Music that defines a franchise for you

After stumbling onto the OST for Etrian Odyssey V, I noticed that this franchise of which I'm quite fond of finally got something that I didn't realize was missing until now: a piece of music that serves as an anthem of sorts for games within the franchise. The theme that did this for me was End of the Raging Waves, a special battle theme that first appeared in the third game, and has since appeared in both the fourth game and the mystery dungeon spin-off as well.

The music in games is one of my favorite parts of them, and these "anthem" themes definitely occurs in pretty much all of my favorite franchises. The following is a brief list of the one that pop to mind immediately, in no particular order.

Aria of the Soul - You can't have a Persona game without a Velvet Room, and you can't have a Velvet Room without this theme.

Detestable Visitors - There are a lot of Super Robot Games, and I mean a lot. While this franchise is most famous for its use of licensed anime robots and the music attached to them, the most enduring of themes within this game is this one, which plays whenever you are ambushed by an army of enemy robots. It is not my favorite tune in the franchise, but it just isn't a SRW game without this theme popping up at the most inopportune of times as 30 red sprites teleport onto your map.

Battle on the Big Bridge - While the Crystal Theme is most assuredly the Final Fantasy theme, what I have enjoyed the most out of the franchise for the last decade is more thematically summed up by this theme belonging to the most goofy of bosses. Plus, it's been managing to show up in every Final Fantasy game I've played lately, including this particular rendition from Final Fantasy Record Keeper with the absurdity to match the source.

So, do you have "anthem" themes for your favorite franchises? What are they?

I mean, barring the obvious Nintendo ones, nothing encompasses Assassin's Creed quite like Ezio's Family.

Battlefield isn't exactly on of my favorite franchises, but I love that they integrated the core "bara bab bara bab" into (most of) their theme songs. It's a catchy tune and very recognizable.

The Armored Fury version is probably one of my favorites besides the original.

They give it a different name with each iteration, but the recurring "Elders Scrolls Theme" is certainly one of my favourites.

Link to Youtube video which has the Morrowind, Oblivion & Skyrim versions in order.

@rafaelfc:

It's not a recurring theme in the slightest, but fuckin' Gone Guru is Dead Rising to me.

It might just be the amount of times I had to listen to it running through that courtyard in Dead Rising 1, but something about its tone matches all of the weird and dumb and good things about that series perfectly.

I get nostalgic just hearing it.

Mass Effect 3: Leaving earth soundtrack

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj80aCskPHPAhVHvRoKHe21DmsQyCkIJTAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DtxQYTlZFz-M&usg=AFQjCNEr8nhNWgpSRDxWsJBfwMj6ou7N8w

@doctordonkey: Nintendo games would probably be auto-includes on everyone's lists at some point.

Uncharted Worlds

I'll second @colony024

@dancinginfernal: For me it'd rather be the galaxy map song

@beachthunder: It occurs to me that Bloody Tears is now and will forever be Barkerville in my mind. I can't not mentally supply those lyrics when I hear it. Curse you, Brad.

I like the battlefield theme. But it's basically the terminator theme. Honestly I don't know how James Cameron and company haven't sued them. But I don't know the specifics for music or samples work out if they use 5 or 6 notes..

Ice Cap Zone has been THE Sonic song for me since I first heard it. Was coming up to the end of Sonic 3 (before Knuckles) and it just cemented the series as one of my favorites ever.

Kingdom Hearts has its problems but 'Dearly Beloved' has to be one of the most beautiful melodies for a Main Theme running through an entire franchise (KH2's version is my favourite arrangement):

I'd like to mention Okami and Okamiden as they have such a distinct sound, but the latter's soundtrack is very much a re-arrangement of the first so I don't think it's distinct enough on it's own to argue any particular song represents the franchise above others. While there are more iconic songs from Okami that more people would recognise, I think the franchise as a whole is represented well by 'Looking Up at the Starry Sky'(Okami)/'Starry Sky Appearing'(Okamiden). The constellations play a key part in the premise of both games, and the contrast in arrangements of the two versions represents the thematic differences in the two games well. That said, if we're talking about a song that just distinctly represents the franchise and not a recurring theme that appears throughout, I think The Sun Rises encapsulates the overall sounds of both games fantastically well:

@eroq: Oh, good. I don't have to post this. Bravo.

I played a lot of goddamn Guilty Gear.

Edit: I also played a lot of goddamn Guilty Gear with the Korean soundtrack.

@dancinginfernal: That's a good one, but this is one that always comes to my mind first.

@dixavd: Good to see that someone else thought of Dearly Beloved.

Really, all of the original music in KH is super distinctive. Shimomura has a really unique style.

Either Maiden in Black or Firelink Shrine for the Souls games.

None... the first thing I do when I load up a game is mute the TV and turn on a podcast or some of my own music. I generally find game music to be quite shitty and there is always something better to listen to.

IF I am going to be slightly on topic, I guess I would have to say the "Bubble Bobble Theme." Its just a few bars repeated over and over again, but you won't find a catchier song in gamings history.

Frank Klepacki's music for the Command & Conquer series, no doubt. Be it Act on Instinct from the first one or Hell March from the Red Alert games, there's probably no other franchise that I find so immediately recognizable by a single bar of their bass lines (or in the case of Act on Instinct, that beat). Didn't hurt that each game had at least another 20 fantastic songs you could pick from at will in their jukeboxes while playing.

@fisk0: Wow, for someone that's only ever played Tiberium Sun, that baseline really is incredibly C&C.

It's not in every game and only first appeared in Super Star, but if someone were to ask me what the first Kirby song to pop in my head would be, it'd be none other than Gourmet Race:

Although I think the new theme is great and might eventually take over the mantle of being the theme of the franchise, Baba Yetu captures the feeling of Civilization so well.

The professor's theme is just so fantastic at encapsulating the atmosphere of Professor Layton.