I don't know whether Final Fantasy VII is the best game in the series or has the best soundtrack, I've only played about 2½ of them, but as a late landmark of my gaming childhood, it's always had a special place in my heart.
I've often listened to Nobuo Uematsu's soundtrack as background music over the years, which kept the dimming memories flickering, but a recent nostalgic playthrough with the next generation restored the missing visuals and brought the music back to life, like when you use the Phoenix summon.
Here are some of my favourites, why not.
VII. Dear to the Heart
A wistful cover of, or rather prelude to the main theme, I associate its tinkling chimes with the sunrise over Mount Corel during a particularly serene stretch.
VI. Mako Reactor
I had a couple of false starts with FF7, before further glimpses persuaded me to give it a proper go, and this haunting music still captures that early intrigue and confusion. Neil Young's 'There's a World' has a suspiciously similar refrain.
V. Attack of the Weapon
After the wonder of exploration and discovery across Disc 1 (historical segmentation that's now as archaic as discussing a classic album in terms of 'Side'), Disc 2 felt disappointingly repetitive and verbose, especially when I was trying to simplify and sanitise for the benefit of an underage player. Thankfully, these scary monsters showed up at intervals to shake things up and infect my mind with their rousing theme for days.
IV. On Our Way
Our first cosy stop-off after dystopian Midgar, the background music for the appropriately-named Kalm has the synthesised pastoral charm of a classic adventure game (by which I mean games barely a few years older than this one), while also being a gift to kids stuck with woodwind lessons.
III. J-E-N-O-V-A
I don't have any special fondness for the Jenova battles – the best is the one that keeps Aeris' theme going, like when someone dies in a soap and they give the jaunty theme tune a rest – so this is one I just appreciate as cool, generic baddie music in its own right. The game's more general 'boss' theme is also entertaining, but more in how excited the game itself seems to be about it happening, especially when it lets rip with the organ solo.
II. Listen to the Cries of the Planet
After digging up a cryptic artifact that guides you through the shifting forest from your dream to the ruined capital of a dead elder race, this eerie synth is perfectly appropriate. The intro to Ozzy Osbourne's 'Mr Crowley' might still be the closest equivalent I've found. It's a shame we're there so briefly when being subjected to the likes of the battle and Highwind themes ad nauseam.
I. Main Theme of Final Fantasy VII
Longer and more complex than most, this didn't tend to stand out among the more overblown themes when listening to the soundtrack, but reassociated with that early world map trekking, it quickly embodied the best of the game experience. Although for authenticity, the soundtrack version should really be interrupted by the battle theme every five seconds.
