I can't describe how hard this was to make. There were so many amazing songs to chose from, and it felt like I was sacrificing a child when one of my favorites wasn't able to make the list. If I missed one of your favorites, it probably hurt to not include it.
10. "Wishmaster" from Wishmaster
I listen to a new album in stages: First, I hear the entire thing at one time. Then I listen to one song off the album about 100 times in a row until I get tired of it. Next, I move on to another song from the album and so on until I've exhausted it. "Wishmaster" is one of the few Nightwish songs that never had more than 5 plays in a row. The melody isn't an ear worm as much as other songs.
Then why did it make tenth on my list? Because it was the first Old Nightwish song I ever heard. ("Amaranth" was the first ever.) I began to like Nightwish because I saw this song mentioned on Wikipedia under the Inspired by Lord of the Rings article. And as a LotR nerd, I simply adore the first verse. ("Oh, Elbereth . . . Oh, Lórien . . .") It may not be the best song Tuomas ever composed, but it has sentimental memories for me.
9. "Fantasmic" from Wishmaster
"Fantasmic" is another one of those songs I never listened to at least 100 times in a row, and for the same reason as "Wishmaster": It's not an earworm for me. I love song, but can't hear it for too long without losing interest. Most of Wishmaster is that way, with the exceptions of "She is My Sin", "Dead Boy's Poem", and "Come Cover Me".
This song made the list for two reasons: a) It was one of the three Tarja-era lengthy epics, and b) it's a ten-minute metal dedication to Walt Disney! That's not something every band comes out with. It reminds me of my childhood and makes me feel like a nerd every time. Tuomas's lyrics are wonderfully fascinating, especially in the last two parts where you can spend at least an hour deciphering all the Disney allusions. The voiceover from "Beauty and the Beast" fits perfectly into the song and adds to the atmosphere. Tarja also proved in the last part how incredibly, fantasmically fast she can sing. Look up the lyrics online if you want to hear them.
8. "Dead to the World" from Century Child
On the note of ear worms, this one made the list because it's the biggest Nightwish ear worm I've ever encountered. On the first listen-through of Century Child I had to listen to it twice before I could force myself to move onto "Ever Dream." Beyond that, I don't know why I like this song so much. I'm not exactly sure what the lyrics mean. I suppose I, and anyone else who never fit in, can relate to the title. But it's just so catchy . . .
7. "Sleeping Sun" from Oceanborn
In 1998 Tuomas was asked to write a song to honor an upcoming solar eclipse, and "Sleeping Sun" was the result. It was added to future releases of Oceanborn and is the only song from that era to have remained massively popular. It's easy to see why. The music creates an ethereal blanket of sound filled with Tarja's powerful, enchanting voice as she describes the desire to live forever in the dark, or else go down with the sun. The music is magical, the lyrics deep, and it is almost too beautiful to have come from the keyboard of a human composer.
6. "Ocean Soul" from Century Child
If I was given three wishes by a genie, one of them would be to teach an entire class about Nightwish. This would be one of the first songs the students would be lucky enough to memorize because it manages to portray the essence of Nightwish and Tuomas in 4 minutes and twenty seconds. When you count all the other Nightwish songs that reference the title ("Dead to the World", "Dead Boy's Poem", "Bless The Child", "Romanticide" . . .) its importance is only magnified. Like "Sleeping Sun," it's a completely ethereal song that's too glorious to have come from anyone but an Angel of Music.
5. "Nemo" from Once
This is probably the most popular Old Nightwish song, but that doesn't make it bad. No, it deserves all of its fame. Also, it is not about the animated Pixar movie. At all. One of the darkest songs to date (and that's taking Dark Passion Play into account), "Nemo" explains how it feels when you have gone through hell and lost yourself. Like "Dead to the World," it is one of those songs that comforts those who have never belonged or even understood by the rest of the world. The music video is beautifully cinematographic and one of the few Nightwish videos that perfectly relates to the themes in the song.
4. "Ghost Love Score" from Once
This is the second Tarja-era lengthy epic on the list, clocking in at almost ten minutes - and it is some of the best ten minutes of your life. Of the four long epics this is the only one that is not split into different movements, probably because it's far harder to identify them. "Ghost Love Score" is composed more like an orchestral piece than anything else.
I am not exactly sure what the meaning is, but I do know that it is a very complex, deep idea that only Tuomas knows. My favorite line is "Redeem me into childhood/Show me myself without the shell." That is an incredibly personal statement from the Oceansoul himself, relating how he wishes to go back to that innocence he had as a child. I think that's an ideal that a lot of Nightwish fans have.
3. "Dead Boy's Poem" from Wishmaster
See? There are some Wishmaster songs I really like. On the other hand, it is the odd song out on that album where most the songs are about fantasy or lust. It would say it's the second darkest Nightwish song, and, hands down, the darkest one from Old Nightwish. "The Poet and the Pendulum" manages to top it, but only because Tuomas actually dies in that one.
"Dead Boy's Poem" is a farewell note written by Tuomas to his loved ones in case of his death. It's haunting to hear the voice of a young boy say, "So much more I wanted to give to the ones who love me. I'm sorry. Time will tell, this bitter farewell. I live no more to shame, nor me, nor you. And you . . . I wish I didn't feel for you anymore" over a simple keyboard melody. There are no words to describe "the sweet piano writing down my life."
It is also a powerful deconstruction of the traditional verse-chorus-verse-chorus-chorus song development. The first few minutes seem to follow that order, but then the Dead Boy begins speaking and Tarja comes in with probably the simplest yet most beautiful song ending ever. Really, it's just six words, yet I can't think of a more majestic ending.
2. "Bless the Child" from Century Child
This is the most played Nightwish song on my mp3 player because it manages to combine all the majesty and beauty of a ten to fifteen minute epic song like "Ghost Love Score" in four minutes. One reason is the presence of spoken male vocals (the same voice, too, I believe) as in "Dead Boy's Poem." It also has the same theme as "Nemo" for an added angst benefit. To top it off, the operatic vocalizing at the beginning and end is just . . . amazing.
The music video to the song doesn't make much sense, though. I suppose it could, based on your interpretation, but I always thought the song was about an adult reflecting on their tragic, unloved childhood and wishing they could go back to improve it.
1. "Beauty of the Beast" from Century Child
Century Child is probably my favorite Old Nightwish album, since four of its songs made this list. This is also the final Tarja-era long epic here, and the longest. Even more than "Ghost Love Score," which did have a decided chorus, "Beauty of the Beast" does not and subverts the traditional song structure far more. Each part stands alone and could be its own award-worthy classic song order subversion, which is why each has its own title. Together, though, they form a powerfully majestic work of art.
I personally believe this song is about The Phantom of the Opera for several reasons: 1) It followed Nightwish's cover of the title song on Century Child. 2) Part III is called Christabel and contains the lyrics, "Dear sweet Christabel, share with me your poem. For I now know, I'm a puppet on this silent stage show. I'm but a poet who failed his best play, a Dead Boy who failed to write an end to each of his poems." Doesn't that sound like something the Phantom would say? And the randomly dropped name is Christabel, the French form of Christine. 3) These lyrics in Part II ("One More Night to Live"): "My home is far, but the rest is lies so close with my long lost love under a black rose. You told I had the eyes of the wolf. Search them and find the Beauty of the Beast. All of my songs can only be composed of the greatest of pains. Every single verse can only be born of the greatest of wishes. I wish I had one more night to live." Andrew Lloyd Webber could fit those into the musical without any continuity problems. 4) The title. Seriously. It's even used word-for-word in the musical.
Unfortunately, I was only able to find one full-length video to the song that interpreted it the way I do while there were hundreds on videos on YouTube featuring Phantom of the Opera and "Beauty AND the Beast." Sigh. Still, The Phantom of the Opera only serves to make this song even more epic than it already was and guarantees its gold medal status.
Honorary Mention: Songs I couldn't bear to not exclude from this post.
From Angels Fall First: "Angels Fall First", "The Carpenter", "Elvenpath", "Astral Romance", "Tutankhamen"
From Oceanborn: "Gethsemane", "Sacrament of Wilderness", "The Pharaoh Sails to Orion"
From Wishmaster: "She Is My Sin", "Come Cover Me", "Two For Tragedy", "The Kinslayer", "Bare Grace Misery", "Deep Silent Complete"
From Over the Hills and Far Away: "Over the Hills and Far Away", "Astral Romance"
From Century Child: "Ever Dream", "Forever Yours", "Feel For You", "The Phantom of the Opera"
From Once: "Dark Chest of Wonders", "Planet Hell", "Creek Mary's Blood", "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan", "Higher Than Hope"
Listening To: "Beauty of the Beast" by Nightwish, of course
Reading: Onto Book II of Paradise Lost
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