How do you see Video Game Music?

Several options:

1. Play game. Like music.
2. Haven't played game. Like music.

So it works both ways. In general, there's more of an obvious connection with music from games you've played, as well as composers with more exposure than the rest and as a result, have fairly large cheering sections(read: Uematsu, Mitsuda, Sakimoto...maybe Hamauzu, but few of his games are popular). But it'd be foolish to turn down good music from a game you haven't played. Sadly, some people are like this.

For me, I always rented a lot of games and got to sample a wide variety of music through them (I made a lot of tapes back in the day), so in sort of a natural expansion, I listen to a good variety of VGM and have a lot of cases that fit both examples (nostalgia for the game and non-nostalgia for the game). There's plenty out there for people who want to explore. I have no plans on playing Rumble Roses XX or Makai Tenshi Jibril anytime soon, but I still blast their music.

As for solo albums...Sure. I dig Kikuta's "Lost Files" album and it has no game context (though I assume there's backstory to the six "Lost Island of Souls" tracks).

Jam it back in, in the dark.