The 'Shroom:Issue 225/Space Jams
Space Jams
Written by: Meta Knight (talk)
Over two years ago, I asked the MarioWiki community to give me a bunch of songs for a playlist, and the result debuted in Issue 200, a whole 25 issues ago! Here we are at another milestone issue, so I decided why not do this again? However, it'll be a little different this time. I wanted to be able to evolve the concept, and I'm hoping that this will do it.
Last time, I asked everyone to give me their songs, under any criteria, without any thought as to how well things might blend, or how much something will belong in a list. The results were great! We had all sorts of songs from all different genres, sources, etc. all come together. I enjoyed listening to it, but I imagine some listeners might have found the tonal shift jarring. People are going to like what they want, and sometimes are scared of venturing outside of that. So instead of one playlist, I've provided four that each target a specific group. Additionally, they'll all be themed around space, or space-adjacent/sci-fi in some cases.
We have the following categories for each playlist: general songs, video games, anime, and movies/television. We had a mix of all of them before, but I'm happy to flesh out each group on its own merits. So if you're someone that only likes video game music, or only likes anime music, you've got a listening experience that's tailored to you. I would encourage all of you to give each playlist a chance though, even if its not something you'd normally engage with. Not only for the selfish reason of "this took a lot of time to compile and research", but it's good to experience new things. Who knows, maybe you'll find something you like and want to dive deeper into the source. Considering this is Issue 225, and the last one was 25 issues ago, I found it fitting to make each playlist 25 songs, which does mean that the following list is a total of 100 songs! The total run time of all of them would be 6 hours, 53 minutes, and 44 seconds. Don't worry though, you don't have to listen all at once (and there's no way for me to know if you skip anything). Hopefully YouTube doesn't make any of these videos outdated or disabled.
Speaking of which, some general ground rules before I get into each playlist. I've provided a table with the track title, the artist, the source, and a brief description. The goal is to be as accurate as possible, and I definitely did as much research as I could, but I'm only human. So if you see any inaccuracies, try not to get too upset. The table is mainly a visual guide for the benefit of displaying information. Same thing for the descriptions. I'm by no means a music critic, so my snippets are based on the best of my ability. Also, if you find yourself thinking "x song doesn't belong here", or "why wasn't z song included", the answer is that this is my list. You're welcome to make your own, and I won't even get annoyed if you steal my table format.
I won't waste any more of your time, so I'll leave some convenient navigation links to jump between each section. I'll also give a brief overview of each one as relevant just to get into more playlist-specific information. Thanks for reading, thanks for listening, and thanks for being an important aspect of The 'Shroom for so long!
Space Jams #1: Songs
This playlist I went based on which ones belonged on a titular sense, and a feel sense. Basically, the title qualifies most of these, but in others they invoke a cosmic feeling. I'm actually pretty happy with the structure. It feels like a space adventure from start to end. This playlist ended up being 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 19 seconds; the longest of the group. We've got a mix of everything here. There's modern hits and old classics. There's prog rock, alternative, K-Pop, funk, and plenty more to discover here. Give it a go, and feel your mind drift off into a cosmic setting.
| The 'Shroom 225: Space Jams #1 (Songs) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Artist(s) | Album | Description |
| Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 1-5) | Pink Floyd | Wish You Were Here | A prog-rock classic that takes you on atmospheric journey with its winding guitars and booming keys. |
| Countdown | Rush | Signals | This track includes NASA recordings before rocking out with synths and riffs. |
| Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long Long Time) | Elton John | Honky Chateau | An iconic pop rock tune featuring memorable acoustic chords and lyrics. |
| Rocket | Goldfrapp | Head First | This catchy synthpop melody invokes feelings of the 80s, but it's actually from the 2010s. |
| Spaceman | The Killers | Day & Age | A late 2000s alt-rock track with subtle keys and an upbeat chorus. |
| Space Oddity | David Bowie | David Bowie | Considered a psychedelic folk song, the opening march-like percussion sets up the rest of this renowned track perfectly. |
| Space Truckin' | Deep Purple | Machine Head | A crunchy guitar tone is the driving force behind this rock track. |
| Voyager | Daft Punk | Discovery | This funky instrumental features 80s-like synths, bass grooves, and even a harp segment. |
| Xanadu - 2000 version | Electric Light Orchestra | All Over The World: The Very Best of ELO | Originally performed by ELO and sung by Olivia Newtown-John for the film of the same name, Jeff Lynne's take is a more whimsical and subtle rendition. |
| Cosmic | Red Velvet | Cosmic | A dance-pop tune from Korea with grooves, a catchy beat, and soothing vocals. |
| Cosmic Girl | Jamiroquai | Travelling Without Moving | Disco lives on in songs like this one, with funky bass and synth flow. |
| Cosmic Dancer | T.Rex | Electric Warrior | This rock song has a more melancholy melody, and features introspective lyrics of the late Marc Bolan. |
| Cosmic Love | Florence + The Machine | Lungs | An alternative track with grand bass drums, and a strong vocal performance from Florence Welch. |
| Starlight Brigade | TWRP Dan Avidan |
Together Through Time | TWRP's robotic and bass-heavy funk style blends in seamlessly with Danny's recognizable voice. |
| Supernova | aespa | Supernova | This K-Pop beat has a mysterious aura along with its synth and catchy chorus. |
| Supermassive Black Hole | Muse | Black Holes and Revelations | An alternative rock song that has a dancy vibe and excellent production elements. |
| Black Hole Sun | Soundgarden | Superunknown | Part of the grunge era from one of the big Seattle groups at the time, its one of Soundgarden's signature songs. |
| Orion | Metallica | Master of Puppets | Written primarily by the departed Cliff Burton, it's his masterpiece with prominent bass solos where he plays the instrument as if it were a guitar. |
| Andromeda | Weyes Blood | Titanic Rising | This modern folk track captures the essence of floating in space. |
| Starman | David Bowie | The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars | A legendary tune from one of Bowie's most popular albums, this has a triumphant chorus. |
| Galaxy | LUNA | Free Somebody | An electronic synth K-Pop harmony synergizes with Luna's melodic voice. |
| Space Song | Beach House | Depression Cherry | This modern pop tune has a dreamy vibe with bubbly keys. |
| Across The Universe | The Beatles | Let it Be | This acoustic-heavy song from John Lennon has elements of psychedelia. |
| Major Tom (Coming Home) | Peter Shilling | The Different Story (World Of Lust And Crime) | A hopeful take on Space Oddity by Bowie, with a more upbeat rhythm. |
| Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 6-9) | Pink Floyd | Wish You Were Here | A continuation from where parts 1-5 left off; serving as a reflection of the journey taken. |
Space Jams #2: Games
This is The 'Shroom, so obviously there's going to be a Mario-centric bias involved, and that's okay! Still, this isn't just Mario. Most Nintendo franchises are featured here, but again they're not all Nintendo. I wanted to select tracks based on how much the song, or game, fits in space. I also wanted to keep this to one song per franchise aside from Mario. As far as the songs themselves, we have a mix in tones here too. There's triumphant adventure, calm wonders, and ambient horrors to be found all representing a different aspect of space. This playlist stands at 1 hour, 36 minutes, and 25 seconds. Have fun listening, and why not play some of these games if you haven't before and enjoy the music? After all, that's what kickstarted my obsession with Persona.
| The 'Shroom 225: Space Jams #2 (Games) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Artist(s) | Game | Description |
| Super Mario Galaxy | Mahito Yokota | Super Mario Galaxy | A heroic sequence featured during the credits is a bombastic orchestral piece celebrating everything experienced in the game. |
| Halo Theme (Mjolnir Mix) | Martin O'Donnell Michael Salvatori Steve Vai |
Halo 2 | This rendition of the instantly recognizable main theme features Steve Vai's prominent guitar chops. |
| Main Theme | Forest Willard | Among Us | A dark, ambient title track has haunting high-pitched piano keys, to warn of a terror within. |
| Brinstar Red Soil Swampy Area | Kenji Yamamoto | Super Metroid | This beautiful track from Super Metroid has become so memorable that it keeps appearing throughout the series. |
| Star Road | Koji Kondo | Super Mario World | A relaxed remix of the classic invincibility theme. |
| Interstellar Journey | HOYO-MiX | Honkai: Star Rail | This robotic J-Pop song was used in the Official Release Trailer for the game. |
| Vigil | Jack Wall | Mass Effect | A tune that serves as the main theme, with some somber yet uplifting tones. |
| Corneria | Hajime Hirasawa | Star Fox | This version of the fast-paced track has been restored to all of its original, uncompressed glory. |
| Main Theme | Jason Graves | Dead Space | A foreboding song that leaves an immense feeling of dread about events yet to come. |
| Space Junk Road | Mahito Yokota | Super Mario Galaxy | This soothing melody is the perfect way to let the mind drift off into imagining the wonders of space. |
| Uncontrollable | Hiroyuki Sawano mpi Mika Kobayashi |
Xenoblade Chronicles X | This triumphant track is a reminder that even the most intimidating creatures can be dealt with. |
| Veldin | David Bergeaud | Ratchet & Clank | A mechanical song that is an essential embodiment of the franchise. |
| 02 Battle | Jun Ishikawa | Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards | A sharp tonal contrast to the rest of the game, both visually and musically that makes it memorable in its own right. |
| Starborn Valley Trail | Yuka Tsujiyoko | Paper Mario | This melody has a twinkly sensation that captures a dreamy sensation. |
| Live & Learn | Crush 40 | Sonic Adventure 2 | A song that represents everything that Sonic is about; set in space and played during one of his most famous action sequences. |
| Battle! (Team Galactic) | Go Ichinose Junichi Masuda |
Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl | The evil team of Sinnoh has a fitting battle theme that feels like a battle of the stars. |
| Paper Engine (Outer Space) | Hidenori Shoji Daiki Kasho |
F-Zero GX/AX | This adrenaline inducing track contains plenty of electronic instrumentation to race to. |
| Terran Theme 1 | Glenn Stafford Jason Hayes Derek Duke |
Starcraft | A song that features ambiance, heroic trumpets, and the mystique of space. |
| Astral Observatory | Koji Kondo | The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask | On the surface this is a calm, whimsical tune, but it does serve as a reminder of dark, unsettling undertones. |
| Oxide Station | Josh Mancell | Crash Team Racing | There's an alien vibe to this melody, especially with the laser and whistle-like effects. |
| Rainbow Road | Kenta Nagata | Mario Kart 64 | Much of this Rainbow Road's iconic legacy is lent entirely to the emotion felt in this song, moreso than the track design itself. |
| Final Destination | Takahiro Nishi | Super Smash Bros. Brawl | The choir and orchestra are accompanied by guitar riffs in this high-energy take on the main theme. |
| Main Theme | Michael McCann | XCOM: Enemy Unknown | An ambient space track with some techno aspects as it builds up. |
| Pokey Means Business! | Keiichi Suzuki Hirokazu Tanaka |
Earthbound | This 8-bit sounding chiptune from the 16-bit SNES is one of the most intriguing twists in the soundtrack. |
| The End | C418 | Minecraft | A long descent that takes you through a dark emotional journey to the end. |
Space Jams #3: Anime
Would you believe me if I told you that I hardly watch anime? In fact, there's only one show on this list that I would confidently say I've watched. What that means is this playlist was built heavily on research. Some of these shows might not have a "space" setting, but they definitely lean into sci-fi to some degree, or might have some aspect of space attached to them. So if that was the case, I decided it was good enough to make the cut. This playlist is 1 hour, 48 minutes, and most of these are the openings of shows. There's also a mix of shows from action-adventure, magical girl, comedy, mecha, etc., so I'm happy with the results. Once again, if you do like any of the tunes, feel free to check out the anime! I've definitely got a few on my watch-list.
| The 'Shroom 225: Space Jams #3 (Anime) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Title (EN / JP) | Artist(s) | Anime | Description |
| Tank! タンク! |
Seatbelts | Cowboy Bebop | A jazzy tune that's undeniably one of the most iconic anime openings ever. |
| Moonlight Legend ムーンライト伝説 |
DALI | Sailor Moon | A confident and fun opening contrasts the titular character's clumsy personality. |
| Dive in the Sky ダイブ・イン・ザ・スカイ |
Mikio Sakai | Planetes | This opening has a dramatic pull with its riffs and hopeful lyrics. |
| Through the Night スルー・ザ・ナイト |
Masahiko Arimachi | Outlaw Star | An opening theme that has a rockin' feel to get the audience pumped. |
| Now or Never ナウ・オア・ネバー |
CHEMISTRY | Astro Boy (2003) | This song was the second opening opening for the 2003 version of Astro Boy, and brings the character to a more modern sound. |
| A Cruel Angel’s Thesis 残酷な天使のテーゼ |
Yoko Takahashi | Neon Genesis Evangelion | This legendary opening is grand, upbeat, catchy, and unbelievably memorable. |
| Aim For The Top! Fly High トップをねらえ! ~Fly High~ |
Noriko Hidaka Rei Sakuma |
Gunbuster | This insert theme for the original movie has a slight disco element and a triumphant feel. |
| Brilliant Road 明日への |
angela | Stellvia of the Universe | An opening with strong vocal performances, and the title is a play on the word "Stellvia", a Latin-based name meaning "road to the stars". |
| star*frost スターフロスト |
nonoc | Astra Lost in Space | An upbeat opening that is pleasant to listen to with rock elements and a melodic voice. |
| You Get to Burning! ユー・ゲット・トゥ・バーニング! |
Yumi Matsuzawa | Martian Successor Nadesico | A trumpeting introduction sends this anime opening into a funky groove. |
| Sky-Blue Days 空色デイズ |
Shoko Nakagawa | Gurren Lagann | This opening gets right into it with its rhythm and includes some guitar solos. |
| Sidonia シドニア |
angela | Knights of Sidonia | With grand instruments and bold music, it almost sounds like a fantasy epic at parts, yet other parts sound like the space opera that it is. |
| Viva Namida ビバナミダ |
Yasuyuki Okamura | Space Dandy | A funky groove with disco elements is present throughout this opening. |
| The Blessing 祝福 |
YOASOBI | Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury | The first opening for this female-led Gundam series offers an electropop beat with catchy melodies. |
| On a Night When the Stars Twinkle Like This 星が瞬くこんな夜に |
Chelly Supercell |
Guilty Crown | A post-anime single that offers a thematic continuation to the series. |
| Radiance ラディアンス |
Mami Kawada | Starship Operators | An opening that's electronic dance-esque that also contains some high keys to give a twinkling effect. |
| Beyond the Time 時を越えて |
Mitsuko Komuro Tetsuya Komuro |
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack | A wailing guitar kicks off the ending theme for this movie in the Gundam series. |
| Do You Remember Love? 愛・おぼえていますか |
Mari Iijima | Macross: Do You Remember Love? | This romantic ballad is reminiscent of the 80s, and includes piano parts along with Mari's vocals. |
| Day of Destiny ~Soul vs. Soul~ 運命の日～魂VS魂～ |
Hironobu Kageyama Shunsuke Kikuchi |
Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler | A percussive bass rhythm is present throughout this track featured in the film. |
| Feel So Moon フィール・ソー・ムーン |
UNICORN | Space Brothers | The first opening of this anime sounds like something present in a classic rock song, despite obviously being more modern. |
| Twinkle☆Star トゥインクル☆スター |
Saeko Chiba Kaori Shizmu |
Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-San | An ending song that's as bubbly and uplifting as you'd expect from the title. |
| Space Battleship Yamato 宇宙戦艦ヤマト |
Isao Sasaki | Space Battleship Yamato | This is a classic without feeling dated; in large part due to Isao's booming and triumphant voice. |
| Binary Star バイナリースター |
Hiroyuki Sawano | Legend of the Galactic Heroes | This epic opening really captures the scale and grandness that's incredibly fitting considering the show's reputation. |
| Blue Water ブルーウォーター |
Miho Morikawa | Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water | An opening track that creates an essense of adventure and wonder. |
| Pipo Password ピポパスワード |
TeddyLoid Bonjour Suzuki |
Space Patrol Luluco | The ending theme of this show has an echo effect on the vocal that gives it a quieter vibe. |
Space Jams #4: Movies/TV
Quite a number of these are short TV show themes, so this was the shortest playlist at 1 hour, 19 minutes, 29 seconds. I selected tracks based on how much notoriety the source material has, how much they have to do with space, but some of it was picked based off of a vibe sense. Pretty much most things you'd expect are here, but maybe there's some stuff you've never heard of before. In any case, this one will be a breeze to listen to, and has the same sort of variety found in the other playlists. Enjoy!
| The 'Shroom 225: Space Jams #4 (Movies/TV) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Artist | Source | Description |
| 2001: A Space Odyssey Opening | Alex North | 2001: A Space Odyssey | This iconic opening is the essential way to start things off as it builds up to a great mystery. |
| Space Jam | Quad City DJ's | Space Jam | A hip-hop sports anthem that's both fun and a bit loony. |
| The Saga Begins | Weird Al Yankovic | Star Wars | A parody of Don McLean's American Pie that retells the story of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. |
| Suspension | Kipp Lennon Stu Phillips |
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century | This theatrical opening from the film is different from the show, but is a bit of a disco ballad. |
| Paul's Dream | Hans Zimmer | Dune (2021) | Hans Zimmer's signature style of grand booming effects makes the buildup in this song perfect for the planetary scale necessary for Dune. |
| Star Trek Original Theme | Alexander Courage | Star Trek: The Original Series | An operatic singer uses her voice to guide your ears on a voyage through space. |
| Define Dancing | Thomas Newman | Wall-E | A wholesome scene in the movie where Wall-E and EVE are dancing in space; the song displays a cosmic joy and intrigue throughout. |
| Are You Alive? / Battlestar Galactica Main Title | Bear McCreary, Richard Gibbs | Battlestar Galactica (2004) | This is a full version of the opening chant that occurs during the series, and is featured in the movie The Plan. |
| The Mandalorian | Ludwig Göransson | The Mandalorian | Pipe instruments at the beginning builds up to exactly what a space western would be like. |
| Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Theme | Brian Causey | The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron | This classic Nickelodeon theme is a blast from the past! |
| Main Theme | John Williams | Superman: The Movie | This plays during a starry opening credits sequence and will probably always be the definitive theme for the character. |
| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Theme | Dennis McCarthy | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | The focus on brass give this an even bolder theme than the original. |
| Buzz Lightyear of Star Command | Adam Berry | Buzz Lightyear of Star Command | Triumphant trumpets in this theme find a way to musically say "To infinity and beyond!" without words. |
| Main Title | Jerry Goldsmith | Alien | A foreboding piece that reminds you of mystery and horrors that lie ahead... |
| Ballad of Serenity | Sonny Rhodes | Firefly | This gritty folk song ballad invokes a deserted feeling, just like the show was. |
| The Transformers (Theme) | Lion | The Transformers: The Movie (1986) | This 80s glam-rock track is a great way to up the scale of the theme from the show. |
| Final Space (Title Theme) | Shelby Merry | Final Space | A short yet suspenseful song featured with a sense of urgency. |
| Star Trek: The Next Generation | Jerry Goldsmith, Dennis McCarthy | Star Trek: The Next Generation | The theme for this iteration makes itself distinct enough from the original, while being more hopeful. |
| The Jetsons Opening / Credits | Hoyt Curtin | The Jetsons | This classic cartoon has the trademark Hanna-Barbera style in its music. |
| Futurama Theme | Christopher Tyng | Futurama | An iconic theme in its own right; leaving a sense of discovery, adventure, and mischief. |
| Flash Gordon | Queen | Flash Gordon | Turns out getting a band known for a flashy frontman compliments this movie well. |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Main Theme | Tyler Bates | Guardians of the Galaxy | A heroic theme that fits this ensemble group and sets them apart from The Avengers. |
| Finale | John Williams | Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back | This ending sequence (credits included) encompasses everything great about the franchise; essentially a medley of the most iconic tracks. |
| E.T. Main Theme | John Williams | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | An orchestral piece that embodies the film's essence of wonder and innocence. |
| Doctor Who Theme | Murray Gold | Doctor Who (2005, Tennant Era) | This rendition of the theme song uses technological elements to give a sense of mystery and alienness. |
