Best Introductory Touhou Songs?

[HistoryoftheMoon]

I'd really love to know some standard, very Touhou-ish Touhou songs to introduce people to Touhou with. I can never tell what I should use, so usually end up with Septette and Tomorrow Will be Sunny as representing bosses and stages, respectively. A main menu theme might work, too.

[MANoBadAssGar Jr.]

Limited to official piece produced by ZUN or including doujin stuff?
but without the doujin stuff, interest would died quick though.

I think Necrofantasia would be the most iconic theme for Touhou, if you also introduce the character associated with the theme. Additionally, the theme title sound like "bringing the fantasy back to life"
My personal pick are Phantom Ensemble though, because i like to incite people toward my preference

Might be just me, but my experience so far, all of Yuuka theme arrangement rarely disappoint me. My most favorite from Yuuka being Flower of Japan.
If you expand to doujin stuff, there's abundant of amusement out there that would get anyone hooked. i would reccommend some, if doujin production are what you're talking about.

that might be all i could say, my only understanding of "Touhou-ish" is it's being old school style and MIDI, sorry don't get angry.

[CyberAngel]

Necrofantasia

Considering just how different this one is from most other themes, it's probably the worst possible choice in this case.

Many themes might work, though. Personally, I'd suggest Gensokyo Millennium due to how many Touhou-characteristic styles it incapsulates. For stage theme... Gensokyo the Gods Loved maybe? I think even Kid's Festival ~ Innocent Treasures might work.

[Mikuru]

I'm not sure there is such a thing as "standard Touhou-ish", since the feel of Touhou music has varied and branched out so much, especially in the more recent games. Still, there are common features -- many of the themes are easy and pleasant to listen to, somewhat repetitive, and have catchy, memorable melodies. The best Touhou themes evoke an atmosphere that goes really well with the stage or character they represent.

I think you could pick almost anything, but here are some suggestions:
Stage themes: The Fantastic Legend of Tohno; The Gensokyo the Gods Loved; Last Remote
Non-final boss themes: Locked Girl; Phantom Ensemble; Green-eyed Jealousy
Final boss themes: Septette; Border of Life; Gensokyo Millennium
Fighting game theme: The Ground's Color is Yellow (this is the theme that got me hooked on Touhou music and led to me discovering the games).

[MANoBadAssGar Jr.]

Considering just how different this one is from most other themes, it's probably the worst possible choice in this case.

Many themes might work, though. Personally, I'd suggest Gensokyo Millennium due to how many Touhou-characteristic styles it incapsulates. For stage theme... Gensokyo the Gods Loved maybe? I think even Kid's Festival ~ Innocent Treasures might work.

Meant to be representative of Touhou project, not really have to be something that encompass the artist preference and style, the other themes collectively should do that part instead, name as a word also have impact in impression, that's what i had in mind. But Gensokyo Millenium title are suited too but in different sense, same with Nitori stage theme to a lesser extent.

[GenericArrangements]

Depends on what part of Touhou you're referring to.

Modern: Solar Sect of Mystic Wisdom ~ Nuclear Fusion [SA], A Star of Hope Arises in the Blue Sky (HSiFS), The Gensokyo the Gods Loved (MoF), Old Yuanxian (TD), Eternal Spring Dream (LoLK), Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind (UFO), UFO Romance in the Sky (UFO), and Lullaby of a Deserted Hell (SA).

Old: Shanghai Teahouse ~ Chinese Tea (EoSD), Gensokyo Millenium ~ History of the Moon (IN), Eternal Night Vignette (IN), Phantom Ensemble ~ Ghostly Band (PCB), Mystic Oriental Temple (PCB), U.N. Owen Was Her? (EoSD), and Wind God Girl (PoFV).

Older: Bad Apple!! (LLS), Complete Darkness (SoEW), Eternal Shrine Maiden (HRtP), and Faint Dream ~ Inanimate Dream (LLS).

Or for fighting games: Our Hisoutensoku (UNL), Bamboo Forest in Flames (ULiL), Catastrophe in Bhava-agra (Arrange Ver.) (SWR), Akutagawa Ryuunosuke's Kappa ~ Candid Friend (ULiL), and A Huge Shadow and a Tiny Conclusion (UNL).
The problem with fighting games being that they're mostly done by a different artist from ZUN. Also two of those don't play in the games.

I would rather get people into the modern era, as that's what ZUN makes nowadays. Of course, his style and music choices change whenever, so there's no perfect example of a Touhou song that fully represents his style.

[TresserT]

From TD onward ZUN hasn't really had a consistent style, so it's hard to pick one or two to represent the series as a whole.

Shanghai Teahouse, Legend of Tohno, Gensokyo Millenium, Wind God Girl, and Fate of Sixty Years all represent the EoSD-SA era pretty well though. UFO is kind of a mixed bag since half its songs are in the "classic" style and the other half are extremely atmospheric.