Number 20[]
Heh. And they say that autotune is soulless.
#20 Speak with Your Heart (Sonic Colors)
Finally. We get to Sonic Colors, the Frozen of the Sonic franchise. While certain people are revving up their tomato throwers, let's talk about the actual song. It says something about Cash Cash's talent when they can take a tool like autotune, something that many people have called something along the lines of "not a real instrument", and make one of the most emotional songs in the entire Sonic franchise. It even allows the lyrics to take center stage, whereas with most Sonic songs, while the lyrics are certainly good, the instruments are the biggest reason for their fame. I don't know how much Cash Cash has done outside of the Sonic franchise, but if it is half as good as this song, I might have a new favorite band.
Number 19[]
Because of all of the different variety that comes with Sonic songs, I've tried pretty hard to make sure that all of the songs for a specific game aren't bunched up in one area of the countdown. While I have been successful at that for the most part, I couldn't quite think of a way to split up Sonic Colors's songs and get my preferred placements at the same time. Well, more good music for you either way.
#19 Reach for the Stars (Sonic Colors)
I've noticed that there is a bit of a flame war going on between fans of this song and fans of Speak with Your Heart over which song is better, and while I like both songs just about the same, this one gets a slight edge over our previous entry. Why? Well, to be honest, it's a little more upbeat and fun than Speak with Your Heart, with the same talent of Cash Cash to go along with it. Honestly, which of these songs you prefer at least partially depends on if you prefer upbeat songs or if they should have a bit of a melancholy twist to them. Personally, I just like to agree to disagree.
Number 18[]
You know, I really don't get all of the hate that Silver gets. He has an interesting backstory, cool powers that are unique in the Sonic universe, and he is certainly one of the more thought out "new" characters in the last ten years. It doesn't hurt that his theme song is awesome.
#18 Dreams of an Absolution (Sonic 06)
I know that I said that I would have to choose between different versions of songs to put on this list, and I managed to do so for this, but honestly, this was a random selection. Every single version of this song is awesome, largely for the same reasons. First, the song catches you in with a hooky introduction, with the techno instruments catching your interest faster than you can say "it's no use". Then, the lyrics come in, showing just what Silver is fighting for and how he feels about it. It helps that the singer is one of the best that we've seen on this countdown, as he manages to take already good instrumentals and make something magical out of it.
Number 17[]
You know, as much as I like Sonic Generations, I have to get on its case when it comes to the music department. Sure, the music's good, but seriously? You don't have an awesome vocal theme? All-Stars Racing, a non-canon RACING GAME got its own theme, and you didn't? What the heck?
#17 So Much More... (Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing)
To give this song credit, though, it is way better than most of the songs in Sonic Generations (key word being most). While I usually prefer fast paced Sonic songs to calmer ones, I feel like this song has just the right mixture of speed. It's fast enough for you to bop along to the beat comfortably, but at the same time, it's slow enough to have both meaningful and awesome connotations. Also, there's Bentley Jones, what's not to like? In all seriousness, though, when a game that has as little of an impact as Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing has a song as awesome as this as its theme, there's no excuse for Sonic Generations to not have one (I'm looking at you too, Lost World).
Number 16[]
You know, aside from the whole civil rights movement that he was a part of, the Sonic fanbase owes a lot to Malcolm X. He indirectly helped to create one of the best final boss themes in the entire series.
#16 Wrapped in Black (Sonic Rush)
This song. THIS song. THIS FLIPPING SONG! For quite a while, this was at the very top of my list for the best final boss music ever, and it would still rank among my top 3, easily (considering that the other 2 are Yoko Shimomura pieces, that is saying something). But enough about how good the song is, what makes it good? Honestly, what doesn't? The piece keeps building itself up and up to elevate the tension to almost unheard of levels, which is what a final boss theme should do. Not to mention that it has the "this is it" theme that I have previously mentioned that I love. Add in some awesome, yet simple vocals, put it all in a blender, and hit frappe! You'll have pure ear candy before you know it.
Number 15[]
I remember one comment I saw regarding this song that said that it should be the theme for NASA, and considering the subject matter, they're right. It's especially funny considering that both the Sonic Riders series and NASA crashed and burnt around the same time.
#15 Un-Gravitify (Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity)
Unlike the previous entry, in which I had to stop myself from gushing about the song too much, I'm honestly at a small loss for words regarding why I like this song so much. I kind of just "do". Well, here goes nothing. The Sonic Riders themes have always been good with showcasing what the theme is all about, and this one is probably the best at that job. Not only does it symbolize what going millions of miles an hour on a hoverboard is like (yes, I know they have a different name, but I just call them hoverboards), but it also does a good job of melding in Sonic's character into it. He just goes right through what everybody has planned to do his own thing, and this message, blended with some beautiful guitar work, makes this the best Sonic Riders song out there.
Number 14[]
It is in my personal opinion that the Sonic Storybook games have some of the best characterization for Sonic in the entire series. Sure, the Adventure games tried their best to give him a certain personality, but the actions he does here show him as more of the selfless, yet fun-loving guy we know and love. Plus, he gets some cool titles.
#14 Knight of the Wind (Sonic and the Black Knight)
Not only does this song have some cool-as-all-get-out guitar work, not only does it get you hyped up for what's to come, not only does Crush 40 do as good of a job as they always do (which is to say, phenomenal), but it does a really good job of showing what Sonic would most likely be like if he was actually King Arthur (which he actually is, funnily enough). He probably would go through enemies like butter, he probably would remind everybody that he is in charge, and he probably would do all of is with a kind heart. Why these games don't get more love, especially considering how I feel about Secret Rings, is beyond me.
Number 13[]
Oh, how I wanted this to be in the Top 10. Oh well.
#13 No Way Through (Sonic and the Secret Rings)
In my opinion, the best songs for action-y parts of video games are ones like Wrapped in Black, those that set the hype bar particularly high and keep it there. This song, more than any in Secret Rings, accomplishes that perfectly. From the first parts of the guitar intro, you can practically feel the excitement coursing through your veins, ready to tear itself out at any moment. The vocals kick in after a while, helping to set the overall tone while the instruments control the song. The combination of all the instruments used in this song create a beautiful mosaic of Sonic-y goodness, one that I will always consider a classic.
Huh. You really do have to suffer to write.
Number 12[]
Am I the only one who doesn't mind that this sounds like an anime song, one that could play at the end of a Sonic-based anime? I hope not.
#12 My Destiny (Sonic 06)
I know that I mentioned in the previous section that I believed hyped up songs to be the best, but I hope that I made it clear that that rule only stands for level themes and the like. This song, in a feat that is most likely very impressive, has gotten this high up without being hyped up in any way, and I love it for that (but wait until we get to the Top 10). It's calm and soothing, and the way that the instruments compliment the vocals is just beautiful. It's songs like this that make me happy that Sega has been going away from traditional Crush 40 stuff for their songs. Crush 40 is far from bad, but from diversity comes prosperity.
Number 11[]
Similar to Open Your Heart a ways back, I believe that I might get into a bit of trouble for placing a really good song this low on the list. But considering what we have coming up, that's a chance I'm willing to take.
#11 Endless Possibilities (Sonic Unleashed)
Aside from a slight issue with the singers (they're not bad in any way, they just sound a bit too much like Phineas and Ferb), this song is one of the closest things to perfect that this list has ever seen. The music is upbeat and inspiring, the vocals (contrary to what some of you might have been led to believe) actually blend with the music perfectly, and the style changes just enough to create a legitimately interesting lead-in for a solo. Now you might be thinking, "Well, if this is extremely close to prefect, then why isn't it in the Top 10?" Simply put, it's awfully hard to beat perfect.
Now, for everybody who doesn't have tomato throwers to carry along, we'll be moving on to the Top 10.