Top 20 Persona 5 Songs

Persona 5 has easily one of the greatest soundtracks in all of gaming, so much so that narrowing it down to my favourite 20 proved to be quite challenging – I reckon I could have made a list comprised of completely different tracks and some people wouldn’t have complained!

These are all biased picks, but it should also be noted that the scenes / circumstances around the track will certainly influence its placement – so consider this a SPOILER warning. Let’s get to it!

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

20 – Have a Short Rest

I know it’s only a short jingle, but I caught myself waiting in the safe rooms jamming out to this track a few times.

19 – Swear to My Bones

One of the more emotional songs on the soundtrack, “Swear to My Bones” feels like a great heart-to-heart between two lifelong friends.

18 – Life Goes On

A fun instrumental.

17 – Tokyo Daylight

The most upbeat and vibrant of the day-to-day background music.

16 – Sunset Bridge

Similar to “Swear to My Bones”, except “Sunset Bridge” feels a bit more low-key and real.

15 – Blooming Villain

The Okumura boss battle will forever taint this track in my mind, but “Blooming Villain” is still a great, thumping tune.

14 – Tokyo Emergency

Another fantastic day-to-day track, “Tokyo Emergency” has a sense of urgency that propelled me to get stuff done.

13 – Colors Flying High

The intro to Royal’s starting menu, those opening chords have been ingrained in my mind. In all honesty, those first ten seconds are when the track peaks.

12 – Will Power

Another amazing boss battle theme, I have loads of great memories of taking down some of Persona 5’s most iconic foes with “Will Power” blaring in the background.

11 – Take Over

Royal added an extra battle theme to the mix, and it’s a really fun one. Sadly, it suffers from the success of its vastly superior predecessor.

10 – Aria of the Soul

A staple of the Persona franchise, it’s a testament to the beauty of “Aria of the Soul” that I’ve heard it a hundred times and still love it.

It’s a brilliantly melancholic and ethereal piece that works perfectly in the other-worldly Velvet Room, and I’m glad they’ve stuck with it for so long.

9 – Ark

Based on this song alone, I wouldn’t be surprised if most people thought Shido’s Cruise Ship was the final Palace of the game.

It has all of the drama and bravado of a final dungeon, whilst also having an underlying beauty and tranquillity – a bit like sailing a demonic boat through a pleasant ocean, funnily enough.

8 – Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There

I played Royal instead of the base game, so I had to go out of my way to find the original opening cinematic and song … and I think both are superior.

The Phantom Thieves skating around to “Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There” is such a perfect blend of artistic beauty and head-banging hype music, and I loved every moment.

7 – The Days When My Mother Was There

Persona 5’s story was starting to lose me a bit after the Kaneshiro arc, but I was absolutely blown away by Futaba’s Tomb and her tragic backstory.

Uncovering her past grievances to the sombre sounds of “The Days When My Mother Was There” was definitely a highlight of the whole game, and my interest was unshakable from that point on.

6 – Gentle Madman

“Gentle Madman” doesn’t get nearly the respect it deserves as a Palace theme, partly due to the fact it’s Royal-exclusive and it’s fairly fresh in the grand scheme of things.

I couldn’t think of a better backdrop to Maruki’s Lab – the sweeping piano and choir parts are gorgeous, and yet there’s a sadness beneath the surface that I was intrigued to uncover.

5 – Beneath the Mask

The most iconic of the day-to-day background songs, “Beneath the Mask” will always have a special place in my heart.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a relaxing yet engaging song, and it’s a testament to its quality that it played hundreds of times and I always made an effort to chill to it.

4 – Life Will Change

Diving into the Palaces one final time to confront their ruler were always blood-pumping experiences, and that’s mostly down to “Life Will Change”.

Instead of the dramatic tension you might hear on some of the boss battle themes, this track is a much more arrogant, confident assurance that the Phantom Thieves will come out on top.

3 – The Whims of Fate

My favourite Palace theme in the game, I absolutely loved rifling through Sae’s Casino to the sounds of “The Whims of Fate”.

It’s the funkiest, most feel-good acid jazz track on the entire soundtrack, with some brilliant vocals by Lyn.

2 – Rivers in the Desert

Picking between the top two proved to be incredibly tricky – I very nearly went with “Rivers in the Desert”, one of the most hype videogame songs I’ve ever heard.

That fight against Shido wouldn’t have been half as impactful without it – the vocals, drums, strings and guitar riffs come together to create the most badass song on the soundtrack.

1 – Last Surprise

Could it be anything else?

“Last Surprise” is the stand-out song of Persona 5, and I’d argue it’s come to define the entire franchise as a whole. It’s an intensely groovy and memorable battle theme, one that you never see coming until it blesses your eardrums for the thousandth glorious time.

Aaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: