Final Fantasy/Awesome Music

"Love goes away, like night into day.
It's just a fading dream."

As we brought out a masterpiece to the world [...], we asked ourselves, "Can we really fight 24 hours?" And the answer was, "We will fight 8,760 hours!" —Nobuo Uematsu on the music in Final Fantasy V

General

• The Final Fantasy Main Theme, also referred to as the Prologue. Especially the the way it was used as the Theme Music Power-Up for the Combined Energy Attack in Final Fantasy IV, and its usage as a reprisal in the ending to Final Fantasy VI.
  • Also the awesome version in the opening of Final Fantasy XII.
• The Crystal Theme. AKA the Prelude. It's even more awesome when you realize it was a Throw It In; the song took Uematsu all of ten minutes to put it together.
  • The Dissidia version of the Prelude is incredibly beautiful, sounding like a mixture of all the versions made so far.
  • And now that XIV's take on the Prelude is out, it's not too much of a stretch to say Uematsu seems to keep building on one of the classic tunes in gaming music history in pleasing ways. It's also incredibly soothing.
• Victory Fanfare, one of the tunes to be etched into every FF fan's' mind.
  • How about when it's sung BY AN EFFING COCKATIEL!?
  • Dissidia actually has two versions of the Victory Theme; the more traditional Cosmos Victory Theme, and the darker but still awesome Chaos Victory Theme.
• The Chocobo Theme(s).
• FFIV, FFV, FFVI, FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX, FFX, FFX-2, FFXI, and FFXIII have "Piano Collections" albums, which are (for the most part) solo piano pieces of the more memorable pieces. They are fairly advanced arrangements (and the sheet music is available for most of them) and a good number of them sound amazing, if only for the sheer virtuosity required to play them.

Final Fantasy I

• Final Fantasy I started the whole "series with some of the greatest music in gaming"-thing with Temple of Chaos, Matoya's Cave, and even the standard town theme.
• The main theme is pretty epic.
• The arrangement of Temple of Chaos heard here sends shivers up the neck. What's more amazing is that the orchestral concert it originates from was held in 1989. Videogame music is Serious Business in Japan.
  • The Very Definitely Final Dungeon version of Temple of Chaos is pretty sweet too, and its remake.
• There's also Last Battle, Boss Battle A, and the latter's remix in Boss Battle B. Although none of these existed until the remakes (the original merely used the standard battle theme on all enemies including bosses), they still deserve a mention here.
• The standard battle theme qualifies as well.
• The Dungeon music.
• The Final Fantasy Rap by The Adventures of Duane and BrandO.
• The Floating Castle theme.
• The Wonder Swan version of "Gurgu Volcano".
• The original NES Chaos Temple deserves to be here
• Dissidia 012: Duodecim manages to give us a metal remix of Present Chaos Shrine.

Final Fantasy II

• Final Fantasy II has "Rebel Army Theme", "Magician's Tower", "Castle Pandemonium" (and its Dissidia Duodecim remix), "Battle Scene A", and "Battle Scene 2", the final boss theme.
• "Finale", the credits music. As beautiful as it is, the vocalized version by Risa Ohki - Love Will Grow - could give many Award Bait Songs a run for their money.
• The fully orchestrated Rebel Army Theme, which sounds like a majestic national anthem.
  • You think that's something? Try this underrated MASTERPIECE.
  • On the other side of the scale we have "this astounding mix"
• Oh, hey. You know that delicious, melancholy overworld theme? No? Here you go. Now try it with an orchestra and choir here Actually, every last song on the Symphonic Suite CD is a Crowning Music of Awesome. EVERY. LAST. ONE.
• "Boss Battle B", an ominous theme from the Origins release.

Final Fantasy III

• Final Fantasy III gives us songs such as Eternal Wind, The Dark Crystals, The Crystal Tower Battle Boss Battle, and Last Battle.
• The Last Battle performed by the Black Mages is ear-sex.
• Dissidia Duodecim gives us this great remix of Battle 1.
  • The Black Mages gives us this rockin remix of Battle 1 The Rocking Grounds
• And the opening cutscene of the DS remake gives us Memory of the Wind: Legend of the Eternal Wind, a beautiful orchestral medley of some of the game's finest tunes. Bravo, Mr. Uematsu. Bravo.
• Three words; Forbidden Land Eureka.
• Let Me Know the Truth, known as Pavillion of Dorga and Une in the remake. The piece is already amazing enough in its 8-bit incarnation, but when Tsuyoshi Sekito and Keiji Kawamori arrange it with an orchestra at their disposal, it just ascends to another level of awesomeness. The hidden version from FFIX is brilliant too.
• The remake's team took the already amazing 'Crystal Tower' theme and made it better. [1] Sekito's also responsible for II's redone soundtrack, and it's AWESOME.
• The Boundless Ocean.

Final Fantasy IV

• Final Fantasy IV: Zeromus. Or, if you prefer, the rocked out version by Nobuo Uematsu and The Black Mages.
  • This Lavos/Zeromus remix combines Zeromus with the final boss music from Chrono Trigger to awesome effect.
• Golbez, Clad in the Dark, which defines awesome villain music.
• The Dreadful Fight, and its Dissidia remix.
  • Don't forget about the fanmade remix made by Hyadain, featuring the four fiends speaking in the song. Pretty awesome song. Video is a bit NSFW at Cagnazzo's part.
• Red Wings, the intro theme. It speaks to this song's versatility that it evokes one emotion during Cecil's moral quandary at the beginning of the game and an entirely different emotion during the Red Wings' Big Damn Heroes moment.
• The Battle Themes.
  • And how about a piano remix of Battle 1. courtesy of Dissidia 012?
• The Theme of Love. A song so good it's being taught in Japanese schools in music classes.
  • The vocal version of the song, Tsuki no Akari, makes the song even more epic.
• Hey, Cid!. A simple yet inspiring and cheerful song.
• Within the Giant, played in The Very Definitely Final Dungeon. In the one before it, too.
• OC Re Mix took the entire soundtrack and made a remix album out of it: Final Fantasy IV: Echoes of Betrayal, Light of Redemption. It seems unfair to give any one song a shout out, as the entire album is amazing, but special props must be given to "Genesis of Destruction", the fight with Zeromus transferred into rock opera and given the full epic glory it deserves.
  • From the same album, Fighting for Tomorrow, a choral remix of the Fabul theme, and "Fallen Dragoon", the Remix of "Suspicion."
• The Mysterious Girl's battle theme in The After Years. Every time it plays is a huge Crowning Moment. The final boss themes aren't worth complaining about either.
• Troia

Final Fantasy V

• Final Fantasy V: Clash on the Big Bridge, which reappeared in Final Fantasy XII. This prog-rock battle anthem is the cornerstone of the Gilgamesh's popularity in the franchise's fanbase.
  • There's also the awesome 20th Anniversary Mix.
  • One of the best remixes, however, goes to B.B. Evolution. Especially on Stepmania.
  • The Black Mages' rocked out version. Or the Dissidia version...with extra organs! Hell, the fact that this song has been remixed so many times is a testament to its popularity with fans.
  • Raffaello Battle, the version that appears in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon, shows what the FF12 version should have been like.
• The Decisive Battle, Exdeath's battle theme. This battle song was based on the song The Evil Lord Exdeath, the actual Exdeath's theme.
  • Neo Exdeath's battle theme, the final boss theme, along with its Black Mages version.
• Both the original Dear Friends and the GBA version. Note that the latter video contains spoilers, as it is footage from the end of the game.
  • The fact that Esperança Do Amor (Hope of Love) on the Final Fantasy: Pray album is based on Dear Friends makes it all the sweeter.
• And of course, the Battle Themes.
• Home Sweet Home. Too bad this only appeared in a brief sidequest that could easily be Lost Forever.
  • The vocal version is equally awesome.
  • As far as vocal versions go, the one in mixed English and Saami from the "Dear Friends" album is among the very best.
  • And then there's the S.S.H. remix, which manages to actually surpass the original, while still maintaining its calm and beautiful feel - a feat which is made even more impressive when you consider what S.S.H. works tend to sound like.
• A New World, the last World Map theme. Especially this remix with vocals.
• Unknown Lands, the second overworld theme, which evokes a dark, dreary land where it only rains - it makes it feel clear just how badly ExDeath fucked the place up.
• Four Hearts, the first overworld theme. Or, for that matter, the Wind Drake theme, Spreading Grand Wings.
• Harvest, To The North Mountain, Library of Ancients, and especially Cursed Lands.
• The Dawn Warriors.Truly a serenade to awesomeness.
• Ahead On Our Way, the game's main theme. And if you think that's something, prepare to have the Dear Friends version knock your socks off.

Final Fantasy VI

• Maria and Draco, aka The Dream Oath Opera. Yes. It's an OPERA. For a VIDEO GAME. That's awesome enough on its own. Best known for having Aria di Mezzo Carattere, which one of the heroes gets to sing.
  • The original SNES version is rather dated though, and can be considered Narm by some. The Gameboy Advance version however...
  • Then we have THIS.
  • There's also a heavy metal version in the Black Mages' third album. It even got put to a live action play in one of the Black Mages' concerts. Let me put it another way; the Black Mages did the Opera for real. Including the uninterrupted ending and the epic sword duel between Draco and Ralse.
  • It also gets a performance in English for the Final Fantasy Concert in Los Angeles.
  • Here is another performance in English performed by The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.
  • It's also re-used in the game as Celes' personal theme. Used later to its greatest effect for Celes' suicide attempt.
  • Also rearranged beautifully for the ill-fated Final Fantasy VI: Grand Finale album. This version features Svetla Krasteva singing soprano. Just let that sink in for a second about how serious video game music is...
• The PSX Intro of FFVI is quite nice, yet the original introduction music is the most memorable: first with the ominous 16 bits foreshadowing music, then with the heroine's theme...
  • Then there's Terra's theme by itself, used for the world map. It's even more amazing when played with vocals and actual instruments. (That's "Toki no Horousha", on the album "Final Fantasy: Pray".)
  • Awakening. The music played during plot events involving Terra.
  • The OCRemix of Terra's Theme (simply called Terra) done by none-other than Jeremy Soule.
• Dancing Mad from Final Fantasy VI is especially notable because it samples at least three songs from earlier in the game, melding them together with some Bach to create the opera of madness. The fact that Nobuo Uematsu lists it as one of his favorites should be a tell-tale sign.
  • The final section of the song is particularly awesome in my mind, if for no other reason than because it includes Kefka's distinctive laugh as part of the music.
  • The One Ups's performance of Dancing Mad. Most epic videogame music remix of all time!
  • This detailed, critical analysis of Dancing Mad should be enough to make even the few who are left unimpressed by the music itself change their opinion and admit that it is an ingenious masterpiece concieved by an ingenious composer.
  • And this version from the recent Distant Worlds II album.
  • This orchestral version by OC Re Mix. Just amazing.
  • The Black Mages' cover of it from their very first album should not be missed either, as it is glorious.
  • This one's not exactly lousy either.
  • And here's to those of you who like piano music.
  • Tony Dickinson's contribution to OC Remix, "Prancing Dad", fuses together a combination of orchestral bombast, prog-rock-inspired guitar solos, and sections of "One-Winged Angel" to create an even more melodically complex epic of darkness and insanity.
• The Regular Battle Theme.
  • Then the Black Mages version went and did a Metallica-sized number on it.
• The Boss Battle theme.
  • And the Black Mages version.
  • And the Dissidia version, as well.
  • And the S.H.H. Remixes.
  • OCRemix.
• Battle To The Death; when you hear this for the first time, you know Atma Weapon is not to be fucked with.
  • Since Dissidia always picks the greatest battle themes, naturally there's a remix of this theme.
• Slam Shuffle oozes with the kind of sleaziness that only a town like Zozo could produce.
  • ...and when performed by The One Ups it becomes pure distilled win.
• Kids Run Through the City Corner, also known as "Town 1". This is the main theme for towns in the World of Balance.
  • Also a nice piano arrangement from the piano collection.
• Under Martial Law, used for Empire-conquered towns as well as the main theme for towns in the World of Ruin.
• Devil's Lab, the music for the Magitek Research Facility.
• The Music for The Disc One Final Dungeon, The Floating Continent.
• it played several times before, but when Metamorphosis starts to play during Kefka's ascension, you know you won't be saving anybody, let alone the world.
• "Epitaph," the flashback song just before getting the Falcon, and "Searching for Friends," the new world map theme just after. It comes just after the game has spent the last several hours hammering in the sheer hopelessness and gloom of your situation, and even gives you one more Tear Jerker in the form of just how Setzer got this spare airship from a lost love in the first place, complete with appropriately sad flashback music. But then... then Epitaph fades out, and Searching for Friends fades in just as Setzer declares that the Falcon just may save them all. On top of being a damn good song in general, it has this unmistakable aura of light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-style hope. Hearing this theme gives the message that all the sudden, you're back in the game, that you have one more chance. Even inside the game, Edgar declares "For once I feel hopeful!" Very powerful scene, the music absolutely makes it. See for yourself.
• The endtheme--yes, all 20 minutes of it. Especially when the Main Theme kicks in towards the end.
• Forever Rachel and Cyan's theme. Both were involved in some pretty intense tear jerkers...* sob*
  • S.H.H. gives up this remix of Forever Rachel.
  • Speaking of tear jerkers, here is Gau's theme, which is a Wasted Song, unfortunately. This is really too bad because Gau gets a nice orchestrated piece on the Final Fantasy VI: Grand Finale album.
  • And speaking of Cyan, The Unforgiven starts to roll when Cyan goes on his Roaring Rampage of Revenge.
• The shared theme of Edgar and Sabin, and their Coin of Fate.
• Kefka's Theme. Cheerful with dark undertones and very catchy, such an unusual villain theme...
• Shadow's Theme. Just try and say it isn't epic for a ninja to have a spaghetti western styled theme. Listen and see the fragment in the Credits from 3:00 to 3:43 and you'll think Shadow, you fucking awesome bastard. This remix by CalebElijah makes its epicness Up to Eleven.
• Epic music for The Very Definitely Final Dungeon is law, and thus Kefka's Tower.
• Locke's Theme. It could be the theme song to adventure, heroism, bravery, and/or finesse.
  • It and Forever Rachel seem to almost come from the same piece, which is tragically fitting.
• Protect the Espers!.
• Relm's Theme. The song perfectly reflects the adorable innocence (that tamed Shadow's killer dog, by the way) of the 10-year-old heroine. Also, it has some splendid bagpipes.
  • Try playing it at the same time as Shadow's Theme, they complement each other surprisingly well, and lends different meanings to both.
  • Which also got a gorgeous vocal remix in the Final Fantasy album, Love Will Grow.
  • Speaking of Relm, Strago got a nice little tune there.
• Setzer's theme is the one that suits him well.
• Do some SLAM-dancing with Mog's theme.
• Throw people to Umaro's theme.
• A strange tune, but Gogo's awesome and so is his theme.
• Okay, so Celes's part in the opera is unmatchable, but the fitting yet suitably goofy Grand Finale, playing as the rest of your party and Ultros accidentally hijack the opera's ending by knocking out the actual leads and fighting for keeps over Celes - that's got to be worth something.
• Not as well known, but Mt. Kolts remains an endearing song and makes you think you are going on some great adventure. Phantom Forest is also a very mellow but creepy song that will get embedded into you head.
• Empire Gestahl is incredibly intimidating and powerful, perfect for the song of The Empire.
• Phantom Train is a great classical piece of grim horror.

Final Fantasy VII

• After building up with some pretty good boss themes, Final Fantasy VII unleashes the One-Winged Angel accompanied by the theme by that name.
  • One Winged Angel with the Mario Paint music program. Or how about One Winged Angel with full orchestra?
  • Advent Children takes the tune to its fullest extent of awesomeness (to date) by turning the whole thing into pompous, Nightwish-esque symphonic metal.
    • Advent Children Complete version, revamped awesomeness.
  • The Reuinion Tracks remix. Pure orchestral goodness.
  • Because we can never have too many One-Winged Angel remixes, here's the Kingdom Hearts version.
  • The Crisis Core version, which is fittingly titled "The World's Enemy".
  • How about remixed with Cirno's theme and aptly titled (9) Winged Angel?
    • And now, Advent Children One-Winged Angel in G Major. Nightmare Fuel has never sounded so awesome.
  • How about the Over Clocked version?
• "WEAPON Raid" is the sound of Gaia's Vengeance in the form of gigantic implacable monsters crushing those bastard humans underfoot. Mario Paint version.
• Cosmo Canyon is just... beautiful. The remix played when Red finds out his father's fate, Great Warrior, is Tear Jerker in musical format.
  • From the same segment of the game, we have Lifestream.
  • Another incredible piece by OCRemix, a purely piano version of The Great Warrior.
• The Main Theme. E major, C sharp minor, E major, C major, D dominant 7, E major. 'Nuff said.
  • The Main Theme with full orchestra is absolutely gorgeous and just makes you want to cry.
• Holding my Thoughts in my Heart. Beautiful, just beautiful.
• Cid's Theme and its slower and sadder version, Sending A Dream Into The Universe. When it plays, you know it's time to get back in the saddle and save the world.
  • This guitar remix manages to make the theme even more awesome.
• Fight On!. Also known as Those Who Fight Further. Also known as one of the best standard boss battle songs ever.
  • The Black Mages take on it is just epic
• The brilliantly creepy J-E-N-O-V-A is arguably even better than the standard boss song.
  • Then there's Jenova Absolute for your final battle with Sephiroth's "mother".
  • What about the Advent Children remix?
  • Even the Advent Children remix cannot compete with the Distant Worlds orchestral version of the same song.
• Birth of a God, played for the penultimate boss fight. It's overshadowed by One-Winged Angel, but still an awesome track in its own right.
• Aerith's Theme. And how about Aeriths Theme in full orchestra? Most notable for playing during the Jenova:LIFE battle following her death.
  • While its "official" vocal version Pure Heart is only above average at best, katethegreat's and Choucho's renditions are indeed awesome. Bonus points to Choucho for using the orchestra version as her version's background music.
• The timing of the music at certain points creates a CMOA. In Cloud's original flashback section, Sephiroth begins his murderous rampage through Nibelheim by dramatically announcing, "I'm going to see my mother." Cue spine-chilling theme song of pure evil. The scene's music is perfect because up until Sephiroth says that, the music in the mansion had been just the backing percussion and bell sounds... the rest of the theme kicks in as he leaves to go burn the place.
  • The true account of what happened in Nibelheim has dull, repetitive background music all the way through it until the point where Sephiroth stabs Cloud through the chest. The very moment that Cloud grabs Sephiroth's sword and begins to overpower him the music reaches a dramatic and beautiful swell and becomes appropriately heroic.
• Nibelheim's theme: Anxious Heart. There's a reason it's called Anxious Heart. It's creepy, almost to the point of Nightmare Fuel. It puts you on edge, and you can just tell something bad's gonna go down.
  • The Crisis Core remix, The Shrouded Village, is also excellent.
• Another Nightmare Fuel inspiring music: You Can Hear the Cry of the Planet.
• Bombing Mission, heard right after the opening. Nothing starts a game better than putting you directly in the action.
• Even the regular battle music is great.
• Crazy Motorcycle, which plays alongside the end of the Midgar section.
• The song "Redemption" by Gackt from the Final Fantasy VII Sequel Dirge of Cerberus.
• And from Advent Children, Tenrai: Divinity I, and Tenrai: Divinity II, two absolutely epic tracks filled with Orchestral Bombing and Ominous Latin Chanting. Words cannot describe.
• "The Promised Land" from Advent Children.
• "The Chase of Highway". Two words: TURKS' THEME.
  • The Turks' Theme from the original game. And Secretly Maneuvering in Dark Suits, the remix for PSP.
• Crisis Core's "The Summoned," a remix of "Fight On!," is pretty good, and it's universally accepted that "The Price of Freedom" is made of awesome, despite how depressing it is.
• Further on Crisis Core, there's the ending song Why by Ayaka. And there's the main theme Under the Apple Tree and its variations Burden of Truth and The Burdened.
• And here's A Flower Blooming in the Slums, a sweet guitar-laden version of Aerith's Theme.
  • What about it's predecessor, Flowers Blooming in the Church?
• Soldier Battle, another variation of the Crisis Core main theme. It's like we've left Final Fantasy and entered Command and Conquer.
• The Planet Has Become My Guardian.
• Living Legacy, the credits music for Crisis Core. Especially around the 4:00 mark, when a fully orchestrated version of "Those Who Fight" kicks in. HOLY CRAP.
• The Those Who Fight piano arrangement from Advent Children may not stand out compared to some of the other songs listed, but, to someone who plays piano, it's absolutely epic. To see it from a pianist's point of view, watch the fan made Synthesia version.
• The Nightmare Begins. And the piano version from the piano collection, as well. So incredibly awesome.
• Wutai. If ever there was one piece of music that made you want to live in a fictitious place....
  • And here's Yuffie's theme! As well as the remix when you know what occurs.
• The Iron Beast from Crisis Core.
• Costa Del Sol and Under the Rotting Pizza are great tracks people usually forget.
• The Sandy Badlands, especially this particular version, which is a melancholy piano remix.
• The sheer beauty of Theme of Elfe is overwhelming. Ishimoto does not get enough credit.
• For The Reunion is simply one of the better tracks on the Advent Children soundtrack. The tension it provides during the exchange between Kadaj and Rufus at Healin is simply atmospheric WIN.
• Shinra, Inc. The perfect theme music for an evil Mega Corp.
• Tifa's Theme doesn't seem to get much love from FF fandom for some reason, even though it's gorgeous.
• INTERRUPTED BY FIREWORKS. How was this not listed for so long!?
• When fighting your way down the Northern Crater to get to Sephiroth, Judgment Day inspires you to fight everything.
• Rufus's welcoming ceremony. It was good enough to warrant a tweaked version to appear in FFIX.
• The Price of Freedom is another great song from Crisis Core.
• So not only is Mako Reactor a brilliantly atmospheric piece that plays in EVERY Mako reactor you go into, its Voices of the Lifestream remix, entitled No Such Thing As The Promised Land, manages to ramp the feeling and the badass up to 11.
• For those that enjoy hip-hop, rapper Random/Mega Ran lyrically narrates the game from (mostly) Cloud's point of view in his "Black Materia" album. It helps that the on-point lyrics are accompanied by some bangin' remixes of the game's soundtrack. Example: Mako Reactor.

Final Fantasy VIII

• The Landing (Mario Paint version), the Boss Battle theme Force your Way (Mario Paint version) and the Ominous Latin Chanting with Bilingual Bonus Foreshadowing opening Liberi Fatali from Final Fantasy VIII.
  • The demo version of the Landing is different, but just as awesome.
    • They changed it due to a potential risk of a copyright lawsuit since it too closely resembled a score from The Rock.
  • Force Your Way, Black Mages-style!
• The Oath, with its powerful final crescendo.
• Eyes On Me, the game's vocal theme, is a true Crowning Music of Awesome. Not really for the game ending (which is a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming by its own) but for the "Rinoa and Squall in space" scene. Seriously, that scene had a giant Narm potential. After all, by that point the game almost became an epic space opera - but when Rinoa is listening to the countdown of her oxygen, wondering if she will die, Squall saves her, they head home, and the song start playing, in a true Crowning Moment of Heartwarming. The song saved the scene. Thus, it is awesome.
  • "Eyes On Me" works even better as a trance remix.
• The Ending Theme, specifically the twinbill of orchestrated renditions of Eyes on Me and then Final Fantasy/Prologue. It might just be the best sequence of videogame themes ever heard.
• The Man With The Machine Gun. So awesome that it's one of the songs in Dissidia to be left totally alone.
• The Extreme. Used as the final boss music, it starts out with the opening verse of the aforementioned Liberi Fatali, then begins a very ominous piano piece, and finally shifts to the fast-paced theme proper, which sounds nothing short of amazing.
  • What makes the final battle especially awesome is the classic Final Fantasy riff that plays at the 1:39 mark in The Extreme. It really kicks the song into high gear and lets you know that, yes, this is a Final Fantasy final battle - now go and slay that sorceress.
  • And the Black Mages version.
• The penultimate boss theme, Maybe I'm A Lion, or the one right before it, "The Legendary Beast."
  • And, just because, the Black Mages version of Maybe I'm A Lion. Which is probably the heaviest, most metal track they've ever done.
• Balamb Garden, a perfectly peaceful tune.
• With Ride On, the Ragnarok theme, let's just say Selphie's not the only one exhilarated.
• Premonition, most notably played during battles with Edea.
• Fisherman's Horizon, the peaceful theme of the peace-loving town that share's the theme's name.
  • The orchestral version from Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec is unbelievably beautiful. In fact, that whole album is a CMoA for FFVIII remixes. Equally beautiful is the slightly-altered Distant Worlds remake.
• Don't Be Afraid and it's orchestrated version.
• Movin' is like the Final Fantasy version of Powerhouse, that one piece of music used in Warner Bros cartoons anytime something resembling an assembly line occurs. Partially because it's opening is set to a FMV, it goes on for a while before looping, which is unusual for FF songs built around a catchy chorus.
• The Salt Flats, which is unfortunately a Wasted Song as the only places where it's heard are the Great Salt Lake and the sorceress sealing facility (but only if you visit it before the plot demands).
• The Spy, played in the Missile Base. It really feels like you're infiltrating some hideout and have to maintain cover.
• In Deling City, during Edea's parade : Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec and Succession of Witches when we're properly introduced to that glorious sorceress of Fan Service.
• "Fragments of Memories" is nostalgia.
• "The Successor".
• "Find Your Way"
• While the Chocobo sidequest was annoying as hell, the music was awesome.
• Accompanying an already unsettlingly surreal interlude, Heresy bristles with sinister grandeur.
• Compression of Time. A hauntingly beautiful yet eerie song
• "Lunatic Pandora". Yes, you are inside a giant crystal superweapon that just wiped out half of Esthar, oozing alien menace, containing the reawakening Sorceress Adel.
• "Silence and Motion".
• Shuffle or Boogie, the very stylish Triple Triad theme.

Final Fantasy IX

• The assault on Memoria coupled with the song "Skirmish of the Silver Dragons" and the "You Are Not Alone" scene (which actually inspired a trope).
  • And Memoria itself.
  • This remix of You're Not Alone is equally awesome.
  • The piano version of "You're Not Alone," is perhaps even more epic than the original.
  • Fan lyrics for You're Not Alone are also awesome.
  • Tour De Japon did a lot of the Final Fantasy themes right, but perhaps none better than here.
• The team-up of Steiner and Beatrix with "Protecting My Devotion", which is an upbeat action remix of Beatrix's own theme, Loss of Me / Rose of May.
  • This fan version with lyrics is lovely.
  • Beatrix's Battle Theme "Sword of Doubt". Her normally peaceful and melancholic theme turned into an agitated battle theme perfectly. Wow.
• The Big Bad Kuja's themes. Out of Trance he's a manipulative chessmaster, and in Trance he's a psychotic monster. Both themes reflect this very well.
  • Immoral Melody, the song used as the base for Dark Messenger. And while we're at it, let's mention Desert Palace
• Jesters of the Moon, the perfect leitmotif for the bumbling clown minions Zorn and Thorn. And then that image is forever shattered.
  • Here's a cool vocal theme.
  • Zorn and Thorn could be scary long before they merged, actually...
• Even though Necron was an Ass Pull to many, the Final Battle theme is totally awesome.
• The Battle Themes.
• Dark City Treno, the town theme of Treno, "the City of Nobles". It's played on a piano in a tune reminiscent to the silent films.
• Pandemonium, used as the area music for, well, Pandemonium.
• Crystal World, a dark and mysterious remix of the Prelude.
• A Place to Call Home, the main menu music of the game.
• Crossing Those Hills, the original world theme.
• The second world theme is quite creepy.
• Vamo'alla Flamenco. Probably the main reason that people liked the 'Chocobo Hot and Cold' minigame.
  • Orchestrated Vamo'alla Flamenco makes it even better.
    • The orchestrator knew what he was doing. The original tried to be a flamenco pastiche, but the orchestrator noticed the melody is not really Flamenco at all - it's downright Manuel de Falla.
• Terra, which builds upon the melody of "A Place to Call Home" (Although... it's kinda subtle about it.)
• Bran Bal is also beautiful, along with its remix
• Melodies of Life, the game's vocal theme.
  • Now in Japanese!
  • Or its instrumental version, Chosen Summoner.
• Black Mage Village.
• There's also the excellent, but intensely creepy theme from The Iifa Tree (shivers). Maybe this song should be filed under Nightmare Fuel.
• "We are Thieves!" Very catchy.
• "Hunter's Chance" makes the first Tournament Arc Epic. And then... it's never used again in the game except when fighting Hades.
  • There is also the Black Mages version.
• The battle song during the play "Feel My Blade!".
• Ambush Attack.
• Steiner's theme is one of the character themes from the game that best reflects its subject.
  • Freya's Theme too.
  • All the characterthemes are awesome, really.

Final Fantasy X

• "The Sending," which plays during the beautiful scene of Yuna's sending in Kilika.
• "Suteki da ne," the vocal theme of the game whose melody appears in several other songs.
  • Also arranged in a Orchestral Version for your listening pleasure.
• "Assault". Exactly What It Says on the Tin, considering what happens the scene it plays during. Epic.
• The song played against the final boss (The Decisive Battle) is probably the best track in the game. If only the final boss wasn't a pushover
• Otherworld, which plays during the game's opening FMV and again when fighting Aeon Jecht. Even more awesome is the fact that the only reason Uematsu wrote it is because he's a fan of heavy metal and wanted to try writing a metal song himself.
• "Path of Repentance" and "To Zanarkand" cover your haunting-piano-melody needs.
  • And Movement In Green is a beautiful romantic reprise of To Zanarkand.
  • "The Skies Above" by the Black Mages and Mr. Goo, a remix of To Zanarkand.
• The bass-redone Someday The Dream Will End from the first approach to Zanarkand. Haunting in its deep tones.
  • And of course the coolest part about the approach to Zanarkand is that the regular music is so awesome, they play the same music during the battles. No transition. None is needed. It's that cool.
  • And now, courtesy of Symphonic Odysseys, "Someday the Dream Will End" / "A Fleeting Dream" with a full orchestra and a choir. YES.
• "Challenge", played during the more difficult boss battles (Sinspawn Gui, Seymour Flux, Omega Weapon, and Yunalesca, for example).
• Battle With Seymour A Wasted Song perhaps, but never the less, awesome.
• The Battle Theme captures the moments as well.
• Summoned Beast Battle, which plays when you fight your Aeons in the final battle. To hear the once tranquil and somber Hymn of the Fayth in such an effectively stirring rendition gives you chills and helps ease the pain of being forced to destroy your own Aeons.
  • Summoned Beast Battle also plays when you fight the Bonus Boss Penance. The tension of the music fits perfectly the fight.
• Besaid Island. What every tropical paradise should sound like.
  • Or this spine-tingling good remix.
• The Ending Theme, possibly the most heartrending track ever heard in a Final Fantasy--not surprising, given the game's nature.
• Tidus's Theme is pretty gorgeous.
• Auron's Theme: because he's such a bad-ass, he gets synthesiser music. It's also a bit of a Tear Jerker when it plays when he dissolves into pyreflies at the end of the game.
• For fan remixes, the conceptual piece The Final Summoning, building off the Hymn Of The Fayth and sheer fucking epic.
• Seymour's Ambition. Chilling, man.
• Phantoms, the theme played in the Macalania Snowfields.
• Servants of the Mountain (the music heard as you climb Gagazet). One of the coolest pieces of video game music ever.

Final Fantasy X 2

• Strangely enough, the bubbly Final Fantasy X 2 contains two absolutely astounding tracks. The first, "Eternity - Memory of Lightwaves", is a haunting piano and violin melody, whereas "A Thousand Words" is a fairly touching ballad. Also, Yuna's, Paine's and Rikku's Themes are really fun to listen to.
  • Here's 1000 no Kotoba, the Japanese Version of "A Thousand Words" to gush over to.
• "Wind Crest: The Three Trails" from International+Last Mission is absolutely beautiful, along with its piano version.
• "real Emotion" is actually a favorite among J-Pop fans, with a nifty little guitar solo in the middle.
• "I'll Give You Something Hot", which plays whenever you have a Boss Battle against the game's Goldfish Poop Gang. It underlines the Zeerust/Sixties/Charlie's Angels feel of the game... in a really good way.
• "Summoned Beast" It's almost WORTH fighting Angra Mainyu so that you can hearthat music for an hour and a half.
• "Nightmare of a Cave" It epitomises everything awful that had happened to Shuyin.
• All the old familiar areas have new music in this game. The material for Besaid Island is, like the island itself, beyond beautiful.
• How could you leave out the kick-ass reuglar-battle theme?

Final Fantasy XI

• Final Fantasy XI may not be known for its music... but that's probably mainly because its standout pieces are the soft, gentle ones — for example, Rolanberry Fields, The Sanctuary of Zi'Tah, A New Horizon, Ululations from Beyond, and Flowers on the Battlefield.
• The Final Battle music for Treasures of Aht Urghan, Ragnarok.
• The music for Ronfaure, both past and present
  • Oh there's more than those. Like Battle In The Dungeon #2, Shadow Lord, and Awakening
• "Distant Worlds" (Closing theme for Chains of Promathia).
• "Moblin Menagerie - Movalpolos" from Chains of Promathia is way more awesome than it has any right to be.
• Luck of the Mog, the final boss theme for the expansion pack "Final Fantasy XI: A Moogle Kupo d'Etat".
• Speaking of mini-expansion music, A Shantotto Ascension's final boss theme and Vision of Abyssea's zone theme are fantastic tracks.
• Roar of the Battle Drums (the campaign battle theme) is such an awesome tune... Catchy, too.

Final Fantasy XII

• Most of the Final Fantasy XII soundrack was composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto. It includes The Empire's Theme, the Necrohol of Nabudis gives a great feeling of desolation and loneliness, there's Giruvegan, and the Feywood is good as well, especially when you see Judge Ghis' fleet for the first time. The Esper Battle music is the perfect epic theme for just how important the game makes your battles against the giant cursed creatures.
• Giza Plains, a perfect companion to any start of a journey. It's almost as if the composers knew you were going to start a fight at the exact moment the song goes from adventurous and free-spirited to badass and rowdy.
• The Battle For Freedom is the most epic, being the final boss song. Starting of as a tranquil strings, it later builds up the tension with percussion, and more strings. The buildup was so intense that when it comes to the centerpiece, you just had to prolong the battle to listen to the entirety all over again.
• Esper, an epic remix of the aforementioned Esper Battle.
• Boss Battle, especially the midparts.
  • With a variation used in Final Fantasy Tactics a 2.
• The vocals make Abandoning Power soothing and divine.
• Fight to the Death accompanies epic fights against Vossler and Gabranth.
• The Royal City Of Rabanastre, a go-to track when convincing people that Game Music is a legitimate form of musical expression.
• The Sky Fortress Bahamut is just perfectly suited to the events that accompany it, but it's amazing to listen to on its own
• Eruyt Village is a just background music for a few towns. But it's so hauntingly beautiful and calming that it needs to be included here. It's the perfect theme to go with some of FFXII's most visually stunning locations.
• Being the first location that Vaan can go to outside Rabanastre, the Dalmasca Estersands' theme conveys a real sweeping sense of freedom. Appropriate, given the comparatively open feel of FFXII's gameplay as compared to previous games in the series.
• Kiss Me Good-Bye is the gorgeous and emotional theme song of the game. Luckily for us, it comes in two languages.

Final Fantasy XIII

• Some of the first tracks released for the game: "Defiers of Fate" and "The Promise."
• The Battle Theme, "Blinded By Light." With one of the most epic violins worth of note. The even more awesome "Long version" can be heard here.
  • The arranged version from Duodecim is 100% pure eargasm from start to finish.
• Kimi ga Iru Kara, the J-Pop Award Bait Song.
• "My Hands", the song "set to defile the English version" is quite moving and very fitting, especially when it played in the game's international trailer.
• Here is the game's jazzy Chocobo Theme. It's so... catchy...
  • There's also the other Chocobo Theme, which has its own lyrics.
• The themes for all the main characters:
  • Lightning's theme is calm yet beautiful. It's probably so awesome because it's a variation on Blinded By Light above.
    • How about the version from the game's Piano Collections?
  • Snow's theme is just plain badass... mostly due to the beat and the electric guitars.
  • Sazh's theme is jazzy and improvisational. It works.
  • Hope's theme is very melancholical. It also has an orchestrated version, Sustained by Hate.
  • Fang's theme is filled to the brim with energy. Fittingly, it contains part of the battle theme.
  • Finally, Vanille's theme is done entirely on piano. It's a Tear Jerker in its own right.
• The Prelude (a departure from the standard Final Fantasy prelude) and Cavalry Theme.
• Saber's Edge, especially once the brass section kicks in. Oddly for a battle theme, it's in waltz time.
• Fighting Fate, this Boss Battle theme in particular. Fits very nicely when fighting Galenth Dysley.
  • The non-battle version of this theme, Ragnarok, which plays when the party is turned into l'Cie by Anima, is also good, as well as very haunting.
• Born Anew is incredible as well. Nothing matches the adrenaline rush you get from 0:15-0:33 especially, which plays as Orphan rises out of its pool to battle you. The buildup on Nascent Requiem was quite exhilarating, and somehow the playful theme seems to be mocking the players.
• The Vestige and Gapra Whitewood.
• The Sunleth Waterscape. Take the game's leitmotif tune, speed it up to a bubblegum pop rhythm, and throw in upbeat lyrics. This is what you'll get.
• Atonement is a beautiful track that plays when Hope reconciles with Snow, and later on, when Snow reaffirms his commitment to save Cocoon. Other great tracks include This is Your Home, which plays when Bartholomew tells Hope that l'Cie be damned, Hope is his son...and that their home will always be a sanctuary for him, no matter what.
• Eidolons and Test of the l'Cie, which play during the battles with the Eidolons, depending one which one you're facing, make this list easily.
• Dust to Dust, the track that plays when you explore Vanille and Fang's hometown, Oerba, and find that everyone there is either dead or has been turned into a Cie'th. As if to emphasize the sorrow, it plays during battles instead of the regular theme, too.
• Will to Fight was a perfect piece to play in Palumpolum after Hope realizes just how feared he is as an l'Cie. It truly evokes the emotions of how painful it must be for him to be looked on as a monster by his neighbours.
• The Battle Results theme which plays after the game's victory fanfare is too awesome to be left out! (Normally, you guys'll just skip the results after each battle, shame that you missed such an alluring music...)
• This list ain't complete without Desperate Struggle. Only plays during a handful of boss battles, but they're also some of the most intense battles in the game. Thus it doesn't matter when Cid Raines kicks your ass for the 100th time, because it just means you get to listen to this badass music even more.
• The Archylte Steppe welcome players with a another use of the game's leimotif. Not only is it quite peaceful, but it conveys quite well the feeling that you are exploring a new, open-ended area, on top of being a new WORLD, filled with its own active fauna.
  • Neighboring area, the Yaschas Massif, rather clashes with the more serious feel of the steppe's theme, instead sounding rather cheerful and oddly elevatory. As with the steppe and its theme, this one makes exploring its own large area pleasant, to say nothing of the Scenery Porn.
• This troper would like to nominate the Piano Collections version of the Sulya Springs theme. Absolutely beautiful. Heck, this troper also nominates the rest of the piano collections for this game as well. The way they transform the original songs into something very different, while still keeping the core melodies, and still sounding just as good, if not better.

Final Fantasy XIII-2

• You may have a hard time pressing the Start button at the main menu since it means cutting the menu theme short. The vocal version also doubles as Serah's theme, which somehow manages to be even more heartwarming than her theme in the previous game.
• Etro's Champion, the battle theme in the introduction.
• The Last Hunter, the main battle theme.
• Crazy Chocobo, which is either So Bad It's Good or So Cool Its Awesome.
• While we're on the subject of metal music, Limit Break certainly qualifies.
• Caius's theme
• Chaotic Guardian/Followers of Chaos, a remix of Caius's theme and something that you'd probably expect to hear in a triple-A big budget epic movie.
• Noel's Theme is hauntingly beautiful.
• Ditto Yeul's Theme, which has lyrics.
• Paradigm Shift
• Unseen Intruder and the Instrumental. The Aggressive version is generally more well liked due to the faster pace.
• Eclipse and its aggressive mix definitely qualify as some of the most atmospheric and haunting music in the game.
• New Bodhum and the Aggressive mix, which is very reminiscent of Inner Universe. No surprise on that one, considering the singer is Origa, who also did some of the more memorable vocal tracks in Ghost in the Shell.
• The City of Academia, which gives a perfect feeling of "welcome to the future: it is awesome."
• The final battle sequence has THREE back-to-back-to-back battle themes of awesome: Time's Master, Heart of Chaos, and Unseen Abyss.
• Yakusoku no Bashou, the Japanese ending theme.
  • New World, the English ending theme.
• The unnamed theme of the Coliseum.

Final Fantasy Type-0

• What Becomes of Us
• The boss theme.
• Combat.
• "Zero" by BUMP OF CHICKEN.
• The Fires of Suzaku
• Recapture Strategy
• Weapons of White

Final Fantasy Versus XIII

• The haunting, main theme, Somnus definitely counts.
  • Or the theme of its second trailer.
• They may not be official, but damn if these fanmakes aren't awesome:
  • Last Heir
  • Prelude to Final Fantasy Versus XIII
  • Ordeal of the Fugitives
  • A Steadfast Resolve
  • Everlasting Crystal
  • The Submerged Area

Final Fantasy XIV

• Quicksand, one of the many battle themes in FF 14
• Answers is a wonderful combination of Epic/Awesome.
• Mor Dhona's theme is truly Awesome.
• The Forests Pulse
• And for field tracks On Windy Meadows is a pretty cool guy.
• "Good King Moggle Mog, Good King Mog! Lord of all the land!", an incredibly song which will remind you of This is Halloween with hints of the Moogle Theme.

Ivalice series

• Another soundtrack by Hitoshi Sakimoto: Final Fantasy Tactics. Any battle theme. "Trisection" and "Antipyretic" get a special mention, as does the second-to-final boss battle theme.
  • Note that Trisection is the first battle theme in the game. It lets you know what you're in for.
• The heartbreaking music-box rendition of Ovelia's Theme.
• "Antidote" plays only once: during the battle when you have Olan as a Guest Star Party Member. It also has no business being a battle theme, being nothing more or less than one of the most stirring waltzes ever written.
  • Correction: It plays twice more in the game, both times during the search for Reis in the first part of the Beowulf and Reis sidequest. Although, it still doesn't work as a battle theme. Maybe they thought it fit with the snowy area theme around Goland (where both Olan's battle and the search for Reis take place)?
• Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Any battle theme. "Companions that Surpassed Their Tribe", "Battle of Hope", "Surpassing the Wall", "Beyond the Wasteland," and the final boss theme, "Incarnation".
• Other than Hitoshi Sakimoto's FFTA battle music, Kaori Ohkoshi composes one of the most epic songs in the game, including "Beyond the Wasteland" and "Surpassing the Wall". "Unavoidable Destiny", however, is the most epic and deserves a Crowning Music Of Awsome.
• Final Fantasy Tactics a 2 contains great reworked masterpieces from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance AND reuses of some music from Final Fantasy XII!
  • Remixes of the above, for instance: "Beyond the Wasteland", "Companions that..."
• Front and Back. It very firmly seals Hitoshi Sakimoto as an amazing composer. But wait! It's not over yet! Into the Fantasy is an amazing version of The Salikawood (mentioned above) from Final Fantasy XII, Green Wind is a great battle theme to start the game's first fight with, and Putting Words Together is a short, yet gorgeous piano piece. Very fitting for Luso's return home.
• There's also Determination which is a somewhat uplifting battle theme used for the Duelhorn storyline.
• Looming Crisis. It helps that it plays during the incredibly epic battles against the Mage Kings of Ciquleur. The part starting at 0:40 is GODLY.
  • "Gathering Allies" is, and always will be, one of the catchiest tunes you hear as you fiddle around with your clan's equipment, jobs, and abilities. Dun-dun-duh-dadada-da-dun-dadada-da-dun-dah-dun-duuun...
• The ending theme of Vagrant Story. Go on, have a good cry.
• The Undercity is easily one of the creepiest, most complicated tunes in Final Fantasy history.
• And then there's the Limestone Quarry. That song hits you like a stone wall and never lets go.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles

• The music from Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was composed by Kumi Tanioka. Some highlights: Kaze No Ne/Sound of the Wind (the opening) in both English and Japanese, the ending song, and "Unite, Descent", the final boss theme.
• Raem's original boss theme, "Sad Monster". It takes all the instruments used in all the previous songs in the game, and turns it into a song that really gets the blood pumping, readying you for the penultimate battle. Bonus points for the title actually being a Meaningful Name -- Raem may seem like a Big Bad when you first hear him, but once you hand him his phoenix behind on a silver platter he becomes a whimpering, simpering creature whose only desire is to live . . . of course, he then eats his only companion and goes One-Winged Angel on you (leading to the epic Final Boss fight and the aforementioned "Unite, Descent").
  • Never have bagpipes been more epic.
• Sleeping Treasure in the Sand
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Crystal Bearers has some of the most diverse tracks in a Final Fantasy game, ranging from nice remix of the original Crystal theme (The Sacred Heaven, Kuule tää unelmain), swashbuckling action (Emergency!), rodeo-lasso style fight music (Catch and Throw), catchy steam town tunes (Bridge Town), nice chillout wind instruments (Moogle Woods)...Heck, there's too many to list!
• Promised Moisture

Spin-offs, Prequels and Sequels

• Ryuji Sasai's music was one of the few highlights in the otherwise forgettable Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. For example, The battle with the Dark King.
  • Doom Castle definitely deserves a mention here.
  • The boss battle music. Heard it 16 times in a relatively short RPG and absolutely loved it every single time...even when it interrupted the Doom Castle music 4 times. THAT is saying something.
    • This Mario Paint version of the boss battle theme is just as amazing, if not even more so.
  • Even the REGULAR battle music in Mystic Quest is epic.
    • These three remixes take its sheer awesome and...well, let's just say that Up to Eleven is an understatement.
• Dissidia Final Fantasy. Not only does it have sweet remixes of classics, the Intro is pretty awesome.
  • March, not quite sure when it plays, but damn if it's not awesome.
    • And it's just one of the permutations of the game's Leitmotif. Other good songs include Cosmos, Chaos, and The Messenger. And yes, they all had the same lyrics in Japan.
  • Dissidia Final Fantasy plays like a Greatest Hits album with some original work in there too... oh, right, there's also a game in there, but the music - original versions and kickass remixes - is mostly listed above for obvious reasons.
  • The ending theme takes the cake, though, remixing the ending themes of all the first ten games as scenes from each character's story play over the credits. It's enough to make a die hard fan tear up.
    • The Duodecim version is the same concept, except that it takes Terra's theme as the piece representing FFVI (instead of Cyan's theme), adds pieces for FFXI, XII and XIII and the Carmen Lucis track from the game itself, and is overall rearranged to pure awesome.
  • Courtesy of Duodecim, two mind-blowingly epic tracks, Cantata Mortis & God in Fire.
  • More Duodecim originals: Troops and Tension
  • Still from Duodecim : Carmen Lucis. The first half is an awesome music of a desperate battle that ends up with seven Heroic Sacrifices, including one from Cosmos. The second half is plays when Shinryu revives the fallen warriors, with the Warrior of Light (not being dead) watching it, ending with Lightning's When She Smiles moment.
• Even if the music of the Chocobo series are remixes from various tracks in the series, these are very epic remixes. For example Chocobo Racing has Mysidia's Sky Garden is the upbeat, fast-paced version of the dragon-riding track from Final Fantasy V.
• Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales has some awesome tunes, most of which are remixes from other music, but mostly better then the originals. An example: The intro.
  • Despite the soundtrack of that game recently disappeared on Youtube, the game has orgasmic remixes of the originals. Noteworthy examples are "Mako Reactor", this time used for The Very Definitely Final Dungeon (for obvious reasons, especially considering they managed to make the song even more chilling than it already was); "Clash On The Big Bridge", used for the final boss; "The Decisive Battle", used for boss battles; "Cry in sorrow", used for an abandoned mansion; and so on. And don't even get me started on this game's rendition of the Prelude.

Final Fantasy Music

• The album Final Fantasy: Pray. All of it. It's essentially tracks from Final Fantasy games remixed and set to vocals. Just one example of the awesome is Pray, based on Prologue. Yes, they made the freaking PROLOGUE more awesome than it already is.
  • They did it with the Prelude as well.
  • There's also Au Palais De Verre (Matoya's Cave), Hikari no Naka e (Theme of Love), and Toki no Horosha (Terra's theme). All incredibly beautiful tracks.
• The Black Mages, Uematsu's rock band. They've produced some utterly amazing remixes of pretty much every track mentioned above, and then some.
• Distant Worlds: Music From Final Fantasy, taking various tracks from all across the FF series and orchestrating them to awesome proportions. The whole soundtrack qualifies, but the ones of note are One-Winged Angel, Swing De Chocobo, Medley, and last but most defenetly not least, Memoro De La Stono.
  • Many of the arrangements found on Distant Worlds first appeared on 20020220 Music from Final Fantasy, the live recording of a concert held in Tokyo in 2002. These arrangements would go on to be performed during the Dear Friends - Music from Final Fantasy concert tour in 2004 and 2005 and then used again during the Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy concert series from 2007 to 2010. Which then brings them to the CD for Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy.
  • Distant Worlds II and its subsequent world tour have brought an even greater selection of music to the orchestra hall, including the above-linked "Dancing Mad."
• Heavy Metal Arrange Album GUARVAIL, taking tracks from a ton of the games and turning them into metal of awesomeness. The whole album is pretty sweet, but the ones of the most note are the arrangements of The Extreme, The FF Main Theme, Battle Scene A, and last but most definitely not the least, Dancing Mad.
• Nearly all of Love Will Grow, the Spiritual Successor to the aforementioned Final Fantasy: Pray album, belongs here.
• The remixes from Sega Fantasy 6, a parody video taking the 7th Gen console wars and fitting them in flawlessly into Final Fantasy VI's last battle, deserve mentioning here.
• CROW'S CLAW, known for its Touhou arranges, has also done some awesome remixes of Final Fantasy songs.
• While most of his other work has been humorous, Brental Floss' take on the main theme is nothing short of masterful.
• Final Fantasy Song Book: Mahoroba is the the sort-of-but-not-quite spiritual successor to Pray and Love Will Grow, being stylistically a bit different. And fantastic. (Examples including Evanecense (Home Sweet Home) and Maybe, Goodbye having the most unlikely theme, VII's "Farm Boy."
• This is what happens if Chocobo meets operatic rock: Awesomeness ensues.
• Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec. This album as a whole is one of the better arrangement albums by Shirō Hamaguchi, including "Liberi Fatali" and the complete ending theme with the reprise of "Eyes On Me" (as well as the original)...but it also gives us the above-mentioned "Don't Be Afraid," "Fisherman's Horizon," "The Oath," and a Tear Jerker string-quartet rendition of "Fragments of Memories." Definitely a Crowning Music of Awesome in its own right.