30 Days of FF Themes [Music]

I've wanted to do this for awhile, and we touched it recently with topics about the best FF7 song, as well as the best overall song day on Tres' 30 day thing. But this is about which FF has the best song in a given category. I was originally just gonna do it in one big old post. But since everyone seemed to enjoy that day-to-day thing and seemed sad that it was over, I thought that might be even better; it has the added bonus of keeping everyone's thoughts organized as well.

1. Best normal battle theme
2. Best boss battle theme
3. Best world map/main theme
4. Best playable character theme
5. Best villain (not final battle) theme
6. Best town theme
7. Best incarnation of the Chocobo theme
8. Best victory fanfare
9. Best emergency/action theme
10. Best normal dungeon theme
11. Best final dungeon theme
12. Best specialty boss/recurring boss battle theme
13. Best final boss theme
14. Saddest song
15. Happiest and/or Silliest song
16. Most powerful song
17. Best obscure/overlooked song
18. Best lyrical song
19. Best staff roll (credits song)
20. Best airship theme
21. Best game over theme
22. Best "area" theme (not dungeons, not towns)
23. Best ending theme
24. Favorite miscellaneous tracks (any themes that don't really fit into these categories)
25. Best orchestral arrangement
26. Best piano arrangement
27. Best Black Mages/Earthbound Papas version
28. Best fan remix/performance
29. Best song from Final Fantasy
30. Best overall soundtrack

That's all the categories I could think of, in addition to your responses you're welcome to suggest categories to tack on.
And just for the aid of anyone that joins later, day 1 is today, May 24, 2011.

Have fun!

And for my best battle themes :

I think normal battle themes get overlooked a lot since you just hear them SO OFTEN over the course of the game. I never appreciated FF7's until I heard it orchestrated in Crisis Core, really. Likewise, I never paid any attention to FFVIII's Don't Be Afraid, until Distant Worlds covered it, and now its among my favorites:


However, no battle theme was stuck in my head the entire time I was playing the game like Blinded By Light from FFXIII:



I really like that song, and it managed to get me fired up for almsot every battle. And, like I said, I was whistling that high part almost constantly when I was away from the game playing it the first time.

I really liked FFX's battle theme. That was fun. And I agree with you on FFXIII's being pretty awesome. Actually I was concerned I'd get tired of it before the game came out cause they used it in all the trailers. But I love the song, and never got tired of hearing it when entering battle.

Fave battle music for me is probably VII and VIIIs. The Distant World's version of Don't Be Afraid is fantastic, and I really like the original and the many redos of Fighting/Those Who Fight.

I like IX's and X's battle themes the most, but yeah, XIII's is also quite cool.

First of all, I'm really grateful that we get to keep doing this. I was so sad when the 30 days meme ended.

Day 1: Favourite Normal Battle Theme.

This is going to have to be "Those Who Fight", although "Don't Be Afraid"s 5/4 time signature really gets the blood pumping. I think it's the bridge section of "Those Who Fight" that really gets to me. For maybe the best rendition of the bridge, go to 4:56 of "Fulfilled Desire" from the Crisis Core soundtrack:



BALLS AWESOME.

I like Blinded by Light, but Will to Fight is a close second

Wait a minute, no best airship theme?

Gonna go with something no one has said and say I also really liked and So yeah.

FFIX's battle theme > all.

Here's a reminder because I don't think you guys have heard it since you're listing other songs


This music seriously gets me pumped! xD

Day 1: Best normal battle theme.

Maria said:

FFIX's battle theme > all.

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Completely 100% agree. I love this battle theme, my favourite time ever hearing it is when Zidane first enters trance, really sets the mood for the battle.

Day 2 (as its now the 25th over here): Best boss battle theme.
Hard call it but I think its got to go to FFIV, fast paced, good beat, gives the sense of impending danger.


Also I agree there should be a best airship theme in there somewhere

Best boss battle music: XIII's Sabre's Edge



When that brass comes in with the melody at around 0:40 I always have to sing along with it. Never fails to get me pumped.

Honourable mention goes to VII's Still More Fighting/Those Who Fight Further.

Good call on the airship theme guys, stuck it in on Day 20

Favorite Boss Battle:

This is a hard one. FFV's and FFIX's are both tense and exciting and I always enjoyed them, and as stated, FFIV's is very ominous. But the real decision for me is between FFVI's Decisive Battle and FFVII's Still More Fighting.



Decisive Battle has such a cool drum beat going in the background with a great melody that speeds up, slows down, crescendos, and gets quieter all over the place. It's chaotic and awesome.
Still More Fighting is significantly more regular, but not too many other songs would make me tense up and bare down like this song. That opening guitar always makes you know 'it's on'. Then there's that great, frantic bass line, followed by some amazing keyboards. This is also one of the few FF7 songs that I think hasn't improved much with its re imaginings, with the exception of the Black Mages version. I like the long-held high note at the end of that one

DAY 12 ENTRY CAUSE I'M DUMB

Favorite SPECIALTY Boss Battle Music

BATTLE ON THE BIG BRIDGE. I prefer FFV's or Dissidia's version of it over FFXII's, but here's the three to compare:

OH! YAY. I missed the 30 day meme. So this is fun.

Everyone already posted up the best battle themes, so I'll go on with day 2.

This song right here:



It counts as boss battle music.

I was thinking of both of those as the "specialty boss" day, but whatever

Day 1: Normal Battle Themes

I have to go with the old school "Battle Scene" from Final Fantasy I because it's as campy as roasting marshmallows and ringworm. Unfortunately, all I can find is HCBailey's Mario Paint version on YouTube, so I can't be bothered.

Day 2: Boss Battle

As much as I otherwise don't care for Final Fantasy IV, I looked forward to the boss battles. I agree with Shining Gem overall sentiments, but it's definitely the impending danger factor that makes it work.

Vash the Stampede said:

I was thinking of both of those as the "specialty boss" day, but whatever

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Oh. My bad.

I didn't look over the other days... D:

Oh yeah, I didn't read ahead

Well then I submitted my Day 12 ahead of schedule


EDIT: For Day 2 then I'm definitely going with FFVII's regular boss theme for its badassery.

Unlike most days, Day 2 is easy for me: "The Decisive Battle" from Final Fantasy VI, for the reasons Force mentioned. I have adored every incarnation of this with one exception -- The Black Mages version. Because they skipped out on what made this song awesome, and that is the hammering triplets in the background. Every time I'm around a piano I play the beginning of this song because it. is. So epic.

I especially like this faithful OC Remix.



Runner Up: "Those Who Fight Further" otherwise known as "Still More Fighting" from Final Fantasy VII. Love that "For Whom the Bell Tolls" opening, and the complicated composition.

It's still IX for me.



Come on. This sounds like impending doom.

That is a great remix, ite. I've always liked how it starts with the town music, like a town is being attacked.

And I feel like i'll be able to predict most of Celes' responses

Well, I'll tell you now that the world map one will not be FFIX related

Maria said:

It's still IX for me.

Come on. This sounds like impending doom.

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^This

I want to say XIII or IX, but then I listen to the others and can't decide.