C&C Generals is up there with StarCraft in terms of gameplay. And yes the RA music is some of the best ever game music. I still blast Hell March from time to time.
Whereas StarCraft was released in 1998. Which, if we are to use your examples, would make C&C 5 years behind StarCraft in terms of game play. Which is a hell of a long time given how games were evolving in the 90s and early 00s