TOP 11 BEST SONGS!

Edgar Allen Poe

(Not including recent songs such as Among Us, All Star, and Mechanical Monsters)

11. Symphony No. 25 in G Minor- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

A piece with a lot of intensity and “nervousness”. The Oboes and Horns add a lot to the song, so it isn’t a boring strings piece. Because, you know, strings are boring. It sounds very classical, but still with a lot of flavor (ratatouille reference) and energy, something not very commonly done in classical music. My only downside is that other than the first movement, the others are mid. Well, they are good, but they just don’t match up with the standards of the rest of the pieces I will list. And yes, of course I extended the list to 11 pieces so I could fit this song in.

10: The Blue Danube- Johann Strauss II

With a mysterious beginning, the guy who stole his name from Struass and Johannes starts off in the key of…something other than D major, then transitions seamlessly into the key of D major. The piece also, as I’ve heard by my own ear, uses a different rhythm for the time signature of 6/8, but I am probably wrong. The two bass notes per measure can be heard, but the upbeats of the second beat are actually used as the melody. Also, it’s (relatively) short and sweet, perfect for my Gen Alpha attention span.

9: Pomp and Circumstance- Edward Elgar

Out of all five marches that this piece provides, I can only remember the first one, since it’s the best-known one by the public. With quick tempo changes and phrases, the piece manages to keep your attention for quite some time, even with the large number of repeats in the song. But as I listen back to the rest of the movements, I find that they are quite fire. The second movement in a funny key is exciting just like the first, and the third movement has that low-woodwinds type sound that is really cool. Now, I’m too lazy to listen to the rest of the movements so I will just move on to the next piece.

8: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor- Ludwig Van Beethoven

While being under the influence of lots of Vodka, I can safely say that this movement is an absolute banger. Like, it’s so recognizable that just saying “dun dun dun duuuunnnnn” can be recognized by even Google. It manages to be very strong and intense while still bringing out a few beautiful bits, and creates very short contrasts. Movement two, a less furious one, with a lot of counter melody and key changes, and while not being as well-known, is also still a banger. The funny scherzo movement also is very good, so an extremely good piece overall.

7: Symphony No. 9- Ludwig Van Beethoven

With another song by Beethoven, his ninth symphony, also known as “The Ninth”. The joyous and extremely deep song with lots of emotional backstory and tragedy, slowly transitioning into messages of joy and happiness; this is probably Beethoven’s greatest masterpiece. This is one of those pieces where the choir actually sounds good, like most pieces that weren’t sung by 6-8th graders. Having Beethoven on this list twice just goes to show how he was the most goated composer of all time; and as a plus, he wrote this entire piece without being able to hear it. I also enjoy the fact that he made fun of people.

6: Carmen- Georges Bizet

This is the infamous song that has for some reason been recently associated with Freddy Fazbear, Georges Bizet’s Carmen. The intro is a perfect song for an opera entrance, and quick changes in mood make for an exciting listening experience. Of course, we can’t talk about this song without mentioning Habanera, the most well-known bit (probably). The light pointiness of the song perfectly captures the scene and mood, as is for the rest of the piece. The choir works well in this piece also, since it’s more like the characters talking.

5: Finlandia- Jean Sebellius

In the beginning of the piece, dissonant chords on brass instruments don’t introduce us to what is to come, but transitions exceptionally into an exciting and patriotic theme played with lots of force. I enjoy that this piece is also only around eight minutes, perfect for my attention span so I can actually remember the piece in its entirety. The story of political protest makes the piece very strong and powerful, as if the message is to not let people take over your country. Seems kind of obvious to me, but hey, we at least got a fire piece out of it.

4: Adagio for Strings and Organ in G Minor- Remo Giazotto and Giscard Rasquin

Another short but beautiful piece written fairly late compared to the other pieces on this list, but still a strikingly emotional piece. The composition combines both classical and baroque styles, greatly capturing emotions of loss and sadness. I swear, every time I try to listen to this song, I cry twenty-five times. An exceptional piece with beautiful melodies and countermelodies, techniques, and contrast within sections. The transitioning from a minor to major key captures a feeling of hope and aspiration. Lastly, I would like to mention that this piece is still under copyright law, which kind of sucks.

3: William Tell Overture- Gioachino Rossini

Now, onto the third place winner, we have William Tell Overture. Most notably known for the Finale’s appearance in The Lone Ranger, this piece has continued to be one of the best pieces I have listened to. One day, I randomly decided to hum this piece and I was like, “dang, this piece is kind of fire not gonna lie tho”. Since then, I have listened to the entire Overture, and it is safe to say that I was flabbergasted on what I was missing out on. With a beautiful opening of cellos accompanied by various instruments, and a calm but stormy mood following in the second movement, this piece definitely deserves this spot.

2: The Planets- Gustav Holst

Often being the topic of conversation for its influence on modern film music, this piece remains one of the best pieces ever written, due to its ability to capture various emotions and keep audiences on the edge of their seats. A big reason why this song is so high on the list is since practically all of its movements are immaculate, with beautiful melodies and countermelodies in contrast to each other. My three favorite movements must be Mars, Jupiter, and Neptune, with Jupiter being the most famous movement, and Mars being my favorite.

1: Peer Gynt- Edvard Grieg

(Just as a note, I’m only talking about the four songs from the spin-off suite) And finally, in First, is a Norwegian piece by a Norwegian with two of some of the most recognizable movements ever, Morning Mood and In The Hall Of The Mountain King. This piece would not be ranked so high if I was talking about the entire 90-minute opera, which has a lot less fire movements but is still great nonetheless. Hall of the Mountain King can perfectly be used to describe “everything is going wrong”, and the Death of Åse is an incredibly powerful movement that captures feelings of loss perfectly. Anitra’s dance on its own could secure a number five spot. Along with Mountain King, which could easily take a number four spot, this piece full of romanticism and modernism has to be the best song ever.