Haunter12O Ranks Every Final Fantasy 7 Song

Haunter12O completed this list on April 2008.

Preface
Disclaimer- I am rating based not just on the quality of the song, but how the developers use it in the game. For me, it's more fun to rate that way.

I chose the FF7 OST because it's one of the most memorable pieces of music ever (for me at least). I will always remember 99% of the tracks, even though it might not be the best FF ost, an honor which may go to Tactics. I also thought about doing the Star Ocean 2 OST, but for every "omg awesome" piece in that soundtrack is an "meh meh" piece. So, anyway... let's start this off.

85. Hurry Faster!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e8o7Xzx_eg

Coming in last is Hurry Faster! or better known as that battle arena theme. That's specifically why I put this droning piece of crap last. It's definitely not the worst vg music ever but god damn is it ANNOYING, and this is coming from someone who enjoys "danger" or "escape" music in RPGs. Especially when you hear it every 5 seconds later in the game. I swear in 90% of the "omg urgency run run" events later in the game I heard this play. I can understand why they chose to play this one over the more superior "Hurry!!" theme, which wouldn't fit in many situations as it is a little quieter (though very cool), but it's just so annoying and repetitive. And why OH WHY is this the battle arena theme. It brings me back to bad memories of being killed by Tonberries in one hit when I'm handicapped from using items and materia, or leaving my PS on all night just because I got sick of fighting but couldn't leave the god damn place without losing all my BP.

84. Gold Saucer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZbgM8HyhrU

Honestly does anyone like this one? It's grating, and you hear it all the time. ALL the time. It doesn't help that this song just plain out sucks anyway, especially for an amusement park. Again this kind of goes with 85 for flat-out annoying piece of music playing in an annoying area (the battle arena). I guess the only good thing is that the Gold Saucer is one of the coolest places to go to in RPG history. Too bad its music sucks.

83. Requiem (Game Over)
Noooo, I don't want to hear this. Like ever. Too bad it wouldn't stop playing after I rammed my submarine into some big underwater/desert creature. I did like the prelude playing at the end but 30 seconds does not a song make.

82. Debut
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2HoM41iZys

Probably the most forgettable piece of music in the OST and in the game, it plays during the play in the Gold Saucer. It's just really boring and too simplistic, nothing special about it. Doesn't sound like it belongs in this game either, maybe FFVI or IX could call it home.

81. Tango of Tears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXmCnSuzkAY

Oh trust me you'll hear this one a lot. I like A Great Success much better. Nothing else I want to really say, except as you can obviously see I'm eliminating the annoying/boring Gold Saucer themes first.

80. A Great Success
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6Ll3qy5ptI&feature=related

And here's the other one. This is an 8-bit version of the FFVI victory theme, but you'll hear it a lot in FFVII, especially if like to gamble. Again, nothing special, just a 40-second chime pretty much. Kinda gets on my nerves as well.

79. Buried in the Snow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQITL6ZhCfM

I was stuck in the god-damn Great Glacier for days trying to get all the treasures (of which there weren't many). Seriously, that place was freaking stupid. Getting lost wasn't the bad part, the bad part was having to go through three screens of EMPTINESS PURE EMPTINESS to get to another area was the worst idea ever. Seriously it's just filler on the developers' part. HIGH ENCOUNTER RATE AIN'T HELPIN' EITHER. And pretty much crappy un-interesting music like this made it much worse. They also played it at Icicle Inn, but you spend like five minutes in that town so it's only really memorable for being "The Great Glacier music". I wish it only played in the town.

One thing you'll hear me moan about a lot in these write-ups is that some of these tracks don't seem to go anywhere, or build up to anything. Nobuo does this more frequently nowadays (see Lost Odyssey soundtrack), but it seems like he had a lot of boring filler material in some of his Final Fantasy. Buried in the Snow is a great example as the melody pretty much stays the same throughout with a few very un-noticeable things thrown in here and there.

78. The Countdown Begins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkxCFcHgb3o

Ugh another one of these short pieces. I actually liked the beginning of this one, but it's too short and bleh-y in the end. I believe it plays when the rocket goes into space in disc 2.

77. On the Other Side of the Mountain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsifNcb6vO4&feature=related

People are going to complain about this one being so low but I just didn't like it. I'm not a big fan of acoustic pieces in this game (The Nightmare Begins is good though) and this one in particular doesn't seem to go anywhere. I think it plays when you see parts of Cloud's past in disc 2. Goodbye.

76. Good Night, Until Tomorrow
...and good night. This is the inn theme. That's all. It doesn't even bring back memories anymore because I seem to hear it everywhere.

75. Honeybee Inn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqvNfm4DkaE

That place scared me. Really. Well actually when I was young I found it quite amusing, and still do in fact. It's a funny little tune, but I just can't quite place it anywhere else. It also played during that stupid Mog House mini-game that you ALWAYS had to do because it was the only way to gain GP in the Gold Saucer at the time. Meh.

74. Descendant of Shinobi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHCCL9TYAiU

AKA Yuffie's Theme, though it doesn't like it should be. It's got quite a nice acoustic sound to it, but then I feel it's ruined with the happy keyboards, even though they add some flavor to it. I do like how it ends though.

73. Trail of Blood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H61dOMsLKhw

Yawn, a really boring theme. It tries to be creepy, but falls flat, it's just not that creepy at all (Who Are You does much better at being scary than this). It doesn't go anywhere at all, it's just quiet and falls in the background, and what makes me dislike it is that they used it too much in the game. It sounds like it should have only played it in the bloodied Shinra Tower, like the name suggests. Guess not, I didn't want to hear it anymore once I got near the end of disc 1.

72. The Mako Cannon is Fired ~ Shinra Explodes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLThCXaT6eM

A little bit higher if only for the epicness of the scene it plays in. You're nearing the end of the game, Shinra takes a backseat, and you're about to open the barrier around the crater, when suddenly, Cait Sith informs you of Shinra's plan to fire the Sister Ray at the crater. Suddenly, cut to a scene of a helicopter flying over Midgar and all the Mako Reactors being turned on, while the Sister Ray is getting ready to fire. Then all hell breaks loose. Very, very epic, it caught me by surprise because I didn't think we'd be returning to Midgar (I had already obtained the key to get in Sectors 5 and 6 at the time), and it was a great "final assault" on Shinra and a good way to wrap up disc 2. That's all for this piece, the rest of it plays during certain scenes in the Midgar assault. Too bad it doesn't help that there's a rather misleading "spoiler" in the song title.

71. Anxious Heart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO1V9OSW3ys

Controversy?

No, not really. This theme is OK at best, it's not great, it's not really bad, it's just...average. I like how it changes up in various different ways but the end is kind of slow and anticlimactic. But this tune will always be ingrained in my head...

...because it's freaking everywhere in the game JESUS GOD CHRIST MAKE IT STOP.

Seriously. It plays everywhere. This has to be the most overused track in the game other than the battle and boss theme. I'm so sick of it. Sure, it fit some scenes, and was good as the Nibelheim town theme, but come on now, play something else. There were those long intervals of nothingness when this track seemed to play forever, and it'd loop...and loop....and loop. See if Anxious Heart was actually a great, memorable piece of music, I'd rank it higher, but it's simply only memorable, and not in such a good way (see Hurry Faster).

Crisis Core had a rather poor arrangement of Anxious Heart, they completely cut out the best part of it (the second half) so I'm stuck hearing it loop over and over anyway.

70. Waltz de Chocobo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpLTSyz2x4k&feature=PlayList&p=D0F5F0DF394486C6&index=29

AKA the chocobo dance theme when you first land in the ranch near the swamp. Well I liked the dance, first time you see chocobos AND you get your first summon Materia. Uhhh it was cute, I guess? Not worthy due to length.

69. Farm Boy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skVs7NMwHuU&feature=PlayList&p=D0F5F0DF394486C6&index=28

Country-ish theme, plays in the ranch. It's calm and fits the area, but I wasn't too thrilled about hearing it over and over when breeding a Gold Chocobo. Then again, I don't think they could really come up with a better farm-themed tune...

68. Fortress of the Condor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB1FzdmYMKI&feature=PlayList&p=D0F5F0DF394486C6&index=33

The first of the few military-style army themes in the game, this is clearly my least favorite. Full-Scale Attack is much better, and has a better sense of urgency than Fortress of the Condor. This one just sounds... "lite" and not really much of a serious theme, but I don't think it's meant to be... Anyway I ****ing hated that stupid mini-game. Early on, I always wanted to do it, but could never figure out how, so I kept lending all my Gil over to the guy and finally figured out how to do the first assault. It wasn't fun at all, the troops are all idiots, and I wasn't a fan of the "too much going on at once" mechanics. I also absolutely hated how all the wars were different every "day" which meant if you wanted to do all of them you had to return like after every time you reached a new location in the main storyline. Is this even worth doing or is it just there? Finally, I think it's pretty idiotic how you can fight up to around 15 wars against omgevilshinra for these guys just because they want to keep the condor safe. I mean what the hell is Shinra thinking, sending like half their army here (before the mandatory Huge Materia one at least)?

67. Mark of a Traitor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z65UsTjvQBk

A slower, more depressing version of Barret's theme that plays in North Corel. I like the beginning, but the rest is just... not really my thing, kind of goes down the drain. I guess it fits the area though.

66. Parochial Town
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA6LRyv9938&feature=PlayList&p=D0F5F0DF394486C6&index=73

The Mideel town theme. Not much to say, it's a little bit more upbeat than the other main town there (Ahead on our Way) but also a little too plain and simple.

65. Who Are You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV67Ee9kmRg&feature=PlayList&p=D0F5F0DF394486C6&index=16

Oh boy. I tried to really like this one, I really did. People seem to love this one for its creepiness, and I agree it's quite creepy but it just... doesn't get anywhere. Nobuo just uses the same piano riff over and over. The "sequel" to this track, "Who Am I?" is much better, much creepier, and much more upbeat, in an evil, sinister way. Nobuo did an arrangement kinda similar to Who Are You for the Lost Odyssey soundtrack, except that one expanded its melody and I loved it for that. Where Who Are You just stays the same throughout, Old Sorceress' Mansion from the Lost Odyssey OST changes and becomes better as it progresses. I wish Who Are You was like this way. Eh. Check that one out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS79Ckag78U&feature=PlayList&p=85900B2B86E19EC4&index=32

64. Stolen Materia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7AD7WhIFUw

Ugh @ the sidequest where all your Materia goes missing. I like this song a bit, it's a little bit funny and it seems like Nobuo has a similar theme like this in every FF and non-FF he's composed of. However it's too short and basically unheard of.

63. If You Open Your Heart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGsKZucrVzg&feature=related

Sometimes I think this one is too high. I used to like this one a whole lot. It's just calm, and captures the feeling of a mountain base like Fort Condor is supposed to be. But today, well, it's just not so exciting anymore, and pretty much falls back with the more forgettable music on the OST. I do love the background piano on this track... it's just so soothing and mysterious, and makes me like it even more when it plays in the hidden Materia caves. The ending wasn't that great unfortunately.

62. Tifa's Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ky-cTSKlKQ

The reason this is a bit higher than it should be is simply because of nostalgia. It's the first true "calm" theme of the game. You just terrorist bombed a Mako Reactor, ran from Shinra soldiers, jumped off a bridge onto a train, and got back to your hideout where your childhood sweetheart is waiting for you. These moments were some of my favorite in the game, and this song really captures the feel of what is going on at the time (better than On That Day, 5 Years Ago did). I'm glad this was the only time they used it (I think, unless it played during the date with Tifa, IIRC). Too bad it's definitely not something I would listen to outside of the game.

61. Red XIII's Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0ccP0pYIxk

OMG the Cosmo Canyon theme is soooo much better, in my opinion at least. This is basically a shorter version of the Cosmo Canyon tune - the same beat but without the melody - and it adds a little bit of spice at the end that isn't present in the town's theme. I liked this mysterious-sounding section, but it doesn't change the fact that the song is inferior to the Cosmo Canyon theme, though it would've been cool if they kept the end part in Cosmo Canyon. I believe this theme was used only once in the game, and that was when you first met Red in the Shinra HQ... eh.

60. Flowers Blooming in the Church
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjhHx-yk4HE

The calmer, less dramatic version of Aeris' theme, that plays in virtually every scene with Aeris. Well obviously I don't like it as much as Aeris' theme but it's not like Aeris' theme would've been a much better piece to use in some scenes (it's too dramatic and sad). This has to be one of the slowest themes in the game, which is kinda meh, and it doesn't help that it's fairly common.

59. Fiddle de Chocobo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvDuyVp17Pw&feature=related

This could very well be the most annoying music in the game, because, really, you're going to hear it over and over and over and over and over... and half the time it will piss the hell out of you. But, it's just so damn catchy. I don't know what it is about it but it never really gets too old. It's an energetic version of the chocobo theme, and easily one of the most memorable chocobo themes in most FF games (though FFVII is known for lots of chocobo themes anyway). You can pretty much remember which part of the song plays at which section of the chocobo race... hell, I remember the short course by heart, since I spent like half of disc 1 gambling for items and disc 2 breeding a Gold Chocobo. I think I spent too much time gambling and don't ever want to do it again.

58. Rufus Welcoming Ceremony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeWTVuoYoMw

A fun theme, really. Essentially it's a really happy theme, which is unusual for Shinra, since they're the big bad guys of the game, as can be heard from their theme song (not too far off, either). This song is quite memorable because of its distinct, marching-parade song, but that's really all I can say about it. It's just... unique, that's all. Not bad, not great. On a side note I loved the Junon ceremony infiltration; it gave me a good laugh ("send him a bomb or something!" Got Grenade) and Heidegger getting pissed off was golden. I guess the ceremony never ends or something because I returned to Junon a few times in disc 1 and heard the same tune playing. Also it's in Final Fantasy IX, which was pretty cool too. They need to get this on Black Mages. Heh.

57. Lurking in the Darkness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnEEKz0rLeM&feature=related

Ranked this high if only for the nostalgia it gives me. Around 10 years ago, I watched my friend play FFVII about halfway through disc 1 (we stayed up all night). My first time seeing an RPG not on the SNES, and my entry into FF fanboyism. I somehow remembered this song because it's catchy and fit the sewers/underground railway it played in. Reminded me of some FFVI music. It got quite annoying in Gaea's Cliff - one of my least favorite dungeons in the game - ugh, that encounter rate, the hard-to-see passageways, the encounter rate, the Icicles, the same enemies over and over, the encounter rate...

56. Wutai
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ9q9obKDew&feature=related

I don't know what Wutai is supposed to be. Is it japanese, or chinese, or a mix of both? I mean the town itself is very Japanese-like, but the Da-chao statues are chinese. Hmmm, whatever, Square must've wanted to crap the token asian stuff in one section of the game. And then you've got Russian-named Pagoda fighters. Anyway this theme fit the area, and I really liked the second half and the background beat. i've heard much better asian-themed music in RPGs though.

55. On That Day 5 Years Ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlnk5ThilSo&feature=related

Similar to Anxious Heart in that it plays too many times in the game, and also has a very misleading title. It's a whole lot better sounding than Anxious Heart IMO. It's just a slower, sadder version of the main theme, with a hint of mystery thrown in near the end. Well, I like it, but after hearing it so many times I stopped paying attention to it. Definitely a piece many will remember.

54. A Secret, Sleeping in the Deep Sea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEO0oYTOtfU&feature=related

Ah, the submarine theme. You really don't spend that much time underwater, but it was a neat inclusion to the game, kinda surprising too. There's an intro, then it has a couple riffs that build up but don't really go anywhere. A good track, and there's a faster, similar tune called Reunion which is much better and won't be seen on this list for a while.

53. Highwind Takes to the Skies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgxHn5paTg&feature=related

...And here we have the airship theme. It doesn't really hold a candle to other Final Fantasy airship songs like the Blackjack theme, the Ragnarok theme, and even Hilda Garde, but it's not bad nonetheless. The first part is mainly a faster, more heroic version of the main theme, and the second part is just epic. I really got sick of hearing the intro though, they could've maybe cut it out after the first few times like they did with the Ragnarok theme. Plus, boo @ no background beat in the first part, but it's ranked this high mainly for the absolutely epic second part of the song.

52. Racing Chocobos - Place Your Bets
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joRGrrvh4dQ&feature=PlayList&p=D0F5F0DF394486C6&index=55

I love this theme for its electronic sound. Basically it's a new take on the chocobo theme, and it works well, especially for where it plays. Gives me the feel that I'm gambling in a casino (god chocobo gambling was such a waste of time I don't know why I wasted so much time on it). Ranked this high for its techno sound. Also take note of the weird 8-bit beep boops in the background.

51. Underneath the Rotting Pizza
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-kKtS44LB8

I really like the heavy industrial sound to this theme. Somebody here said rank it last, but I strongly disagree, it's perfect for the slums. With the background noises which sound like heavy machinery/factory noises, it sounds like a type of espionage theme, but then it actually becomes a little scary-sounding, and more serious, when the main theme portion kicks in. Great for places like the slums/Midgar and Mt. Nibel which is no longer a natural mountain but a Mako-filled structure. Oh and lol@name.

50. Who Am I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhC7uunwJE4

In my opinion, this is the creepiest piece of music in the game. It's basically a scary version of the main theme. When I heard it for the first time (which is later in the game) I got goosebumps, and I never got sick of this song no matter how long it played in that Lifestream portion. It's a sequel to Who Are You and much better than that. Too bad it's so short...

49. Don of the Slums
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwj0V1yKAVA

I like this one for its complete and utter goofiness. It's just so... humorous, which is what Don Corneo is supposed to be, I guess. Though it's quite short, it's perfect for a brothel. Strangely enough, I found a Stepmania video of this theme. Quite random...

48. Steal the Tiny Bronco!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcHFCDvlXg4

Here's the last short cutscene theme, that plays when... well, when you steal the tiny bronco. That scene where Shinra shoots it down, yeah. You think you're flying with the main theme playing, when... dammit all Shinra! But wait... the Tiny Bronco is still going! (and this is my favorite theme of the theme, you just can't help but cheer for Cid and the others here) Anyway, I like it. Not much else to say.

47. Oppressed People
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WuT_uuB1PQ

Town themes mainly in this update, starting with one of the earlier ones. I think everybody will remember this theme from Wall Market, and I'm sure everyone will remember Wall Market. I like this theme, it's just goofy in a good way. Kind of makes me think of a place where lots of drunk people stumble around. Great for a place like Wall Market, and it goes somewhere, despite maybe being a little short and repetitive.

46. Off The Edge of Despair
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HZ8sL0OhAs

Not much to say about this one, it's the new town theme for some of the towns in disc 2. Since everything seems to go to hell in disc 2, and a lot of the music goes from "happy" to "sad" (world map theme for example) I guess this fit, what with that giant Meteor thingy and all. I especially like the addition of the piano in the background in this one.

45. Mining Town
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCqUC-fCqho&feature=related

You really don't hear this one much in the game, but it's notable for playing in the Gold Saucer gondola section, which you'll be going to pretty much all the time, so you'll always hear it there I guess..It's really nice and ambient-ish. Now it'd be great if this played in the North Corel town instead of that Mark of the Traitor theme, which was subpar. This one has a hint of despair in it which I love. Oh and it plays in Barret's theme as well.

44. The Great North Cave
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho1vZh1wFYA

Starts off slow, and then it becomes faster and more urgent. The very beginning of the theme, with the "strike" in the background, is easily the best part of the theme, though it doesn't really get much better until the piano comes in and it gets faster. I loved how it changes up like this, instead of staying on the same beat all throughout. This theme originally plays in the Whirlwind Maze, but then takes over the main theme as the world map. While I would end up missing the main theme, it just doesn't feel right with a huge meteor heading towards the planet. They may have used a better world map theme, but this one goes well with whatever's going on. The only problem is, the coolest part of the song is the second half, when it gets much faster, but you'll be hearing the beginning all too often when you're constantly boarding the airship/submarine or entering or leaving town.

43. Turks Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn3fWyZtk4E&feature=related

Nothing much to this theme, not really melodic in any way. Just an awesome drum beat and snapping. It's a really catchy theme and obviously pretty memorable considering how popular the Turks are. Apparently this theme became popular enough to warrant a crappy remake for Crisis Core, which pretty much ruins the theme in general, but the original is still good.

42. It's Difficult to Stand on Both Feet, Isn't It?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-2mc3rLRao

Ah, now we're halfway through the list, so everything from here on ranges from great to awesome to classic. When I first heard this theme I thought it was mediocre, but it grew on me pretty quick, especially because it starts off as a quirky little tune that doesn't seem to go anywhere... probably ending up like Oppressed People in which nothing much would go on in it, but it changed up about halfway through and became omgawesome. This is most notably played during the cargo ship sequence which I found to be one of the better parts of the game. It fits with the comical nature of the events, what with Red XIII in a Shinra outfit. I loved how it seemed to be just a funny little sequence of events developing characters, but became an extremely serious ordeal when omg Sephiroth and Jenova are on board omg everyone's getting killed omgomg. It played during a funny scene later on in disc 2 and that's it. Too bad it wasn't used more. I also dislike the long title for this track and thought Nobuo could've at least come up with a better name, though it's funny how it seems to describe Red XIII dressed up like a Shinra soldier... Uhhh come on is Shinra really that stupid? o_O

41. The Shinra Corporation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xis9bi2OeM4&feature=related

I never was a fan of this theme, it's just not as great as people make it out to be. We know Shinra's the big bad evil empire of FFVII, but there are too many comical tunes centered around them that this one just sounds weird. It's actually a really good song, just overrated... and they also made a remix of it on Crisis Core (and said remix, as usual, sucks ass). I think it may have been an easter egg because it plays for like five seconds... Anyway, yeah, this one didn't really catch my ears when it first played, but in certain areas in disc 2 it felt epic, like when Shinra suddenly shows up in the crater. Eventually it grew on me, and the more I listened to it, the more I liked it.

This should also be Sony's or Wal-Mart's theme song.

40. Costa Del Sol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyPH6Qlp-u0

A very relaxing piece that played in one of my favorite towns in the game. I just love this track, it makes me want to throw everything down and go lay down at a beach. Hell I'll put this on my iPod so I can listen to it when I'm in Hawaii next time. It's not ranked higher because that's just what it is, a niche piece for a certain location, nothing really special, but really nice nonetheless.

39. Those Chosen by the Planet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C77Eaq3CDQ&feature=related

Another one people will probably hate me for. It's Sephiroth's theme, I liked the beginning where it just sounds dark, then when the echoes come in, it becomes truly fascinating. Great for the memorable fire scene in the Nibelheim flashback, and great for other times when Sephiroth shows up, but not really a good theme for the Shinra Mansion (a dungeon which I hated). It's a great evil tune, being really eerie, and quite dramatic, but it doesn't have that certain charm other villain themes in FF game, like Kefka's Theme have.

38. Mako Reactor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGVg_nsYktQ

Ah the memories this one brings back. That's for sure. Every time I hear this I'm reminded of AVALANCHE infiltrating one of the reactors in order to bomb it. I was even surprised to hear this theme play in the late-game sections like the Junon reactor. As soon as you hear the evil piano keys in the beginning and the propeller-like noise (I'm not sure what the instruments are because it's a midi sound) you're immediately sucked into the world of Mako energy. The track later turns somewhat sorrowful which I liked as well. Not a song I got bored of hearing.

37. Crazy Motorcycle Chase
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SaDOoEspNI

Great name for a theme. It really is a crazy motorcycle chase LOLOLOLOL funny!11111 Anyway, this mini-game is now pretty dated. I loved it back in 1998 but now I dread playing it... It's just so...bad. You probably won't be listening to the song since you'll be too busy laughing or getting frustrated at Cloud's inability to aim, but you can play the game as much as you like in the Gold Saucer. Some people may have liked this song so much that they'd play the mini-game just to hear, but now we have YouTube and torrents, so ha take that. Oh and it's a really cool song. It's super fast-paced (one of the fastest songs in the game I think) and definitely has that adrenaline rush feel to it. Worth a listen to those who like urgency/hurry themes in RPGs.

36. Barret's Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac6qcF3uwLA&feature=related

Another theme that brings back memories, seeing as it plays very early in the game in the Sector 7 Slums, and during the Barret date sequence, but then again most character themes in this game don't play very often. it's a great upbeat theme, definitely fitting for Barret, and better than the slow, sad version of his theme (Mark of the Traitor). One of the first "happy" themes in the game, and it builds up to a great second half.

35. Chasing the Black Caped Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc0Pj0vlJ8k

What a mysterious song! I love it. This is the standard dungeon music, it seems, but it doesn't really play until later in the game when you start visiting really weeeeird dungeons, like the Corral valley and the Ancient Forest. This piece of music makes the environment you're in more gloomy and mysterious, and this is especially notable in one of the sections of the final dungeon (where this song also plays). Also it's quite lengthy, starting off catchy, then getting quieter and darker. It probably could have gone without that last boring part, but it's still neat to hear the song change up a little. Anyway, yeah, this plays in some of my favorite dungeons, and I also liked hearing it in that small underwater tunnel in Junon. Pretty cool.

34. You Can Hear the Cry of the Planet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laOM3UwIXBA

I simply love the beginning of this theme. It's just so creepy, and fits the emptiness and desertion of the city it plays in. The City of the Ancients... wow don't even get me started on that place, it's just so weird, and I completely loved that. This theme gets better and better as it plays on, and it helps especially that the place is amazingly awesome. It's not higher because it gets somewhat boring after listening to it a few times, though you won't hear it too often in the game anyway.

33. World Crisis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImEL5ZKxuRc

Though epic, this song really didn't catch my attention outside of the game. It's similar to the ending cinema theme from FFXII, in that it really works for the ending scene within the game, but there's not much to it when hearing it on a soundtrack. Basically what it is is a medley of some of the main recurring themes in the game. My favorite remix here is the main theme close to the beginning, before it gets all omg evil. In fact, the whole beginning of this song is my favorite part, then it kinda just gets less and less interesting, besides a little comedic-like remix of the main theme around 5 minutes in (which reminded me of some FFVI-style music). The near-end of the song is also really nice (when the Lifestream in the cg emerges), but you have to sit through around four minutes of blah to get to it. It just kept changing and changing so much.

Fortunately, when you hear it in the game, you'll be stunned. This is easily one of the coolest in-game songs and a great ending theme. There's truly some epic parts to it. it'll have your ears from beginning to end. Definitely an epic 8 minutes right here, but you'll forget about it soon after.

32. Sandy Badlands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WZc6P5y76k

Ha, I just mentioned this in my previous post. Whaddya know? It's got quite an ambient feel to it, which works well for the desert prison. The desert prison was such a great idea and one of the cooler places in the game. Really run-down and cyberpunk. Felt like a sort of correctional facility at some points. I loved it, though the thieves annoyed me. The theme makes it feel more "alive" (or in this case, dead and full of despair), and the background noises really add to the effect. The theme is quite lengthy and adds a new riff later on, which I felt was nice...you're wandering around aimlessly in the desert so changing the song up was a great idea. The best part of it all was the story around these events. It was hard not to feel bad for poor Barret. Really this whole section was depressing, but then again, most of the game could be that way. Anyway, great theme for a desert / desert prison, if not maybe a little too long.

31. The Forested Temple
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PI0A0j1q4A&feature=related

Perfect theme for the dungeon. Seriously, I could not think of anything better for the specific location. It's definitely got the dungeon-y sound, but I don't think it would've belonged anywhere else but the Temple of the Ancients. Now every time I listen to it I'm reminded me of those little Ancient sage guys in the temple. Oh my God, the memories.... the memories... the memories...

Let me just say this: This could very well be my least part of the game. The pacing here was way off. I will never forget my first playthrough when I went here. The encounters were difficult, the Red Dragon was kinda hard (I died the first time), and then the Demon's Gate **** ARGH. No matter what I tried, I could not kill it. I never even came close, the thing would obliterate my party before I got the chance to do anything. Fortunately, I had a backup save before the temple, and I had no choice but to load it up and grind FOREVER until I could get past this part. Square was fortunate enough to let you be able to access the islands near Mideel, which are some of the best places to gain levels since you'd fight enemies you normally fight in disc 2. I spent weeks leveling here, fighting off those annoying Spirals and encountering the Headhunters when I was lucky. That's a lot of EXP, and I had to use Aeris as well. I guess that could be why I was getting killed in the temple so much, because I never bothered using Aeris beforehand.

Also I could not figure out how to get Yuffie and Vincent, but after spending hours and hours and hours and hours of grinding, I got Yuffie in my team, and finally did the Wutai sidequest (before this I would run to Wutai and search the hell out of that place but still could not figure it out, wtf). I wiped the floor with Rapps, it was SO easy, the Materia loss wasn't even a problem. Eventually I f finally decided that it was time to re-enter the temple and try my luck, and I breezed through the place. What annoyed me though, was how easy the rest of the game felt. Disc 2 was a walk in the park and I think I only died once (against Hojo). That was just... meh.

But seriously, does anyone else think this was the hardest part of the game? And I'm not counting Emerald/Ruby, just the main storyline. The whole game isn't too hard up to this point. Well it gets a little difficult when you reach Nibelheim because the bosses are a little harder, but Demon's Gate and the enemies in the temple were just cheap as hell. I had always grinded plenty when I got the Tiny Bronco on my next few playthroughs, but on my most recent one I was able to get past DG though it was quite a challenge and required plenty preparation. I just didn't like how the game got much easier in disc 2. Blah, enough ranting for now. I have too much energy.

30. Holding my Thoughts in my Heart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zKhEKulpoI

Speak of the devil, this is the tune the above user was talking about, with the "screeching cat" sound. Hahaha now I'm relating it to a cat singing every time I hear the beginning. Anyway, I don't know, I just really like this theme. It's likable and has a pretty distinct sound. Definitely FF-ish, and the Corel Mountains were neat. My favorite portion has always been from :42 onward to 1:56. It's got a nice, relaxing ring to it.

29. Jenova Absolute
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYQJj0Y1-6U

One of the final boss theme (it should have been the Weapon boss theme as well). The final Jenova was too easy I think, so despite how epic this theme is, you never got to enjoy it as much as you did finally offing Jenova in like one or two minutes. Not much else to say...

28. Cinco de Chocobo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YNhhD-Zt-8&feature=related

This has to be one of my favorite FF Chocobo riding themes. It's a departure from the simplicity of earlier FF Choco themes, and it's got a nice jazzy feel to it at the beginning, until background beats come in, and then the melody changes at :52 and... wow, what can I say?! This part is so amazingly awesome. I cannot write about how much I love this portion of the song. I was beginning to fall in love with FFVII after getting on the world map, and when I caught my first chocobo and rode around and heard this part, i felt like I was on top of the world. Yeah I was making love to this game...

27. Aeris' Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2l9M3QR_dE

IMO one of the most overrated FFVII themes ever (though not as obnoxious as a certain other popular FFVII song). Nothing will ever beat the original in-game version (except for maybe the orchestrated one) so screw off Advent and Crisis Core. It is one of the most emotionally depressing themes in the game, so don't expect this one to be happy at all. You know it'll be loud and sad as soon as you hear the opening piano, and then it just brings a tear to my eye. When Aeris suddenly dies there is nothing better they could use than this song, while the player would be like "WTF R U 4 REEL GAEM?!!??!" and then you fight Jenova. if they used the regular Jenova boss battle theme, the player would be like "ok this is getting me pumped up I gotta fight a boss" but I loved how they kept it at Aerith's theme; Square wanted you to continue thinking about what the hell just happened, so your mind would stay at that moment while fighting a boss. Strangely enough, when Square tried a technique like this in their other games, it failed miserably (FFX-2's Bahamut fight comes to mind). Anyways I refused to rank it higher because I'm not that big of a fan of sad music, and because it's overrated to hell.

26. One Winged Angel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7wJ8pE2qKU

Here we go. Seph-i-roth.

Originally this was going to be a lot lower, for how overrated this is, but I actually like this song, and overrated is not that great of an excuse to rank songs much lower than they should be. Still, I decided to keep this out of my top 20, and hell, top 25, mostly because I'm sick of hearing it.

It's so god-damn annoying, hearing it everywhere. This is Stairway to Heaven of Final Fantasy, right here. OMG IT HAS VOCALS, so the hell what, that's a first for Final Fantasy but it's just a chorus singing. They took this theme and made loads and loads of remixes of it. Let me just say that the original, in-game version, no matter how synthesized it is, now matter how MIDI-ed it is, will always be the best. The orchestrated version wasn't bad, but does not hold a candle against the original.

So after that, you have everyone talking about this, the last boss battle song (Dancing Mad did not get this kind of attention, and thank god for that). In fact no other final boss battle song got this much attention. I don't even know why, maybe it's because FFVII is the one everyone played? Guh. Suddenly it's in Kingdom Hearts. I was excited to hear a new version of this theme play, and when I fought Sephiroth in there I thought the theme was subpar. Then it got to Advent Children and a new version played in Kingdom Hearts 2. Both sucked ass. I just gave up on it afterwards. Apparently Tetsuya Nomura jerks off to it every day, so he has to come up with new ways to ruin an originally great song and make it worse and worse. The Crisis Core mix is a jumbled mess of random crap, with that familiar chorus thrown in, and nothing but crap noise playing for the rest of the song. I don't ever want to hear this song again unless it's the original in-game version, or unless Uematsu decided to spend literally forever trying to make an uber-awesome Black Mages version of it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

With that said, let me just say that I love this composition. Not nearly as much as most fanboys, but enough to rank it #26. The vocals do absolutely nothing for me (even though they seem to be the most popular part of the song); my favorite part is after the first vocal chorus and before the second. It just feels epic and legendary here. I get the feeling you had to watch Supernova all the time because Square wanted the player to hear the song play. It's a long one, alright, and it's not boring by any means when you hear it in-game, though the final boss battle is very, very easy. There's just a lot going on in the song, it never stays in the same, and it feels absolutely epic. Also one of the reasons I hate the future versions of the original is because they completely change the instrumental, which is my favorite, while keeping those vocals the same. Ugh. Think of it this way: if you like Metallica's Master of Puppets, how would you like it if they started making completely generic metal crap but sticking the same lyrics from the original MoP in there? No, that would suck, and that's exactly what they ended up doing with OWA.

Enough ranting for now. This is easily one of the better FF final boss battle themes, in my opinion better than Dancing Mad(!!!) and anything before that but not as good as Grand Cross and The Extreme. A great way to conclude the game, if only it wasn't so damn overrated.

25. Full Scale Attack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35UqPFg6eTY

Note: Above seems to skip a little.

A marching theme that suits Shinra well. You first hear it when you're climbing up the plate, and much later in Junon. It's very militaristic, and I know for a fact that Nobuo is really good at making these types of themes. This one in particular fits both areas it plays in and is really good on the ears. It really gives off te impression that I'm in a big military air force base with a huge war going in the backdrop. Beats both The Troops March On and SeeD in my opinion, easily one of the better army songs in any Final Fantasy, if not one of the best.

24. The Nightmare Begins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEtNOs6qfns

Well when I first went into the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim (not the flashback), it was creepy, and got even more creepy when I got into the basement mainly because of this music. Unfortunately that didn't last too long; only the beginning portion of this theme is really eerie-sounding, the rest is just good acoustic guitar work by Nobuo. As you may have guessed already this is the last acoustic piece on the list, and the highest-ranked. I don't know why, but there's just something about this theme that I freaking love. I'm not a big fan of Vincent, and the theme is short, but I'm paying attention every time this song plays (not that much), and I don't think I will ever get bored of this short but sweet piece.

23. Cait Sith's Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emntj-1Lx1E

How ironic is it that the worst playable character in the game has the highest ranked character theme song on this listing? I just love this theme, it's really really funky. It obviously doesn't fit Cait Sith at all, since it sounds like it should be a pimp's theme song, but nonetheless, it's a great listen. I guess I can say that the snapping fingers along with the keyboard beat really does it for me. The fact that this theme is also a little lengthy was pretty cool too, with the first two times being repetitions and then a new riff.

22. Ahead on Our Way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeXeXGXzYrA

Kalm will forever be known as that little mining town close to Midgar where Cloud flashes back to his past. I don't care for it being featured in Advent Children or Dirge of Cerberus or whatever. And this will always be known as its theme song (though it played in other towns). I guess you could call it the main town theme of the game. It's real mellow and calm, just the way I like them to be. It seems to drag on at some points, but it's always a pleasant little tune to hear. Also, I have to say it stands out from the other FF town themes as being more mellow and slow, and it's also "darker" for lack of a better word, which fits the game perfectly.

21. Victory Fanfare
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7tbddRS8lQ

I know many will probably disagree, but this is my favorite FF victory theme ever. Maybe it's because I got sick of hearing the same old crap in FF1-6, 9, and 12, maybe not, but the techno-ish sound in this one NEVER gets old. It's always awesome to hear it especially after beating a hard battle. Yes, this is the best FF victory theme, and the Crisis Core version is GASP!!! great as well, even though it's barely any different, it's got a new beat in the background which is pretty cool. Unfortunately, the FF victory themes never got any better after this. The FFVIII one sounded like it belonged in Donkey Kong and the FFX one just.... blargh. I hope FFXIII has a cool one. Probably not.

20. Electric de Chocobo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sujtfe7Tsro

The final chocobo theme on the list. It starts off quietly, then proceeds to the main chocobo theme song played using the keyboards. It's a fast paced, rockabilly-style theme that changes up halfway through and becomes oh so much better (though the new tune isn't chocobo-based, it's a familiar classic theme I do not remember the name of). This was used while trying to catch a chocobo during battle, which was usually a pain in the ass, especially earlier in the game. I loved how this was a battle theme, and it could have been used as the main chocobo theme too, though Cinco de Chocobo is excellent as well. Anyway, one of the most hectic chocobo themes with lots going on in it.

19. Birth of a God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGHkjLhIpU8

This song is not as dramatic or epic as One Winged Angel, but it captures the essence and style of "FF battle theme" really well, almost as well as The Extreme did. The background beat really makes this tune flow, with the various keyboard solos here and there at the forefront. It also has a little bit of Sephiroth's theme, and this part absolutely rocked. The battle wasn't my favorite, mostly because it was too simple but the game made it sound confusing, with the party changing. That was just... pointless, I mean, anyone could finish him off with one party, and that party would go on to fight Safe Seph anyway. I guess they tried to emulate or match the style of the final battle in FFVI for this battle, but it didn't work.

18. Staff Roll
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsvLPnUeJfU

Firstly, I'm never really fond of staff credits themes in Final Fantasy games, but I actually remembered this one, despite the rather anticlimactic, WTF-worthy ending. Similar to World Crisis it remixed a few recurring themes from the game and added its own melody. Again, the main theme/Highwind portion is pleasant to hear and uses new instruments (or the same, I can't tell) to make it sound different and a little bit nicer. However, my favorite part is the Final Fantasy recurring main theme that enters about halfway through. It's always great to hear this tune in any FF game, and this being the last thing you hear in the game makes you want to give yourself a pat on the shoulder; you just defeated an epic monster of a game and it's time to move on to a new Final Fantasy. This prelude just always brings a tear to my eye. It's beautiful, and the sole reason I ranked this at #18.

17. Judgment Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrUApl5I8iY

I sometimes wonder why I ranked this so high. On one hand, it's an amazing and dramatic final dungeon theme and serves a great purpose. On the other hand, it gets extremely boring and drags on for too long. I simply love the beginning which captures the current theme of the game very well, but then the song gets extremely ambitious and repetitive. Don't get me wrong, it's still a great song which I love (and the reason for the high ranking) but how can anyone say that it doesn't get less interesting later on? In the video, this part starts at around :45, and the song loops at around 2:00... yet it doesn't really get any better at all at this point... err... Still, the excellent beginning and the spot-on beat make this a worthy addition to the top 20 and also make it a great final dungeon theme.

16. Great Warrior
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfiCDp9Q6A8&feature=related

Sad in a very heroic way, that's about the best I can say about this theme. While it starts off slow and meh-y, at 0:36 is when it truly begins to shine, adding a mysterious flavor to it which makes it OMGYES, and builds up to become even better at 0:56. This is a sad version of Red's theme that plays during a sad part of the game when he sees the statue of Seto. A great way to conclude Red's background section of the game and a theme that makes you care about the character. It's only a tad too simple and short, but it's meant to be that way since it was made just for this scene. Awww...

15. Weapon Raid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2JPa2bRvOI

I love the build up in this theme, it starts off pretty "dangerous" then gets even more urgent. Easily one of the most dynamic themes in the game, being able to evocate a sense of crisis. Obviously, it works well for the big Junon vs Weapon scenes (which were some of the coolest, most awe-inspiring moments in the game). It's too bad this theme didn't play too often, just a few more scenes with the Weapons... would've been cool if this was the Weapon battle theme.

14. Infiltrating Shinra Tower
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cb3D1Eumxc

This theme is absolutely A+-perfect for the area it plays in. This is excellent for a BGM for a corporate headquarters invasion. It's the theme that plays in the Shinra Headquarters which is one of my favorite parts of the game. If I ever work long nights in a corporate skyscraper, I'd listen to this tune. I just can't express how great it sounds for the events in the game. As for the song itself, it's excellent; it starts off with a catchy riff based on the Shinra theme, then a drum beat comes in, then something else comes in (I dunno what) and makes it sound even better. Even though this may have become old for many people who played through this part, I loved it entirely.

13. Sending a Dream Into the Universe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQg_aDIRtyM

Let me just say that I hate the name of this theme. It may have a meaning but it just doesn't sound right for something like this. This is basically a slower, more melodic version of Cid's theme. Obviously I am a big fan of Cid's theme, since it hasn't been ranked yet, so I liked this theme as well. It actually grew on me and I liked it more after hearing it a few times. Cid's history and background was also really interesting so this was a good background theme for these events.

12. Reunion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em0WJ4UjiR4&feature=related

When I first heard this song outside the game, I was like, "wtf? When did this play??" because I didn't remember at all. The first area it plays in is that cave after the Whirlwind Maze where all the scenes happen before Meteor is summoned. Then later it plays in one of the optional areas in the final dungeon with the Magic Pots I think. That's it. Come on Square, how could you pass up a sweet theme like this? I simply love how this sounds--- it's eerie, creepy, mysterious, you name it. The second half of this theme is awesome with the background vocal effects, which I don't hear in Nobuo's music too often (more often with Motoi Sakuraba though). This is easily one of the most underrated songs in the game.

11. Prelude
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_jA-zmzsRA

Well, there's not much I can say. the prelude theme of Final Fantasy will always be a classic, and FF's version is no exception though it sounds the same. They didn't pull anything new on it like they did with FFX's version (which was downright funky). I've always loved the prelude, it basically screams "Welcome to Final Fantasy, now play me" at you, and that's obviously a good thing. Also to note is that this particular version sounds more FFVII-ish, through some of the instrument sounds, though it's MIDI it just sounds like it's been FFVII-ized. Anyway, one of my favorites, but there's 10 songs I like better.

10. Hurry!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BwCra_wMPY

With a name like that, you'd realize that this is probably the "let's get outta here" token escape theme in Final Fantasy. Every Final Fantasy has these of course. But Hurry is different- it's not the dynamic, over-the-top, flashy theme that you'd probably expect from a name like that. Themes like The Unforgiven (and not the Metallica song) from FFVI, Only a Plank Between One and Perdition from FFVIII, and Run f rom FFIX are louder and use way more instruments, giving out a "serious danger" feel to the situation. Hurry, however, is much quieter. There is a definite beat here that you can tap your foot to, as well as something that sounds like a ticking clock. Makes sense. The whole theme starts off rather quiet, but it gets the job done perfectly; there really is no need for loudness and excessive noise and excessive OMGOMG because it just wouldn't fit the scenes it plays in. It's just super catchy and addicting at first, and then it starts getting louder and louder, building up to a great conclusion.

It fit well into some of the situations in the game. It's also quite fortunate that it played so many times, because I honestly thought they'd ditch this for the subpar Hurry Faster that played in too many scenes later in the game. In fact, Hurry Faster sounds more like the danger theme on FFVII, but it sucks, and Hurry is played more often from beginning to end, popping up in scenes where you either chase somebody or are being chased by someone. Probably my favorite part where this theme is used is when your party has to stop the train in North Corel, and the transition to Hurry Faster once you get to the locomotive was neat to hear.

9. Lifestream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE4BJfRxWNs

Again, I can't really say much here. It's another overly underrated theme, but it plays in only one location. Known for its beginning which is the same as the Opening part of Opening ~ Bombing Mission, this theme is slow and very... knowledgeable, I guess. I really like it for its simplicity and calmness. It was cool to hear it again briefly in disc 2, but the scenes in Cosmo Canyon in disc 1 are some of the best and that's where this truly shines. It's just so soothing and relaxing... If you haven't heard it or remember it, I advise you click the link above and go read some astronomy or something with it playing in the background.

8. Valley of the Fallen Star (a.k.a Cosmo Canyon)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Poh9VDGhLNA

It was really hard to rank this one. I couldn't decide the order between this and the next three, so I had to listen to all four songs super clearly and decide which one I like best and which one is my least favorite. That doesn't mean that I dislike this theme, it's still amazing. As you may be able to tell it's the best town theme on this list and in the game as well. The build up here is amazing, and the Native American style of playing the instruments is great. Hell, even the guitar stands out. It's a huge improvement over Red XII's theme. Cosmo Canyon was also one of my favorite places in the game, though I was stuck there for a while on my first playthrough (running around lost because I didn't know you had to go to the campfire). A very creative area, and it was nice to return there in late disc 2. I can't really describe this song that much-- just listen to it and I guarantee you'll be hooked.

7. Fighting (a.k.a Battle Theme a.k.a Those Who Fight)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9LrE6dRHn8&feature=PlayList&p=D0F5F0DF394486C6&index=9

Well here it is, the battle theme of the game, and the only regular battle theme from beginning to end. I was hooked from the very first time it played, but I didn't really heed too much attention to it for a while. It wasn't until latter disc 1 that I really began to like it. Really, I don't think I ever got sick of it. There are some battle themes that I get absolutely sick of (CHRONO CROSS) but I never found myself swearing at the TV screen when I got into a random battle. Well, maybe I did, but it wasn't because of the music.

Again, this is an excellent battle theme. The second half and the ending is epic, and a nice addition to the beat and melody. Nobuo is godly at making regular battle themes that don't bore the hell out of you--- see FFVI, FFVIII, FFIX, FFX, Lost Odyssey, etc. and this is one of his best. it may get repetitive after a while, but the developers sometimes made the battle theme the same as the map theme in certain situations- Hurry, Hurry Faster, Weapon Raid, Opening~Bombing Mission sometimes replace the battle theme in different sections of the game. This should've been the battle arena theme, as well...

6. Interrupted by Fireworks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY9gkwaz2m8

This piece is beautiful, and I believe it's one of the few love themes in the game. I don't think there are many, but if I had to say, Flowers Blooming in the Church and Tifa's Theme are the other two, both of which pale in comparison to this. It's a very short track but it gets the job done, easily. The intro is not that great, but the song just gets better and better as it goes on. It has the "love in a big city" feel to it, which worked great for the trolley ride in the Gold Saucer, where its name comes from (should have played on Barret's date as well, heh). I'm glad this isn't a depressing love theme; it's more cheery and accomplishing, which is what FFVI lacked. Love Grows from FFVIII is also one of my favorite Final Fantasy love themes, a genre in video game music that I usually despise.

5. J-E-N-O-V-A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KXiVBA7svc&feature=PlayList&p=D0F5F0DF394486C6&index=37

Major boss battles in Final Fantasy games, no matter how rare they are, have always been great, so what's there not to like about Jenova? The intro is a great hook- the first time you hear it you're like "wtf? new boss music?" but you're immediately hooked to the beat that starts to play in the background. The rest of the song is solid and fun to listen to. It's very energetic and lively. The best part is the last section of the song, which turns it into a heroic, "let's do it" tune. Though the track is called Jenova, it actually only plays in two Jenova fights, and you won't hear it too often in the first half of the game. It'll later play in the Hojo fights and the final battles before the last few boss fights (which was my favorite use of this song btw, it was just perfect for that situation). Oh, and the Black Mages version kicks a whole buttload of ass.

By the way,

Fierce Battle (FFVI) > Jenova > Decisive Battle (FFV) > Battle With the Four Fiends > Challenge > Premonition

4. Cid's Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkcJ3hv-r24

Fun fact: At one point this was the airship theme. Neat, huh?

Just when you think the music in FFVII can't get any better, it suddenly hits you in the face with this awesome, dynamic character theme. This is easily one of the best character themes ever. It's heroic and at the same time, dramatic. it gives Cid the character he is trying to convey-- the fact that he has a big dream and a big heart. The slower version of this theme, Sending a Dream Into the Universe, is the sad, more depressing version and gives him the sense of struggle trying to accomplish the dream. But, you barely hear about the space travel in Shinra until you reach Rocket Town, and Cid's theme helps develop the portion of the game. Simply marvelous. Also worthy of mention is the fact that this is a fan favorite, and is often #1 or #2 on many people's lists. I do have three songs that left a stronger impact on me, but #4 is good enough.

3. Opening ~ Bombing Mission
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHm-jb4FqyA

I was stoked when I heard this was going to be on the Black Mages 3, and it did not disappoint. The only problem with this theme, really, is that it's not separated into two, but whatever, it still works out great. The opening part is just awesome-- something anyone will always remember about the game, as the camera pans over Midgar and the train comes to a halt, the Bombing Mission theme starts. This is one energetic tune and gives out the impression of an invasion. It isn't really coherent or anything, it's all over the place, but it works. There's not a single part of this track to really dislike, really. It builds up to loudness and sheer greatness at the main part of the theme (in the YouTube video at 2:17 - 2:32), and then keeps going and going and getting even better. I was also excited to hear it more than just at the beginning- it caught me by surprise at the end of disc 2, and it was the perfect theme for the Midgar re-invasion and the final Shinra assault.

As far as remixes go, the Black Mages 3 version is my second favorite track on that CD. The Crisis Core version sucked, but then again, that's to be expected. Only the Those Who Fight and maybe Those Who Fight Further remixes on that CD are as good as their originals.

Link to Black Mages version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG8hhZeyw_U

2. TIE: Main Theme/Still More Fighting
Who cares

1. Hurry Faster REMIX ALPHA X2 Gold Saucer Style
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU

OH MY GOD!!! The best theme in the game! I love it!!! Hurry Faster sucks but the remix ownz everything. Seriously. You probably haven't heard this in the game. To hear it you need to beat Sephiroth at level 1 with no Materia and no Limit Breaks and initial equipment and no Gameshark. I just love this track, it's not on the OST I know, it's a real secret. I love how it sounds so 80s. I almost dance to this theme, it's just so damn catchy. It may not sound like it was composed by Nobuo but he did, in fact, create this masterpiece, and throw it in the game as a secret. This is something you should all unlock just to hear it, it's the best tune in Final Fantasy VII!

2. Still More Fighting (a.k.a Those Who Fight Further)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDGBUp25i8U

True classic. Possibly the best Final Fantasy boss theme, but it should be known that if I were to rank any FF soundtrack, the regular boss theme would never make #1, and this is probably due to them being extremely overrated. It's true with Still More Fighting, but it doesn't even come close to how badly overrated songs like Aeris' Theme and One Winged Angel fare.

Despite that, Still More Fighting is a cool boss theme. The beginning guitar riff gives it away, pumps you up for the action, and then it proceeds to some intense keyboarding. Every single section of this songs is simply grand, and nothing dies down. The best part is easily the last section, with the build up to the end where the song re-loops. There's just so much raw energy here. I just don't know how Nobuo does it, but he makes these songs superbly addicting. I've been listening to Still More Fighting on and off for the past 9 years and I still don't get too bored of it. Remixes help this matter as well-- the Black Mages version is pretty good (though it doesn't come close to the greatness of other Black Mages remixes) and the Crisis Core mix is above average. The original will always be the greatest, but remixes still help this song stay up top.

For the longest time this song was my favorite back in the day. In fact when I first heard it at a friend's house (he had FFVII before I did) I got home and began my search for it online. Back then it was extremely difficult to find music online but I managed to find a small bit of the song, which cut out at the halfway point. Though kind of disappointing (the last part of the song is the best) I still listened to this over and over. When I finally got the game i would put it on Wait mode and go to the item screen just to hear it play over and over; and sometimes when the battle ends with the music still playing during the victory screen, I'd leave it there just to hear the song keep playing. Yes, it's that good.

Again it's a great theme but the main theme continues to impress me while Still More Fighting isn't that astounding anymore (but still great). Write-up for #1 coming soon.

1. Main Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbAy4MfmKrE

What an original name. No, but seriously, this theme pretty much sums up the game. Most of the really cool songs of the game have a portion of the main theme in the game (that, or they're ok songs with the main theme portion being the cool part). This is one of those tunes that I didn't really care for at first, but after a while it grew on me. Then I realized how simply epic it was.

For one, this monster is over 6 minutes long, and it's a looping theme. This is the main world map theme of the game, and the developers decided to make it so it DOES NOT (that god) start over when you enter and then leave an area. That's right, after doing all the Junon/Costa events, you leave Costa Del Sol and the theme picks up right where you left it at before entering Junon. That was really cool, and the fact that this theme was long without any really boring (debatable) parts made it more enjoyable.

It starts off calm and quiet, but then the awesomeness comes in at 2:00 with a soft piano kicking in. This leads to the best part at around 3:00 when it just blares off and becomes THE world map theme. Till 3:50 it is simply amazing. After that, it's a little quieter and much more sinister for a little while, a nice addition to a somewhat cheerful, adventurous theme up to that point. Every part of this theme flows together and is pretty coherent, though.

In any case, this is one of Nobuo's best works. My favorite Final Fantasy world map theme, and one of the most memorable themes from a Final Fantasy game period. In a word, legendary.

...and that's it. That's the end of this thread. I hope everyone enjoyed it despite disagreements here and there. But wait, I'm not done! In a little bit I'll repost the entire ranking, as well as my own opinions of how I ranked the songs. After a month (and I recently completed the game again) I'm going to look back and see if anything needs revisions, if I was harsh on anything and what I probably should've ranked lower/higher, so don't go away! In the meantime, I'll end this post with a beautiful, orchestrated version of the main theme:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqEfDUx0kyo

Recap
85. Hurry Faster! - should've been a little higher I guess 84. Gold Saucer - should've been last. This is just a sad joke. 83. Requiem/Game Over 82. Debut 81. Tango of Tears 80. A Great Success 79. Buried in the Snow - lower. 78. The Countdown Begins 77. On the Other Side of the Mountain - a little higher maybe. 76. Good Night, Until Tomorrow 75. Honeybee Inn 74. Descendant of Shinobi 73. Trail of Blood - lower.

72. The Mako Cannon is Fired 71. Anxious Heart - just a little bit higher. 70. Waltz de Chocobo 69. Farm Boy 68. Fortress of the Condor - lower 67. Mark of a Traitor - lower 66. Parochial Town 65. Who Are You - lower 64. Stolen Materia 63. If You Open Your Heart - should've been higher 62. Tifa's Theme 61. Red XIII's Theme 60. Flowers Blooming in the Church

59. Fiddle de Chocobo 58. Rufus' Welcoming Ceremony - should've been higher 57. Lurking in the Darkness 56. Wutai 55. On that Day Five Years Ago 54. A Secret, Sleeping in the Deep Sea 53. Highwind Takes to the Skies 52. Racing Chocobos - Place Your Bets! 51. Underneath the Rotting Pizza 50. Who Am I 49. Don of the Slums - should've been lower 48. Steal the Tiny Bronco! 47. Oppressed People

46. Off the Edge of Despair 45. Mining Town 44. The Great North Cave 43. Turks' Theme 42. It's Difficult to Stand on Both Feet, Isn't It? 41. The Shinra Corporation 40. Costa Del Sol 39. Those Chosen By The Planet 38. Mako Reactor 37. Crazy Motorcycle Chase 36. Barret's Theme 35. Chasing the Black Caped Man 34. You Can Hear the Cry of the Planet - a little lower.

33. World Crisis 32. Sandy Badlands 31. The Forested Temple 30. Holding My Thoughts in My Heart 29. Jenova Absolute - lower. 28. Cinco de Chocobo 27. Aeris' Theme - lower. 26. One Winged Angel - lower. 25. Full Scale Attack 24. The Nightmare Begins - a little lower. 23. Cait Sith's Theme 22. Ahead on our Way 21. Victory Fanfare

20. Electric de Chocobo 19. Birth of a God 18. Staff Roll 17. Judgment Day - should've been MUCH lower. 16. Great Warrior 15. Weapon Raid 14. Infiltrating Shinra Tower 13. Sending a Dream Into the Universe - should've been lower. 12. Reunion 11. Prelude

10. Hurry 9. Lifestream 8. Valley of the Fallen Star 7. Fighting 6. Interrupted by Fireworks 5. Jenova 4. Cid's Theme 3. Opening ~ Bombing Mission 2. Still More Fighting 1. Main Theme

Wrap-Up
Well I'm kind of glad I finished. I got really bored when I got to the top 10... I dunno, I just felt the need to write longer write ups for the top 10 songs which I lost the motivation to do, since I stopped playing the game. But hey, I got it done. I think everything on the list is fine, with Judgment Day being the only one that doesn't deserve its high ranking. I've decided that this theme is not that great and belongs much, much lower.... like in the 40s or 50s. Other than that, it seems that most of you guys complained about Rufus' Welcoming Ceremony being too low. I kind of agree, but it shouldn't be really that much higher IMO. Other than that, it seems pretty spot on.

Thanks for reading and supporting the topic, everyone! I appreciate everyone's comments that kept the thread going. Didn't even think I'd have this many readers but hey, it's nice.