Board 8 > Here is my top 10 VGM, plus 50 other songs that have never been in VGMC.

(+) Yeah! (+)

hi

This is a topic in which I will talk about my current top 10 video game songs. Before that, Ill talk about 50 other songs that Ive rated 9/10 or higher. These 50 songs have never been in VGMC before. Some of them Ive nominated before. Some Ive used in guessing games. Some Ive never talked about before. Itll be FUN and you will LOVE IT.

This topic serves multiple purposes. First and foremost, its a way to share music that I like. Youre certainly not going to like every song, but Im confident youll find at least one thing you enjoy.

Secondly, its a way to introduce music you might be interested in nominating for VGMC. My personal threshold for supporting a VGMC nomination is nothing lower than a 9/10, so theoretically all of these songs are supportable for me. That doesnt mean I will support it, but everything here is fair game.

Third, its a way to reflect on what songs have gotten into VGMC before. Some of these songs are from games without any VGMC rep, but some are deeper cuts from games or series with plenty of rep. A few you may even have heard before!

Fourth, its a way to show off my taste. I like a lot of really diverse music and I tried to pick 50 songs that reflected different aspects of my taste. I didnt just take the top 60 I specifically picked songs I would have something, however small, to say about. Some of these songs arent even my favorite from the game theres a Chrono Trigger song here, for example, and there are multiple Chrono Trigger songs I like more, including a few that are unused in VGMC. But Id rather talk about this one, which is why I picked it.

Fifth, its a way to actually do something with the massive rating spreadsheet I started almost three years ago. In that time, Ive rated over 3700 VGM from 0 to 10 in increments of .5. Most of them are 7 or higher, because I started the spreadsheet to help me keep track of music I actually like. But now I get to show some of that off! Yay!

Finally, Mr. Bones The First Thing is no longer my number 1! In fact, its not even in the top 10, and will not be appearing in this topic. GASP So consider this topic a formal crowning in of my new favorite song.

Each song will have a link, some light metadata, and an If you like (this particular thing), you might like this song, as a way to encourage everyone to listen and find new songs you might like. If youre on the B8 Discord, my goal is to run two listening parties once the list is done (probably 30 songs per party), but if you want to listen along with the topic, I certainly wont mind that either :)

Note that the top 10 are not bound by the same rules as the first 50. Many of them are returners. At least one won an entire VGMC. Try not to judge them. Also, feel free to predict them Ive used a few in lists and been a vocal fan of others, but some might just surprise you. Here are some hints:
2 Square, 1 Nintendo, 1 Sega.
2 songs are from before 1995.
2 songs are from after 2015.
1 rhythm game song.
3 vocal songs, plus 1 song with vocal samples and 1 song with synthesized vocals.
1 song longer than 8 minutes.
3 VGMC retirees, including 1 winner.
And the top song, which doesnt fit into any of these categories.
Have fun :)

EDIT: One more thing: if you want to listen along with the topic, I'll be posting the videos to this playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9FyX-bNcVjOsL5gZCrDvzK6HseoC4puk

Writeups to commence shortly!

Tag

tag

I nominate Azusa Chiba - Deep Mountains, Dark Valleys B

Ooh, hell yeah. Tag.

I added this to the OP. Here's a playlist that will be updated along with the topic:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9FyX-bNcVjOsL5gZCrDvzK6HseoC4puk

543. If you like vaporwave, you might like:
The 9th Annual Vanilla Level Design Contest
Abstract Map
Torchkas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvFF26nR1JY

Starting things off with quite possibly the most obscure thing on this list, a song made with the SNES soundchip featured heavily in the SMW hack Marios Mystery Meat that samples a 1983 song called Another Life by Kano. This is barely even eligible for VGMC, but the hosts gave me the go ahead...!

528. If you like Waterworld Diving, you might like:
Shinsekai: Into the Depths
Beyond Hades
Chikara Aoshima
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHFRp1ac2BE

One of many songs I enjoy that simulate the feel of exploring a deep underwater chasm and finding a teeming city in the abyss.

523. If you think Crazybus is too peaceful, you might like:
RuneScape 3
Chaos of Corruption
Ashton Mills (Mod Slippers)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5BI6V_cZRs

Apparently this plays in a battle with a Lovecraftian eldritch monster. Its probably even more effective in-game, but I love how abrasive and cacophonous it is even without the context.

522. If you like Mega Man X Opening Stage, you might like:
Mega Man X: Corrupted
Skyway (Hurricane Hoatzin Stage)
Dominic Ninmark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdoRRKcDOj8

Another barely eligible song, this is from a fangame without a release date. It features sharp, aggressive MMX samples that would give Storm Eagle a run for his money.

516. If you like music that doesnt take itself seriously, you might like:
At Least There Is Ceda Cedovic
The Elephant's Foot of Obnoxious Music
Harvey Rothman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHM65qXZFyI

This song is an experience. Just try to ignore the pig snorting throughout the first third. Or maybe dont! Do as you like.

I'll be posting five writeups each day until I am all out of writeups. This should give everyone time to catch up if you need to.

Loving this first song!

That doesn't surprise me! It seems like something you would like.

no time to read the OP yet but tag

Runescape music :>

If it's Temple of Aminishi, it's probably the music that plays during the fight with Seiryu, who is indeed corrupted.

I asked my girlfriend about the RuneScape boss and she had this to say:

it's a monster so incomprehensible that during one quest, the only way to fight it and its minion is to get blind drunk on very questionable moonshine. i died during that fight by drinking too much of the alcohol.

Sounds perfect.

I'll give the rest of the songs a listen in a wee bit. The second is particularly promising.

rwlh posted...

1 rhythm game song.

WAT also omg hype

Tracked!

Ive rated over 3700 VGM from 0 to 10 in increments of .5.

You really need to reduce those increments. Surely you've rated enough music by now that you can more narrowly pinpoint how much you like music! ;)

tag. i love rwlh music and i am excitied to see what it is now, Also how do you rank so many songs,

rwlh posted...

At least one won an entire VGMC.

Easy clap.

543. Torchkas - This song was really cool. Never really went anywhere, but it had such a great chill groove that I didn't care.

528. Beyond Hades - Also very chill, but had some darker parts that disrupted the vibe. I didn't dislike them, but they didn't really add anything other than breaking up the main mood.

523. Chaos of Corruption - No, thanks. I don't think I agree with the Crazy Bus comparison because CoC isn't outright adversive, but it definitely doesn't appeal to me.

522. Skyway (Hurricane Hoatzin Stage) - This feels like some epic Mega Man/20XX track. It wasn't short, and yet I kinda wish it was longer.

516. The Elephant's Foot of Obnoxious Music - Oh, hey. One I know. This song's just silly-goofy.

2.5 out of 5 ain't bad.

I remember you using Despair of Elferia in a list so I'll guess that for the VGMC winner. The 2 Square makes me wonder if it's Time's Scar though...

Oh hey, I found out about Mega Man X: Corrupted yesterday while I was researching the most recent SupraDarky VGME! Pretty great soundtrack.

tag so I don't forget this topic, judging from the ones posted already there's gonna be lots here I've never heard of lol

Happy to see some guesses and impressions so far!

HasteDeux posted...

You really need to reduce those increments. Surely you've rated enough music by now that you can more narrowly pinpoint how much you like music! ;)

I've actually considered that, but the reason I haven't is because I feel like then it almost feels like work, haha. My approach is basically look over the spreadsheet until I find songs I think I enjoy on roughly the same level (8, 7.5, 7, etc.), then scroll around until I find a few songs I like more, and a few songs I like less. Normally I can tell what number a song "feels like" as I'm listening to it, though sometimes the sheet convinces me otherwise, like if I think something is an 8 but I like a bunch of 7.5s more than it. It's definitely not an exact science, especially since opinions can change depending on my mood. Going into more precise increments would make it seem like more of a chore! At least I think it would - I've never tried it. (There are some borderline 9.5-10s that could basically be 9.75...)

I'll also say that below 7 is much more arbitrary, since I don't remember those songs nearly as much as the higher rated ones.

cakophon posted...

tag. i love rwlh music and i am excitied to see what it is now, Also how do you rank so many songs,

I don't even rank everything I listen to! I've been maintaining the spreadsheet since 2019 or thereabouts, whenever the last BOST was (the first song rated was Undertale - Undertale, at a 7.5), so that's probably why it seems like a big number.

That's still way more than I think I could have ever committed to. I did a rank 500 topic once, and it was awful.

<3 Shinsekai

rwlh posted...

...I wonder if Kentucky Route Zero has one of the vocal spots, but I doubt it.

Similarly I wonder if Wayward Daughter got put up there.

Can confirm that there is at least one song from the FFMC in the 50 9s (though not necessarily the top 10).

Would folks rather I stick to five songs/day, or drop down to three? I don't want anyone following along to feel behind.

5 is good for me.

Then five it shall continue to be!

513. If you like wistful songs youd hear around a campfire, you might like:
SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge
Industrial Fields (Jelly Fields) & Oil Rig
Matt Simmonds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NEs47xsfD8

This is the SpongeBob comes back to Bikini Bottom after moving away for ten years and seeing how the towns has changed without him or maybe how little its changed song.

496. If you wanted to vote in NFUNs Phantasy Star Online 2 contest but werent sure if youd like anything, you might like:
Phantasy Star Online 2
DYREINA
Mitsuharu Fukuyama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE6E8tC8CmI

I love the vocals, they really carry DYREINA for me, but theres also a lot of fun with tempos and time signatures.

467. If youve always wondered hey, what would an entire soundtrack of acapella music sound like, you might like:
Crash Twinsanity
Evil Twins
Spiralmouth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjtW_baldys

Crash Twinsanity is an endlessly creative soundtrack, with acapella ensemble Spiralmouth constantly contorting their voices in different ways. Evil Twins is probably the big song from the game, but if you like it, the rest of the soundtrack also offers more of the same!

462. If you like Secret of Mana Prophecy, you might like:
Secret of Mana (2018)
Prophecy
Hiroki Kikuta arr. Tsutomu Narita
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoNApmIPIJ8

Or you might not. This soundtrack is divisive as hell. Personally I love both versions. The 2018 one almost got in last year so I have high hopes for this year!

449. If you like literally anything by Hideki Naganuma, you might like:
Jet Set Radio
Grace & Glory
Hideki Naganuma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcxllvjUo2k

Naganuma has one of the most self-consistent styles if you like at least one song by him, youll probably like others. Grace & Glory is my favorite song from a great soundtrack; its unusually intense and final bossy for Naganuma.

Grace & Glory is cool... I haven't heard that one, but I'll come back to it. DYREINA I've known about for quite some time... I love it just like most Fukuyama music.

rwlh posted...

Going into more precise increments would make it seem like more of a chore! At least I think it would - I've never tried it. (There are some borderline 9.5-10s that could basically be 9.75...)

It's true that you won't be able to consistently rate everything accurately if you used increments of, say, 0.1. I don't think anyone can do that. On average over time, however, I'm sure you willl see a difference between the music rated a 7.6 as opposed to songs that are a 7.3.

HasteDeux posted...

Grace & Glory is cool... I haven't heard that one, but I'll come back to it. DYREINA I've known about for quite some time... I love it just like most Fukuyama music.

It's true that you won't be able to consistently rate everything accurately if you used increments of, say, 0.1. I don't think anyone can do that. On average over time, however, I'm sure you willl see a difference between the music rated a 7.6 as opposed to songs that are a 7.3.

I used .1 increments and my ranking was perfectly accurate and without flaw

Industrial Fields still messes me up whenever I hear it

HasteDeux posted...

It's true that you won't be able to consistently rate everything accurately if you used increments of, say, 0.1. I don't think anyone can do that. On average over time, however, I'm sure you willl see a difference between the music rated a 7.6 as opposed to songs that are a 7.3.

Maybe you're right. I think I do that already simply by virtue of having so much practice with ratings. Like sometimes in my head I label 8s as "low 8s" or "high 8s." Sometimes though I don't know until I actually get to placing the song. It's an interesting experience.

Knew the last two already. First three were all interesting. Nothing I found awesome, but songs I could appreciate. The "a capella" part in the middle of the Crash track was cool.

Of course I love Prophecy, and I forget that there's more song in Grace and Glory after the initial thirty seconds because they're so jarring. I like Naganuma, but not a huge fan of G&G.

rwlh posted...

528. If you like Waterworld Diving, you might like:

Diving is the best thing VGMC ever introduced me to do now I have dumb high hopes for this when I get home

I have updated the playlist, btw.

prophecy 2018 is cool beans.

Also I'm kind of surprised Grace & Glory hasn't made it in, given how there's a pretty big Naganuma contingent.

FFDragon posted...

Diving is the best thing VGMC ever introduced me to do now I have dumb high hopes for this when I get home

I'll be curious to read your reaction, as I feel like the association is more due to the game it's in. Stylistically, it reminds me more of Drakengard, due to repetition and parts where one of the channels abruptly cuts out.

Hey look, it's five more songs!

431. If you thought Clash on the Big Bridge should have lost in round 3, you might like:
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
The Glittering City of Yusnaan
Mitsuto Suzuki, Aska Kaneko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8tXcnEbF-A

My favorite discovery from the Final Fantasy Music Contest! I love how it gives off this vibe of happy but desperate, sorrowful but joyful at the same time.

418. If you like the Gimmick! soundtrack, you might like:
Jack Bros.
Dragon's Belly (Level 4)
Hiroyuki Yanada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2nNyXzdBe8

The Virtual Boy is home to some real musical gems, including this soundtrack. Did you know this is technically the first Megami Tensei game to see a North American release?

414. If you like intense boss themes with complex time signatures, you might like:
Kirby Super Star
Marx's Theme
Jun Ishikawa, Dan Miyakama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enhTx9gpzYA

I like other songs from Super Star more, but I really appreciate the batshit intensity of Marxs Theme. This song is just all over the damn place in the best possible ways.

413. If you like deeply atmospheric ambient songs, you might like:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Spirit Temple
Koji Kondo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XizN7NpgXg

Zelda dungeon themes are criminally underrated in the series musical pantheon. Everybody talks about Forest Temple, but where are my Spirit Temple fans? Spirit Temple has a main instrument (not sure what it is) that leads you on a winding musical pathway as you explore the dungeons physical pathways.

405. If you like chiptune workout music, you might like:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
Scene 1 (Fire!!)
Kozo Nakamura
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTWCnjyJmqo

Konami during the NES years really put out some amazing songs. The peak for me is probably TMNT2. Case in point: there are like two or three other songs from this game I gave a 9 to.

Hell yeah, a five-pack I can universally get behind!

Marx's Theme was a casualty of Gilvasunner going down. I'm fortunate to have found a replacement. It even breaks down the time signatures!

Up

I hope people are listening! Here's five more; see if any of them strike your fancy.

372. If you like DM DOKURO but think the Calamity songs that get into VGMC are too in-your-face, you might like:
Terraria Calamity Mod
Outcast of the Sulphurous Seas (Theme of the Aquatic Scourge)
DM DOKURO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF1tUy6QcPs

Again with the aquatic themes. I wouldnt call Theme of the Aquatic Scourge soothing, but it combines the inherent tranquility of water-themed VGM with the driving energy the Calamity soundtrack is known for.

366. If you like spooky horror music, you might like:
Observer
Wolfman
Arkadiusz Reikowski
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7hgEENsRvE

Lots of spooky horror music tropes on display with this song: rattling and clicking noises, oppressive sound design, a gradual build in intensity. Very effective at conveying a mood.

364. If you like New Age music, you might like:
Ecco the Dolphin (Sega CD)
Jurassic Beach
Spencer Nilsen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q5zs7mQHkU

The Sega CD Ecco games are full of New Agey type songs like this. This is my second favorite (I have Sky Tides ranked higher), but I think this is the better song, for whatever thats worth. So peaceful and haunting.

353. If you like Chrono Trigger but want to listen to a lesser-played track, you might like:
Chrono Trigger
The Brink of Time
Yasunori Mitsuda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=524Mi-kpICA

JFC this is the fourth link Ive had to swap in for this one song, a song probably everybody knows already. Uh yeah, this is Chrono Trigger. Ive always enjoyed the spooky yet peaceful vibes this gives off. Certainly one of the hidden gems from a well-traveled soundtrack.

346. If you like music thats big and kind of experimental, you might like:
Samorost 3
Taste of Tea (Cosmic Version)
Tom Dvok
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ9t1YNJakY

I have a hard time putting Taste of Tea into words. Its not experimental in that its particularly weird. It just doesnt have a definable melody, and its presentation is deceptively simple. But its very big. Give it a listen and youll see.

woah an Observer track, nice!

rwlh posted...

If you like DM DOKURO but think the Calamity songs that get into VGMC are too in-your-face

listen i tried

stay tuned for this year's tcal nom

Snake5555555555 posted...

woah an Observer track, nice!

I actually got this song from you! Back in a ranking topic from a few years ago. It made top ten!

Huh I kind of remember that now!

Up.

I assume you're all rendered speechless by how amazing the songs are.

vgm

Really, I'm just inspired to finally make my own 50 Isqcore list and somehow only put one each of Castlevania and FFXIV on it.