Unreleased Music

Much like game development, the creation of music goes through a gradual process that involves a lot of changes, replacements, and cuts. However, unlike piece of data, an unfinished recording or half-written song is capable of being enjoyed (unlike incomplete code, which is just unusable).

The following are the songs whose incomplete forms have, through some way or another, leaked onto the internet.

Sonic CD

Opening Theme

The earliest circulating version of the game, Sonic the Hedgehog CD (prototype 510), features a completely different opening theme than any other version. The tune is neither Sonic - You Can Do Anything nor Sonic Boom, and is entirely instrumental. Incidentally, the tune would be re-used in the fan-led Sonic 1 Megamix project over a dozen years later.

Speed Shoes

Despite the apparent lack of Sonic - You Can Do Anything at this stage of development, the Speed Shoes music was still based around the chorus of the song: however, this version is totally different, sounding much more tinny and featuring a notable amount of sampled vocalizations (not unlike the Launch Base Zone music).

Sonic 2

Death Egg Zone

The version present in the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Simon Wai prototype) is (intentionally or not) played at a much faster speed than the version in the final.

Oil Ocean Zone

In the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Simon Wai prototype), the music used for Oil Ocean is actually what would later become the music for the two-player Carnival Night Zone (not unlike Hidden Palace in the beta used the two-player Mystic Cave Zone music). However, this version is slightly slower.

Boss Battle

In the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Simon Wai prototype), the music used for boss battles (or, to be more accurate, the one boss battle) is much slower and more menacing.

Hidden Palace Zone

Music was actually written for the scrapped Hidden Palace Zone, which does not appear in the Wai beta (and, of course, Hidden Palace is inaccessible by normal means in the final). However, the tune is still linked to as Track 10 in the sound test. Due to the inaccessibility of the song by normal means, this qualifies as an unreleased song.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Ending Medley

Present in the Sonic the Hedgehog 3C (prototype 0408) is a piece of music (ultimately scrapped) based around the Sonic & Knuckles ending medley, featuring several songs from Sonic 3 (which was, of course, locked onto the game.)

Sonic Spinball

Theme Music

The Sonic Spinball (16-bit prototype) and some early USA prereleases featured theme music based on the themes from Sonic The Hedgehog and Sonic The Hedgehog 2. However, due to royalty issues, these were changed.

All Emeralds Collected

See above.

Game Over

See above.

Sonic 3D Blast

Unidentified Parade Tune

?

Open Your Heart (Jun Senoue Demo)

This very early version of Open Your Heart was found on SEGA's website. It seems to be a rough draft of the song, featuring only the first two verses and choruses. The vocals, instead of being delivered by usual vocalist Johnny Gioeli, are instead performed by guitarist and composer Jun Senoue. This would mean the recording pre-dates Gioeli's presence in the band, being the oldest recording of Crush 40 (or, as they would first be named, "Sons Of Angels") that exists.

Sonic Adventure 2

Live & Learn (Instrumental Demo)

Leaked on the internet, this early demo of Live & Learn is a mostly-complete instrumental of the finished song. The lead vocals are entirely gone, replaced with a synth lead (which plays a totally different melody than would appear in the final song, suggesting that the song had not been finalized yet). The guitar solo was also not yet present, and the drums are mixed differently (with the kick drum mixed much higher, almost like the version that would later appear on True Blue; additionally, a four-beat count-in is present during the intro that was edited out in the final).

E3 Theme

The teaser trailer shown at E3 (which featured only Sonic, Knuckles, and Eggman referred to by name and Shadow only appearing near the end featured an electronic tune not featured anywhere in the game.

Escape From The City (Instrumental)

The trial version of SA2 distributed to stores (featuring only City Escape) had a different version of Escape From The City: because of either the need to raise suspense or the song not being done yet, the lead vocals on the song are removed and replaced with another guitar lead.

Sonic Advance 2 Leaf Forest Beta

?

Sonic Heroes

Sonic Heroes (Demo)

Leaked onto the internet, this is an extremely rough attempt at what would become the game's theme song. This take covers only the first verse and chorus: however, none of the lyrics are written at all with the exception of the title ("Sonic Heroes"). As a result, the majority of the song is Johnny Gioeli screaming random gibberish.

What I'm Made Of (Demo)

Also leaked onto the internet, this is a rough draft of what would become the closing theme. It fairs slightly better than Sonic Heroes, featuring the introduction, an attempt at the chorus (which is only the first half of the chorus repeated twice), and ending.

Follow Me

?

Sea Gate

?

Grand Metropolis

?

Battle 3

?

Ocean Palace

?

Hang Castle 1

?

Hang Castle 2

?

Final Fortress

?

Two-Player Grand Metropolis

?

Miniboss

?

System Menu

?

Sonic The Hedgehog (2006)

His World (Instrumental)

On the game disc is an unused music file called "main_theme.xma". When opened, it appears to be a totally alternate instrumental version of His World. This is not simply an instrumental of the normal version, nor is it the E3 version.

Dreams Of An Absolution (Instrumental)

Another file on the game disc is " silver_theme.xma", which is an instrumental version of Silver's Dreams Of An Absolution. The lead vocals are replaced with a simple synth lead.

Worthy of note: a file called "shadow_theme.xma" appears and is also unused, but it is just the original Magna-Fi version of All Hail Shadow (as opposed to the Crush 40 remake used in the game).

Sonic Unleashed

(NOTE: These may or may not appear in the game, and they may or may not still sound the way they do now.)

Trailer Song

A song played in one of the earliest leaked Unleashed trailers. Upon close observation, this appears to be a significantly updated re-interpretation of the end credits tune from Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit).

Endless Possibility

First surfaced in the full-length E3 video is what seems to be the theme song to Sonic Unleashed.