HOW Is The Final Fantasy Soundtrack THIS Good?

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[@CharlesCornellStudios]

Which Final Fantasy has the best soundtrack?? Fight about it below. And then be nice because it's all GREAT. Also, check out the new free mini-course! cornell.academy/instant-piano-guide-ff

[@nuclearbirds]

Best individual track has to be Dancing Mad from 6, but the overall soundtrack to 8 is probably best overall.

[@chasebalcziunas4289]

Each game has one banger that makes it unique. It’s hard to pick just one game.

[@csvscs]

Ff12

[@shinigamimiroku3723]

Best track is hard to choose, but best OST overall is definitely 8.

[@Tooznoze]

FFXIV, Shadowbringers.

[@1pepituh]

Please make this a series... Each final fantasy game has a world of amazing tracks to analyze.... 1 video for each final fantasy game would be awesome!! Yo, Charles, you heard the people speak!! :D

[@davidzeez]

Yes! Absolutely!!! FFVII, FFX, FFXIII, and many others have so many bangers on their own

[@Estoeslvl]

second that.

[@JakeRGuitar]

I'd pay to see such a series!

[@z31Joshyman]

This 💯

[@frankie7935]

neeeed more

[@broshmosh]

Eleven minutes is not long enough to delve into the absolute mastery of musical work on Final Fantasy, Uematsu and beyond.

[@billyalarie929]

Good thing it’s 12 minutes 🙂

[@maurisauceda8388]

​@@billyalarie929 11:55

[@broshmosh]

@@billyalarie929 That still isn't long enough ;)

[@WavesWatershine]

Uematsu and Soken both!

[@morricane5087]

I want to know what he'd have to say about Sakimoto who is way more removed from tonal harmony than Uematsu ever was :D

[@austinswanson]

It’s wild that out of all the music from Final Fantasy, no one is talking about the Prelude. Such a mastercrafted song, simple yet evocative in a way that few other songs can claim.

[@CantFaketheFunk]

My favorite bit is that given how slapdash the development of FF1 was (and Uematsu was thinking this would be a one-off/part time gig), Square was like "hey can you quickly do a title screen theme, we need one ASAP" and he slapped it together in under an hour and it wound up being one of the most iconic themes in all of gaming

[@willyb0ngka]

literally my favorite is the prelude

[@エルフェンリート-l3i]

It's just very simple harmonically. Not bad, just very straightforward. What makes it so nice is the slow tempo and the broken chords. But there's really nothing more to the harmony other than diatonic chords and a recurring motif after several bars that counters the broken chords.

[@Zestrayswede]

You know this video exists right kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2epmn-eZZJjoKM

[@Jordyback]

Prelude is my favourite FF song, for real

[@jasoncox7244]

Nobuo Uematsu is the reason I really started learning piano almost 30 years ago with FF6 (or 3) on SNES. He is every bit as much a god of modern music as John Williams.

[@Goujiki]

He surpasses John WIlliams IMO

[@brinstarmedia1411]

Same! I bought a piano just to learn how to play ff6 songs in 1994 lol

[@themadmallard]

Nobuo has been composing game music for about 30 years. Thats a good start. Williams has been composing for movies, tv, original stand alones, and a body of educational/instructional music for almost 65 years.

[@brinstarmedia1411]

@@themadmallard I wish Williams would live forever because he’s a wonderful composer

[@keynoism]

Saaame

[@christinethomas4252]

My bridal march was the Main Theme from Final Fantasy. It was one of the only details I insisted on for our wedding, and I'm so glad I did. One of my favorite pieces of all time.

[@michaela2706]

You're a legend of life!!!

[@brizzybrown9419]

You have excellent taste!

[@artstrutzenberg7197]

My wife surprised me by playing the Star Wars when we got married :D

[@fusemaster]

Wow, that's.... actually a really great choice! I love it!

[@lmj2k]

I had this as a recessional when my husband and I got married. My first Final Fantasy game was Final Fantasy IV (II in the US), and hearing that theme kick up when Cecil and Kain set out - that stayed with me.

[@danielsos9824]

You absolutely got to take a look at the Final Fantasy 6 (Final Fantasy 3 in America) song "dancing mad". An 18 minute, four part, Epic Baroque boss theme.

[@EricHansenHaiTech]

^^ This 💯 percent

[@raegune]

Smash Bach's Toccata and Fugue in Dm together with Tarkus from Emerson Lake and Palmer, but do it on an SNES somehow! Absolute masterwork.

[@secretpandalord]

You know those times when something funky happens and Charles' eyes go wide and he says "WHOA"? (for instance at about 8:14 in this video) Dancing Mad is just that for an entire symphony. I think its the single greatest piece Uematsu has ever done, out of a career filled with masterpieces.

[@jsblack02]

Bum ba bum bum ba ba da ba bun ba bun ba da da bun ba but ba da dum

[@CantFaketheFunk]

@@raegune like if Michaelangelo did the Sistene Chapel with crayola crayons

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

VIII definitely has a wonderful soundtrack for sure, and Uematsu's talent is a gift we don't deserve. He once said about making Final Fantasy music: "The difference between the music made for Final Fantasy and the music I made for other games, for me, isn’t that big. But up until that point, I hadn’t made anything for an RPG, and with RPGs you can add just about any type of music. For example, you can add grandiose, movie-style music with a sense of openness, you can add cute music for cute characters, and you can add something like progressive rock to battle scenes. In that sense my music is really... Well, I’m an omnivore, so I like variety in music, so in that sense, I think RPGs are a genre that’s really suited to me." "People often say that the NES or SNES must’ve been so hard to create music on with so few sounds available, but I didn’t really feel that myself. I think that the more limited people are, the more ingenious they begin to get, so maybe I actually enjoyed thinking about how I could make rock music with three sounds, or how I could make classical-sounding music. It was like a game to me."

[@genden4618]

Those are the words of a genius

[@Shiftarus]

Truly a gift, his music elevates games to another level, and make for insanely memorable moments and characters

[@Paddycake_Games]

One of the reasons the FF7 soundtrack is so iconic is because of the limitations he was facing. He had to use the on-board midi sequencer on the Playstation which created an slmost sci-fi synthesizer sound to some of the songs, which lent perfectly into the world and theme of the game. Not to say the orchestrated versions in the Remake weren't as good, they were mind-blowingly good... but that original sound is so special. VIII's soundtrack is pretty great too, but it was not my favorite one in the series.

[@dawsonehlke1290]

The FF7 Remake soundtrack contains an absolutely masterful example of every single genre of music. Looking at you Hip Hop de Chocobo.

[@SloperijJanssen]

Nobuo Uematsu is a an absolute legend

[@arisuaozora]

Many people only know Soken instead.

[@CarlosCesar-bu3fy]

Composed the best OSTs ever. Wish I had 10% of his talent.

[@hoytzephyr3387]

@@arisuaozora also do not forget that Soken was picked by Uematsu, at this point Soken is on the same level as Uematsu, as well as Soken's additional composers on 14 are getting up there as well. Square seriously has a bunch of good composers that they hold on to and improve off each other

[@arisuaozora]

@@hoytzephyr3387 ive spoken the facts. Everywhere i go i see people compliment somen, instead of uematsu the real legend. You see the logic of uematsu picks soken and not soken picks uematsu shows whos the real boss. Soken does have a few songs that are amazing but should not be compared to the epic composer uematsu because he is greater.

[@thend4427]

​@arisuaozora3340 and that's a different section of FF..before 10 was the golden era

[@Rainfires]

My wife and I chose this ff1 theme as the processional piece for our wedding (for the wedding party). Thanks for the wonderful breakdown! The music is so beautiful!

[@adamdesanti6713]

It's incredible Uematsu wrote that for an 8-bit system.

[@FluffieXStarshine]

that actually made me tear up a little, congrats to the both of you!

[@maxspecs]

Eternal Wind (FF3), Battle on the Big Bridge (FF5), Slam Shuffle (FF6), JENOVA (FF7), Man with the Machine Gun (FF8)…. There’s so many absolute bops and bangers in this series alone.

[@crossgear3042]

Oh man my wife plays ff games into the ground and battle on the big bridge is her PTSD nightmare in theatrythm on extreme

[@logansorenssen]

For me - Prelude (FF1) Kurayaminokumo (FF3) Battle with the Four Fiends (FF4) Battle on the Big Bridge (FF5, of course) Aria de Mezzo Carattere (FF6) One-Winged Angel (FF7) Force Your Way (FF8) Hunter's Chance (FF9) To Zanarkand (FF10) Answers (FF14)

[@jamesrivettcarnac]

JENOVA still rocks my world.

[@thomaspoteete4119]

BotBB is my favorite. ♥️♥️♥️

[@davyj4877]

Final Fantasy VII's soundtrack is so special i think it's worthy of its own video

[@felipecortegana3209]

💯

[@samuelleie]

I would say that each Final Fantasy soundtrack is so special that it's worthy of its own videos

[@JF_Improv]

YES! I still tear up any time I hear Tifa’s Theme on the piano

[@Malapropify]

This!

[@groofay]

FF6-9 are some of my favorite video game soundtracks ever composed.

[@whiteninja2006]

You have to make a separate video about FFVI. It blew my mind back in the day, so many memorable pieces with distinct leit-motivs, a whole opera section, and a final boss theme that incorporates elements from Bach to Emerson Lake & Palmer. Epic stuff.

[@AustinLeeds]

Seconding this. VI was really pushing the limits of what a game on the SNES could be, and the music is no exception. So many memorable themes plus the masterpiece that is Dancing Mad.

[@keit99]

I third this. Ff6 is one of my favourite ff soundtracks

[@jeffreycollins237]

This is my favorite soundtrack of all the games. Especially, any of the pieces where Kefka's theme shows up. Also. The Ending Credits music that blends the character's themes together is THE Best!

[@rolandaustria7926]

The Final Fantasy series “Main Theme” is such an amazing music for both graduations or even weddings.

[@rm2kmidi]

I was pleasantly surprised to hear it during the Tokyo Olympic opening ceremony. It fit perfectly

[@escabasket153]

@@rm2kmidiI loved the whole opening of the Olympics in Tokyo! So much nostalgia! 😂

[@krabstarr]

One of the joys of being a life long Final Fantasy fan was hearing the evolution of the Final Fantasy theme from a simple bit tune in FF1 to a fully orchestrated and realized song years later.

[@Romess1]

1987 - 2001 was peak FF.

[@danepresley7851]

Nobuo and Mitsuda are absolutely amazing two of my favorite artists

[@Inuyasha463]

Final Fantasy 6 still has my favorite soundtrack. Dancing Mad is one of the most epic final boss tracks ever created and Terra's Theme is both inspiring and haunting at the same time.

[@jairhiodalthor4137]

Been looking for anyone to bring up 6. All the games have great music but 6 is different to me anyway.

[@Jason.Olson.Flosses]

100%. Taught myself piano and 80% of what I play is ff6. Been trying to learn dancing mad (reborn) on piano for years

[@danilooliveira6580]

Dancing Mad is Uematsu's magnum opus. its on par with some of the greatest orchestrated pieces of all time.

[@atinaczednanreh7688]

agree my friend. Dancing Mad really rocks

[@darktatsujin]

dancing mad is epic, one winged angel is phenomenal, grand cross is badass

[@NickCombs]

Balamb Garden, Succession of Witches, Blue Fields, and Shuffle or Boogie are all incredibly fun to play and listen to. Uematsu is just as legendary as Williams if you ask me!

[@carlfogelin1388]

It's hard to pick one Final Fantasy soundtrack, they're all so good. My favorite song is probably "To Zanarkand" from FF-X, but it's hard to go wrong with any Final Fantasy sound track. They're all so distinctive and beautiful.

[@josepapiii]

I need a video with that one and also tifas theme

[@Clarity-808]

X is underrated! Love Zanarkand.

[@alexcdroda]

"To Zanarkand" is great and also Suteki Da Ne. Man you could make a entire episode on Final fantasy X.

[@KyleS.1987]

FFX isn't my favorite Final Fantasy, but its soundtrack is undeniably amazing. "To Zanarkand" is iconic.

[@jamesrivettcarnac]

Imo, ff X was a great soundtrack on a mediocre game.

[@whalefraid]

Final Fantasy VIII was an awakening for me. It's my first FF and the reason why I fell in love with FF and games OST in general. Another game soundtrack that still gives me chill even up to this day is the Chrono Cross soundtrack by the great Yasunori Mitsuda. "Time's Scar" and "Dream of the Shore From Another World" still move me and makes me cry. I hope Charles can feature it one day. 🙂

[@glenndiddy]

I get goosebumbs everytime the FF main theme plays. Thr nostalgia combined with the perfect sound just gets me every time

[@Enjoysaeli]

14 has all my new favorite songs from Final Fantasy as a whole. Tearful tracks like Flow and 'Neath Dark Waters, to big epic pieces like Rise and eScape. Masayoshi Soken is so damn talented, and even his remixes of Uematsu's work are incredible.

[@Clarity-808]

14 is great! Interestingly, almost all the cues are in Amin… probably helps interactivity and weaving songs together, especially since he didn’t have time to think about that stuff for the base version they remade.

[@tomcoleman8702]

The Hand that Gives the Rose is just one I listen to all the time. I love that piece so much!

[@LiefTheBeef]

FF14 itself is a love letter to the other FF’s, so it would be a good candidate for a video

[@debleb166]

To the Edge has got to be one of the best boss themes in FF history, and Uematsu's Answers is a contender for my favourite song in general

[@Enjoysaeli]

@@debleb166 so true. Based opinion from a based Diego Brando enjoyer

[@kurtdewittphoto]

FFVIII is closest to my heart because that's the one I played most in high school. I use to leave the game on in the background whenever "my mind" would play. Nowhere near any of the iconic FF songs, but I just loved its melancholic/romantic feel.

[@CenPapi]

That Balamb Garden music takes me back.

[@kurtdewittphoto]

@@CenPapi Same!

[@z31Joshyman]

Nahhh, Force Your Way is one of Nobuos best battle themes by far. 8 has a great ost imo

[@bassbonen8122]

Same here

[@CarlosCesar-bu3fy]

Played it for so many years. Absolutely has a special place in my heart.

[@galenjones7745]

FFXIV was the first Final Fantasy game to finally catch me and drag me in and it was in large part the music that did it. Once you get to the Shadowbringers and Endwalker soundtrack especially. The moment near the end of Shadowbringers where Ardbert lends you his axe so that you might stand up and fight one last time to the absolute bitter end, and the main theme starts playing is just the ultimate chef's kiss. And then they do it again during the final boss of Endwalker and you literally cannot help but feel this enormous sense of accomplishment.

[@Lrbearclaw]

It helps that FF14 has the best tracks from the entire franchise.

[@casualnerd8139]

FF6 has amazing music, especially with Mad Dance and the Maria and Draco Opera. And To Zarnakand always gets me weeping.

[@MissPoplarLeaf]

As a FFXIV addict, I NEED a breakdown of the FFXIV soundtracks. Masayoshi Soken (and earlier on, Nobuo Uematsu) have done an amazing job at creating an auditory landscape that feels unique, and the way that Soken uses motifs from Heavensward onward is just *chef's kiss*. Plus there's a soundtrack album for every expansion, so lots of potential content for you lol

[@ayanhart]

There's also basically every genre under the sun in there somewhere - not just your standard classical music, but lots of rock, even some heavy metal and EDM and some very pop-sounding themes as well as music inspired by other cultures (Radz at Han is south-asian inspired, all the Yanxia and Kugane music is east-asian)

[@MorningGloryDancer]

Yes yes yes, I want this also. FFXIV had the most thematically amazing, geographically unique, and emotionally appropriate music of them all.

[@itisgarrison]

Another great OST by Nobuo Uematsu is the Lost Odyssey OST. Extremely underrated in my opinion, and doesn't get talked about nearly enough when discussing him.

[@TDMStyle]

YES! What an underrated gem. The soundtrack for that game is incredible.

[@selmosian]

Wait till you hear about nobuos solo project, phantasmagoria!

[@MetalheadRyan07]

Dark Saint lives rent free in my head, and the world map theme is always a vibe

[@CarlosCesar-bu3fy]

Never heard of. Is that a game?

[@itisgarrison]

@@CarlosCesar-bu3fy Yep! JRPG from 2008. Was an Xbox 360 exclusive, so it didn't get as much attention as it could've.

[@StormTroopaKoopa]

Nobuo was in the zone for over 10 years just pumping out banger after banger for us to fall in love with. FF8 is my favorite OST even if it doesn't belong to the best game in the series. FF8 could probably do with not just a remake but also a revision. Hopeful one day it happens.

[@mattandrews2594]

It would have to be a full-on remake. The original FF8's progression system made no sense, similarly to Oblivion's.

[@FAQIvan91]

I love FF8 and I completely agree on the remake, on the revision, not so much. Many loved and still love that system

[@FAQIvan91]

@@mattandrews2594 the progression system was perfect for the way the story was written. It may need a little bit more difficulty, I can agree on that.

[@mattandrews2594]

@@FAQIvan91 Wut? Snapping the difficulty in two by never levelling up has nothing to do with the story. The FFVIII devs just completely botched how to marry the levelling and the Junctions systems together. FFVII managed just fine before with the Materia system, so there really was no excuse. Enemies with level scaling has a place in gaming, but a mainline FF title isn't it, and that would need to be the first thing to go in a potential remake.

[@FAQIvan91]

@@mattandrews2594 Yeah sure, whatever makes you sleep at night. I don't have the energy to discuss with you, and I definitely totally disagree with you and will never change my mind. Have a good

[@FrancoBits]

I'm surprised it took you this long to reach final fantasy. Nobuo Uematsu is a legend and Soken is no different. You should do a longer video about them. Soken works in final fantasy 14 and absolutely kills with the motifs.

[@katarh]

Souken is also doing the sountrack for XVI that'll come out in two weeks!

[@ItsSVO]

Soken is good but nowhere near Nobuo’s level in my opinion. I thought the score for XVI was incredibly lacklustre.

[@qtscorpkid]

The black mages vs the primals

[@laerwen]

FFXIV has musical references to many, many other FF games and has both the brilliance of Uematsu but also Soken - the kings of leitmotif! How the music is used to enhance storytelling while also being incredibly great pieces of art and sometimes experimentation purely on their own is something wonderful to behold. There's an embarrassment of riches between ARR and Endwalker and I'm sure the community could tell you which tracks are their favorite and the most impactful - there's just SO MANY.

[@ExSteeb]

Met Nobuo Uematsu a little over ten years ago and the man is just fantastic. Also, 6 has best final boss music while 7 has the best overall.

[@jamesrivettcarnac]

Truth

[@williamsanborn9195]

I highly recommend listening to “Not Alone” from Final Fantasy IX. Alongside the rest of the soundtrack, it’s simply amazing and it genuinely made me cry the first time I heard it.

[@Lylantares]

what adds even more punch to "not alone" is the fact that its motif is played only once in the entire game and it isn't a final boss theme.

[@isawp5199]

Although I love the song, I think it loses a lot of the punch if you don't have the context of the scene it's written for. FFIX's OST is amazing though, most of it is so soothing for me. Dali's theme is a favourite of mine, and that's for a place with minor importance to the plot.

[@msl777]

Charles, I rarely comment, but I have to say something here. Final Fantasy music inspired me to want to be a musician. You could easily make this a mini series of exploring every main line FF game because there's something great in each one. You also get to see Uematsu's growth as a game composer along the years. I can go on and on about it because I grew up with it all too. FF4 is when he started to play more with leitmotifs and then went crazy with them in FF6 (my favorite FF game). There's so much to explore with his work! He's my favorite composer next to Yasunori Mitsuda! Please let us know if you'll explore more of Final Fantasy's music in general. Thank you so much for this video!

[@z31Joshyman]

Agree

[@Eruesso]

I'm also breaking my silence to agree wholeheartedly with you. There are so many great pieces of music throughout the series that need focusing on.

[@XaleManix]

I'd love to see videos where Charles does deep dives into how this series uses lietmotifs. I picked up XIV last year, and that is something that has stuck with me -- the ways Soken and Uematsu will reuse a melody, or modify it just a little, to tie things to each other. Or even comprise an entire piece from multiple other thematically related, but musically very different tracks (The Twinning, for example, is a blend of the Crystal Tower theme, the Omega boss theme, and Alexander's boss theme)

[@Bobbias]

Seriously, that's one of the things that really makes Final Fantasy music feel so cohesive.

[@FellshardYT]

Soken isn't even that nuanced with his motif usage - he's pretty blunt in his variants, oftentimes. But when combined with the story beats and moments, it's still absolutely killer - which goes to show that even trivial leitmotif use can have a ton of leverage!

[@Ruimney]

FFXII soundtrack is really amazing and I've never heard anything like that in terms of pure song beauty by itself, it's maybe the reason I like it so much

[@PapitoVergil]

What's so cool about that soundtrack is that it was composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, who also composed the soundtrack to Final Fantasy Tactics as well. If you haven't played that, I highly recommend. It also has a phenomenal soundtrack.

[@tobynnaylor5061]

FFXII soundtrack underrated for sure.

[@realinvalidname]

@@PapitoVergil God yes, FFT… but also Sakimoto in other franchises like Valkyria Chronicles. And for a complete 180, he goes techno in 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim.

[@moisescorral8297]

​@@realinvalidnameAlso the masterpiece Vagrant Story

[@adamdesanti6713]

I'm on a Charles Cornell watching-binge of his analysis of outstanding chords and chord progressions. And I'm loving it. The man is a literal music-theory master. He honours great composers that came before him by dissecting their music and showing us what's going on behind the curtain. He also has great, great taste and recognizes genius when he sees it.

[@krash391]

1:05 WOW that chord brought me back to the title screen of Ocarina of Time so fast I think I got whiplash. Koji Kondo and Nobuo Uematsu are both such incredible composers

[@jaygatsby3039]

I kinda got "Spirited Away" from that, it sounds so familiar, it's gorgeous!

[@hpsmash77]

it "breath of the wild"ed me

[@MDisaster]

I've only ever played Final Fantasy XIV but it has some amazing orchestral soundtracks in it, not to mention the crazy rock style stuff that Soken does too. Also I've noticed that there are some songs from previous games that make cameos in FFXIV, and some of those are my favourites (Eternal Wind for example)

[@thend4427]

If that's ur only game u played you're missing on the core of FF and that's 1-10

[@Ziegeri]

@@thend4427 1 and 2 are quite trash to be honest, I wouldn't waste my time on them unless you are really an FF fan and have played everything else. Also Uematsu music, which is present in that core, is very different from what Soken composes - to the point at when Heavensward launched the Alexander raid music was huge turn off to me, since it just didn't sound anything like what Uematsu composes. Soken has couple good tracks sure, but I wouldn't say you automatically will like older FF music, since it is just so different.

[@thend4427]

@Ziegeri right 1 and 2 weren't my fav..4-9 were my favorite minus 8 lol..and yeah nobuo over soken for me lol

[@wcjerky]

The viola present throughout the World of Darkness gives me chills and goosebumps.

[@BryanCarthell]

FFXIV is great and it's so stuffed with references to all the older games, including many of the best songs rearranged. The remix of the boss battle song from FFIV used when fighting the fiends in the 6.x patch content it amazing!

[@davidmulford5219]

They really went above and beyond with the remixes in Final Fantasy VII Remake - definitely worth checking out. VII already had some of the most memorable themes, and you can tell the composers loved updating them for a full orchestra

[@SephBentos]

Absolutely need to turn this in to a series, mate. Final Fantasy is a deep well of musical magic.

[@judahshort08]

This would be an amazing series, and I would love to see and hear your take on the Final Fantasy 6 soundtrack. I know that nostalgia carries a lot of the weight in my brain, but I also feel like 6 was a major turning point for video game soundtracks and deserves SO much more love than it gets. Keep up the awesome work, Chuck!

[@lynnmatsui]

He could make an hour long video just about how FF6's ending theme incorporates the leitmotifs of all the playable characters and then some. Brilliant soundtrack.

[@mosesbrown4126]

Considering the entire game is structured around opera structure, and presented on a sort of operatic stage view, yes. Me too.

[@judahshort08]

@@lynnmatsui one of my all time favorite ending tracks of all time. The incorporated components of all of the characters themes genuinely makes it feel like an ending theme should. Ties up the story impeccably.

[@SapperWoody]

I can't believe "One Winged Angel" wasn't touched! Then there's the opera scene in FF6. But then again, pretty much anything Nobuo Uematsu writes is amazing.

[@Dyundu]

The Opera, Celes’ Theme, Terra’s Theme, Locke’s theme, Dancing Mad. FFVII’s main theme, Tifa’s theme, Aerith’s theme, Those Who Fight Further, One Winged Angel. Balamb Garden, Blue Fields, Eyes on Me, Love Grows, The Landing. Vamo alla Flamenco, A Place to Call Home, Melodies of Life, Roses of May. To Zanarkand, Suteki Da Ne, Fight with Seymour, Hymn of the Fayth.

[@UnravelsSlowly]

Uematsu also stated that he believed the music for FF9 was his Opus. (Best work)

[@raoulduke344]

I love the music for ff7 and 8, but I had no idea one man was behind most of the music. I'll have to google him, thanks

[@ShidouK]

@@raoulduke344 Uematsu was the main composer for almost all the FFs up to.. I forget which. Maybe 10 or 12? He is literally the progenitor of the sound of Final Fantasy. Welcome to the rabbit hole. :)

[@keit99]

Up to ff9 he was the Sole composer working on final fantasy After that he worked on fewer tracks

[@BeauCardwellReacts]

Troija Beauty from FFIV is such an incredible track. I’d highly recommend Secret or Mana soundtrack from SNES! It is timeless!

[@dyelawn893]

FFX songs like To Zanarkand and Spira Unplugged are my 2 favorites. One for sad one for happy.

[@THeDoMeTB]

i dont know if its nostalgia from childhood or familiarity, but anything i hear from Nobuo Uematsu pushes through every barrier i have and hits right into my heart

[@brianchapman8757]

I can't believe no one in the comments is really mentioning how amazing the FFX soundtrack is. The piano version of the ending theme is one of the most beautiful songs in video game music.

[@wh33lers]

So true

[@pitz968]

For me Somnus, Relax and Reflect, Sorrow without Solace and Valse di Fantastica from FF XV are just masterful. I'm a big fan of the Piano Collections arrangements!

[@MrockDragon99]

Masashi Hamauzu's work in Final Fantasy XIII is genuinely the most beautiful music I've ever heard in my life. Definitely worth an in-depth listen if you haven't before.

[@WillPA-X]

Biggest inspiration for me to this day, it’s so good.

[@Mtaalas]

Are you old enough to have played FF I on 8-bit nes? I'm seriously asking... i mean, it's fine to liek music... but there's so SO SOOOOO much music in the world that's been composed through the ages that it's always a good idea to at least liten for the composers of old and songs of old.

[@SoulDeSol]

Hamauzu's work on X was incredible as well. For as good as the XIII OST is, I honestly think some of Hamauzu's best pieces are on the X OST. Tracks like Besaid, The Splendid Performance, Servants of the Mountain, and Beyond the Darkness.

[@MrockDragon99]

@M00tzart Agreed. I love his work in FFX as well. Splendid Performance is especially gorgeous. I also really enjoy Hamauzu's collaborations with vocalist, Mina, in his IMERUAT projects.

[@sforza96]

W take, while I think Uematsu's pieces are more memorable and emotional (in large part thanks to his unique sense of melody), Hamauzu work is very underrated and way more complex and interesting

[@SoulDeSol]

I'm so glad you looked at VIII's soundtrack, because I still think it's one of the greatest video game soundtracks ever composed. I also want to echo some of the other comments saying to make this into a series. Seriously, every FF game's OST is worth inspection, and every OST after IX has more than one composer, so there's just a ton of amazing content to experience.

[@SilverKnight16]

FFVII is deserving of its own video, for sure. One Winged Angel is a masterpiece, but honestly, some of my favorite tracks are the more minimalistic ones--Those Chosen by the Planet (Sephiroth's Theme), Listen to the Cries of the Planet, Who Are You, etc. There are SO many tracks, and they're all so damn evocative and tell a story.

[@shadowcloud1994]

FF7 is probably my favorite game but I'm not afraid to admit that it was also carried by it's amazing soundtrack. Definitely the best in the series.6, 8, 9 and 10 are also great but 7 is a masterclass.

[@MegaDicksneeze]

7 is the least deserving of this. 4,6,9,12 yes. 7 is the worst soundtrack of the entire series.

[@rizahawkeyepierce1380]

​@@MegaDicksneezeyou only say that because it's in that PS1 midi sound. Sideways does a great video analyzing 7's victory fanfare and how it took a really interesting direction vs the previous iterations. Also, there's a great video of a quintet (harp, violin, oboe, and I forget what else) doing Words Drowned by Fireworks that legit made me cry (and I don't even have that much of an emotional attachment to 7 - I didn't play it until I was an adult)

[@LevelUpLady]

Trojan Beauty from Final Fantasy IV had always been my favorite FF song in the whole series. It just hit right for some reason and now has that added nostalgia.

[@angelmunozperez5775]

I'll really love to see a video of you covering ffVI soundtrack, the opera, dancing mad, or even the character's themes

[@bastiangugu4083]

Final Fantasy has so much great music. I started with FF7 and then FF8 and love the soundtracks, but FF6 has some amazing pieces too. Mystic forest give me goosebumps to this day. 🙂

[@rhapsodyaria]

You could do an entire video on Dancing Mad from FFVI. Absolutely incredible piece with like 4 or 5 movements.

[@ShawkinawBear]

I know I'm late to the video, but I would pay to see an hours long breakdown of Dancing Mad from you. It's Uematsu's greatest work, in my opinion. The depth and attention to detail, reusing themes and combining other pieces into a whole story in 4 movements... it's utterly brilliant.

[@epicureanbard]

My friends and I went to Nashville when the Distant Worlds Concert was playing there. They played music from every Final Fantasy game (that had been released up to that point) with a full orchestra and choir. Now, I'd never played a FF (Final Fantasy) game before but my friends all had. It was a fantastic concert with cutscenes from the game that each musical piece was from playing on a big screen.

[@alancash6420]

The Aeris theme from FF7 still makes me well up decades later 😢

[@kurtdewittphoto]

Playing FF7 remake my eyes would get wet every time it would play.

[@weepingscorpion8739]

Yeah... that Am chord...

[@Chris-vw2tl]

A video on why music tugs on us emotionally would be a good watch. Is Aeris theme emotional as written or is it because of the story?

[@freewilly4556]

play aerith theme then the timber owls theme from FF8.. Enjoyy :D

[@josh34578]

FF6 is my fav soundtrack. Leitmotif all over the place.

[@doneisenbarth]

Hoping for a larger/more breakdowns. Only mostly the “Graduation” theme and the FFVIII opening is doing the breadth of the series a disservice. So many of the battle and other themes are literally Jazz piano (organ) jams.

[@insomniaccity]

Second this

[@iantaakalla8180]

I hope he breaks down at least the classic battle themes, the ones from Final Fantasy I-X. All are amazing and would be interesting to analyze

[@Gnurklesquimp2]

0:55 This and sounds along these lines are some of my absolute favorites, SO beautiful. These scales can really show that less can be more, add in more intervals from our usual 7 note scales and it gets rid of a certain quality. They also show that HOW you play a scale can totally change the effect, great to play around with.

[@jstraziante]

Japanese game composers are on another level, so many greats with different styles. Uematsu and Mitsuda both could be studied at great length.

[@zackscarvey7621]

The FF9 soundtrack makes my heart happy. Not sure if it’s the best, but it’s definitely the most nostalgic for me personally.

[@Naeddyr]

FFIX is definitely the best overall soundtrack of any Final Fantasy bar none. The quality is just so high through the whole thing.

[@actaemazantor9558]

IKR?!? It's concentrated nostalgia injected into your ears.

[@PapitoVergil]

Nobuo Uematsu himself says that's his favorite, so you should definitely take pride in your choice lol

[@Fuchsia_tude]

No, it definitely is

[@HorusDeathtouch]

9 is good like every game is, however the awards go to 7, 8, Tactics, 14, and 16, with the best overall OST being 8 imo Edit: I posted this comment long before he actually got to mentioning 8, so nice

[@LaukkuPaukku]

FF2's soundtrack is my favourite, containing perhaps the most emotionally profound pieces in the series. The town theme's bittersweetness makes you contemplate the preciousness of the oppressed townspeople and the fleetingness of happiness. Every single note in the Rebel Army Theme is just transcendent, fully capturing the wavering between heroism and self-doubt in its heartbreaking totality. The spooky glissandos of Pandemonium paint a picture of a castle housing ancient evil towering before you. Also, sorry Dancing Mad, as epic as you are, Battle Scene 2 evokes a more genuine sense of dread in me.

[@kirahishi]

2 doesnt get enough love, def has my fav melodies esp in the remakes and revising through new worlds orchestra and the symphonic suites

[@Baby_boodle]

Goodness I hardly ever hear people talk this passionately about FF2, it brings my heart joy. 💜

[@LaukkuPaukku]

@@Baby_boodle To be fair I think the game itself is one of the worst I've ever played (I played the Famicom version and the various remasters could be more tolerable), but the soundtrack I hold as the best I've ever heard in a videogame.

[@jonathoncaithness6755]

Nobuo Uematsu was a genius when it came to composing music for final fantasy. One of my all time favorite franchises

[@markmc154]

Old Wounds from FFXIV is perhaps my favorite piece of video game music of all time. It's a piano ballad that reinterprets the military theme/march music from the rest of its expansion into something completely haunting and beautiful.

[@Mahomie_15]

4, 6, 7-11, 13 and 14 are all really good. You could do an analysis on some of the tracks with odd time signatures, my three favorites being Cinco de Chocobo (FF7), The main battle theme of FF8, and Sazh's Theme (FF13). That last one is in 11/8 and is amazing.

[@herpyderpy4366]

I'm presuming you're talking about the games overall with that selection that are really good. Soundtrack wise, there's not a single weak entry until you get to non-Nobuo entries (and even then they're mostly excellent). It's a blessed series in that regard.

[@Mahomie_15]

I do indeed mean the soundtracks from those games. They're all a part of my music collection now, because they're great, whether Uematsu composed them or not.

[@wajmeawinstonmetal]

Final Fantasy 12 has a very special place in my heart. The soundtrack just transports me to being the character in the game.

[@sebshifter]

Dancing Mad and the Maria and Draco Opera from FF6 deserve their own video ! Overall i'd say 6 and 7 OST are the best but the others are absolute bangers too.

[@Cattlyn]

I've been getting your videos suggested (and occasionally watched) up until this one hit my feed. This is both incredibly relevant to my interests and interesting as heck. Each game in the series though, you could spend days picking apart the soundtracks. Your analysis of Force Your Way seems pretty spot on, as it's the regular Boss theme for the game. I think the tonal whiplash is meant to both inspire a sense of danger and chaos while engaging against difficult enemies. Final Fantasy VI, X, and XI all hit nostalgic parts of my brain that nothing else does. Particularly Gustaberg's theme from FFXI.

[@its_los]

Video/tutorial of the year. Thank you for creating FF music breakdowns, they are stunning.

[@holycowsicle]

Some of my fondest piano-related memories include learning various tracks from Final Fantasy X. The game had a masterful use of repeating musical phrases. They were re-contextualized to suit the mood at each part of the story. Even on a first play-through it felt nostalgic by the end. It’s worth hearing both the original and the remastered soundtracks! You’ll appreciate the grand orchestral qualities of it.

[@rizahawkeyepierce1380]

It's my favorite - the use of the Suteki da ne melody throughout the game in different scenarios so by the time the song proper plays, it's already nostalgic to us. Ugh it's so good. Spira Unplugged is also one of my favorite tracks of all time.

[@Ergoperidot]

Oh hell yeah. Final fantasy osts slap. 10 and 7 are my favorite soundtracks

[@dalehadley3283]

FF7's reprise iirc,is a version of the original game's theme,and it's amazing

[@joaogabriels.f.5143]

Final fantasy IX is seriously underrated. Its sound track is amazing! VII also have a great soundtrack.

[@dcwtf09]

Melodies of Life is one of the greatest song ever written in FF9, follow by Eyes on Me of FF8.

[@abdurrahmanzulfikry9202]

Agreed, everything from A Place to Call Home, Vamo Alla Flamenco, Not Alone, Crystal World theme, and even Melodies of Life

[@thend4427]

Definitely

[@Red88Rex]

The great thing about Uematsu is how much he uses leit motifs, he will put these main melodies into many of the game's other songs, but with slower tempo or totally different emotion, and it makes the whole thing relate so much better

[@druman890]

I seriously can't listen to Final Fantasy music without getting goosebumps. Very enjoyable video. 😁

[@davidzeez]

FFVII will probably always be my favorite soundtrack. The first Final Fantasy song I ever heard and proceeded to learned on piano was Aerith's/Aeris theme, and I also learned Tifa's theme, with Ahead on our Way in my future plans. FFX is also amazing though...

[@Kevbotty]

FFX has the best OST in my opinion. FFXII has some amazing orchestral music as well. I'd love to see a video about those two in particular!

[@kennichdendenn]

FFX: you could make a video just about the hymn of the fayth versions. The harmony in the "Spira" version is absolutely WILD!

[@KitsyX]

Personally, while I do think FF10 is one of the essential ones to check out, I don’t think it’s quite as strong as 6,7,8 or 9… Maybe I should listen to 12 again… I’m pretty sure none of it wasn’t decent sounding, but I can’t remember a single melody from it either… Oh well… Even a bad soundtrack for the series is pretty great though lol.

[@crosion5]

10 is amazing.

[@MrAquilina420]

X feels like coming home to me

[@xXGenesis95Xx]

The soundtrack of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy is too underrated. Masashi Hamauzu is underrated as a composer. His music is cotton candy to the ears.

[@Coufu]

Interesting you chose cotton candy since those are empty calories. Nobuo Uematsu consistently offers a delicate and well crafted 100+ course feast in all his soundtracks.

[@xXGenesis95Xx]

@@Coufu Sometimes less is more. And no one is bitter about a sweet. 👌

[@riddif]

Hamauzu is literally the underdog of SE

[@Cursalock]

It's "underrated" because FF XIII sucks. Bad story, bad combat, bad design. No one wants to think about the music because they'd have to think about the rest of the game.

[@xXGenesis95Xx]

@@Cursalock Sorry for the fools who are not able to enjoy masterful musical compositions for the work to which they belong. It is a real shame.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

My favorite Final Fantasy game is Final Fantasy VII because of Sephiroth and his theme One-Winged Angel. It's THE video game boss theme among boss themes, it's so intimidating. Especially because of the fact that, like Liberi Fatali from VIII, the lyrics are in LATIN! The Latin lyrics in One-Winged Angel were taken from sections of the Carmina Burana, a manuscript of over 250 poems mostly from the 11th and 12th centuries. And the piece is even MORE intimidating in the movie based off the game, Advent Children and the game's remake...straight up chills. Nobuo Uematsu is truly an incredible composer. When people ask to name the ultimate boss music...let's just say there's a reason we tend to say One-Winged Angel alongside the JAWS theme, or Cynthia's piano theme from Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. And Liberi Fatali from Final Fantasy VIII is so good, that it was part of the performance of American synchronized swimming duo Alison Bartosik and Anna Kozlova at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece! They performed it alongside Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec and they ended up winning bronze medals!

[@1SpicyMeataball]

Did you know Sephiroths theme is actually "One Who is Chosen by the Planet" and not "One Winged Angel"?

[@Saintious]

The algorithm brought me here. You're brilliant mind and my childhood flooding back made me stay. Well played.

[@joaogabriels.f.5143]

Is crazy how much underrated FF 9 is. Not many have played it

[@thend4427]

I have and it's one of my favorites top 3

[@rm2kmidi]

The game sold really well. Maybe people aren't playing it much these days, but lots of people played it when it came out.

[@markthomas3684]

The fighting system was a nostalgic call back to FF4 FF5 and FF6. Truly wonderful game.

[@KarlBonner1982]

My biggest gripe was when they remade the ff4 battle theme and changed an E7 chord to G, eliminating a "harmonic minor headfake" that I always admired.

[@selif8381]

FF3 (FFVI in Japan) is easily my favorite soundtrack. I love that you covered Final Fantasy. Great content as always! Thanks Charles!

[@FuraFaolox]

It's not FFVI in Japan/FFIII in the west. FFVI was originally released as FFIII in the west on the SNES, but all of the mainline games are in the west now. FFVI hasn't been called FFIII since the SNES.

[@Gendulf]

Final Fantasy 9 (FFIX) was by far my favorite. So many masterpieces like Kuja's Theme, Vamo Alla Flamenco, Melodies of Life, etc. I actually learned Jesters of the Moon for one of my first piano recitals (and later Loss of Me/Rose of May). Would absolutely love to hear you cover some songs from this Final Fantasy!

[@riotvale]

This piece brings so much nostalgia, and can often times brings a tear to my eye. All the memories flood back of when I was a little boy playing FF1 for the first time back in the late 80s. What impact such a simple piece of music can have on one’s life.

[@EranManiM]

Great stuff!! Now another recommendation I have for you is - octopath traveler. Unique game with unique soundtrack. Please do a video on that :) Another recommendation is checking out the composer - Kenji ito. Did a terrific job on the romancing saga games :)

[@willstanton7823]

Thank you for giving Nobuo Uematsu more of the recognition he deserves. He is no less than Beethoven, Bach or Chopin.

[@penultimatum]

Final Fantasy VII has some of the best music I've ever heard in a single videogame, but FFXIV (the MMO, ten years old now) is truly another level. It has an extraordinary wealth of tracks, running across a multitude of genres, and it pays musical homage to many of the previous games in the series too.

[@russellvitranoiii3504]

Man, I did not want this video to end, lol! I was a music major in college and I freaking LOOOOOOVE Final Fantasy, so this crossover if you will was a little slice of heaven for me!! And Uematsu was a MASTER of composing music that nailed the emotion felt in the scenes of the game. As for my favorite FF, 10 has my favorite storyline, but I think it's a 3-way tie in the music for 6, 8, and 10. I think 6 deserves more attention than it gets.

[@seanms35]

One of my first pieces for orchestra (almost 15 years ago) was a Final Fantasy Medley. Had to transcribe all the songs by ear. Ended with Liberi Fatali from VIII.

[@jamesturner6979]

Really hoping you could some day break down “Draco and Maria” from Final Fantasy 6. It’s so wild that Uematsu created an entire operatic piece just because there’s a scene set in an opera house. And it’s really good too! ❤

[@Amigo21189]

Behold the incredible power of "I can, so I'm gonna."

[@DogmaBeoulve]

The Prelude still gets me *to this day*. The first Final Fantasy I played was "Mystic Quest" and I can remember nothing about it other than the title - but the music lives on with me every day. Pray's multi-part female vocal prelude is absolute heaven for me

[@adhirg]

the FF16 soundtrack is bonkers. the way Soken managed to develop actual themes and motifs for all the characters and then interweave them for crucial moments between the characters is nothing short of brilliant. the whole soundtrack is phenomenal.

[@blufu8727]

Oho, you're just getting started. I implore thee to enter the world of Final Fantasy and bask in its splendor. (Please, make this a series)

[@jesseo2103]

Was waiting a long time for this one :). I’d love to see your take on more Final Fantasy, especially 12!

[@Luukra]

Is there a way to see your live reaction to the FF8 OST? I'd love to watch more of you going in blind and figuring out the progression chord-by-chord, as well as predict the resolve of each melody. That was the most entertaining part of the video :D

[@SaphirKnight]

9 is probably hands down my favorite soundtrack.

[@thend4427]

Yeah same

[@Ch4dL4nd]

FFX Original OST, definitely best soundtrack. So many gems.

[@rm2kmidi]

This was the only one that I bought the full box set album for. Fond memories of just laying back with headphones on, listening to that soundtrack. The remastered soundtrack makes some drastic changes to a few songs that I didn't like.

[@tidusdream12]

​@@rm2kmidiMe too back when I had a CD changer in the vehicle this was in there at all times as well as Lost Odyssey OST

[@hartyewh1]

Nobuo Uematsu is such a wonderful composer. The games in large part due to his music defined my childhood and I think I keep hearing his influence all over the place in prog rock etc. Without much complexity he's style is so recognizable.

[@blakedennis4841]

MORE FINAL FANTASY PLEASE, ALWAYS AND FOREVER. The piano covers of Guadosalam, blue fields, and find your way are absolutely gorgeous.