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[reetva]

This is a thread to gush over our favorite video game composers.  Where we post their songs, namedrop their credited games, etc.

I'll go first: Kumi Tanioka is my absolute favorite video game composer.  She's worked on almost all of the Crystal Chronicles games and worked with Nobuo Uematsu and... some other dude... on FFXI (the MMO).  Here are a couple of songs of hers.
Also this.
I would post something from FFXI, but I don't actually know what's specifically hers.  This one is my favorite, though I can't say if she was involved with it. Disregard this, it's by Nobuo Uematsu.
This is by Kumi Tanioka, though.

Now it is your turn.  

[Brother Android]

My favorites are Hip Tanaka (primarily for his Metroid soundtrack, though his others are excellent),Kenji Yamamoto (for his Super Metroid soundtrack), Koji Kondo (I mean, come on), Rob Hubbard (Sanxion is an incredible song, among others), and David Wise (for the Donkey Kong Country games, which all have good music). Probably others I'm forgetting, oh well. Apparently I don't like much of the music in recent games, I guess the orchestral film-score fare is not really my scene, although as far as that kind of thing goes I guess Jeremy Soule has done a good job now and again. I mean, I remember some of his scores so that right there sets him apart from most.

[Dustin Smith]

What Brother Android said, what reetva said about Nobuo Uematsu, and Kenji Ito.

[JoeManaco]

I really love Greg Edmonson score to Uncharted and Uncharted 2 (although he is more a movie/television composer than a video game composer).

I also love the music from Chris Hülsbeck, especially his older works (Turrican, Tunnel B1).

Pierre Langer from dynamedion also is a very talented composer. I love his music!

[Brother Android]

What Brother Android said, what reetva said about Nobuo Uematsu, and Kenji Ito.

Not sure if I'm ashamed of it or not but I've never actually played a Square game. I haven't enjoyed what limited contact I've had with JRPGs, but perhaps someone can recommend something to change my mind.

[PGGB]

Nobuo Uematsu all the way guys.. all the way.

[jrk]

I go old school and say: Chris Hülsbeck (Giana Sisters, Turrican, etc.)

[Dustin Smith]

Brother Android: The Final Fantasy Adventure and Final Fantasy Legends soundtracks are where it's at, in my not so humble opinion.  

[Aquin]

I'll be hopelessly mainstream and put in a vote for Konji Kondo.  I likes his stuff.

[[RM8]]

Yup, Koji Kondo is awesome. Also, I seriously love almost every Mega Man soundtrack to date, but I don't really know the people behind those   

[saibot216]

Tommy Tallarico, hands down.
I know Mona Mur did stuff for some games, but I haven't heard that stuff, so I can't speak for that. But Tommy's the man who inspired me.

[MaloEspada]

Yasunori Mitsuda, Koji Kondo, Shogo Sakai, David Wise, Studio Pixel, Junichi Masuda, flashygoodness, Task...

there is a lot more, both indie and mainstream :s
this kind of question takes too much time to answer for me haha

EDIT: i guess 'game-sounding' music counts? in that case Spamtron etc would count?

[phubans]

Not to be cliche, but I really love the work of Nobuo Uematsu... Kenji Ito has also made some pretty incredible tunes, particularly for Seiken Densetsu on GB. Miyamo Shant was the composer for The Guardian Legend, which has an excellent soundtrack. And the mysterious composer for Crystalis known only as Yoko O also gets the hat tip.

[tesselode]

Everyone who made the music in Super Mario Galaxy 2 is good. Kyle Gabler is good.

[C.A. Silbereisen]

Koji Kondo
Yuzo Koshiro
 Hitoshi Sakimoto
Michiru Yamane
Supershigi
Nifflas
Chris Hülsbeck
David Wise
the VVVVVV dude (forget his name)
Brother Android
the guys who made the Drakengard Soundtrack
the anonymous composer responsible for the soundtrack of Shadowgate.

[phubans]

 

Something about indie developers being mentioned in the same breath as commercial professionals who spent their whole lives crafting studio-quality work is a pet peeve of mine.

Not to say indies aren't great in their own right, but it just feels really forced sometimes.

Although, Daisuke Amaya is definitely exceptional.

[C.A. Silbereisen]

I don't really make the distinction between "amateur" and "pro" or "indie" and "non-indie". I know this probably sounds harsh, but I generally don't care how much effort someone puts into something or how many years they have spent honing their skills, I go by what I like, plain and simple.

In fact, deliberately leaving out indies because you feel they "don't deserve it" or something would be "forced", not what I did.

[Terry]

It's hard to pick a favourite, but most of my favourite game composers are the C64 ones - in particular, Matt Gray, Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway and Veli-Matti Jokela.

[HöllenKobold]

Hitoshi Sakimoto, Masashi Hamazu, Michiru Oshima, Koichi Sugiyama, Takayuki Hattori, Keiichi Okabe, and Soshiro Hokkai. Also I am just going to like Shunsuke Kida just for Demon's Souls. And Taro Kudo and Masanori Adachi for Super Castlevania IV.

Oh no, they're all Japanese and professional. Oops.

[DET. Defective]

Keiichi Suzuki and Hirokazu Tanaka, because they gave EarthBound a damned amazing soundtrack.