers made pieces for churches and for kings’ parties. Take the great Baroque expert Johann Sebastian Bach. He did the Toccata and Fugue in D minor for song 4, and Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major for song 5. Later, in the mid-1700s, classical music changed. Writers picked one path or the other. Most chose the everyday side because it was more popular and paid better.

Some wrote for royal homes where big parties always needed music. For example, in 1773, at the wedding of French prince Charles Philippe, who later became King Charles X, Francois Francoeur set up the music. From that comes song 8, called Symphony of the Royal Feast. Others worked on their own as music performers. Like Mozart, who for a while earned enough from his shows and operas, for songs 9 through 11.

#12-14: Simple folk songs

Not every person went to a church with new fancy music on Sundays. And most folks never saw a king’s party or wedding. But people still created and heard music. The simplest and cheapest way was to sing together. The 1700s had lots of these folk songs. Some were made right then, like Frere Jacques, also called Brother James, for song 13, or Ye Jacobites by Name for song 14. Others were older tunes but written down for the first time back then, like Au Claire de la Lune, meaning By the Light of the Moon, for song 12.

#15-20: Songs about love for country

We already heard in song 14 how big events in politics got into everyday songs. Some were made just to stir up strong feelings for one’s country. That kind of pride grew big in the 1700s. Rule, Britannia for song 15 shows trust and honor in Britain’s sea forces to guard their rights. The British Grenadiers for song 16 honors the bravery of the land soldiers.

These tunes could change meaning over time. Take Free America for song 17, made in 1770. It uses the same music as The British Grenadiers but the words cheer for America’s own freedom, which meant breaking away from Britain.

Country songs like anthems also started in the 1700s. The British sang God Save the King or Queen for song 19. I picked a version that is not the usual one. France got its first one, La Marseillaise for song 20, during the big change called the French Revolution. That event marks the end of Imperial Struggle’s time. Maybe the creators will make more games for the time after that someday.

If you enjoy these kinds of music lists that fit the game, I made one for Weimar: The Fight for Democracy by Matthias Cramer from Capstone Games, Skellig Games, and Spielworxx.

What is your top pick from this music list? Tell me in the comments.