I believe in one of my previous posts I discussed my lists of favourite music such as my top seven or my favourites of each stage. I forgot if I actually linked the playlist which I compiled at that time (and updated today!) here. I figure why not throw in some comments as I listen to each. The entire playlist is only two hours long, so I hope any potential reader finds time to listen through them all.
It's in order from Title theme to credit theme. I didn't include songs from the spinoff games (well besides UNL) because they aren't my favourites, but eh. P: We start off amazingly with the title theme from UNL...
Did You See That Shadow?
In the danmaku games the title is always a remix of one single song from whenever ZUN used this song, I'd imagine from the first game in the PC-98 series. I find that song pretty nice, but in my opinion the title song from the fighting games is better. This one is actually a remix of the one in Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, but the addition of steam-sounds give this song a great-steampunk like effect and it just sounds that much more epic. The description of the video fits it well. When I open UNL, I feel damn READY to fight! That's what this song makes me feel. It tells me I CAN DO ANYTHING! Then I subsequently lose with my crappy Suwako, but you know what I mean.
The next comes from MoF, stage 1 theme...
A God That Loves People ~ Romantic Fall
Well first of all stage one themes never really interested me at first because well, they're the stage one theme. Certainly the one from EoSD has a bit of nostalgic feeling in it as it's my first danmaku game and I listened to that one song over and over again because I suck at the game, but in terms of sounding nice the one from MoF, Shizuha's theme is surprisingly nice. I first heard it in a remix actually, as I have yet to play MoF. (Only played EoSD, broke my tradition and tried UFO olololol [ UFO ON EASY MODO IS HARDER THAN EoSD AND 10D ON NORMAL MODO WTF!!! So brutal D: I will never reach Murasa. ;_;], and the 10D Trial) The melody is simple and catchy and fits the title well, it's not some sad song or whatever, very fitting. I'm not very good at music analyzing though so moving on, P:
Finally a very recent one from Ten Desires...
Night Sakura of Dead Spirits
I was mighty surprised when I saw that Yuyuko was the first boss of Ten Desires, but before I realized she was the boss, the stage one theme music immediately captured my attention. It was in an instant tied with Romantic Fall once I heard it. The rest of the songs from the 10D trial weren't as amazing as this (still good though!) but 10D being the first game I tried out when it came out and not a dozen years after, it was rather refreshing. I had yet to listen to any particular good remix of it so far, but it's definitely one of my favourites now. Moving on!
Then we go to UFO, my these songs sure come from the more recent titles!
A Tiny, Tiny, Clever Commander
This was not hard to choose. First because I like Nazrin. Second because the other stage one songs are inferior. Third because OH MY GOD A STAGE ONE THEME WITH ELECTRIC GUITAR IN IT ALREADY!? Yes Nazrin. You are awesome. You have an awesome theme. You also are my only Touhou icon, since she's Nazrin. I mean in the other games you go to stage one boss, the song is pretty good, but it's not as "this character is an important person in this game!" kind of song. After all the rest of the stage one bosses have nothing to do with the plot. The moment you hear this song you realize that yes, Nazrin isn't some random youkai keeping you from your valiant quest to loot investigate a ship! Damn well important you are, Nazrin!
We return to more MoF goodness with...
The Road of the Apotropaic God ~ Dark Road
I actually heard this theme remixed first in Touhoumon Emerald. I liked it. I just never realized which game it came from though, which is stupid because this played whenever Team Kero showed up (or in caves that they're in, close enough), lead by Hina so OF COURSE IT'S HER STAGE THEME SONG OMG. Plus I do not have a high opinion of Hina, not that I hate her but I was under the impression that she was fairly unpopular, yet her rankings in popularity polls are actually very respectable which is quite surprising. The thing is, I can't see much she has been done with in fandom besides SPIN SPIN SPIN. Nonetheless, I love the theme, very catchy and it does sound a bit dark as I'm sure ZUN was trying to enforce.
Next up we have another tie, from Subterranean Animism...
The Bridge People No Longer Cross
The beginning of this song reminds me of some sort of cave-theme in some game...I can't quite recall which though. Final Fantasy? Hm, but the main tune/melody is really nice too. I actually didn't like this song when I first heard it, which is quite silly, but after going through it again to make this list, it actually sounded quite nice, so I dunno what my ears were doing at that point. This song too echos a bit of darkness like Dark Road. After all, Chireiden is a pretty dark game, well compared to the lighter games in the series it truly is. You have a dark road in the previous song, and here you're underground crossing an almost-abandoned bridge...yet the tune itself is actually nice. Huh. The cave-feel though fits perfectly.
After that we have our first boss two theme, coming from an older game that is PCB...
Diao ye zong (Withered Leaf)
I had no respect for this song before. As in I didn't hear it very often until I went through some Touhou commentary and the man in that video with the sexiest voice alive declared that this song was utterly amazing. I don't know if it was the song or the voice, perhaps both, but I agreed! I was always under the impression that Chen's song was a remix of Ran's like Yukari (or the other way around I dunno, but I don't like that they share melodies) so I never really actually went out to listen to this song, but now that I have it is definitely very good. The tune very catchy, and very happy like, similar to CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!
We return to SA and Parsee herself with...
Green-Eyed Jealousy
Simply a classic. This song is definitely on the majority of Touhou fans' favourite lists, or at least on mine. I mean, you can't really pinpoint a song in Touhou that gives you a tale of sadness (maybe Border of Life) but this one does. The theme is simply beautiful, and one of my early favourites because this is one of the songs you first hear when you start getting into Touhou. It is that popular, and so of course makes my list. Parsee hits my list twice with both her boss theme and stage theme, only one other character does that. This is similar to Nazrin's theme in that you don't expect such a song so early in the game like Parsee's because like the first boss the second boss is also often not-related to the plot, so the song isn't as important-sounding as it should be. I am jealous. P:
Finally hit stage three of IN with...
Nostalgic Blood of the East ~ Old World
I am with Aoi-dono that this song is great. I am also with Aoi-dono that it is far superior to Keine's boss theme, which I found lackluster (which is a TRUE rarity in my opinion of Touhou music overall) but this one has a great melody that definitely gives you a nostalgic feeling, or that's what ZUN's description of the song wants me to feel, at least. Well I DO like the song, so that's good enough, right? Some of my favourite remixes also stems from this song. This is also not the first stage-theme of Keine's that will pop up in this list, so she almost makes one of those repeat appearances, kind of.
We still remain in stage three with the best song in all of Touhou, considered by many as we return to MoF with...
The Gensokyo the Gods Loved
Many people have commented that this song should be the theme of Gensokyo itself, if not Touhou. I agree too. ZUN's intentions with the song from his description also rings true, that he wanted this to be the theme of Gensokyo as you travel into Youkai Mountain. If this is the theme you hear as you're abducted by Yukari and thrown into the dangerous world of Gensokyo to be ravaged by cannibalistic youkai like Rumia, I wouldn't mind! It is of no coincidence that this song is number 8 in the music popularity polls if my memory is correct. This was used in a pretty awesome PV too as, again, the theme for Gensokyo. Majestic and beautiful, I love it.
We finally GET to boss three by sticking by PCB with...
Doll Judgment
This was one of my sleeper picks. I actually like Alice's stage theme more than this (but those two stage three themes above were superior). The thing is the rest of the boss three themes weren't to my liking at least to the point where they reach my favourites. Meiling's stage three theme was better (there appears to be a pattern here...) as was Keine's, as was Nitori's (though I do like her's quite a bit, it doesn't make it into this list) as was Yuugi's, as was Ichirin's...actually the last two I just do not care for their themes too much. They aren't bad, so I suppose I'd have to go with the song EVERY TOUHOU FAN WILL RECOGNIZE, even the ones that aren't Touhou fans. Seen Marisa Stole the Precious Thing? Then this theme is very familiar to you. I have to admit though, it IS a good song. I always remember the engrish from that video here. ...WHY WHY WHY WHY DON'T I MISS YOU A LOT FOREVEEEER~!?
We remain in PCB with...
The Capital City of Flowers in the Sky
Here we have a song I believe is underrated. I like A LOT of stage 4 themes though, but alas I only chose two for this list. (Heartfelt Fancy I still love you! You too, Interdimensional Voyage for the WHY IS THIS TITLE SO LONG) The boss theme for this stage, Phantom Ensemble is more well-known which I love too, but something about this theme is really nice. The melody? The fact that it was used in a pretty cool PV that I don't remember anymore? That TAMUSIC's rendition of it is beautiful? I don't know, but I do like this song. Lily White may not have popularity, but she is awesome in my book with this theme. IT IS ALSO SPRING AND THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS ARE PRETTY.
We continue and return to MoF once again with...
Fall of Fall, Autumnal Waterfall
From spring to fall!? O: Hmm, something about Momiji makes me like her. Besides the fact that she is a dog (tengu) and that she looks like she's canadian, but this theme is really nice too. I love the flute (that is a flute right? Some sort of wind instrument. I AM MUSICALLY RETARDED :D) which we don't hear too often in Touhou songs. I personally love flutes. ZUN's usually for trumpets (which we'll find out next) Man I love so many songs in MoF but I think the theme of the game itself allowed such pretty songs. After all, in SA the atmosphere was dark, so we had a lot of creepier metal-like power-ish songs which were pretty good too, but I was captured by the beauty of MoF including its background, story, and of course, music.
This is technically supposed to be a stage four theme, but because PoFV fits nowhere in this scheme of song organization, I stuck this one here, which we have with...
Wind God Girl
I love Youkai Mountain, but if it's Aya themes...Wind God Girl takes the cake. Here we have the trumpet I was talking about, a staple in ZUN music. This is also a theme many people consider to be their favourites, and I agree. The catchiness, the greatness, the magnificence you feel when that trumpet starts blaring that theme that gets stuck in your head. Honestly when I first heard this song because people kept citing Wind God Girl as their favourites due to its catchy tune, I thought "what a load of bullcrap" because when I first heard it it didn't sound that great to my ears. ONCE AGAIN I do not know what was wrong with me at that point, but this is certainly up there in my favourites. You could hum this all day long.
Back to SA for an actual stage four boss theme, we have...
Satori Maiden ~ 3rd Eye
All this MoF and its majestic music, we gotta have some darker sadder themes once in a while, or "evil" as this theme was called. This song actually reminds me of Septette for the Dead Princess, in that it has three parts, all catchy. I prefer themes like this. That means it is of higher quality. It reminds me of those poorly-budgeted games or shows that just replays its theme song over and over again. THOSE ARE SO ANNOYING. I AM LOOKING AT YOU MAGIC SCHOOL BUS! Though I should not be ranting about that on Satori's theme. Yes, I love this theme, it fits her very well and it's one of the top themes for a reason. I wish it was still 2008 and I somehow made it to Satori in the game (bah, if I can't even get past Kogasa on easy modo there is no hope for me) I would just die constantly listening to this song, and then remember I need to survive a bit to continue listening to it. @_@
We hit stage five with this theme from IN...
Cinderella Cage ~ Kagome-Kagome
So apparently Kagome-Kagome is a children's game in Japan similar to Ring-Around-a-Rosie for us children in the west with its same dark and sinister origins. Nonetheless, I like both themes in this song, that of Kagome Kagome and the main tune. The biggest reason this is on this list though, is because of Eientewi, the vocal remix. I sing that song CONSTANTLY. So catchy to sing, so FUN to sing, so EASY to sing! Only a few songs hit notion! I sing this song with incredible emotion because it truly is a fun song to sing. If I sing a song that much then yes, it definitely fits on this list.
Another stage five theme and another dark one from SA...
Lullaby of a Deserted Hell
Man, that intro was creepy, wasn't it? It makes me think I'm in a desert...or maybe the title does that, haha. SA songs are always like this, evil, creepy, or simply badass. There's a reason I largely considered the best music to reign from Chireiden (until I realized how awesome MoF was, that is) but the tune itself? Oh man that is catchy. I could say that for really any Touhou song, but man. Of course Orin herself is known to mess people up in this stage for she is considered one of the most difficult bosses in all of Touhou, especially in the fact that she is in stage five and not a final nor even an extra boss. People don't get waken up during her actual boss fight though, but here in the stage. So this song is playing and BAM YOU DIE! How does that feel indeed, repeatedly returning to this stage with that creepy intro only to die...deserted, in the former hell...
Let's go back to MoF...
Faith is for the Transient People
I thought about all the stage five boss songs. Sakuya's was repetitive. Youmu's was repetitive. Reisen's was repetitive. Orin's was repetitive. Shou's was repetitive. Uh. I DO like those songs they were just a tad bit repetitive to me, and so I went with Sanae's which was slightly less.
No I kid, I truly do love Sanae's theme. Well I don't know how to explain it, but it sounds right to me. One of my favourite remixes comes from this song as well, even if it too sounds slightly repetitive but WHATEVER. This one was better than Sakuya's, than Youmu's, than Reisen's, than Orin's, and yes even Shou's! So that is why it is on this list. Not so much a sleeper pick like Alice's, but it is hard to explain for me. It sounds nice. The melody is good. IT COMES FROM MoF. Good enough I say! Good enough.
UFO finally returns with...
Fires of Hokkai
Heartbeat...heartbeat...heartbeat...heartbeat...what sounds like WE WILL WE WILL ROCK YOU...heartbeat...heartbeat...tune...tune. Whoa. This song actually sounded unorthodox compared to other ZUN music, but I loved it for some reason. It does have some pretty awesome remixes too, but then I thought of the other stage six songs and I found that none of them were, to me, as unique as this one. This song actually tried to make the boss' coming to be something absolutely amazing, absolutely spectacular, and absolutely breathtaking by bringing your blood pressure up, making you excited. THIS SHIP THAT I AM LOOTING EXPLORING, WHAT ARE THE PEOPLE HERE FOR!?
Well, it's for this...
Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind
My number one rated song. I wonder if I will still have it here because man, do I listen to it WAY too much. In reality, ALL the stage six boss songs are amazing and are better than half this list, but I love this song that much that I refuse to have ties with it, and so only Emotional Skyscraper is here. No Septette (which is amazing), no Border of Life (equally as amazing), no Voyage (still amazing), no Lunatic (continuing the amazingness), no Ancient Battlefield (bloody amazing), no Nuclear Fusion (awesomely amazing) but only this here, Emotional Skyscraper. My favourite remix also comes from this song. My favourite EWI uses this song. I think half the reason I love UFO that much is this bloody song RIGHT HERE. I can praise this forever but we certainly need to move on, nothing wrong with sitting here and enjoying it though. If this is propaganda, it's doing it RIGHT! (And Byakuren joins Parsee in showing up on this list twice!)
EoSD finally makes its debut in my list with...
Centennial Festival for Magical Girls
Oh EoSD, I do love your music but it just didn't make the list...until now. Until today, too! I just added this. I think UN Owen is so crazy popular everyone sadly overlooks what I believe is one of if not the most underrated songs in Touhou. Not just because its next to UN Owen but for a song in EoSD of all games which most people choose as their favourite it really isn't given the light of day. Of course it is of my opinion that, like stage six boss themes, ALL EXTRA STAGE THEMES ARE BRILLIANT. Even the ones that didn't make this list! So I especially enjoy the few remixes this song has. I hope it gets more, but inevitably next con there will be like ten more UN Owen remixes and this song will be LUCKY if it even gets one.
IN returns again with...
Extend Ash ~ Hourai Victim
Hello EX-Keine! Like I said before she is KIND of Parsee and Byakuren in terms of appearing again, though I personally consider this more of Mokou's stage theme than Keine's third theme. (That's too many themes Keine! I don't care if you can manipulate history, you can't have three themes. D<) This is similar to Kagome, Kagome...FIRE FLOWER, which combines this with Immortal Smoke into a pretty catchy rock-like vocal remix has the verses with this theme. Those are my favourite parts to sing, not the Immortal Smoke parts. (Even though I DO love Immortal Smoke, it's a tad bit repetitive. P:) Also one of my favourite pseudo-sad remixes is also off this theme, so I have many many reasons for liking this. :D
A three-way tie as SA also comes back with...
Last Remote
I always wonder why this song is called Last Remote. Does this song come into your head when you're fighting with your sibling for the last remote to change the channel? Does Koishi fight with Satori for the remote? I think it means something else, lol. I actually first heard this song in a remix on an AWFUL AWFUL PV. Which had some nice design and decent animation but the plot was just cheap yuri fantasy with naked girls and fanservice and WHY DEFILE SUCH AN AWESOME SONG and EPIC REMIX with that!? D: Nonetheless, the remix was a more of an "evil" remix, if you will (apparently all SA songs are EEEEVILLLLLLL~) but I find it quite a pleasant song. Again with the Keine thing, NO SANAE THIS IS NOT YOUR THEME IT IS KOISHI'S FUCK YOU.
We finally hit the extra boss themes and ONCE AGAIN MoF IS HERE...
Native Faith
Kero kero kero kero~! If I could EVERY SONG from MoF would be here, but that wouldn't be fair. So we have Native Faith which has this crazy-ass piano going off like a hyper frog bouncing around from pad to pad until an unsuspecting fairy comes to freeze it. I first heard this song in the infamous video, Kero Destiny and that is unbelievably catchy oh my god. Of course this is one of my early favourites and still is to this day with that, that PIANO. I wonder how fast your fingers have to be to even play this song man. If I ever reach extra stage in MoF which will probably never happen until that stupid umbrella can be defeated, I would enjoy this stage so much. That song just brings adrenaline. That piano player MUST be on some sort of drug if not adrenaline to even play this. This is why I used this song for my hyper hamsters is that video of mine, nothing else would've fit, but it certainly fits Suwako!
Our last extra boss theme comes from UFO...
Heian Alien
This song is just like Nue itself for me. I hated it at first, like Nue. Then I grew to like it more, like Nue, and now I absolutely love it. I don't know how as the song itself really isn't a style I even enjoy, and yet...Nonetheless, many good remixes also come from this song. (I think it's the most remixed song of UFO) including that one-pop song that I love to sing that sounds BARELY like this song at all, so amazing things can be made from this song even if it's barely like it, ha! I think that makes sense though, Nue is after all a shapeshifter, and many people commented to my chagrin that it sounded like <insert previous Touhou song here> and considered it a ripoff, most commonly with UN Owen. I too thought that when I hated it, but now I love it to pieces. The fact that it might sound like other songs and can be turned into such vastly different remixes means that yes, it is a perfect fit for the character of Nue. Good job.
Ending theme we go, with more PCB...
Dream of a Spring Breeze
Ending themes aren't the biggest thing to me, I had to listen to a lot of Touhou songs for the first time for these. I ended up liking the one in PCB the best. Perhaps the reason I don't hear them much is that the games are so hard rarely do people get to the ending? Lol I kid, but I will probably not hear this anytime soon in an actual game.
The credits theme and we return to UNL...
Eternal Steam Engine
Wow, this theme is so pretty. It begins so...like you actually did something in this game and this ending theme rewards you, gives this feeling that yes, you won, you've accomplished something, and now it is over. I love this song, one of my favourite songs. It is foreign to Touhou because I don't think I've heard bagpipes in Touhou songs before, lol. It also continues with the lovely steam theme, and so this list begins with the brilliant title theme of UNL and ends with UNL. I should be calling it Hisoutensoku, but I love this theme, definitely one of my top five.
So we end with these themes, and there are several, several, SEVERAL amazing songs I've missed because though I may enjoy some songs over another, I really do love listening to every single one of them. I very much recommend finding more of these songs to hear, and listening to the endless amount of remixes. SO AMAZING. As I said before, I am musically retarded. I had little to no interest in music before Touhou. I did have favourite songs yes, but I never bought albums or followed bands, I'd just listen to them if they happened to be on, like on TV or the radio or whatever, or a theme song of something I'm watching. It is not until Touhou have my ears truly found the magnificence of music, and yes I know in terms of music there is much more out there than just Touhou, but this is the first franchise that has led me to truly love and appreciate the tunes I hear everyday. Truly magnificent.
This has been Spotto, over and out.
