SNES Rainbow Road (theme)

"" is the theme from Super Mario Kart for the course of the same name, composed by Soyo Oka, that has been integrated into the theme of every Rainbow Road course throughout the Mario Kart series.

Composition
"" debuted in Super Mario Kart for the Rainbow Road course. It is a arrangement in key of  divided into two main sections. The first section of the theme is primarily based around a Isus to I chord vamp (notated as C13sus - C13) with an open bassline that alternates between the 1st note (also known as the ), the 5th note, and the octave 1st note of the key.

The two sections are separated by an 8-bar bridge that features two main motifs that have gone on to reappear many times throughout the Mario Kart series. The first motif is a rising over a tonic  bass, where the theme rises from a C major 7 chord to a  chord, then to a  chord, and finally to a  add 2 chord, all while the bass remains in the key of C major (notated as Cmaj7 - D/C - E♭/C - F(add2)/C). This results in a I - II - ♭III - IV. The second motif is the open leap in the melody between the 5th, 1st, and 5th notes of the chord (G, C, and G in this case).

The second section of the song is a combination of the second motif from the bridge, featuring jumps between the 1st and 5th notes transposed down a fifth and harmonized with four-part synth harmonies, as well as the first section of the song, featuring vamps between I and Isus chords.

Reuses
In WarioWare Gold, a much slower version of the bridge section from the original "" plays during the Super Mario Kart microgame.

Arrangements

 * For additional arrangements of "", see (theme) § Arrangements.

Mario Kart 64
The theme heard in the Mario Kart 64 iteration of Rainbow Road, titled "N64 Rainbow Road (theme)" in the Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack, shares some elements with "". Like the Super Mario Kart theme, "" begins with a Isus chord to I chord progression. Also like Super Mario Kart, the melody of the theme is based around jumping and walking between the 1st and 5th notes of the chord.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit
The Super Mario Kart version of Rainbow Road returns as a retro course in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, along with a new arrangement of the course's theme.

The opening of the theme heard on Mario Kart: Super Circuit's iteration of Rainbow Road features the first motif of "", this time in the key of D major: an ascending I - II - ♭III - IV chord progression over a tonic bass (notated as D5 - E/D - F - G(add2)). However, the tonic pedal only extends to the II chord in this arrangement. Using this motif as the opening for the theme would go on to become a common element of "Rainbow Road" themes throughout the Mario Kart series.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
The theme for the Mario Kart: Double Dash!! iteration of Rainbow Road uses the first "" motif as its opening with a I - II - ♭III - IV chord walkup in the original key of C major, similar to Mario Kart: Super Circuit's Rainbow Road theme. However, this arrangement makes a couple of changes. It does not feature a tonic pedal, and it changes the IV chord in the progression to a V7sus chord, replacing the F(add2) chord with a F/G chord (notated as Cmaj7 - D - E♭ - F/G).

This arrangement returns in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, titled "Rainbow Road (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)", where it can be played on the Mario Circuit stage, and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, now titled "Rainbow Road - Mario Kart: Double Dash!!", where it can be played on any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage.

Mario Kart DS
The theme for Rainbow Road in Mario Kart DS opens in the key of D major with the I - II - ♭III - IV chord progression motif from "". The tonic pedal from Super Mario Kart also returns, and like Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the I - II - ♭III - IV chord progression is changed to a I - II - ♭III - V7sus chord progression (notated as D - E/D - F/D - G/A). Additionally, the funk bassline in this version is clearly inspired by the bassline from the original "".

The melody of this arrangement's second section not only showcases the "" open fifths motif, but it is a rhythmically altered reinterpretation of ""'s bridge section melody.

Mario Kart Wii
The theme for the Mario Kart Wii iteration of Rainbow Road, titled 「レインボーロード」 (Reinbō Rōdo, "Rainbow Road") in the game's the platinum soundtrack, opens in the key of D major with the I - II - ♭III - IV chord progression and tonic pedal motif from "" (notated as D - E/D - F/D - G/D). However, this arrangement adds a twist to the original motif. Instead of the repetition being an exact copy of the preceding ascending chord progression like in Super Mario Kart, the repetition instead descends in a I - ♭VII - ♭VI - V pattern, keeping the tonic pedal until the ♭VI chord (notated as D - C/D - B♭/D - G/A).

This arrangement returns for the same course in Mario Kart Tour with its introduction in the 2023 Space Tour.

Mario Kart 7
returns in Mario Kart 7 as a retro course along with a new arrangement of the "" theme. This arrangement is very similar to the original heard in Super Mario Kart, but the synthetic percussion from the original has been replaced by realistic-sounding percussion.

The Mario Kart 7 iteration of "Rainbow Road" opens with a chord progression in the key of E major clearly inspired by the I - II - ♭III - IV motif from "", but it is not identical. The arrangement instead opens with a I - II - ♭II - I progression with the ♭II being held for two bars instead of one, and the underlying tonic pedal making a return (notated as E - F#/E - F/E - E(sus4)). Additionally, melody of Mario Kart 7's "Rainbow Road" is based around the 1st and 5th notes of the key, a clear callback to the second motif from "".

When the player drives on the moon section of Rainbow Road, a softer, more ethereal arrangement of the course's theme can be heard.

Mario Kart 7's "Rainbow Road" also returns in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, titled "Rainbow Road (Mario Kart 7)", where it can be played on the Rainbow Road stage, in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, where it can be played on the Mario Circuit stage, and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, now titled "Rainbow Road - Mario Kart 7", where it can be played on any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage.

This version of the "" theme is reused for its respective course as well as its RMX variants, RMX Rainbow Road 1 and RMX Rainbow Road 2, in Mario Kart Tour with their introduction in the Tokyo Tour, Super Mario Kart Tour, and New Year's 2021 Tour, respectively. The arrangement of Mario Kart 7's "Rainbow Road" is also reused for its respective course in with its introduction in the 2019 Holiday Tour.

Mario Kart 8
was added as a retro course to Mario Kart 8 in The Legend of Zelda × Mario Kart 8 DLC along with a new arrangement of the course's theme, titled "" in the game's original soundtrack.

In the theme heard in the Mario Kart 8 iteration of Rainbow Road, titled simply "Rainbow Road", the transition between the bridge and the beginning of the theme uses an altered version of the Mario Kart Wii take on the I - II - ♭III - IV motif from "" all over a tonic pedal bass key of. While Mario Kart Wii included a I - ♭VII - ♭VI - V descending chord progression, Mario Kart 8 changes the V chord to an additional ♭VII chord, resulting in a I - ♭VII - ♭VI - ♭VII chord progression (notated as A♭ - G♭/A♭ - F♭/A♭ - G♭/A♭). Additionally, the main melody of Mario Kart 8's "Rainbow Road" features the 1st-5th motif from "", as it is largely based off of elaborations of wide fourth and fifth leaps mostly between the 5th and 1st notes of the key.

Like other courses in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, additional percussion is added to both of these arrangements when the player is in first place during the race.

The arrangements "" and "Rainbow Road" both return in the base game of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Mario Kart 8's "Rainbow Road" also returns in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, titled "Rainbow Road (Mario Kart 8)", where it can be played on the Mario Circuit stage, and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, retitled "Rainbow Road - Mario Kart 8", where it can be played on any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sees the return of Mario Kart 7's Rainbow Road, now titled, along with a new arrangement of the course's theme in Wave 3 of the Booster Course Pass DLC. The arrangement includes the standard version heard in the majority of the course as well as the ethereal arrangement heard in the Moon section. Additional percussion is also added to both of these arrangements when the player is in first place during the race.

Mario Kart Tour
In Mario Kart Tour, the theme heard while the player's opponents are being selected before a race is an arrangement of the I - II - ♭III - IV over a tonic pedal bass motif from "".

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games features an arrangement of the Mario Kart Wii version of "Rainbow Road", including the same "" motifs heard in the Mario Kart Wii original.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS includes a medley arrangement of "Rainbow Road" from Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart: Super Circuit titled "Rainbow Road Medley". It can be played on the Rainbow Road stage. This arrangement opens with the same I - II - ♭II - I chord progression and tonic pedal bass from Mario Kart 7. Additionally, the second section of this arrangement features the Mario Kart DS reinterpretation of ""'s bridge section melody.

The arrangement returns in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, where it can be played on the Mario Circuit stage, and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where it can be played on any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie
In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, an arrangement of the bridge and second sections of "" can be heard in "Buckle Up" when Mario, Peach, Toad, and the Kongs land on Rainbow Road on their way to the Mushroom Kingdom.

List of Super Mario appearances

 * For additional appearances of "", see (theme) § List of Super Mario appearances.