Not sure why you'd want to read this, but I want to share it so here we are.
I've had an obsession with sharing the music I listen to ever since I started curating my own MP3 library (and I'm really glad I have; I have absolutely zero interest in music streaming. Bye bye, endless Spotify ads.) So, I finally put a bit of effort into gathering and listing my top 100 tracks, as of today!
For the version without comments, go here if you're not interested in the comments or want a quick way to look up the numbers (I often reference other tracks with just their number).
(I'm providing a YT link to each song, if possible, else wherever the track happens to be published. If it's a single video containing the whole album, I'll timestamp it so it should automatically play the specific track.) The idea is that you listen to each track as you read the comment, to hopefully shed more attention on the artists I love, and so you get a better idea of what I mean.
Note from 2024: Ye I'm not going into the trouble of making a list like this again, but already in late 2023 I found some tracks that would've definitely made the top 100 if not the top 20: Let It Happen, Pizza Guy and 目覚めのエチュード, to name a few.
Honorable Mention: Matthew S. Burns – Behind the Scenes
The music of EXAPUNKS was truly something special, very hacker-feeling but not so dramatic as to distract from the puzzle-solving. (The game got INSANELY difficult at times, and the music couldn't allow breaking the player's train of abstract thought.) This is my favorite one, just because of that synth at 0:10.
This is the absolute climax of Ori and the Will of the Wisps' magical feel, in contrast to Ori and the Blind Forest's rather bland energy. The cutscene really emphasizes this with its gorgeous colours, gradients, contrasts and imagery. The solo violin flageolet at 1:19 is what initially spiked my interest in this track – for some reason, as I said before, I really like ostinatos –, everything before that of course is also great. Sadly, because this track plays right before the final boss, it has quite an unsatisfying ending.
My favorite out of the 11 unreasonably good tracks for my ancient and terrible game The 6-Digit Computer, this one plays in a trivial, badly designed solitaire minigame which is impossible to lose. I enjoy how the chords "fade in and out" in the beginning, the piano chords and how they work together with the synths, the piano solo at 3:12, the instrument at 4:00... generally how everything works together despite being unique – simple heterophony at its finest. Excellent.
Another one by Matthew S. Burns. He's the composer for pretty much all Zachtronics games, so I had quite a bit of contact with his music, and again, much appreciation for making bangers that don't distract from the heavy thinking. Here, it's again the synth and its main melody that capture most of my attention and deliver the most ecstasy, although the other instruments, CRUNCHY percussion and clean percussion, and the strings later on all add up to something similar to #99. A real symphony of electronics.
Infinifactory's music tends to have very slow buildups to climactic-feeling-but-not-overly-dramatic climaxes. You'll notice the actual "drop" with its main melody is all the way at 1:32 – Matt's really testing my patience. But then he uses one of those really cliché chord progressions that still just work super well. While my focus is on the main instruments, it's really those distant background chords that make up most of the atmosphere and ecstasy.
Same story as with #97 – very long buildup to a tame climax at 1:32 (exactly the same time as well!) Really love the panning of echoes of the main melody here, really makes for an interesting listening texture.
I was kind of surprised this landed so low on the list – but then again, all of these tracks are masterpieces, so it's not really a criticism ig. That soft piano melody once brought me to tears. Not much more I can say, it's just beautiful.
How do I know about this track? From the horrible but nostalgic Wii game Vertigo – and I didn't even own a Wii, my uncle just found me a cracked version of this game for PC! How? Yeah so anyway, surprisingly, the original track has much more of a buildup akin to #97/#96 (in-game it just starts at 1:03). It was from my favorite world, too, Ecos Orbit (alien spaceships in space above a planet). I really appreciate its repetition and slow changes/additions to the melody and percussion, for some reason – I found that I generally like such qualities in music, probably even more than tracks which change constantly.
Here's the one with an inappropriate-sounding name... I had originally looked up Puzzle Dimension's soundtrack out of curiosity, since it was a childhood game of mine, but after hearing that melody at 0:40... I just had to try to recreate it (and fail miserably; my track had nothing of the ecstatic power of the original). The non-retro version is also really good and has kind of 2000s synthwave vibes (?) near the beginning. I also like the arpeggio in that version at the drop, but sadly the main melody falls flat as it's too quiet and doesn't have the echo that the original has, hence why it sounds a bit empty.
The source for this one could make some of you laugh awkwardly and think "no way this is actually, properly ecstatic-sounding". Well, it is. I adore the rustic and natural sound of Analogik's instrumentation (and some other tracks that I'll get into later) – especially that pot in the percussion – and their melodies really are ear-catching. Finally, the explosion at 0:52 is an excellent touch to get into the drop.
Gareth Coker's music for the Ori games, while definitely superb, does sometimes leave me feeling like it's a tad too... artificial. Even though the solo instruments do have obvious human touches, such as slight variations in dynamics (this is more true for Ori and the Will of the Wisps' soundtrack), sometimes the "perfection" of the orchestra's playing is just a bit too dull compared to #92 or the Machinarium soundtrack, which is coming up. Coker compensates for this with some truly excellent chords – when I was playing this piece on violin for a concert, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed putting emotion into the chords at 0:58 and 1:24 – just as much as that succulent major ninth in #45. But really, it's the unbelievably soft piano and voice melody at 1:46 that absolutely sells this piece to me. It's unreal, even more so when paired with the cutscene. The tears were almost obvious.
Pretty sure this is the last mention of Matt we'll see on this list. This one in particular takes my attention by the strange bells beginning at 0:45. As I mentioned before, I really like it when an instrument has "organic-sounding" variation in dynamics, panning and timbre.
This track belongs to the "straight bangers that use conventional and cliché techniques very well" category, as do Weapons of Mass Destruction Pt. 1 and the main theme. I'm a big fan of the "segmentation" this track uses, especially prominent between 1:20 and 2:00, where sections of "high intensity" (i.e. including the main melody/instrument) are interrupted by sections of "low intensity". It gives the track a funny, unique kind of rhythm; I don't really know how else to describe it.
This track has such a fantastic and infinitely magical feel at the end (starting at 1:40), capturing all of the game's energy in a few powerful chords... and that final voice performance at 3:22... absolute chef's kiss right there.
How did I find out about this oldie? From a Polish radio station that I listened to passively every day before school, duh. I used to think the guy was singing "blue-horned Ed" because he pronounced stuff so weirdly. You'll find these more "popular" songs mixed in with the obscure nonsense that makes up the majority of this list. For the time being, I just have a single playlist of these songs – one day I might look into the authors some more.
Oh look, it's me! Yeah, surprisingly, with this track I kind of won the "cool sounding melody" jackpot, especially after the drop at 1:26 and especially when the drums get louder at 1:43. The track in general has a lot that can be improved, obviously, but the ending still sounds pretty cool imo.
Hey look, classical music. I found out about this guy from a TwoSetViolin video about modern composers, and of course this piece took my attention. I don't think I need to explain why.
Robert Ellis! You damn master of making so much out of so little! The soundtrack of TAG is wonderfully retro and "low effort" in the best way possible. What I mean by that is the 4/4 time signatures, 4-bar-long motifs, 8-bar-long sections, soundfonts with no variation in their sound. It's basically how I used to make music (check out the unfinished Crystal Ninja soundtrack) – just writing the notes in MuseScore. The reverb I added with Audacity afterwards was almost a luxury. Why did I say low-effort in the best way possible? Because it's incredibly charming, just like the game itself.
Now this, this is just a straight banger. No wonder the dorian scale works so well in pieces that just sound cool.
So, Machinarium's soundtrack is a masterpiece in and of itself, but these remixes make the original tracks into great bangers – although I do prefer the 5/4 metre of the original melody; I feel like this remix slightly "bastardizes" it.
This guy will be very prominent on this list, from his soundtracks for Fred Wood's LOVE game series (which... well, the name is fitting in my opinion, but I bet your idea of this game is completely different from what it actually is). This is an absolute classic, the most listened to track on his Spotify. Some excellent lofi beats. I'd say this track perfectly describes the vibe of the game, but the whole point of the game and its soundtrack is that every level has a unique vibe.
Hey look, another extremely obscure track, this time from the 2009 Flash game Amberial Axis. Yeah, not much here apart from bangerism – although, again, my attention is caught by the arpeggio that continues even after the drop.
And right after one of the most obscure titles, we have one of the most generic titles. I probably don't need to explain why Sweden is on this list.
Ghost's Lullaby has a strange quality, not just calmness, not just some kind of cosmic peace, but its beauty in the civilisationless, secret alcoves of nature, in those places only accessible to humans via their imagination, perfectly described by the image the uploader chose to use as the thumbnail. Definitely beats all other tracks in Crayon Physics' soundtrack.
Initially, this track may seem bland and uninteresting, but a lot of these have just one really good segment that basically carries the whole track. In this case, it's 2:42. Of course, I adore the whole Stray soundtrack because of its Machinarium-like organic qualities, but when we're talking about the best of the best, I just gotta choose segments that give me those ear-gasms, and this is one of them. Not just an uplifting melody, but played by a very irregular instrument, with some subtle accompaniment and some beautiful "pots-and-pans"-sounding percussion. Can't wait to hear this through some open-back headphones.
James has a real talent for naming his tracks; his abilities are almost as good as mine. This one really does feel like an apex.
All of C418's Update Aquatic tracks sound awesome (the first time I heard one of them in-game I was blown away). This one's just the peak of what they're capable of feeling like, with its cool piano melody, interesting instrumentation and irregular melody in the strings (or whatever that was).
Banger. No more words needed.
This artist is pretty much the king of bangers. All of their tracks on this list are here for the same reason: raw, huge energy. Makes Crazy sound like Completely and Utterly Sane in comparison. The highlight of all Rising tracks is that high sawblade-esque synth singing the main melody; it always stands out very much, although the accompaniment is absolutely necessary as well.
This remix has a trace of the "cleanliness" or "smoothness" energy ("clean" in the meaning "that was a clean speedrun of level 3" – I don't know how to explain it in any other way) that will reach its climax at #33, while also maintaining some of the "choir-y" and "still life" energy of the original. It's an interesting listen.
C418's splendid, dare I say succulent piano chords paired with those really emotional and harmonious vocal samples. Sign me up.
The first time I stayed a tad longer in the main menu... oh boy. Q.U.B.E. DC's soundtrack in general is so perfectly tailored to the game's atmosphere, much like Portal's (I remember one person writing that Q.U.B.E. is a "worthy successor to Portal" and I find I agree a lot). The lone piano symbolizing the solitary protagonist, the strange "groany" synths accompanying it in a symphony of mystery and alienness. The "motivational power" of the chords (akin to #60) only pushed the place of this piece further upwards.
#69 (nice) James Bennett – Hudson
This takes the heterophony in the strings of the original Spring by Vivaldi, strips away the "classical" melodical motifs and adds some lower, warmer tones to leave us with more of a listening texture than a traditional concerto, and I'm a huge fan.
Sorrow Pass and the Valley of the Wind were by far my favorite sections of Ori and the Blind Forest, the soundtrack being a huge part. It's a combination of feelings of adventure, freedom, the power of nature (only one person will get that joke) and a similar undescribed feeling to #78. I'll get more into it in #63's comment.
This used to be my favorite music disc in Minecraft because of those amazing echoey synths at the start. But then... it kind of changes tone. It doesn't get worse, just less ecstatic for me personally, which is why Mall beats Far.
The Pixel Escape soundtrack is full of these classic chiptune bangers, but this one feels the most energetic, climactic and... strangely mature at the same time. Especially the bit at 1:00 (which doesn't play in-game).
I can barely say I made this piece; all I did was add some audio effects to the original, made by misotanni as well. I just had to rerelease it (the original was made private). Also, funny story behind the name: the original was called just impression because it was in something called "just intonation" (which is why some of the notes may sound out of tune). I renamed it to just an impression because it makes more sense as a name (and also a personal reason).
This one's quite similar to #67, but significantly more inspirational, I'd say. It also plays in the best area of the game, Sorrow Pass. There's one room in this section where I stop for a while every time because it gives me those cool "secret emotions" (pay attention to the background especially).
There a reason why Baur's Reach is my favorite area of Ori and the Will of the Wisps: the blue-purply environment and of course the soundtrack, with those angelic percussion instruments (I've been told they're almglocken and crotales), the deep strings and the superb flute melodies.
The only singular track by Lena Raine that I will tolerate being in Minecraft. All others just have the wrong tone. But this music disc is quite fitting; and it's not only somewhat "clean" using my previous "definition", but also has a nice melody and vibe. The only part I don't approve of is the ending; firstly, too dark/bassy, secondly, too abrupt. Those wouldn't be issues if this was just a standalone track, but for a Minecraft music disc, they just don't fit.
This is another one of those "short section of bliss" type of entries. The Forbidden Tower in The Talos Principle is a very interesting place: Elohim, the "god" of the simulation where you play, tells you to keep away from it, and the black vortex and "makeshift" appearance of the Tower make it seem dangerous and evil. The music initially confirms those feelings, but then (at 2:08) suddenly becomes quite inspirational. What's special about this is such a tone is not present in any other place in the game. This is how, subtly, the game reflects the protagonist's feelings about the Tower: dangerous, but leading to the truth and to reality. I wrote a whole essay about this game, so I'm keeping this rather curt, but those motivational chords are truly special.
James is the master of making "clean" music, as this track flawlessly demonstrates.
This track has no right being as good as it is. It perfectly suits the secret room where all human minds are sent after being uploaded to the "cloud". It feels like a warm, safe bubble, and it really shouldn't fit in the fourth chapter of Will You Snail... but it does. Those sounds starting at 0:38 are so satisfying as well.
You know how sometimes you find one track by an artist and fall in love with their entire discography? This is the exact opposite of that. The rest of the album where this track is from is just completely not my taste. But this, this is perfect, in its lo-fi climaxes, chill melodies, amazing rustic guitar texture, and cool vibe, not unlike #78. (That melody in the middle is so perfect in its "clean" execution...)
There he is, the handagote man himself. Apart from the melody being super nice and memorable, you've got those satisfying mechanical instruments at 0:18 and that super satisfying second melody at 0:57. Floex's "analog" way of making music really shines through here.
This is a French singer, so you can really only appreciate his songs if you speak the language, because let me tell you, this is the first time I've heard songs which are truly nothing without their lyrics. And Maxime's lyrics are so playful, they rhyme in such unconventional places and follow unexpected patterns that it just wouldn't work if it wasn't in the form of a song, it wouldn't have even a fraction of that playful tone. As an experiment, read the lyrics first (use the Googol if you're a non-French-speaking fool) and then listen to the song. You will agree with me. This is why
Again a soundtrack which is a complete masterpiece in and of itself, but this one is among the "more masterpiece-y" ones. I really like how this soundtrack makes a lot out of a little, finds one or two motifs that it can keep repeating without it feeling repetitive. This is one of these examples: two motifs with simple homophony; the only part that changes is the instrumentation. And that part at 1:32... so intense... reminds me a lot of #27, coming up.
This one has a different tone to #55, but the same kind of playfulness with the lyrics (but this is really only something you can appreciate if you speak French). But again, while the tone isn't playful, it still retains Maxime's chill vibe which I absolutely love. And while I'm not interested in African culture (which I maybe should), the Zulu refrain is what initially captured my attention in this song, with its sudden modulation from minor to dorian and the performers being a whole choir, contrasting with Maxime's single voice.
It's Robert again! Let me ask you a question: how do you write a soundtrack to the final battle between the protagonist and an interdimensional demon who also happens to be one of the 3 gods of your universe? And how do you make it energetic and blood-pumping while also giving off the climactic and cosmic gravity of the situation? This is the answer.
This piece starts out sounding strangely calm... but don't be fooled, after all this is tiasu we're talking about. When the beat drops, it drops hard. Not much to say here that I didn't already say about #73 – and the reason #17 is so much higher on the list is because of how long it takes to come to the actual melody (2:17... wow). And it's not like with #97 or #96 – you've already got high-intensity stuff going on until that point, so the contrast isn't as evident.
Halfway point! _ensnare_ has been my idol of bangers for a long time. May sound repetitive in the beginning, but when it gets going (1:37), WOW that melody. Can't quite describe its tone... foreboding and dangerous, but also violent? And I love those chiptune "sound effects" (e.g. that sudden rising sound at 0:08) that _ensnare_ puts in their tracks; they sound so "clean" and well-placed.
Of the three tracks in the Inkwater Marsh, it's hard to pick a single favorite, but this one really gets the balance right between the rainy, scared, painful sound of Separated by the Storm and the peaceful, ambient, homey sound of A Shine Upon Inkwater Marsh, a sound that's moist and optimistic at the same time – and I love it. Inkwater Marsh is definitely my favorite area in the game, and all three tracks do it justice, just this one does it justice... the most.
HOME's Odyssey in general is not quite as amazing as I expected, but pretty good nonetheless. Tides just has a really nice main motif (bordering on "long ostinato") – and when that secondary melody joins in with those high notes, it really completes the experience.
Back to super obscure tracks (and long comments)! This is one that I know from an obscure game called Blockball Evolution. Obviously I love the organic instruments (percussion, voice and guitar), but what caught my attention was the structure: after a brief intro we reach the first climax at 0:42 with a first "taste" of that amazing voice at 1:20 (I'm a real sucker for female voices... don't take that out of context). Then the "drop" becomes the new "norm" while we go through different submelodies, never really going down to the intensity of the very beginning of the track. Then at 3:34 the very slow climb begins up to the second climax at 4:51, where finally the voice joins the initial "bicycle" percussion. This makes for a surprisingly rewarding experience for the listener – the same theory as in #97 and #96, but applied to an "energetic" track instead of an "ambient" one.
Yes, I did find out about this track from the memes. And now, for "research", I listened to several other tracks by DVRST, and I can quite confidently say this one is my favorite. I really like how the lyrics in DVRST's songs are said in a way that you can hardly ever understand what they're actually saying; rather, the lyrics fulfill a rhythmic/acoustic purpose – the way they sound is important, not their content (especially the "thang" and "snapback" in the chorus and the "believe", "see" and "mile" in the verse). A huge emphasis is put on the rhythm of the bass drum, and I love that. I love the contrast between the excellent bass instruments and the melodic high instruments (piano and synth), and it's nice how the voice is easily noticeable despite being quite "in the background" acoustically – and, again, how it's used mostly as a percussion instrument instead of a melodic one. It's a nice change.
And now, a quite radical change from "bad thug" music to "good pupil" music. This has pretty much always been my absolute favorite violin piece to listen to, and especially to perform. I always get so emotional, usually my hands tremble and I need a rest afterwards. To me, it's Wieniawski's (my favorite composer, incidentally) "signature" work, the one which most emphasizes all the best or most important qualities of his pieces: the ABA structure, interjecting a major segment between repetitions of a minor segment; the way the major segment crescendoes into a climax at the end; the reliance on repeating central motifs; the simple monophonic melodic lines leading into chords; the delicate ending. I especially like that repeated motif at 2:52 with the D string held throughout, and that absolutely succulent major ninth at 2:46 – that's the one place in this piece where I just completely stiffen when playing, it's that powerful.
Ahhh.... nothing quite like the bliss of Departure. It plays in my favorite level, featuring a perfect foresty landscape (unlike the misty and suffocating marsh of Mist in the Mire, which I still really like) and an awe-inspiring sunset as you climb a mountain. Similarly to #77, there's a pretty long buildup to the "good part" at 2:47 (the buildup itself also being really good, obviously) – and then that simultaneously beauty-enjoying and nostalgic motif at 3:19 – again, like #54, making good use of just a handful of simple motifs – ending with that beautifully bittersweet theme at 3:51; the chords/double stops are what I think really make this one pop.
Misotanni's piano improvisations, especially those initially made for the strongly mediocre game Mordent, just ooze of portraying a single complex idea or emotion really well within a >10 minute track. It was a real pleasure for me to re-title these (which I'm writing another essay about). I could really go in detail about how creatively misotanni uses the piano to create so many unique yet similar ideas, and how they all link together strangely... but it would be enough to fill up a whole essay (which I'm writing!), so just enjoy it. (It took me a couple listens to fully appreciate some of the tracks from Tapes from the end of the world, for example A journey through time, so be patient.)
Welp, this is the highest any of my tracks on this list will go. I somehow miraculously won the "powerful motif" jackpot at 0:41, something I will further analyze in another essay. Now I just need to get around to remaking this track in a more modern electronic style instead of chiptune...
Yes, another meme song. A more ancient one, but still a meme song. Again one that sounds really surprisingly good in isolation, with so much nostalgic energy in that simple ostinato, almost toneless singing and the absolutely perfect and energetic climax at 2:18.
Obviously, the reason Funny Death only appeared just now is because their stuff is so good that it couldn't possibly be any lower. While Fugue is certainly not a fugue and has a super simple structure and melodies, the way the instruments of Real Is Magic Is Real are chosen makes for an amazingly bliss experience; it really feels like you're in heaven (which I guess is kind of the point given that the whole album is basically about love).
James is the master of making "clean" music, as this track flawlessly demonstrates.
Similar story to #41. That arpeggio synth from the beginning reminds me a bit of some of my own tracks – Crystal Palace and Glass Lake – I really like this timbre. And as I said in #47, I love... high-pitched voices.
I swear this isn't just nostalgia for Diamond Hollow 2... It's also the impressively entertaining panning, and the excellently forged melodies that make this track so memorable and pleasant to listen to.
The remix is better than the original? Yes, and this is again because of the super slow buildup that makes the climax at 3:21 so much more impactful (I have a hunch that I'm repeating myself...) and simply the different character of the two tracks. As a remix, this one is more aimed to be "banger-y" than atmospheric, in contrast to #56. However, the excellent semi-transcendent nature of the climax melody is maintained (if not improved).
The ultimate proof of the obscurity of my library. The only existing link to this track is from a single Discord channel where people sometimes gather to make music in a short amount of time. This was just left with the comment "hhhhhhhhhhh??????????????" and never publically published. (areit, if you have a problem with this link being here, let me know!) Shows you how obscure creators can sometimes make the most intense of bangers. (The original, while also good, doesn't even come close.)
This track has so much raw energy in its chords, melodies, strong lead instruments and fast drums, while the modulations and slight changes in tone (such as 1:22) are more nostalgic of classic Marble Blast Platinum music (which was the precursor to PlatinumQuest) – in particular Phil83's Endurance.
James is the master of making "clean" music, as this track flawlessly demonstrates.
This track is where I learned that "buildup - weaker climax - interlude - buildup 2 - super climax - ending" structure that works so well. Not much to say here – excellent melody, great choice of handpan for the lead instrument, "correct" chords and accompaniment make this track, while maybe not the most experimental, very well made.
Ahh, slow buildups to long and not very climactic but still somehow super climactic climaxes (0:45)... what especially caught my attention here, apart from the super groovy rhythm of the lead at the climax, is those "background" instruments, in particular that "steam exhaust" sound at 0:59. Listening for those is such a pleasure; it reminds me of #68, strangely, because of those various background instruments which "pop out" occasionally to play their little lead motifs.
Banger. No more words needed.
This is a super interesting track for the final level in LOVE 3. It simultaneously sounds like a machine due to the percussion, is not too huge-sounding (what I mean by that is for example the climax of #30) while still feeling climactic due to, I think, the combination of the repeated climax melody, the bass guitar supporting it with powerful chords, and the additional octave that appears a few bars into the melody. And again, we have that same structure that I love so much in #32, where the "real" final climax begins all the way at 2:08, and goes on for an impressive amount of time. I always find it impressive when artists manage to make something sound climactic with such a slow tempo and relatively sparse instrumentation.
I think the only comparison that could ever do justice to those first few bars is to a rainy day during summer vacation, that little moment of perfect bliss.
Okay, I may be biased with this one (because all other rating were perfectly objective, obviously), because I relistened to the soundtrack after playing the game (unlike for Unravel). This level really gives me shivers every time I remind myself of it; it's so cathartic and goes on for long enough that it doesn't feel like one of those "moments of tension" in a movie where there was barely any tension; no, this is a full 15-minute-plus level. Truly amazing how Coldwood managed to make a story moment so impactful in a story with exactly 0 words. Going back to the music, Frida and Henrik reuse their amazing ability to make much out of little; that really satisfying violin solo interlude at 3:26 makes the return to the main theme at 3:58 feel so much more powerful, especially with the contrast between the "close-sounding" solo and the reverby strings afterwards.
I know from the first time I heard this track that this would be the best one in PlatinumQuest's soundtrack. And I honestly, truly don't know why. I'm sorry. I tried so hard to analyze this, but all I can think of is the sound of those opening chords, and the main melody, and just the weird tone that I am at a loss to describe. Like if you were sailing into the ocean with a purple dusk above you, but upbeat?
Well would you look at that. I picked something "mainstream" and "popular" for once. Yeah, Bones just hits hard. It feels strangely efficient, in the sense that every aspect is polished to be as commonly enjoyable as possible, and I think this has to do with clarity – clarity of the singer's diction, of the rhythm, of the melody and the drop (where, apart from the voices, there are actually super few instruments – but also obviously the memorability of the drop with that "aiaia" (no wonder it made it to mainstream memes) and I'd say also the pronunciation of the singers in the drop – I'm no accent expert, so the closest I can describe it as is slightly "ranch-y".
Actually quite similar to #25 at its drop. Super clear and efficient with its instruments. Found out about this from a random jam game – Neon Racer by Cmski – and practically begged the guy to tell me where the music was from. Kinda made a fool of myself. But I'm glad I did it. And now that I know who the original author is, I can listen to more work by them!
Waiting for the day I get good enough in Japanese to understand that intro... but meanwhile, I've got this absolute epitome of a chillwave track. The instruments are chosen in a way that every one of them fuels the tone in its own unique way, but the end result only works because of their combined characteristics – a great example of emergent properties in music.I really don't know what else to say, I just associate this track with middle-school nostalgia and it was the first one I listened to after finals.
Yeah... with its cool greens and turquoises, the Wellspring is definitely my #2 favorite area in this game, the music playing an enormous part in that. Those progressions at 1:19 really hit hard – but one mustn't forget the xylophone/marimba arpeggios at 2:18 backed up by the strings or the regular rhythm played by an instrument I don't know the name of at 0:36. Gareth always nails the tone in every one of his tracks, it's just that I personally prefer this tone to the others.
Unlike #66, which begins excellently and then gets a bit worse, this track begins mediocrely and then improves greatly. Already at 0:17 we have some wonderful panning ambience/echo sounds. And then, surprisingly enough, I most fell in love with the rhythm of the percussion at the parts at 0:50 and 1:53 while the amazing melodies just add to it.
And here we are, the reason I instantly adored _ensnare_'s music! Again with those excellent "sound effects" (especially the "ba-ka---ka-kuh" at 0:10 – great description, I know – and that one that's panned at both sides equally but somehow doesn't sound like it's in the middle – I still don't know how that's possible, delay maybe?) And this one even has a great countermelody one third through to counteract some of the monotony of this style of music. What I especially like is how the melodies don't just repeat after 4 bars, but goes on for longer, similarly to tiasu's work. Finally, it's the title that hooks me – it either suggests retro video game logic (enemies dropping coins or gems) or a "thug-like" authority of the narrator, which ties in with the general "authority" and "confidence" of _ensnare_'s work – something I'll get into with #1. (Spoilers?)
Interesting how James's style can cover so many different tones, while still being clearly a single style. This piece is just super epic, grand and sorrowful in a way, as the title implies. It makes me think of the afterlife with its awesome, inspiring-sounding wide synths at 1:20. Very cool stuff.
Hey look, the one song by Daft Punk that everyone knows. And again, same story as with #57 – don't like anything else by this artist. But yeah, the absolute cleanliness of 0:21 is breathtaking, and the way the track pulls as much as possible from its basic elements – especially evident near the end at 3:20 – yet not feeling like it ovestays its welcome. I always respect such an acute sense of appropriate length in artists.
The absolute pinnacle of tiasu music – but not the pinnacle of bangers, no, not yet. Starting with a tune that's just insanely groovy and confident right from the beginning, the track then rises gradually through various instruments to its lead melody at 1:00, and it is, again, just excellent. Really strong homophonies in the other instruments backing it up, that really cool synth coming in at 2:13 and providing a nice countermelody, followed by a splendid solo – this track really has it all, done to the best of tiasu's ability.
(I can feel Mr Lloyd writhing...) Yeah, so Graze the Roof was already my favorite track in the original PvZ soundtrack because of its amazingly powerful main motif, so when someone adds some jazz chords and drums into it, empowering that melody even more and focusing on its power, you know I'll just love it. This track is so wonderfully performed and arranged that it really takes it from a good track to an exquisite masterpiece.
There's a reason these guys are called the Friendly Fires – this track sounds just so friendly and warm – seriously, no pun intended. I think it's because of the singer(s)' voice(s), their specific timbre and accent, as well as the audio editing done to make them sound like a chorus, making me seriously unsure if it's just the one guy or an actual chorus. Also the instrumentation, consisting mainly of warm analog instruments, with the few synths having that distinct "early synth" sound to them (0:28 and 1:07). And of course those beautiful falsettos (have I mentioned how I love high-pitched voices yet?) at 0:51. Finally, I have to seriously give props to the mastering, because the drop has one of the fullest, widest sounds I've ever heard, easily beating some of the stuff higher up on the list.
These next four are super similar in their tone and reasons why I picked them: partially nostalgia for ESJ, Geometry Dash and even Dash Till Puff in the case of #12, partially just their completely masterful banger energy. (The "whoosh" at the start of the drop is what brings me special pleasure in this one.)
EnV just has this ability to completely fill the waveform with noise, and quality noise at that. His pieces are so clearly loud, and I love it. (The part at 1:15 is the hook for me in this one, and especially those tiny moments of silence thrown around there.)
Nothing that hasn't already been said before. (Again, it's those moments of silence that really accentuate the noise that follows.)
This one's the top one out of EnV's tracks on this list – partially stronger connection to Geometry Dash (I think there was some level in particular that used this song), partially the more "serious" and mysterious tone, partially that instrument at 0:32, partially the sound effects, partially the various ornaments in the lead such as the trill at 1:02. It feels kind of final in a non-climactic way, somehow.
Top ten! You know I had to include the Sunken Dungeon theme from Mordent. It always struck me as special, but only after rebranding it to this unusually long title did I see a whole other perspective of what it might be communicating. I'm writing a whole essay about titling tracks and this one will be one of my main examples, so stay tuned for a longer comment. (By the way, here is where I officially stop wanting to dance to these tracks; I have to remain as still as possible or else their perfection will overwhelm me.)
Wow. Just wow, that drop. The original just barely didn't make the list, but this is completely something else. Even compared to #35.
And now for a complete and utter change of genre, we have a prototype track from Ori and the Blind Forest. I think it's specifically the context of this track being a prototype, as well as those amazing background animal sounds in the beginning, and the contrast between this track's actionless bliss and the purposeful nature of the actually included tracks that elevated this track so high. I love unused/prototype content (something I'm writing an essay about) and this track pretty much checks all the boxes that make for good unused content.
There's not that many tracks that I can fall in love with after the very first second, which is why this one gets place #7. If you're still somehow not convinced that Funny Death is a music wizard, this is the proof. Arguably, it's a bit actionless and almost repetitive, which is why it didn't rank higher, but I'm convinced that those first seconds are the best seconds of audio I have ever laid my ears upon.
This is, I think, the hands-down best example of well done homophony on this list. A completely perfect lead melody and excellent supporting instruments that do everything only to make that melody more powerful. And the different parts of the melody all leading to the part at 1:18. And the fact that the very ending of the loop is one of the main high points – it's like a violin technique where you end a long note with an extra accent, an extra bit of "oomph" to make it sound more powerful. Maybe not the best banger on this list (that would be #4), but certainly among the best of the best.
The ultimate example of my love for good ostinatos. The tone was nailed down perfectly, and the choice of instrumentation is somehow completely, 100% perfect – every single instrument and every single change in their sounds was perfectly tuned. I don't think I can say anything more here, this is starting to go far beyond the realm of words.
I don't think I even need to mention the superb melodies, chords, panning and ornaments; that's kind of a given at this level. So instead I'll focus on the tone of this piece: you know when you're fighting a super hard boos and by the end, you're shaking, you have tears in your eyes, you legitimately feel like you're fighting for your life? Well, the section starting at 2:15 – and especially 3:09 – and going on all the way until the end manages to make that feeling. That transposition at 3:23 really screams "actually, there's one more final phase!" and I love that; it's such a generously complete piece without being palpably repetitive.
The respectable #3) Funny Death – Break The Ice
There's not that many tracks that I can fall in love with after the very first second, which is why this one gets place #3. Despite there only being 4 unique chords, somehow they still sound gloriously shy and humble. And then the whistling synth at 1:57... I have no words for that. What I also really appreciate in this track is – bear with me here – how profoundly the purpose of each section is shown. It's hard to explain – it's kind of like if a doctor patiently explained the purpose of each step of a complicated surgery to you, but while doing it. Even the sections that don't sound as "insanely ecstatic" to me I appreciate because of how clear their purpose in the structure is, for some reason more so than in other tracks – even those higher up on the list.
The glamorous #2) Obscuresounds – Arkanoid (Nostalgique remake)
"Obscuresounds" alright, this is pretty damn obscure, another BlockBall Evolution track. Those echoey synths starting at 0:51 really give this piece a cosmic, transcendent tone, which is put on maximum at 2:13, officially the best drop in existence. What I also appreciate is the same structure as #47, never really dropping in intensity from after the introduction until the resolution, just rising. But yeah. That drop. Nothing else comes close.
The unbeatable #1) Funny Death – Sentai
To be honest, despite the fierce competition, this wasn't really a dilemma. After the intro, when the first melodies come in, they just sound so confident in how well they sound. And then comes the synth playing the lead melody that made me fall in love with Funny Death in the first place, the second best sound after #7. And then the section at 2:13 that, despite being an interlude, is just as intense as the 'verses' of the main melody. And then the reprise of the main chords at 3:15 with a rise in intensity up to the very end.
What can I say? This choice for #1 was, strangely, extremely obvious to me. It's like what I said before about that "confidence" of the music; maybe it's the mesmerizing, hypnotizing tone of the piece, maybe it's my personal connection to it. It's certainly something that goes beyond human understanding.