The "Mario" series has some of the most joyful music in video game history. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the “Mario” music that makes us “wahoo!” every time!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Mario music that makes
00:15us wahoo every time.
00:26Number 20.
00:27Koopa.
00:28Super Mario World 2 Yoshi's Island.
00:29Bowser has plenty of great boss themes, but one of the most surprisingly epic is against
00:34the king of Koopas when he was an infant.
00:36After Kamek turns baby Bowser into a giant, the battle against the kaiju-sized Koopa is
00:41underscored by this tune which absolutely slaps here.
00:44It's great.
00:57Taking every ounce of power from the SNES's processor, Koopa delivers a rock-slash-metal
01:02theme that goes really hard.
01:04From its ominous opening to the wailing synthesized guitar, this final boss music makes a dinosaur
01:09with a baby on its back throwing eggs at a big turtle impossibly epic.
01:25Number 19.
01:26Rainbow Road Mario Kart 64.
01:36Practically every Mario Kart has a Rainbow Road, and an accompanying theme.
01:40However, our pick for the best goes to the one from the Nintendo 64 game.
01:44by Kenta Nagata, this ethereal tune is positively enchanting.
01:58Along with its persistent drums throughout, the track combines piano, flutes, and guitar
02:03to create a scintillating atmosphere as beautiful as the neon-lit Rainbow Road itself.
02:07The Rainbow Road theme is a transportive one, not only taking us to the gorgeous race course,
02:12but also taking us back to simpler times.
02:15And much like the course, Rainbow Road's theme shines bright amidst the darkness.
02:27Number 18.
02:28Steam Gardens Super Mario Odyssey.
02:30Now there are plenty of stellar tracks from Super Mario Odyssey, but one of the most unique
02:34is Steam Gardens, the song from Wooded Kingdom.
02:37Written by legendary Mario composer Koji Kondo, Steam Gardens takes its cues from 1960s
02:43surfer rock.
02:53Over a persistent drum beat, the song alternates between smooth guitar and keyboard, punctuated
02:58occasionally by horns.
03:00Steam Gardens makes exploring the burnt orange structures covered in greenery both relaxing
03:04and exciting at the same time.
03:06It's a perfect song to groove to, and playing it on the game's sound test is a temptation
03:10that's difficult to resist.
03:21Number 17.
03:22Fury Bowser, Bowser's Fury.
03:33Metal isn't generally a genre we associate with Mario music, but this theme shreds.
03:38When the titular enormous form of Bowser awakens, his berserk, widespread destruction is accompanied
03:43by this banger of a song.
03:45The guitars wail, the drums are demolishing, and the vocalists include not only a metal
03:49singer, but also a heavenly choir.
03:59tough dodging everything Fury Bowser throws at us during his rampages, but a song this
04:04apocalyptically awesome makes us look forward to them every time they happen.
04:08Any metalhead worth their salt can't help but do some headbanging to this monstrously
04:12epic theme.
04:13No wonder they put it in the movie.
04:15Number 16.
04:16Jump Up Superstar, Super Mario Odyssey.
04:25Songs with lyrics are another rarity among Mario songs, and this one is the first from
04:29the mainline series.
04:30A big band jazz number, Jump Up Superstar is sung by Katie Higgins, the voice actress
04:35for Pauline, and performed by the Super Mario players.
04:38The tune plays during New Donk City's festival, a loving tribute to Mario's origins.
04:49Jump Up Superstar is a toe-tappingly catchy song, with lyrics that pay tribute to the
04:53Mario franchise.
04:55It simultaneously makes our hearts soar, tugs on our nostalgia, and gets us surprisingly
04:59emotional.
05:00From the first time it played during the game's trailer, we were hooked on this amazing theme.
05:05Number 15.
05:06Coconut Mall, Mario Kart Wii.
05:16The Mario Kart games have some of the catchiest music in the Mario franchise, and one of the
05:20most infectious of all is Coconut Mall.
05:22A fast-paced, piano-driven track, Coconut Mall feels appropriately like something you'd
05:27hear, of course, in a mall, but with a tropical flair to it.
05:30Xylophone, saxophone, trumpets, steel drums, and all manner of instruments help make the
05:34tune snappy and memorable.
05:36Whether it's the soundtrack to your own cruise through a mall, or the anthem to your
05:39anxiety, especially during that hectic final lap, Coconut Mall is a tune that's tough
05:44to get out of your heads.
05:57Number 14.
05:58Piranha Plants on Parade, Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
06:07Hailing from what is perhaps the weirdest Mario game ever, Piranha Plants on Parade
06:12is suitably bizarre.
06:14And yeah, that's saying something.
06:15In the titular level, after jumping on a lot of pipes and musical blocks, hitting the Wonder
06:19Flower will trigger a group of Piranha Plants to pop out and perform a musical number.
06:23The steady marching drums and their high-pitched singing makes for a completely shocking contrast.
06:28And while the song itself is not exactly a crowd-pleaser, there's no denying that Piranha
06:33Plants on Parade is unlikely to ever be forgotten by anyone once they've heard it.
06:46Number 13.
06:47Ground Theme, Super Mario World.
06:49Sometimes called Overworld Theme, this track is practically synonymous with Super Mario
06:53World.
06:54And we mean that literally, since so many other songs from the game are essentially
06:57remix versions of this one, including one we'll be discussing later on.
07:01But the original is perhaps the most famous.
07:16Played primarily on the steel drums, but also utilizing other instruments as accompaniment,
07:20Ground Theme is just such a happy-go-lucky theme.
07:23It's bright, upbeat, and somewhat tropical sound is incredibly memorable.
07:27It's a tune that we often find ourselves humming when we're in a good mood.
07:39Number 12.
07:40Melty Monster Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2.
07:53Every time there's a lava level in a Mario Galaxy game, the music is bound to be phenomenal.
07:58And this level's theme is no exception.
08:00The song for Melty Monster Galaxy takes the game's orchestral score to new heights.
08:05Sounding like an epic war march, this track gives dodging the titular lava monsters and
08:09all those infuriating boulder challenges an air of unexpected grandeur.
08:22The theme even incorporates elements of the original Mario Galaxy's main theme.
08:26Triumphant and heroic, Melty Monster Galaxy melts our eardrums every time we hear it,
08:31because it's just that awesome.
08:33Number 11.
08:34Isle Delfino, aka Delfino Plaza, Super Mario Sunshine.
08:49Given that it's the theme to the central hub world of Super Mario Sunshine, we get
08:53to hear this tune a lot.
08:54And honestly, that's great, because it's incredibly catchy.
08:57Deceptively simple with its alternating guitar and accordion, Isle Delfino, otherwise known
09:01as Delfino Plaza, is a bouncy and happy song that feels like a cross between Italian folk
09:06music and a more tropical melody.
09:21While Mario's vacation to Delfino may not be relaxing for him, we would gladly listen
09:25to this theme for hours, whether we're on the beach or just wishing that we were.
09:29Number 10.
09:30Super Mario Bros. 2.
09:44Super Mario Bros. 2 is an oddity in the main series.
09:47We know it's a re-skinned Doki Doki Panic, but at the same time, we were expecting a
09:51follow-up to the Green Pipes, Flagpoles, and Castles.
09:54Instead, we fall.
09:55But as we're falling down the rabbit hole of swords, we hear a pleasant tune.
10:08It's upbeat and easy to whistle along to, and when we land on the ground, we find ourselves
10:13in a brand new world full of Shy Guys and vegetables.
10:16Ironically, we would later hear the same music in another oddity in the Mario franchise.
10:20Number 9.
10:21Fever, Dr. Mario.
10:30Didn't you know Mario can write you a prescription, or at least show you how to stack pills in
10:34a Tetris-like fashion?
10:35When using your medicinal skills to rid the playing field of viruses, you have a choice
10:39between two themes.
10:40Chill, and our number 9 pick, is the kind of music you'd expect to hear from a quirky
10:45cartoon series about a doctor.
10:47Which is preferable to the funky commercial about said doctor.
11:00The tune gets an updated version for the Smash Bros. series, as Dr. Mario makes his opponents
11:05take two punches and call him in the morning, Tetris and Dr. Mario.
11:09Number 8.
11:10Electro Dome, Mario Kart 8 There's a lot of things we've come to expect
11:25in the Mario Kart franchise.
11:27Crazy racetracks that no one should be driving on, our irritation toward different colored
11:31turtle shells, and of course, you guessed it, the music.
11:34Electro Dome is a stage that feels like we're driving through a nightclub, complete with
11:38speakers on the walls, dancing Koopas, fretboards, and a giant disco ball of course.
11:43But what really creates that nightlife atmosphere is the music, and it's a bumpin' techno
11:47beat here, especially during that final lap.
11:49If only we could just jump out of the kart and dance when we cross the finish line, that'd
11:53be good times.
12:06Number 7.
12:07Super Mario World 2, Yoshi's Island Ever since our first adventure through the
12:20Mushroom Kingdom, there's always been a cool tune to listen to when we take that pipe
12:24and end up underground.
12:25To us, the epitome of cool was this particular underground theme in the happy-go-lucky and
12:29surprisingly challenging Yoshi's Island.
12:32After being introduced to the cute coloring book style and frolicking through the sunshine
12:36with smiling flowers and drug-induced fuzzies, this was not the music we expected to hear.
12:41But there it was, the most chilled-out underground theme in the Mario franchise, until a certain
12:46baby cried and then just ruined it for all of us.
12:59Number 6.
13:00Castle Theme, Super Mario World Ah yes, Yoshi's Island.
13:03It's bright and colorful, with happy tunes as you ride around on friendly dinosaurs.
13:08Then suddenly, up ahead, there's a castle.
13:10It doesn't look that daunting, but then that music starts.
13:23Any Mario player knows that castles are bad news, but this theme is foreboding and just
13:27downright chilling.
13:28Each note feels like a warning of what's to come.
13:31Lava, spikes, chainsaws, giant pillars that try and crush you, bottomless pits, I mean
13:36jeez, come on here, no wonder.
13:47Yoshi stays outside, except in Mario Maker.
13:49We know you're scared, Yoshi, but come on, his drumbeat is still on point, don't miss
13:52it.
13:53Number 5.
13:54Forest Maze, Super Mario RPG, Legend of the Seven Stars
13:57Before Disney combined its powers with Square Enix, there was one other franchise that became
14:01an unlikely RPG.
14:03Back before Squaresoft became Square Enix, they took hold of everyone's favorite plumber.
14:08What started as the typical save the princess story became an incredible RPG, full of lovable
14:13characters, fun gameplay, and incredible music.
14:16It's actually difficult to pick a favorite tune, but in the end, we had to give it to
14:20the forest.
14:34You can feel the subtle tones of a mystery and curiosity, while at the same time remaining
14:38upbeat and charming, which is not an easy emotion for composers to try and capture in
14:42their work.
14:44First time Mario composer Yoko Shimomura didn't just capture the tone, she defined it.
15:00Number 4.
15:01Bom-Bom Battlefield, Super Mario 64 There's a lot riding on the first level
15:05of a Mario game.
15:06Not only does it have to be fun, but the music has to be a tune we're going to want to
15:10listen to over and over again, since the songs tend to appear in other levels.
15:14Fortunately, this melody lived up to our expectations, so much so that even Mario Galaxy 2 paid homage
15:19to it, by remaking the game's second stage, Whomp Fortress.
15:35The song was a perfect one for a first level, especially a first level where we could jump
15:39around and wahoo to the beat.
15:54Number 3.
15:55Gusty Garden Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy As always with a new Nintendo console, we
16:00expected a new Mario adventure.
16:02Better graphics, bigger worlds, and for the purposes of this list, a downright memorable
16:06soundtrack.
16:07The bar was skyrocketed into space with Galaxy's fully orchestrated music.
16:12While every Galaxy track is definitely worth a listen, or 10 if we're being honest, the
16:16music for the Gusty Garden Galaxy one exemplifies all of our excitement with the series.
16:34Triumphant horns, soothing harps, and violins that encourage you to flick your Wiimote and
16:38take to the skies.
16:40Honestly, this music spoiled us for any other platformer we played that year.
16:57Number 2.
16:58Dire Dire Docks, Super Mario 64 The downside to Mario 64's water levels
17:03is the fact that, for the first time, Mario can drown.
17:06Well, the upside?
17:07The music, of course.
17:22Of course, the levels looked great, but that music is what made us want to submerge ourselves
17:26into the water.
17:27As we swam around the deep depths of the sea, the music became more exciting, encouraging
17:31us to go a little further even if we were running low on that air for Mario.
17:36After exploring the waters and discovering underground caverns, sunken ships, and even
17:39Bowser's submarine, the music increased in tempo.
17:55Before the music speeds up and we run out of time, let's hear it for these two honorable
17:59mentions.
18:00Athletic Theme, New Super Mario Bros.
18:10Slide Theme, Super Mario 64
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18:38Main Theme, Super Mario Bros.
18:52Sometimes you just gotta turn to the classics.
18:54This is the music that made Mario and Nintendo a household name.
18:58I mean, heck, even if you're not a gamer, this is definitely a song you recognize.
19:14A song you're probably humming along to as you're telling us in the comments that
19:18it better be number one.
19:19Well, fear not mojoholics, we know that this theme is the epitome of Mario, and it's
19:23no surprise that variations of it sneak into other Mario titles.
19:36Whether it's the full track or that beginning, do do do do do do do, it's a classic, it's
19:41catchy, it's a Simply Mario.
19:46So is there a Mario song that we forgot?
19:48Let's go to the comments so you can tell us your favorites.
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