I'm going to try to limit it to one song per game so Nobuo Oematsu doesn't completely dominate my list with FFVI. Also, this is not a list of the most iconic songs so you won't see The Super Mario Bros. theme, or the Zelda theme on here.
Now, ON TO THE LIST...and my first time including anything other then text in a blog post.
10. Wild Arms - Wild Arms Theme
What a great song. It really captured the wild west theme that the game sought out to portray. Whistling in songs is always welcome(as a matter of fact, several songs on this list include whistling). Just a great song to a great and underrated game.
9. FFVII - One Winged Angel
Yup, a final fantasy song but this one is one of the best. FFVII was packed with good music, but One Winged Angel stands out as the best song in the bunch. A difficult feat for sure. It's the song that plays during the final boss fight and it encompasses the battle perfectly. It's powerful and dramatic and sucks you right into the emotion of the moment.
8. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - Dance of Pearls
This was another tough choice. Castlevania has always been known for excellent music and Symphony of the Night might be the best of the bunch, therefore, choosing one song was incredibly difficult. In the end though, I went with Dance of Pearls, the mesmerizing tune which plays on your way through Olrax's lair. There were a few other songs that easily could have gone here in it's place but in the end, and with some listening, Dance of Pearls wins by a nose.
7. Beyond Good and Evil - Home Sweet Home
Beyond Good and Evil might be the best game that very few people seemed to play. Hopefully with it's recent HD release on the Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network it will get more attention. Such a beautiful game, and such a beautiful song to accompany it. Home Sweet Home plays during the ending credits and it just ties together perfectly with the moment. Truly something that everyone should hear.
6. Blue Dragon - Eternity(Boss Theme)
I've heard people agree with me about how awesome this song is, and I've heard people talk about how horrible it is. Either way though, it leads to discussion. It sounds like an 80's rock anthem, probably because it was performed by an 80's rocker. Ian Gillian was the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple for a number of years and even sang lead for Black Sabbath for a year. The song repeats a lot during every boss fight in the game and it does a great job getting and keeping you pumped up for the fight. It's big and loud and awesome.
5. Katamari Damacy - Que Sera Sera
This was a tough one. I struggled for awhile deciding between this and Katamari on the Rocks(NA NAAAA NANANANANA NA NA N-NA NA NA NA NAAA). I nthe end I went with Que Sera Sera because when I first got the soundtrack I listened to it about 20 times straight and I just absolutely love it. Katamari on the Rock is a fantastic song in it's own right, and definitely the better known of the two, but Que Sera Sera with it's lounge-y sound and awesome lyrics (I want to wad you up into my life) wins the day in my heart, and if we aren't listening to our hearts, then what's the point?
4. Nier - Song of the Ancients/Devola
There are 4 versions of the Song of the Ancients: Devola, Popola, Fate, and Hollow Dreams. They are all excellent, and I had a hard time picking one for this list. In the end I went with Devola because frankly, it is simply a beautiful piece of music. Hell, every song in this game is fantastic. Whether or not you like the game itself (of which there is a lot of debate) the music in it is top notch. Song of the Ancients/Devola is the best diamond in a pile of other diamonds.
3. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - Snake Eater
Oh man, Snake Eater...one of the best games I've ever played, and this is one of the best songs ever crafted for a game. It is the only song on this list that I also have had as a ringtone. It's a direct ripoff of an old James Bond type theme and it is simply brilliant. It is the perfect accompaniment to the game. The lyrics are kind of ridiculous at time but that just adds to the charm. You can tell it was written tongue-in-cheek. The melody and vocals are amazing. I almost made this number one but a couple of songs from the same composer just edged it out. It was close though.
2. Lost Odyssey - Neverending Journey
I love Lost Odyssey. It's the best RPG released on the current generation of consoles and it hold up against a lot of the best RPG's of all time. The music in it was done by famed composer Nobuo Oematsu, probably best known for scoring a lot of Final Fantasy games. In fact, his music takes up the top 2 spots on the countdown. Neverending Journey is the music that plays when you are on the world map. The song is so damn good that it is responsible for adding hours to my overall game time as I just left it running over and over so I could enjoy it. It's another song with whistling in it and a couple of minutes in, the song really kicks in high gear. Awesome, awesome, awesome song and only gets beat out for number one due to nostalgia and emotion.
1. FFVI - Aria di Mezzo Carattere
Known by most simply as the "Opera House song" Aria di Mezzo Carattere is an absolute gorgeous piece of music. What makes it more amazing is how limited music was by cartridge based systems of the past. The notes used to represent the singing create a haunting tone that really makes you feel the music. The lyrics (as read on screen) really aren't anything fantastic though they speak of a love seperated by distance and war but that really has nothing to do with the quality of the song. I chose it for number one because of how much emotion it pulls out of you without a single word. I'm sure a lot of it is nostalgia as well, but in the end Aria di Mezzo Carattere or The Opera House song is my personal favorite piece of video game music ever composed. Listen to it and enjoy.
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