» INFORMATION
I want to make it clear that although this fanlisting is dedicated to just the original Final Fantasy VII soundtrack, the information I will provide here cover more than just that.

THE COMPOSER : NOBUO UEMATSU / 植松伸夫
The mastermind behind the Final Fantasy VII OST and many other great Square Enix/Soft soundtracks is none other than Nobuo Uematsu. If you've seen interviews of him explaining or talking about the music or clips of recording sessions, you'll realize how dedicated he is to his music. Apart from his involvement in videogame music composition, in 2003 Nobuo Uematsu formed a group named The Black Mages which performs rock arrangements of certain Final Fantasy pieces. In 2004, Nobuo Uematsu left Square Enix. He still composes work for Square Enix, but through the production company he established named Smile Please. Among many things, a notable achivement Uematsu has received would include being named one of the "Innovators" in Time Magazine's "Time 100: The Next Wave - Music" feature for his broad and unique styles of music. Links of interest may include his official sites which are offered in both Japanese and English

THE SOUNDTRACK(S)
The following is a list of Final Fantasy VII soundtracks. Personally I think that Final Fantasy VII has one of the most distinct and unique videogame soundtracks. It's one of those soundtracks where when one is to listen to the music away from the context of the game they can immediately recognize where it's from. For instance, although in the context of Final Fantasy VII, in the Advent Children film there are many instances of use of Final Fantasy VII music. The scene where Tifa fights Loz in the church, the music which plays in the background is the piano version of the battle theme. Through personal experience, although I hadn't played the game for years prior to watching the film, when I saw that part I immediately knew it was the battle theme. What topped it off was Loz's cellphone ring being the victory jingle for Final Fantasy VII battles.

	Final Fantasy VII: Original Soundtrack The first soundtrack was released on February 10, 1997 by DigiCube, but was re-released in May 10, 2004 by Square Enix. When the soundtrack was first released in 1997, there was a limited edition version and a normal version. Soundtrack list & notes?
	Final Fantasy VII Reunion Tracks The Reunion soundtrack was first released in October 22, 1997 by DigiCube, but was re-released in February 23, 2005 by Square Enix. It's basically a selection of tracks from the Original Soundtrack. Soundtrack list & notes?
	Piano Collections - Final Fantasy VII An all piano collection of selected Final Fantasy VII tracks released by DigiCube. All the tracks featured in this album were performed by Seiji Honda. Soundtrack list & notes?
	Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children Original Soundtrack The Advent Children soundtrack was released on September 28, 2005 by Square Enix. Apart from the songs created just for the movie, there are new rock versions of One Winged Angel and J-E-N-O-V-A. Soundtrack list & notes?

Final Fantasy VII Music Elsewhere?
No, Final Fantasy VII music doesn't end with those soundtracks. The music has appeared in other games such as Final Fantasy IX and Kingdom Hearts. Also, Final Fantasy music compilations such as Dear/More Friends, and releases by The Black Mages frequently feature Final Fantasy VII music.

So, Where Can I Buy This Stuff?
While in a lineup for a concert a person in line started talking to me. We started talking about music collections and ended up with this topic. Personally, i'm not a fan of buying mp3s because you can't hold it. Most album and singles come in really nice packaging and goodies these days. Perhaps i'm a victim to marketing?

Yes, they're expensive, but it's worth buying. I personally like buying things from Amazon.co.jp or YesAsia.com. Amazon.co.jp is reliable but the shipping is very expensive. YesAsia.com may seem less expensive because they offer free shipping if you buy past a certain amount. However, you may notice that the prices of the items are more expensive than other places. Remember that if the soundtrack isn't released under Square Enix or DigiCube it's a fake!