Who composed the theme song for Grand Theft Auto IV?

Michael Hunter composed the theme song for Grand Theft Auto IV.

The piece is titled “Soviet Connection” and serves as Grand Theft Auto IV's main theme. Hunter was credited as the game's composer, creating music that helped establish the darker, more serious tone of Rockstar North's 2008 crime drama. The theme is heard in the game's opening and appears in altered or remixed forms in other parts of the experience, rather than functioning like one of the licensed songs played on the in-game radio stations.

Grand Theft Auto IV follows Niko Bellic, an Eastern European war veteran who arrives in Liberty City, the series' fictional version of New York City. That setting helps explain the theme's brooding, orchestral character and its Eastern European flavor. Players sometimes confuse Hunter with composers connected to other Grand Theft Auto games: Tangerine Dream and Woody Jackson worked on Grand Theft Auto V, while Hunter also composed the score for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. DJ Shadow, meanwhile, contributed music associated with the broader franchise but did not compose GTA IV's main theme. The radio soundtrack and original score are separate parts of the game's music.