Hey. Hey you. Yeah,
you
. Do you know what time it is? Its6pm! Wait, no, thats not quite right. Its RANKING TIME WOOOOO
After my last ranking (fictional characters by design), I said I was considering a ranking of settings by their status as vacation destinations. Id still like to do that, but you know, Ive been under some stress lately, and I just wanted to rank something easy. And whats easier than my old standby, ranking video game music? Maybe ranking, like, letters of the alphabet would be easier, or whole numbers between 3 and 5. But Im in a music mood, so this is what youre getting! (If you were looking forward to the setting ranking, dont worry: itll still probably happen eventually.)
Rules
This will be my third VGM ranking on this board. The rules are the same as last time:
- You can nominate
5 video game songs
.
- Songs must originate from a video game, no remixes/arrangements. Think VGMC eligibility. If you want to see the labyrinthine VGMC eligibility document, I can link it, but I think everyone generally gets this rule.
- Songs must not be in my massive ranked spreadsheet of VGM. I add VGM on a regular basis, to the point where I have 6883 songs ranked and rated from 0 to 10! Wowzers! Ive supplied an alphabetical list of every spreadsheet song, and a separate list of everything thats gotten a 9/10 or higher. Please look this over carefully formatting is a little wonky, as is to be expected with over 6000 songs, so I apologize for that. If you have any questions, Im happy to answer them: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hkYSjFbpc8Ec08ltOq4a-ODUMcPNBp094K4Bp7urGtw/edit?usp=sharing
What I Like
Those who know me would probably describe my musical taste as unpredictable. I have a very open mind for music and have been known to find favorites among the weird and off-putting just as readily as the mainstream. Heres a link to my current top eleven VGM:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9FyX-bNcVjNRbtPzHueVBBHVBErbE6dS
If youd rather not listen to 11 songs, heres the list, plus some descriptors of each song. This might give you some insight into what I like.
1) G-Darius | KIMERA II
futuristic, mechanical, ethereal
2) Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter | PowerOne
industrial, percussive, crackly
3) Gimmick! | Strange Memories of Death
chiptune, full sound, melodic
4) Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker | Close in the Distance
wistful, powerful singing
5) beatmania IIDX 22 PENDUAL | Despair of ELFERIA (Long ver.)
intense, fast-paced
6) Umineko: When They Cry - Answer Arcs | lastendconductor
intense but wistful, throbbing beat
7) Pokmon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team | Sky Tower
chiptune but wistful, very melodic
8) GiFTPiA | icicle
immersive, thought-provoking, weird
9) Final Fantasy VII | Jenova Absolute
intense, percussive, melodic
10) Magical Chase | Waltz of Meditation part2
unique soundchip, wistful, immersive
11) Animyst | Yawning Crow
true wildcard: fluctuates between sparse and full, unconventional instruments, weird
Other things I tend to like: ticking clocks, odd time signatures, child vocals, glitchy noises, and songs that make me feel anxious.
This doesnt mean Ill always like songs that are wistful, melodic, or intense; this is just a possible starting point. As I said, Im prone to unconventional musical opinions, so if youre on the fence about nominating something weird, know that Im likely to be one of the more receptive folks toward it (at least among those of us who rank music). But dont hesitate to give me more mainstream stuff too. My spreadsheet is missing a lot of Final Fantasy. Maybe you could fill in some of the gaps?
What I Dont Like
I dont like
everything
. Shocking, no? Here are some things I tend not to like in music:
- Sappy vocal ballads
- Happy town music
- Vocals delivered without much enthusiasm
- Funny songs I dont find funny
- Normal-sounding rock or pop music
Violins are a mixed bag. I tend to dislike when Falcom Sound Team uses them, particularly when combined with guitar, but there are also songs where I like them. Just a fair warning!
Previous Winners
If youve previously won a ranking of mine, you get a bonus nomination you can apply to a future ranking! The following people have previously won a ranking (and havent used their bonus yet):
@Fluttershy_Pony
@PIayer_0
@Place
@azuarc
@-Chaos-Zero-
@changmas
If youre on this list, you can nominate up to six songs! Holy bananas!
I think thats basically it. Nominations wont close until I feel like everybody has had ample opportunity to nominate; Ill give everyone fair warning. Let me know if you have any questions. Happy nominating!