3.25.2011

Top 25 Soundtracks 2011: Number 1

Here it is. The Number 1 soundtrack for this year. It wasn't wasn't easy to arrive at this decision. In fact, it was hard, especially when the last two tied. But when it came down to it, I had to pick one, and I made my decision. I give you:


That's right. This years #1 position is going to none other the Yasunori Mitsuda's orginal masterpiece, the one that started him down the path to being a full composer...as well as into the hospital: Chrono Trigger.



When it came down to the wire, Chrono Trigger barely won, but it did for a good reason. Chrono Trigger captures a wide range of emotions, and it does so better then yesterdays number 2 place. Its a powerful soundtrack composed by someone who had put everything on the line, and that emotion runs right through into the score itself. I kid you not, I actually cried as a kid when I beat the game, the ending theme was so beautiful.

To be fair, Mitsuda was given a lot of leeway in his range. This was after all a game about time travel, so he was going to be able to compose music that stretched an entire breadth and width of space and time. But other titles have played the time travel card as well. Chrono Trigger simply plays it best.

For a 16-bit sound, Chrono Trigger is quite complex. Mitsuda uses every trick in the book, from minimalism to complex chords to make the music of Chrono Trigger far more then what most 16-Bit soundtracks achieved. Chrono Trigger is a masterpiece of musical quality. If you've never heard Chrono Trigger, much like the other tops on this list, you really should. It's a benchmark for the entire games industry. Its had orchestral renditions, hundreds of remixes, and dozens of tribute albums. This, is hard to top

Chrono Trigger: The #1 Soundtrack of the 2011 Edition Top 25 Soundtracks of All Time.



Chrono Trigger
Enjoyment: 5
Stand Alone Quality: 4.75
Composition: 5
Emotional Reaction: 5
Non-Gamer Enjoyment: 1
Nostalgia: 1
Total: 5.44

Number 1--Chrono Trigger by Yasunori Mitsuda
Number 8--Sonic Colors by Various
Number 10--Final Fantasy: The Crystal Chronicles by Kumi Tanioka

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