- #
- Artist – Track
- Notes
- Post Animal – Ralphie
- Just an absolute feel-good shredder from one of the best albums of the 2010s. A guaranteed sing-along for me in the car even if it's slightly out of my range.
- Jerry Paper – A Moment
- One of Jerry's best, a song about living in the shadow of existential doom and fooling yourself into feeling alright. Plus it grooves.
- King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Hot Water
- This is one of the greatest riffs ever written. I'm linking the Live in San Fransisco version where they've got the flute mixed really sharp.
- KNOWER – Overtime (live)
- This song is lightning in a bottle. Like, the album version of it is pretty good but somehow this version they played while packed in Louis Cole's hallway is one million times harder.
- Klaus Johann Grobe – Downtown
- An undisputable extended groove that feels like something out of time.
- They Might Be Giants – Your Own Worst Enemy
- There are more exciting TMBG songs, but this one has always been there for me when I need it.
- Songs For Moms – All The Girls Here
- Kind of weird how much emotional attachment I have to a song that I think is about moving away from your favorite lesbian bar. It's really good though.
- Video Age – Adrian
- Video Age is so good, man. This is a song I would do at karaoke constantly if anybody else knew it.
- Pebble Beach Golf Links OST – Settings
- I think I found this looking for bed music for a snack video and couldn't bring myself to talk about chips or whatever over this extreme of a banger. Bring back way-too-good menu music in games.
- Ginger Root – Loretta
- I know this is the most popular Ginger Root song. That's because it's great! Sue me!
- Dougie Poole – Beth David Cemetery
- Another song about plugging on in the shadow of existential dread. I love Dougie.
- Pond – Last Elvis
- This song is kind of about the fatal rot of American empire but it also shreds.
- Eyeliner – High Heels
- Just flat-out one of my favorite songs of all time, from one of the greatest vaporwave albums ever. Impossible to not groove to those MIDI horns.
- Tennyson – Tomato Land
- According to SoundCloud this was my most-played song of 2016 by a wide margin, and I still go give it a play when I think of it.
- Lemaitre – Iron Pyrite
- This was the first song I found on my own that I really liked, when I was like 13, and I've probably listened to it one thousand times since then. Still great.
- Vince Kaichan – Rollerdisco Rumble
- Probably in the top 10 chiptune tracks of all time. Worth the entire ride.
- Cool Sounds – Part Time Punk
- This song is on in my buds most times I'm out walking to the store. Great bassline, sweet vibe.
- M83 – Moon Crystal
- This doesn't really sound like the rest of this album but I love it. Goofy as hell.
- Henry Homesweet – Luke's Atari
- Another hall-of-fame chiptune from long ago. Just an Atari SID and an 808 and apparently that's all you ever need.
- Kirk Whalum – Rodeo
- This one just absolutely shreds and that's all I have to say on it.
- Alan Hawkshaw – Beach Journey
- Alan Hawkshaw was absolutely one of the best composers of the last century. You will not believe how many great songs this dude wrote.
- Saint Pepsi – Better
- Banger.
- Art Lown – Going Back to Carolina
- Another one I would do at karaoke if anyone knew about it. A hidden gem!
- FLOOR BABA – At Different Places
- This is not even maybe the best song on GAMEWAVE but it is the one most strongly associated with the chapter of my life I was in when it came out, and for that I'll always treasure it.
- Laurie Spiegel – Patchwork
- There's a Youtube comment on this song somewhere that says like, "I will be listening to this as my spaceship approaches Jupiter." I agree.
- Terry Riley – A Rainbow in Curved Air
- A beautiful journey. This is a great track to calm down with.
- Porter Robinson – Look At the Sky
- This is one of my favorites of all time. I rarely listen to it without crying. I can make something good.
- Graham de Wilde – Transport International
- Graham de Wilde another guy who made 1000 insane bangers and you've never heard of because it was just his day job and they all went in production libraries.
- Kirby Mass Attack OST – Night Desert (Sky Sands)
- The original Air Ride version of this song is fossilized deep in my brain but I've always loved this version. The goofy MIDI chorus and subtle DS crunch just add something special.
- Herbie Hancock – Textures
- Most of the best jazz comes from the mid-'80s period where a bunch of established musicians bought synthesizers and were just sort of goofing around.
- Makeup and Vanity Set – User (Dubmood Remix)
- This song sounds like it weighs 10,000 pounds. Just crazy bass tone here.
- Fury of the Furries OST – The Forest
- I have no idea what this game is like but this is one of the hardest tracks anyone has ever made.
- Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards OST – Rock Star
- The Kirby 64 soundtrack is mostly great but this one stands alone. The world needs more high-speed MIDI pan pipes.
- Super Soul Bros – Mario Circuit
- I think it's kind of hard to do VGM covers in a cool way but these guys are pros. This is such a sick take on this song.
- Louie Zong & Brian David Gilbert – Breezy Slide
- This is lovably corny throughout but the moment where the EQ opens up all at once is so, so good.