My Top 20 Music Tracks in RPGs

RPGs are known for having some of the best music in the business and I often listen to the music outside of the games they are in. Picking favorite music tracks is very difficult but I think I managed to do it pretty well here. Since there are so many games with great music, I am restricting myself to one track per game  because otherwise this list would just be the entire Earthbound soundtrack. So in fairness to the rest of the games, only one entry per game. Also, please note that there may be spoilers in my explanation of the tracks, so if you're worried about any spoilers, just listen to the music and skip my text.

So, without further ado, here are my top 20 music tracks in RPGs. Enjoy!

20. Kingdom Hearts - "Traverse Town"

A great game with a very good soundtrack, this is the theme of the central town known as Traverse Town. It is very fitting to the very weird world that you arrive in. 

19. Illusion of Gaia - "The Town by the Sea"

The theme from the first town in the game, South Cape. It is another beautiful piece in a great action-RPG on the SNES. It's the perfect theme for the humble beginnings of a grand adventure.

18. Breath of Fire III - "Casually"

One of my favorite RPGs on the original Playstation, Breath of Fire III is a showcase to a lot of great music. My favorite track belongs to the first overworld, when the main character Ryu is just a child. Later in the game, he grows up and the music changes. The second overworld theme is still good but I just prefer this one.

17. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - "Twilight in Dreamland"

This game has an absolutely amazing soundtrack and it was very difficult to single out any one track since the soundtrack as a whole is a near masterpiece in my eyes. This theme is from the Mushroom Forest, the second dungeon/area of the game. It is more of an ambient piece than a catchy one but it is just an amazing piece I could listen to on a loop for hours.

16. Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard - "Cherry Tree Bridge"

Despite having never played this particular game, I've listened to the entire soundtrack and it is wonderful. This is the theme of the fourth dungeon in the game and is by far my favorite track in the entire series.

15. Final Fantasy XIII-2 - "Eclipse (Aggressive Mix)"

This game has one of the most unique soundtracks in the Final Fantasy series. Not only do they forego the typical RPG music fare but it's very upbeat and electronic. This theme is plays at a time when you're about to get into battle, which switches from the more easy going regular "Eclipse" track and turns it into a more clubby, aggressive beat. I was surprised I liked it so much since what I played of this game has been so-so for the most part, but despite the different approach they went with the music, it's actually very good.

14. Terranigma - "Crysta"

Sadly, this Super Nintendo gem  never made it to North America officially, but thanks to other means to play games, I played this one about 15 years ago and still remembered the beautiful music of the game. This track is from the first town in the game, Crysta and reflects its humble beginnings perfectly.

13. Chrono Cross - "Dream of the Shore Near Another World"

Though Chrono Cross did not live up to its predecessor in my opinion, it's still a great game with a fantastic soundtrack. This is my absolute favorite piece from the game and you hear it when you first travel to the alternate universe. It displays the mystery and a feeling of being lost perfectly.

12. Final Fantasy XII - "Boss Battle"

This is the boss battle theme from Final Fantasy XII. The soundtrack as a whole is very underrated though it is more of background music and ambience rather than catchy tunes of other Final Fantasies. This boss battle music is truly epic, and one of my favorite boss battle themes in all of gaming. It definitely makes the battle feel as epic as possible.

11. Pokemon Diamond / Pearl / Platinum - "Route 209"

A very epic sounding track to a fun adventure in the Pokemon series. It almost feels like there should be lyrics to this song since it's so wonderfully composed. I have probably spent a few hours on this route in the game just to listen to this music.

10. Final Fantasy IV - "Troian Beauty"

The theme of the town of Troia, city of warrior women. It is just a beautifully composed piece and feels like  a nice relaxing break in the game from an otherwise dark adventure.

9. Secret of Mana - "Spirit of the Night"

This theme is first heard when the player's character gets banned from his home town after pulling the mana sword from its resting place, causing monsters to run rampant. The music is beautifully composed and reflects the sadness and sympathy for the character being kicked out of his home land.

8. Legend of Mana - "The Wind Sings of a Journey"

This game is criminally underrated and its soundtrack is one of the best in all of gaming. The game itself has a very storybook-like quality to it, which is breathtaking even 15 years later. The music is mostly very fitting and this is my favorite track in the game. The song just reeks of adventure. 

7. Mother 3 - "Mind of a Thief"

Yet another gem that never made it to North America, this game is the sequel to the cult classic Earthbound. The music in this game is fantastic, though different in tone than its predecessor. This is my favorite track in the game, which is Duster's theme song. He is supposed to be a thief with a limp and ever since, every time I see someone with a limp I always think of this song.

6. Final Fantasy IX - "Theme of Tantalus"

My absolute favorite Final Fantasy game, this theme represent's Zidane's thievery troupe known as Tantalus. It reflects their intentions and personalities perfectly. It's a very fun listen and is easily my favorite piece in an overall fantastic soundtrack.

5. Pokemon HeartGold / SoulSilver - "Route 47"

From my understanding this route and track were not in the original Gold and Silver and were added into the remakes. It is also my understanding that this is a hidden post-game route. Music in the Pokemon games is usually hit or miss but this is the absolute best music track in the entire series.

4. Earthbound - "Pokey Means Business"

Surprised to not see Earthbound at number one, huh? If I were judging entire soundtracks of any given game rather than individual tracks, Earthbound would absolutely be at the top. It's very difficult to pick any individual track since the entire soundtrack is one of the most consistently amazing soundtracks in video games. This is the music of the final battle of the game and is an absolute masterpiece of music.

3. Chrono Trigger - "Corridors of Time"

Chrono Trigger might not be my favorite game on the list, but it is a great one, and its soundtrack is pretty amazing as well. There are several tracks from this game that could've easily made it into my top 5 but I could only choose one for the sake of fairness. This track is as close to perfect as it gets, to be honest. It plays during your trip to the Kingdom of Zeal in the Dark Ages, towards the end of the game. It reflects the mystery of the era perfectly.

2. Final Fantasy X - "Movement in Green"

Final Fantasy X"s soundtrack is pure perfection and this is the best example of such quality. This track is one of my absolute favorites and is easily the most memorable in the game. This track plays on Moonflow, and because of this music, it is my favorite area in the game. I could literally listen to this for hours.

1. Secret of Evermore - "Secret of Evermore"

Surprised? Don't be. This game's soundtrack is criminally underrated and an absolute gem. But, before I go on, it must be noted that I kind of cheated. Yeah, actually this track isn't even in the game. But it is in the official soundtrack, so it counts in my book! It is an absolutely gorgeous track and is the definition of perfection in video game music. The game itself is a very good one and most of the music is ambient -some tracks are even just background noise - but I really wish this track made it into the game because it is just my absolute favorite piece of video game music of all time.