Board 8 > Wickle ranks the Songs of the Undertale OST (OST #1)

(+) Yeah! (+)

First, if you want to know how I get this list, I have a topic of nominations here: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/76688259

Everyone gets one nomination at the start, and one more per voting poll I put up, which means everyone's now at 3 songs each. Each poll I randomize what will be the next 10 for the users of B8 that open my topic can vote on. You can read upon rules in the first post.

Anyway, to head onto the topic series, this is the first installment of me ranking the individual songs of an OST. Through Youtube, this OST had 101 songs total, pretty hefty but still was completable in a single day with minimal to do. I'll get the first couple songs eliminated in around an hour. I hope this series is enjoyable.
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Tag.
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Tag
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Tag.

Voted Rewrite, but Shantae would also be good.
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#101. Uwa!! So HEATS!!?
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyShNqRkQ1I" data-time="

For those of you that don't know, the Uwa songs are songs that play in the joystick config menu depending on your season. This song will play either during summer or while you're in Hotland. Not sure which. There's supposed to be 4, but I only count 3.

Anyway, it's actually not that bad of a melody, but not one that appeals to me in the midst of all these songs. I dislike when the melody is off and you just have an electronic bass beat there, for example. Is it worth the last rated song? Probably not for most other lists, it ended up here because I was pretty much grumpy.

Should I do a hint system? I know some like it, some don't. Coming up with hints is rough and might not be that fabulous of a system. Kind of think it's interesting to have predictions of maybe my top 10 though, but I don't have much of a reward for it.
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Not Dogsong like I was hoping, but whatever this is probably worse actually.
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good last place
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not Long Elevator?
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tag
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Zyxyz0 posted...

not Long Elevator?

the elevator sound effect counts as a song?
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https://tobyfox.bandcamp.com/album/undertale-soundtrack

70. Long Elevator

apparently so
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Long elevator is godlike
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#100. Long Elevator
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDQGK6ztbLs" data-time="

I actually gave it minor credit because I laughed my ass off that it was an actual "song." Why it's not last... Well, probably was some quick judgment where I was being irrational about the previous song, but whatever. It's not really fitting to be considered BGM, but it's slightly funny that it's on the OST. So, good call out, since it was next.
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#99. Thundersnail
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewxyxByJPP0" data-time="

I never did like this song, or put in the effort to actually beat that little mini-game, it just felt so useless. If there was ever a way to beat it, that is. But yeah, it just seems like it's doing way too many things, without ever having an appealing beat to me.
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One more for today.

#98. Uwa!! So Temperate
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHU4rpQUshg" data-time="

I scrolled down through comments, and found out I was not crazy for thinking this sounded like Kingdom Hearts. It's not really... that bad of a song, but I dislike how the bass is used (novel thought, something I said on the other Uwa!! song). Melody was also pretty off-putting.
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I think it sounds more Chrono Trigger than Kingdom Hearts tbh. At least the beginning anyway.

Anyway yeah not much to say until later songs probably.
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Unless you feel I dislike a song more than I should. I'll try to push through lower rankings quickly. Tomorrow I'll try to have one posted in between every E3 event, might be 4 or 5 songs if I get one out before, and I should be able to.
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surprised Ooo hasn't shown up yet
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Speed through the bottom 50 or so. Sucks to wait so long to get to the good stuff.
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I'll actually do a couple more today, it's not as late as I thought.

#97. Anticipation
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t62zFJATVPM" data-time="

The first combat song, ya know... with the first dummy. It's honestly really dull to me, like it draws inspiration from like one FF battle theme, but half-asses giving it a real tune. I don't particularly like what it did.
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It's called "Anticipation" for a reason. It's blueballing you.
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tag
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#96. Unnecessary Tension
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSPbX0lkTmQ" data-time="

Speaking of song titles representing the moment... Yeah, this was a dumb scene. As Toriel has been babying you through the ruins, she gives you this minor moment of reprieve. Tells you to walk to the end of a room without her. And this song plays. It's... honestly not that attractive to me. It was an unnecessary change of tune.
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Pretty reasonable start. Not a surprise to see all these OST filler songs going out. Still a few more to get through yet too.
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A couple before E3, and see if I can do what I said I'd do.

#95. Your Best Friend
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83jGCWCcBzc" data-time="

I'll expect this to be pretty controversial, one thing to note... I don't exactly like 8-bit. I can appreciate some soundtracks that are completely in it and when they do really good songs in 8-bit... but this is a song that's pretty simple, and also pisses me off at its highest note because I know that's supposed to be a trill, but a trill isn't really capable in whatever he used to program the song. Also... I hate Flowey, I could rant about Flowey for half an hour, but I won't. No one really wants to read that. (I actually probably could not rant about Flowey for half an hour, just complain for a little while)
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I like Your Best Friend but as long as Your Best Nightmare doesn't come next you'll hear no complaints from me.

(not real spoilers) *positions hands beneath lip of table in preparation*
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#94. Start Menu
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRT9vY2f7tg" data-time="

A little chiptune 8-bit melody. Aka how I literally said above that I don't like simple 8-bit songs mixed in with better music. I also really dislike that background, it kind of sounds like hail tapping on that kind of loose thin metal sheet that you hear in some movies. That cover like shacks and stuff.
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Actually a pretty damn good conference, but as promised... posting one in between, maybe two.

#93. Home (Music Box)
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANEsXjSiYxI" data-time="

Home is charming, Music Box themes are charming... The Music Box version of home... doesn't really spark anything with me. Maybe I placed it a bit low because of primarily listening to it right after Home, but also I don't feel like this track was really that necessary.
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#92. Mysterious Place
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC11HJ99Egs" data-time="

In Undertale, the entire game is mysterious. Every single place, character, and so on. So we have a place that's labeled mysterious, has glowing mushrooms that you can interact with and a door that you can interact with, but it doesn't open. It's a very minor easter egg with the dumbest goal to activate and I can't really see a way to enjoy this minor gimmick. I also can't really enjoy the high pitched noises that is basically the entirety of this song. Maybe it belonged lower.
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good topic
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PrinceKaro posted...

surprised Ooo hasn't shown up yet

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Ooo > Spookwave > Spooktune

the definitive ranking
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Ooo is not what you think it is, Shonen. Ooo is like hot steam, which you hear as the first thing in Hotland before Alphys's lab.
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#91. Chill
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4Ximn7nZdc" data-time="

I'm pretty sure this scene is still better if you just play his music for it instead. The song isn't much, it adds value to it, but it's not a great alternative to the music around it.
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Gotta get this one in quick.

#90. Ghouliday
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWP9s44i-YA" data-time="

This song is goddamn hilarious. But yeah, it's not that appealing of a song. Again, better options.
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h e r e s y
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#89. Confession
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzQyP99Q0pE" data-time="

There are points in this OST where I kind of just sit there like... "What really was the point of creating a song for literally this single small-ass moment?" This is a remix of a song I can't even name because it's not like every good song has memorable names, it's not like a classic OST where you hear a melody and can yell out the song name. So they reuse a melody for... Well, a no-kill ending for a single mini-boss battle. who by the way, is a chump in Genocide so it's like... why?

A few songs coming up will be just like that, where I question why they bother to exist.
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#88. Last Episode
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzhYcYwg4vE" data-time="

Similar circumstance, a song that's played once for the purpose of... Well, showing us that Mettaton is still around. Instead of just... ya know... maybe reusing his original song? It's a 7 second song that basically is just wasted space as a song.
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I didn't even realize Undertale had 101 songs.
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WickIebee posted...

it's not like a classic OST where you hear a melody and can yell out the song name.

Play an Undertale song in a VGM guessing game and see what happens
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Ooo
This is a good think I did not expect today.

Maybe one of the Dating songs are up next?
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crazygamer999 posted...

Maybe one of the Dating songs are up next?

wtf ace attorney has great music
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#87. Small Shock
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUJA3xRyVVM" data-time="

Same note, same length, played 4 times. It's a song. It's not bad in game, but it feels like there's something else that would have fit just as well just playing in the place this song does. Or better yet, starting with a couple of these shock sounds, going into Home, and then playing kind of a shifted version of Home that still expresses surprise. Not sitting on... one note for the entire visit.
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Yea... as much as I love this track in-game, it's a terrible track on its own
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#86. Barrier
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJfzf--xqeQ" data-time="

I know I'm a little overdue on songs that are just atmospheric, especially the one Karo is questioning me about, but yeah... I kind of quickly did these lower rankings. Some are higher because of a minor personal touch to them. This track... is pretty simplistic. You hear the air flow from behind the barrier, in game it just gives the feeling of almost being done with the game. However, it's also the kind of track that was unnecessary to be a track.
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#85. Live Report
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oi_XcH2sAw" data-time="

To be honest... I looked at the fact that there was Live Report and Death Report. Sat there wondering why two of these songs exist... Realized that one has basically one single use, and it's the better song. Maybe Death Report should be in this spot and Live Report should be in Death's spot... but Death is just better and fits Mettaton more. This song could have just not existed and Death Report be the only fake Metatton News song instead. Or he didn't have to report his stuff as news and could have just had "It's Showtime" play each time he showed up.
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#84. Respite
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-fyLcHg4iM" data-time="

This one's going to be odd. I'd normally love this kind of song, but a lot of times in a soundtrack like this, it's based on the contrast. Respite follows the following in the OST: All of Asriel's boss music, an emotional scene, and you feeling like you've accomplished something. And they continue songs that... like... feel like they're meant to be emotional but... just your emotions are calming down by that point. To me, Pacifist ending actually isn't... like the greatest thing on earth. I don't get why the choice exists to stay with Toriel or do something else exists, since there's no real feeling that the protag has a family to return to.

This song shows the attempt to make a touching scene... that just falls flat to me. And it's a wasted piece.
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Regards that PAcifist choice, I think it's totally legit that Frisk might have fallen into the underground by accident while seeking adventure or exploration, like some little kids do. That isn't the direction I took them, but it's a viable option.
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I don't know. I suppose I get the sentiment, since you've walked off the emotion of what happened before at that point, but I still think it hits hard enough.

Sure, the Toriel choice is not really much of a choice unless you really hate Toriel or are seeing the alternative, and I can't fault you for calling the game out for that, but I think it works for the rest of the scene. It's a nice capstone on everything in the Pacifist run.
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I'm not going to say people are in the wrong for having sentimental things with that scene.

It's especially the fact that you're truly rewarded for learning how to spare Toriel, when she would definitely be the first person you kill on any given run as you probably believed that you had to kill her your first time through. But it also just feels like it's the only choice, as Frisk's life prior to falling... doesn't exist in the game and is a very minor oversight.
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