Well, after briefly talking it over with forums master Lantis (for those of you who do not know, I must live with the misfortune of being around this nitwit in person for approximately 34.50% of my lifespan) and getting his opinion that such a topic as this might not be a bad idea, here is the beginning of the long list of what a Protector of Angels such as myself believes to be the sixty best VG songs of all time. For now, I will begin with #60 down to #56 and from there continue to update this thread on occasion when I can (not much sense in blowing away your ears with all sixty songs at once; why not just sit back and allow the pleasantly beautiful and melodic themes to lull you off to that land of greatness that we all know as MUSIC a few at a time, instead?). A few awesome, makes-one-suddenly-desire-to-kick-gratuitous-amounts-of-ass-while-playing-said-game themes will be present in this list, also, but just mainly the softer and gentler scores in games, as that is just the kind of person I am. ^_^


Please feel free to post whether you agree with my choices or not and why.


#60
Tales of Destiny: Bordertown Janos Theme ->

This is the theme that plays when you enter the first village in the game, and considering that it is located in the snowbound region of the map, I think this is a quite suitable theme for Janos.

#59
Legend of Legaia: "Disciples of the Mist" ->

There is hardly an actually bad song in all of Legend of Legaia, although at the same time there isn't really any piece that particularly stands out at you, ... except this one. This theme is played quite conservatively, occurring in only three key battles in all of the game, in which you are pitted against one of the main villain's three most devoted disciples, but that's what is good about it. This piece seems to denote a feeling of desperation and urgency that each of the heroes must be feeling as they confront each of these three powerful and wicked inhuman creatures in a battle that they know they must have little chance of winning, and the slight to elevated difficulty that each of these battles present (at least to me) make the air of the song all the more appropriate. Thus, if "Disciples of the Mist" were actually played in just any common boss battle, then it would surely lose its grave meaning, for lack of a better term. This is one of those few afore-mentioned songs of intensity you'll find in this list that sort of make you get into your game as you are playing.


#58
Star Ocean 2: "Ka.mi.ka.ze" ->

The title could certainly use some working on, but when you really think about it, perhaps it is actually quite fitting, because from the realistic standpoint of Rena, Claude, and company, you'd have to be freakin' nuts to willingly rush head-forward into a tower full of 10,000-HP demons such as this with the combined strength of only six or seven random adventurers (and you know that the only more randomly assembled group of party members than Star Ocean: The Second Story's come in Xenosaga) to decide the fate of of an entire planet, especially after one of said tower's inhabitants single-handedly booted every last one of you into the ocean without batting an eyelash just twenty-four hours earlier. Anyway, 'point is, this piece does well for that mid-game, climatic kind of dungeon that the Eluria Tower is.


#57
Final Fantasy Tactics: "In Pursuit"

You were probably wondering how far you could possibly go into a list about classic, immortal VG songs before hitting one from the Final Fantasy series. Oh, believe me, there are many of them, but here is the first. This is the theme that plays during your battle with a rather tragic, misunderstood pseudo-villain named Miluda early on in FFT. .... *sigh* How much bloodshed could probably have been avoided if she had just laid down her sword and tried to voice her concerns, instead, just as Ramza had implored of her.


#56
Final Fantasy V: Dragon Flight Theme

I actually like the midi version that I have of this song a little better, but still, you might as well hear how it is originally done in the game, instead. I wish dragons had become a more common source of world travel in the Final Fantasy games to come, but as far as I can recall, FFV is the first and only. Not that airships were so bad. Even the spaceship Ragnarok had turned out to be pretty cool.

It's like a music based TV show's top 10... but on a grander scale, and more importantly, much better music. So, how long did it take you to arrange your top 60?

Being confined to a hotel room every weeknight, there isn't much else to do other than surf the Net and watch bad television, so this is the perfect opportunity to choose the next five songs in the list. Here is #55 to #51 ->

#55
Link's Awakening: Kohonlit Island Before the Sword ->

A nice tune that plays while Link searches the shoreline of Kohonlit Island to reclaim his sword after being washed up.


#54
Resident Evil 2: Leon and Claire Reunion ->

This plays when Claire and Leon run into each other on the 2nd floor of the police station, their first reunion since they are separated at the beginning of the story, so this theme seems to somehow emphasize the sincere relief that Leon and Claire each must be feeling to see the other still alive in spite of the bizarre circumstances. (If I had been Leon, I know for certain that I would not expect in the least to see the girl I had just met alive ever again after being forced to leave her alone to find a police station several blocks away in a city she has probably never visited before, while streets are crawling with the undead. ... But then, Claire isn't a scream queen, while most girls in reality probably are.)


#53
Breath of Fire: Tunlan ->

'Weird how one of the best village themes in all of RPG's actually comes from the first Breath of Fire, which I never held in regard solely for its soundtrack. I think Tunlan was the water village with all of the faeries or something who only communicated through the use of musical instruments.


#52
Mega Man X: Boomer Kuwanger's Theme ->

I imagine that every long-time Mega Man fan was blown away by the entourage of sweet guitar music that came with their first run through Mega Man X ever; it was then that I had truly begun to believe the infamous slogan "Now you're playing with power ... SUPER power!" from the SNES commercials. With Mega Man X, that one little gray machine sitting in my room made me feel like I had the power to change the world with a mere game controller (and be glad that I did not try to follow through on that feeling, because I was Id and not Sarah's Knight at the time; that would have been bad). I almost had to stop myself from choosing more than one stage theme from this one game alone to appear on the list.


#51
Resident Evil Zero: Cathedral Lab Theme ->

'Gotta love the creepy piano crescendo - not even sure I used the appropriate musical term - midway into the song. I would have chosen Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" probably, instead, for this spot, since that was played back in the first RE (thus it technically counts as VG music), but since even the musically-illiterate know that to be already be a famous classical piece, I thought I would just leave that one out and put this lab theme from RE Zero up, instead.

I like the thumbnail for the RE2 one. Look closely at Claire and Leon, and then the background. If their body size is to scale, then they are HUGE. They couldn't even fit in the door of the stores behind them.

Methinks we are going to be seeing more Megaman X series songs.... just call it a hunch.

#50
Lufia 2: Ending Theme ->

I wonder if it is really true that I have not been through this game in so long. Good thing for myoki's LP, I guess.


#49
Final Fantasy IV: Zeromus Battle ->

This is the DS version, yes, but even the original SNES version was great, especially for such an early game.


#48
Mega Man 6: Wind Man's Theme ->

One of the best stages in any Mega Man game, along with one of the best stage themes. You cannot do much better.


#47
Chrono Trigger: The Ocean Palace ->

I figured I had better get a track from Chrono Trigger on this list sooner or later before Lantis has a cow. The dungeon that this track is attributed to even comes complete with one heck of a boss fight to denote the tension of the dungeon's atmosphere that the music gives to the palace. Friggin' golems ....


#46
La Pucelle Tactics: Ending Theme ->

The only thing bad about this ending really was Prier's presence. 'Should've had Alouette running along with Culotte instead.

Here, let me know what you think of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKfg_4OLDxo
(Song doesn't actually start till a 1:25 but is worth watching anyways)

It's the Zeromus battle theme mixed with the Lavos battle theme. It was done buy the guy who worked on the Chrono Resurrection project that got shut down by Square.

Btw, I only agree with what you said in #48 only if you are not including the Megaman X series. Because in way of much, X series has done a good deal better. And also, I was kind of not wanting to see Chrono Trigger songs till much later... you know, much higher on the list as far as how good they are.

#45
Star Ocean: The Second Story - "Heraldric Emblem"

I like the quiet tensity with which this song plays, subtly letting the player know that at any second either he will go tumbling off of a high snowy mountain to certain death or a two-ton sasquatch is going to run out of hiding and come pound him three feet into the rock.


#44
Final Fantasy IX - Hildegarde ->

The second greatest near-the-end-of-the-game-acquired-means-of-air-travel theme in RPG's.


#43
Super Mario Land - Muda Kingdom ->

This plays during most of the second world in the first Super Mario Land, which is, naturally, ocean-themed.


#42
Wild Arms: Alter Code F - Curan Abbey ->

The starting theme to Cecylia's scenario in Wild Arms. The original version was great, of course, but I especially like this intepretation of the Curan Abbey theme in Alter Code F; it has a strangely pleasant twist.


#41
Chrono Trigger - "To Far Away Times" ->

The ending theme to one of the best games of all time, pure and simple.

#40
Super Mario Land - Ending Theme ->

'Just rescued a young princess from a crazed alien being? (So got weird hentai vibes from saying that ... *cringe*) Enjoy this nice little late 80's midi, then.


#39
Resident Evil: Code Veronica - "A Moment of Relief" ->

After running kicking and screaming for my life from Hunters who can poison you, this music is a welcome indication that one is entirely safe for the moment.


#38
Final Fantasy Tactics - The Adventurer's Way ->

Not absolutely certain, but the ending song was called something like this; 'just don't remember the exact title. Anyway, both parts of the ending theme are great (this is the second half), with a slight twist of a previous track mixed into the latter half, which was good. I just HATE what happened immediately afterward. *grrrr*


#37
MegaMan X3 - Toxic Seahorse Theme ->

I do not think I can appropriately explain how this song is so awesome, other than this always seems to be the first VG melody that many aspiring electric guitar players appear to learn.


#36
Final Fantasy VI - Terra ->

The classy overworld theme of FF6, also Terra's signature song.

Speaking of which, this vocal version about our cute green-haired heroine is also quite nice ->

#35
Mega Man 4 - Dr. Wily's Citadel, First Half ->

.... Mega Man takes on a fanatical Russian scientist. ...... Again, we should never have doubted for a second that it was all Dr. Wily in the first place.


#34
Xenogears - "Two Wings" ->

A vocal version of the overworld theme in Xenogears. Technically I think it counts as a VG tune (it just wasn't in the game itself, that's all).


#33
Resident Evil 3 - Ending Theme ->

The music itself is great, but, ... the still-frames of Raccoon City getting blown to kingdom come don't really fit the mood.


#32
Mega Man X3 - Doppler Lab, First Half ->



#31
Wild Arms - "Miracle of Love" ->

This piece accompanies perhaps the best scene in all of the Wild Arms games, where Cecylia awakens the Guardian of Love Raftina in order to save a friend.

I know you aren't getting much of a reply as far as posts, but you are getting a pretty big hit in the views department... keep them coming.

If you would play a Tales game, you could find some really good tunes.

I've come in here a few times just to play number 55 and remember the best zelda experience I ever had.
Keep up the cool posts.

Thanks, Insulta, Lantis. And, Syn, I would certainly play a lot more games in the Tales series; but a guy only has so much time for gaming, you know? You'd best just hope I never get married.


Anyway, I think we're halfway there, now?
#30
Final Fantasy VII - "Farm Boy" ->

Imagine that relaxing sense of nostalgia that floods over you when you run across chocobos for the first time ever in three dimensions. This is by far the best chocobo-related piece in any Final Fantasy game I have played. I actually even like the banjo-plucking that gives this song its edge, ... even if it does have the tendency to take me back to the cornfields of Hee Haw.

Check the vocal version of this song out, too, if you can find it anywhere on the 'Net.


#29
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Kakariko Village ->

I had to include at least one piece from the Zelda series on a list concerning VG music, although, believe it or not, the common Hyrule theme does not show up here. Instead, there is Kakariko village, full of oddly-dressed, one-toothed idiots with misshapen heads - some of whom like to dance around in place for seemingly no logical reason - but has a great musical theme.

Speaking of which, just as an extra, please check out this nice little orchestrated version of the Lon Lon Ranch theme from OOT.



#28
Final Fantasy X - "Someday the Dream Will End" ->

Yes, the famed "We're-off-to-condemn-a-hapless-girl-to-certain-doom-but-we're-saving-the-world-in-the-process-so-cue-the-obligatory-victory-music-anyway" theme from FFX. It was a little out of place on one hand, but then, I also cannot think of any music more appropriate for the sequence in which our heroes sprint down the cliffside towards their final destination in the game: Zanarkand (the music was most wisely rolled over into any random battles that might be triggered during this part, also, might I add).


#27
Resident Evil 2 - "Sanctuary" ->

The farthest that Resident Evil gets on our list, I'm afraid. What I liked about this save room theme in particular was that, unlike most of the other Resident Evil games, the save room theme in 2 did not quite seem to instill a sense of security in the player that nothing can make it through that door and still harm him in this enclosed space full of friendly First-aid Sprays, but rather, the music just kept reminding me in a pleasantly ominous undertone that I could only stay in here so long; eventually I was going to have to step back outside and face the zombie or Hunter still waiting just around the corner.

... *sigh* Lord, I want to play through Resident Evil again so badly ....


#26
Mega Man 2 - Dr. Wily's Castle, First Half (remade version) ->

For the most part, they really knew how to vamp up the majority of available music tracks in the Mega Man 1-8 collection to better suit a seventh-gen console. I was especially impressed with this one, and Lantis can probably tell you how often he was finding himself air-guitaring the music when we first went through this part of Mega Man 2. I don't know; it just felt like Mega Man was getting more into the thought of getting to kick Wily's ass this time around than he did in any other of the original Mega Man games by the time he would step through the front gates to Wily's domain.

All right, suffice it to say, everything pretty much from here on out comes from RPG's. Sorry, that's just how SK rolls.
#25
Final Fantasy VII - "Ahead On Our Way" ->


The piano version is also very good ->



#24
Final Fantasy VI - Relm's Theme ->

The Final Fantasy series generally had a knack for creating themes appropriate to the character they represented. Perhaps best of all is Relm's (yes, even if a nine-year-old girl Michelangelo is pretty much useless on a battlefield).

Also, for your listening pleasure, here is an orchestrated version ->



#23
Mega Man X4 - "Unbeatable Love I Surely Have" ->

The title may very well be a poor translation to English, but nevertheless I still say there IS NO EXCUSE for leaving a song this awesome out of the game for us Americans. I don't see how even the hardcore anti-anime extremists who automatically think that we're all really weird fanatics who get into schoolgirls being sexually assaulted by monsters would have had much of a problem with the song being in Japanese. It worked for X6, didn't it?


#22
Final Fantasy X - "Via Purifico" ->

Music centered primarily or solely around the piano is probably my favorite type, instrument-wise, even over the violin or cello. I like the melancholy feel of this one, but I cannot help but feel as though it would better belong in that movie The Adventures of Milo and Otis (watch it and you might see what I mean) than in a RPG-brand prison escape sequence. In any event, "Via Purifico" is a simple but satisfying piece of music.


#21
Star Ocean: The Second Story - Arlia ->

It was a tough choice between this and the opening movie's theme, but the former prevailed. What isn't to like about this song? You could almost picture the actual orchestra of violins and harps performing as this song was first being recorded whenever you enter the beautiful country village of Arlia. It was precisely songs like this one and the opening movie sequence's combined with their showy graphics that promised the gamer that he/she was in for one heck of a forty-hour game ahead, and in a rare instance Star Ocean 2 did not begin to disappoint.

You know, you make a damn good point. Seriously... isn't music about sound? What should language matter? It sounds awesome, isn't that what counts?

Becaaaaaause, you don't understand. To people like Don, nearly everyone I worked with in the Albemarle lab, my mother, and another approximately 85% of everyone on the planet who are too scared to do anything other than conform to society, the fact that it is in another language makes it weird. (*says this in a deliberately nasally and childishly mocking way to help us better understand why said people are the ones who have no life, not the other way around*)

How about an answer that isn't completely pathetic and devoid of intelligence...

Oh, that's right. There isn't one.
¬_¬

#20
Xenogears - "Singing of the Gentle Wind" ->

The theme to Nisan village in Xenogears, ... a pleasant little bordertown full of nuns. ^_^
And there you have it - the best village theme in all of RPG's.


#19
Final Fantasy VII - Cid's Theme ->



#18
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue - "Golden Voice" ->

The song that plays during towards the end of Eternal Blue. I wonder if Althena would be willing to take him back? Aside from Luna's song, Wind Nocturne, I could sleep to this music. ... Only Luna's voice has the tendency to chase away bad dreams. ^_^


#17
Xenosaga: Episode II - "Kokoro" ->

As always Xenogears/Xenosaga/Xeno-whatever never fails to deliver on the vocals. Not only does the woman singing have a pretty voice, but this song proves once again that lyrics can be incredibly simple yet sung in such a way as to still sound pleasant to the ears. ... I think club/hip-hop music can take a lesson from this.

Side Note: I apologize for Albedo's presence in this video.


#16
Wild Arms: Alter Code F - "Footprints" ->

Again, who is the moron responsible for keeping this out of the American release of Alter Code F?

And, the piano version from the Wild Arms: Feeling Wind CD is also very good. I strongly urge Wild Arms fans to buy this one if they enjoy piano sonatas ->

Either a very simple minded American or a very selfish man from Japan.

#15
Wild Arms 3 - "Sky High! Fly High!" ->

All I could find was the lyrical version, unfortunately, but it sounds similar enough to the original. The best flight theme in RPG's, ever, and the idea of using a metal dragon for an airship is awesome in and of itself, anyway. I don't know, somehow hearing this song for the first time ever after hopping onto Lombardia's back and rising into the skies just sort of made me all like "All right! Let's do this!!!" 'Kind of like that handicapped cop from Family Guy.


#14
Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals - Prelude Theme ->

Okay, I have no idea what the flying pink globes of light at the beginning part are for, either. But just bear it through to the title opening, and you will find that, even though the recurring theme that I would assume Lufia 2 is famous for is repeated twice in every character scene, it somehow just never gets old. *contented sigh*


#13
Mega Man X3 - Ending Theme ->

I think this is the last non-RPG piece that you will be seeing. .... Actually, I am surprised that I allowed it to get this high up on the list. The credits for X3 almost sound midi-ish to me, here, but sometimes that's a good thing, I guess.

Oh, and, forgive the interruption in a list of good music just for the sake of a rant, but just to prove a point I have personally held fast to that oftentimes bringing a new idea to ports or remakes of games proves to be an obviously stupid thing to do in my opinion (the only exception to this rule that immediately comes to mind is the first Resident Evil being remade for the Gamecube), check out the below video, and then have fun stuffing your ears with pine cones after hearing this cheap jazzy/techno-mix song that replaced the Super-NES ending theme when the Mega Man X series was ported to the PS2. And as an added bonus, you can choose to preemptively gouge out your eyes before having to gaze upon the teeth-grindingly bad series of animated cutscenes that each boss Maverick in X3 was given for the PS2 port, which are also included in this video. Is it just me, or did it have to be the one Mega Man game that held both the greatest boss intro sequence and the greatest ending theme out of the entire franchise that got the ill-fated makeover?

.... My dear Serena it pains my soul.


#12
Chrono Cross - "The Dead Sea" ->

This is also a VG song that I personally would be very interested in seeing performed live. I really like the deep plucking of a double bass string (I assume it is a double bass) that you can hear in the background at certain parts of the song. It certainly emphasizes the atmosphere of desolation and ruin - and the added air of despair - that haunts the Dead Sea region in Chrono Cross.
P.S. One more Chrono Cross song coming up in this list.


#11
Final Fantasy IX - "Melodies of Life" ->

Surely this would be on most gamers' all-time best VG music lists if they have played FFIX? The lyrics are fairly inventive, well-sung, and most appropriate to the game's seeming basic theme.

Here also is a piano version of the song from the awesome "Final Fantasy IX - Piano Collections" CD that I was so fortunate as to have stumbled across in a random backwoods anime store many years ago, ... and for only ten dollars, might I add. I must admit I am envious of people who can play the piano so well. But, well, I could never betray my dear partner in music - the viola - for even the piano, I guess. It would almost be like being unfaithful to the girl I married. ^_^