Music: Top 10 Video Games Songs to Listen to When You're Depressed

So you're sad, woeful, down in the dumps, disheartened, bitter, gloomy, and all around depressed.  What's the solution?  Listen to silly music of course!

Life's a lot harder to be sad about when it sounds like a cartoon.

The following are 10 goofy, zany, and all-around upbeat tunes that are practically tailor-suited to make you crack a smile.



#10: Chocobo Theme (Final Fantasy X)

Giant chickens sprinting across an open field could not be paired with a better tune than this.  With an energetic, bouncing rhythm and the occasional deep, goofy-sounding bass, the Chocobo Theme pretty much has it all.

What to Picture If You're Still Sad:  A pompous gnome skipping through a field of flowers on a warm summer day.


#9: Smooth Sherbet (Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz)

I don't even know what's singing in the background of this song.  Heck, I'm not even sure anything real is "singing" at all.  But this tune innocent and silly enough to warm the hearts of even the most cynical people.

What to Picture If You're Still Sad:  A school of guppies swimming through a coral reef while singing to each other.


#8: The Color of the Summer Sky (Secret of Mana)

This is the kind of music you hear when you wake up in the morning after having a fantastic dream.  The sun is shining in your room, birds are chirping, and everything seems to be going your way.  If life had a soundtrack, this would play at the start of every good day.

What to Picture If You're Still Sad:  Children salvaging the last few hours of sunlight on a playground before their parents tell them it's time to go home for the day.


#7: Destiny Island (Kingdom Hearts)

When people aren't blaring party music and screaming at unattended children, this is the music that plays whenever someone goes to the beach.  Cheery, upbeat, and tropical-sounding, just listening to this song makes a person want to run barefoot across a nearby shoreline.

What to Picture If You're Still Sad: Monkeys playing tag with each other while jumping between palm trees.


#6: On to Grasstown (Cave Story)

Don't bob your head.  I swear man, don't do it!  Don't succumb to the popping rhythms, the high-pitched beats, and the fast-paced zaniness of this song.  If you couldn't manage to restrain yourself for the whole video, congratulations.  You are one of thousands who failed to do the exact same thing.

What to Picture If You're Still Sad:  A field of Disney-esque flowers with faces rocking back and forth in unison as the sun rises to start the day.


#5: Catharsis (BIT. TRIP Flux)

This one's a slow boil, but once it gets going, it will undoubtedly leave you with a smile on your face.  It has less of a silly upbeat tone, and more of just a feel good, "relax, everything is going to be fine" kind of vibe.  It's the perfect feeling for someone who's less than elated with life.

What to Picture If You're Still Sad:  A person on a hillside, watching fireworks into the dead of night with crickets chirping in the distance.

 
#4: Route 1 (Pokemon Red/Blue)

If this doesn't fill you with nostalgic glee upon hearing the first few notes, then at least the non-stop bubbliness of the song is enough to warrant a grin.  When a person skips down a sidewalk, this is the kind of tune that is likely playing in his or her head.

What to Picture If You're Still Sad:  A cute little child skipping down the street with a brand new lollypop in one hand and a metal lunch box in the other.


#3: Banjo Kazooie Opening Theme (Banjo Kazooie)

This song slaps you in the face with unbridled happiness within the first few seconds.  It sounds like something straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon.  Fast-paced and out of control, this tune is more than silly enough to change a person's sour mood.

What to Picture If You're Still Sad:  A senile old hillbilly with a slingshot chasing a chicken around in an open field.


#2: Green Greens (Kirby Super Star)

Take a handful of happiness, mix it with a dollop of unrestrained energy, add a hint of childish excitement, and you've got this song baking in your oven.  The rhythms just refuse to quit with their cheery, over the top joyfulness.  It doesn't help that the entire game looks cute as heck, too.

What to Picture If You're Still Sad:  An avalanche of puppies running down a hill, barking and yipping as they race each other for the biscuit sitting at the bottom.


#1: Lums of the Water (Rayman Origins)

I was really tempted to just say "the entire Rayman Origins soundtrack," but I feel as though that would've been unfair (albeit totally accurate).  Instead, Murray of the Deep is one of those songs that you just can't help but smile at when you hear it.  Suave, squeaky voices doing an a cappella of smooth jazz?  That kind of thing just oozes silliness.

What to Picture If You're Still Sad:  Scuba diving chipmunks swimming with colorful fish at the bottom of a shallow pond.  Also the chipmunks are wearing tuxedos.