Top 5 favorite Touhou final boss Songs

[Phasm]

My opinion is the following about the best final boss songs from Touhou:

5-Bloom Nobly, Cherry Blossoms of Sumizome
4-The Venerable ancient Battlefield
3-Emotional Skyscraper
2-Septette for the Dead Princess
1-Kobito of the Shining Needle

What are the best songs in your opinion?

[CyberAngel]

1. Gensokyo Millennium ~ History of the Moon (GIVE YOUR PRAISE TO ONE TRUE GOD YAGOKORO-SAMA RIGHT THIS INSTANT, YOU HEATHENS!)
2. Catastrophe in Bhavaagra ~ Wonderful Heaven (Yeah, I like multi-part themes where each part is equally awesome.)
3. Swordsman/Angel of a Distant Star (Even I can give PC-98 stuff some credit where it's due.)
4. The Lost Emotion (A game I never played. A character I don't care about. And a theme I'm in love with. That alone earns it the spot.)
5. Bloom Nobly, Ink-black Cherry Blossom ~ Border of Life (Epicness incarnate. Many tried to reach its level. Few succeeded.)

[LunaWillow]

Well...

5 - Fate of Sixty Years - I like the climat this one gives. Final Jugdement is coming.
4 - Bloom Nobly, Cherry Blossoms of Sumizome ~ Border of Life - It's classy and nice to hear.
3 - Faint Dream ~ Inanimate Dream - I absolutly love this one. My fav song from PC-98 era.
2 - Solar Sect of Mystic Wisdom ~ Nuclear Fusion - True epicness! There's no more song that sounds so boss-like.
1 - Septette for the Dead Princess - Love it.

[TresserT]

5) Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind: The ZUNpet ruined it for me. Which is sad because they can be used well (like in Gensokyo Millenium) but here they just aren't. Otherwise it's a really nice song.

4) Catastrophe in Bhavaagra ~ Wonderful Heaven: It's a final boss theme unlike any before or since. It feels like an excited stage 1 boss theme; it's light-hearted, but intense at the same time.

3) Bloom Nobly, Cherry Blossoms of Sumizome ~ Border of Life: The perfect cross of peace and intensity (sounds like a Yukari spellcard).

2) Dwarfitonchling of the Shining Needle ~ Little Princess: I wasn't taken aback when I first heard it, but compared side by side to the other songs it's really just better.

1) Lost Emotion: At first I didn't like this song much. It tries too hard to be emotional, so it sounds fake. But when I thought about it, that makes perfect sense given the character it's for. I see it as an answer to Green-Eyed Jealousy. Both try so hard to be pitiable that it makes them seem like they just want the attention, but Lost Emotion shows that in and of itself is pitiable.

[Risanai]

I wonder whether Bhava-Agra as Seen Through a Child's Mind counts?

But not counting that...

5) Strawberry Crisis!!
4) Lost Emotion
3) Bloom Nobly, Cherry Blossom of Sumizome ~ Border of Life
2) Shoutoku Legend ~ True Administrator
1) Inchling of the Shining Needle ~ Little Princess

Sukuna's theme still blew me away.

[ふねん1]

#1 - Solar Sect of Mystic Wisdom ~ Nuclear Fusion. Favorite Touhou song since the beginning. I never grow tired of its epicness. Plus it meshes so well with metal (my favorite genre), which helps a lot in terms of exposure.

#2 - The Venerable Ancient Battlefield ~ Suwa Foughten Field. Another song I've known since nearly the beginning, it's much more like ZUN's other work but still retains that "final boss" feel, which is great for keeping me pumped up during the fight itself.

#3 - Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind. The second half really sells it for me. Such beautiful trumpets... *sniff* Aaaanyway, I also like how well the song syncs up with Byakuren's attacks, climaxing when you get to the good stuff like Devil's Recitation and LFS.

#4 - Touhou Judgment in the Sixtieth Year ~ Fate of Sixty Years. Dem trumpets again. Though the first trumpet verse isn't nearly as pleasing as the others IMO.

#5 - Flight of the Bamboo Cutter ~ Lunatic Princess. Another song that's good for pumping me up - which is fortunate, since some of Kaguya's hardest attacks are near the beginning. The second half kinda fades into the background for me though, and I end up not paying the song as much heed until it loops (coincidentally, right around Hourai Jewel, another of her hardest attacks lol).

[DTM]

Man this is hard.

• Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind - Especially the second half, there is a lot of emotion behind it that makes it so beautiful and tragic at the same time.
• Septette for the Dead Princess - Totally not biased towards my first Touhou game.
• The Venerable Ancient Battlefield ~ Suwa Foughten Field - At first, I didn't really think twice about it, but it really started to grow on me, especially at the climax
• Solar Sect of Mystic Wisdom ~ Nuclear Fusion - Something about the descending notes and the chorus really makes it epic.
• Bloom Nobly, Ink-black Cherry Blossom ~ Border of Life - Beauty Reincarnated

[UnendingEmpire]

#5 - Unknown X ~ Unfound Adventure: Seems like I'm the only one here who prefers the UNL final boss theme over its SWR cousin.  There's just some quality about this song that says "YOU'RE...SCREWED!" which I appreciate.  It certainly doesn't feel as Touhou-esque as Wonderful Heaven, but I prefer this one all the same.

#4 - Strawberry Crisis: Also one of my favorite themes in the PC-98 era, Yumemi's theme just really rings out above most others of its time.  I feel like if the PC-98 songs had the same instrumentation as games from today, this song would be more metal than the Iron Giant.  Yumemi herself is also pretty swell, but she's far from my favorite PC-98 character.

#3 - The Venerable Ancient Battlefield ~ Suwa Foughten Field: Remember what I said about the "YOU'RE SCREWED" vibes with Unfound Adventure?  Yeah, this song's vibes are more like Kanako's saying "Just give up now and save us both a lot of time and energy."  It even has the game over theme right in there!  Even when it softens down after a little while, this song's got enough power to make Dragonball Z characters feel meek.  ZUN said he wanted to convey the power of a god and the weight of history in this one, or something to that effect.  I'd say he did that pretty well.

#2 - Kobito of the Shining Needle ~ Little Princess: I've said this a few times before, but 2014 feels like the year where everybody's outdoing themselves.  ZUN is no exception to this rule with the brilliant soundtrack (even by Touhou standards) for DDC, and this is one hell of a finale.  Shinmyoumaru may be only an inch tall, but her song is bigger than almost any other before it.  ZUN'll be hard-pressed to top this come the next game.

#1 - Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind: Or as I call it, "The only Touhou theme that has actually moved me to tears."  I concede that it shouldn't win the award for "Most Beautiful Touhou Theme" (Border of Life is keeping that one until the end of time), but this one speaks to me more than Border of Life, so to speak.  It reaches deeper into my soul than pretty much any other Touhou theme, so for this reason, after reflecting on it, I promoted this song to my number-one favorite final boss theme.

Honorable Mention - Shoutoku Legend ~ True Administrator: Hands-down, Miko is my favorite final boss since Mima, and this theme befits her in every way possible.  It's regal enough to remind you you're up against royalty, yet powerful enough to remind you that this isn't just any royalty, but the Crown Prince of Taoism.  She has immense power, and that power is conveyed perfectly in musical form here.  And that climax at about 2:20 is probably one of my favorite moments in Touhou music.

[Miki Revolverhead]

#5 Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind (Byakuren's theme). The first few times I heard this one I hated it because of the excess of ZUNpets, but it ended up growing on me. It's strange, but I get a kinda mexican vibe from it (?). It's probably biased, since Byakuren is my favourite boss. It makes me think about victory or something like that.

#4 Gensokyo Millenium ~ History of the Moon (Eirin's theme). I think it really goes well with the space theme, it has a very spacey sound. I like how it complements Kaguya's theme's playful elegance; for me, this theme transmits wisdom and pragmatism. It's also extremely catchy and I love how it gets more and more powerful while you advance on the stage. It also has these really climactic moments that get me all worked up while fighting Eirin.

#3 Kobito of the Shining Needle ~ Little Princess (Shinmyoumaru's theme). Zun did a good work here. It's just full of emotion, it's all that a boss theme should be. I love the way it evolves and escalates. You can tell Sukuna is being serious here.

#2 Bhava-agra as seen through a child's mind (Tenshi's Last Spell theme). It gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. The intro is both majestic and innocent... I don't know, it kinda makes me feel as if I'm about to witness the birth of a god.

#1 Bloom nobly, cherry blossoms of Sumizome ~ Border of Life (Yuyuko's theme). Even though Yuyuko isn't even one of my favourite characters, her theme has this really delicate and emotional intro, and even though the song manages to give a beautiful, elegant atmosphere, it has passages where chaos breaks out and you really start to fear the ghost and her butterflies. My favourite part of the song is the very end of it, when everything goes quiet again as if it were a moment of insight before the melody restarts.

Honorable mention: The Venerable Ancient Battlefield ~ Suwa foughten field (Kanako's theme). A theme that completely exudes power and dominance, I always get intimidated by it. It has this feeling of self-importance and fanfare that completely suits Kanako. It doesn't make it into my personal top 5 but I really think it deserves a mention because of how well it portrays the character.

[Tengukami]

Here are my Top 5, but not in any particular order of importance.

1.  Gensokyo Millenium ~ History of the Moon. One of the great things about Imperishable Night is how one song sort of introduces the next, all the while adding layer upon layer of tension as we head closer to the moon. This song is what it sounds like to escape Earth's gravity - expansive, glorious and powerful. Love this song.
2. Flight of the Bamboo Cutter ~ Lunatic Princess. If Eirin's theme is sweeping and imperious, Kaguya's reflects elegance, power and not a little playful instability. Has one of the best intros in any Touhou boss theme.
3. Solar Sect of Mystic Wisdom ~ Nuclear Fusion. And here's the soundtrack of crazy. ZUN went with a weird time signature here, with a hook that sounds like a piano tumbling down a spiral staircase. Goes great with a possessed hell raven throwing giant glowing orbs of nuclear fusion at you.
4. Kobito of the Shining Needle ~ Little Princess. I have to admit this song grew on me. Deceptively simple, it builds thematic layers on top of itself that culminate in a theme both touching and powerful. Earwormed me for most of August 2013.
5. The Venerable Ancient Battlefield ~ Suwa Foughten Field. To be fair, this was the first final boss song I reached, so it'll always have a special place in my heart. But apart from that, it just sounds like the fanfare of a powerful Shinto god on top of a mountain defending their shrine from a lowly mortal like you. Lovely stuff.

Honorable mention: Wind God Girl. Perfect ZUN song is perfect. Conveys Aya's freedom, power and precociousness effortlessly. I could listen to this a billion times.

[Sagus]

1. Night Falls ~ Evening Star (both versions) - These songs fit Yukari's nature perfectly; the IaMP version is very ominous, while the SWR one sounds like she's just having fun at your expense (which 9 times out of 10 is probably what she's doing). They play quite well together, too.

2. Old Distant Hermit - This one gives me the impression of power, elegance and danger, which I think summarises Seiga's character quite well.

3. The Venerable Ancient Battlefield ~ Suwa Foughten Field - It sounds so grandiose and intense. I can easily picture the epic duel between Kanako and Suwako with this music playing on the background.

4. Native Faith - Probably the most playful song from ZUN, it's very energetic and fits Suwako's carefree nature very well.

5. Swordsman of a Distant Star - I enjoy the mysterious feeling the song gives, of something old and hidden. Konngara doesn't have a "character" for the song to fit into, but I do feel that it goes really well with her design, if that makes sense.

Honorable Mention: Sleeping Terror - No other song best represents Yuuka. The slow build up of the first 20 seconds or so is very menacing, and the rest of the song just screams strength and grace.

[aUsernameIsFineToo]

5: Faint Dream ~ Inanimate Dream. Out of all the PC-98 boss themes, this one is the most climatic and really gives the feeling of a final boss.

4: Gensokyo Millenium ~ History of the Moon. Has a great buildup that fits with the progression of the battle.

3: Border of Life. It's a survival spell for a ghost girl, and this song brings out that imagery in a perfect way. Somehow, the MIDI version on an OPL-3 FM soundchip makes this sound more intense and very arcade-like.

2: Fate of Sixty Years. The proper way to use a ZUNpet. Also a great way to build rage as you wonder whether the CPU-opponent is able to move in a third dimension to dodge those bullets.

1: Kobito of the Shining Needle. ZUN really over did it here. This theme is more than a boss theme. It tells the story of a girl who wants to prove all she can, and the struggle she's going through in the process. And so, it easily takes the first place in my book.

[Phlegeth]

5.  History of the Moon
I love the timing of this song.  It fits pretty well with what's going on screen.

4.  Fate of Sixty Years
This is just a power piece.  There's just something about it.

3.  Nuclear Fusion
So here it is, you've fought your through former hell.  You fought a giant spider, a crazy lady, an oni, a cat, the same cat again, a mind reader, the same cat yet again, and your standing face to face with someone who ate a god and can throw miniture suns at you.  This music is great for that.

2.  X, The Floating Objects in the Sky
Like the above, it gets this spot because of the atmosphere.  Fighting in freefall is awesome and this music is great for it.

1.  Septette for a Dead Princess
I don't think I can ever get tired of this song.  I like the SWR version more than the EoSD.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

5. Emotional Skyscraper - Because of epicness.
4. True Administrator - I find this more epic than the above.
3. Complete Darkness - Fell in love with this the first time I heard it.
2. Border of life (The version that plays during Yuyuko's last spell in PCB) - Gives a nice sense of finality as you try to survive the final onslaught.
1. Septette for the Dead Princess - Sounds very epic and final-bossy. Will always be my favorite.

Honorable Mention: Nuclear Fusion - Very intense, you know you are at the final obstacle. Besides, who doesn't like this theme?

[Nolegs the Cat]

I'll do two lists: One that includes songs from the various fangames, which would alter it slightly, and one with ZUN-made games only.

First up, fangames included.

#5: Sky Filling Departed Spirit ~ Lightning World
It's energetic, yet strangely graceful at the same time. It has a modern yet.... oddly nostalgic feeling to it, which suits Matama and her look. Once again, amazing song and amazing fight. Also, dem trumpets.

#4: Fantasy Nation Daybreak ~ Player Prayer
Once again, a beautiful, graceful theme. It also conveys the benevolence I see in Momohime's character - she only wants to be with her family, and so this isn't a super-charged theme like, say, Nuclear Fusion. It works better, in my opinion.

#3: Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind
Truly, this is a dramatic battle. A battle between two wills, and conflicting world-views, and this song captures that perfectly. It's beautiful, amazingly so. There is no malice in this theme, either, and no side really wants to fight. One big reason I've always loved the songs in these games is how well they fit what they're playing too, and there is no better example then this song.

#2:  Below a Deep Vanishing Cloud ~ Mow Down!, and A Single Glimmer
How ironic. From a purely technical standpoint, this isn't even really a fangame - though it has enough of the game's conventions I consider it so. Despite this, it deserves the spot. Part of it is the music - most of the songs from the Len'en series aren't that great, but this is amazing. It's incredibly epic and grand, yet emotional, which makes sense when you consider the 'incident' in the background and the story with Yarochi's brother/sister. I don't really know why I like this so much, but JynX went overboard with this :V

#1: A name cast off from the edge
This is the best fight from a fan game, period. It's creative, the music is awesome, and many of the patterns are cool. It certainty carries that 'she just stole your soul, hurrdurr' sense of urgency, yet certain parts have an elegance in it that I imagine as part of her character. It's also overwhelming, in a way similar to, say, Nuclear Fusion. Either way, this is an awesome song.

And now, the list from the official games.

#5: Swordsman of a Distant Star
Konngara's theme, and the best of the PC-98 songs by far.

#4: Shoutoku Legend ~ True Administrator
I've always loved Miko, she's one of my favorite characters. And the song simply suits her so well.

#3: The Venerable Ancient Battlefield ~ Suwa Foughten Field
This song is essentially dominance and power given form. That's somewhat of a theme throughout the fight, and in Kanako herself - complete power, confidence, and dominance over her opponent. It's sufficiently godly, too. It does what Nuclear fusion does, but.... better.

#2 Septette for the Dead Princess
Such an amazing song. It exudes grace and power, yet the song fits the rest of the character completely. Amazing song for an amazing fight.

#1 Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind
See above. Also, I've nearly spelled it 'spyscraper' three times now. Heh...