I propose we start calling the Sonic 3 music by different terms

Well, IMO, it only makes sense to specify something as "final" if you wanted to compare it with something "not final" as every released product is final XD.

Since we don't have a prototype of SK collection I'd find pretty weird if someone mentioned "the final Sonic 3 soundtrack" and meant the PC version. Before the proto for Sonic 3 surfaced nobody mentioned "Sonic 3 final soundtrack" either xD

 

I seem to have the problem of distinguishing between tracks that were changed between Sonic 3 alone and Sonic 3 and Knuckles (sometimes titled just as Sonic 3), and they were both released on the Sega Mega Drive. The title screen, the mini-boss, the invincibility, etc. Having to clarify I mean the mini-boss theme from Sonic 3 Alone, for example, is enough of a headache as it is without bringing the rest of this mess into it.

Back on track though, I usually only refer to the level tracks (CNZ, ICZ, LBZ) as "original" in the sense that they were the first versions officially released by SEGA. Apart from the prototype shared within the community, I wasn't familiar with the PC tracks at all, so they didn't have much of a bearing on what I was referring to when it came to these tracks.

I'll probably refer to the new music as the Origins soundtrack, and the soundtrack I am more familiar with as the Mega Drive soundtrack going forward. This also makes it easier for non die-hard Sonic fans to understand. An example of this is a friend of mine, an aforementioned non die-hard Sonic fan, who agrees and thinks this makes the most sense. His experience with Sonic 3 (and Knuckles) has been mostly through the original Mega Drive release, Sonic Jam and Sonic Mega Collection, and so there's no other connection to an alternate soundtrack for him to make up until this point.

 

I think there's an interesting philosophical question here on what constitutes 'original'. It's easy to say that the MD music is the 'final' (although the PC OST kind of makes that more difficult) but I think 'original' is a more loaded word. Dictionary definition states 'original' is the earliest form of something. Now I don't always think dictionary definitions are useful but I think this definition leans into the thinking a lot of people have when thinking of original.

For example, we can say that the 'original' design of Sonic was the one where he had a human girlfriend and a dumb looking band. That clearly never made it into the game and most people don't know about it. It's not the final design but it was the original one at one stage in development. I kind of do view the prototype designs of Sonic 1 as the original vision of the character even if it is really dumb.

But as you say, if we lead this line of thinking to its logical conclusion then it gets a bit ridiculous. Are Ohshimas sketches the original designs? They are the earliest! Thinking of FF, I do kind of view Nomuras sketches as the original versions of the characters. But thats obviously quite abstract and separate from the actual PS1 games.

I think there's two ways of viewing the original Sonic 3 OST here. And I don't think they contradict each other either.

1. The earliest original published product. At which point the Megadrive OST is the original.

2. The earliest OST for the game regardless if it was at a draft stage. At this point the Proto OST is the original (although we can't be sure to be honest that they were even the original intended tracks).

You can believe the Sonic 3 Proto OST is the original artistically while acknowledging its the original published product.

No idea if this post was necessary but thought it was interesting!

 

Such things usually sort themselves out. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with calling the proto tracks... well, proto tracks - and the final OST... Final OST or MJ tracks.

Revealing. I know.

 

Pretty much this. I remember when we finally found more than just the one Sonic 2 prototype, we had a big thread about what to call them from then on. It sorted itself out and we call them the Simon Wai and Nick Arcade prototypes. As long as everyone knows what you're talking about, it's all good.

 

Genesis/Original

PC/Collection

Prototype

Origins

It really is that simple. People will know what you mean.