Top 10 Best M83 Songs
Founded by French musician Anthony Gonzalez, this band has been formative in 21st century shoegazing. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we'll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 M83 Songs. For this list, we're focusing on official M83 releases, which means that no guest spots or live covers have been included.
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#10: “Go!” feat. Mai Lan
Junk (2016)
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Featuring an uncredited appearance by legendary guitarist Steve Vai, this song also features the staccato vocals of French-Vietnamese artist Mai Lan. Lyrically, “Go!” celebrates the experience of embracing love, with the ethereal production lending a timeless and worldly vibe. Released as the third single from M83’s 2016 return, “Go!” thrives with the band’s usual atmospheric aesthetic, but the fusion of rock and guest vocals provides the necessary energy to sell the central message. After all, the track’s title “Go” does come with an extra added exclamation mark, and M83 capitalizes in that regard, contrasting the more somber feel of the preceding poignant single “Solitude”.
#9: “Wait”
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (2011)
With a sparse and cryptic set of lyrics, this M83 song speaks volumes in both the vocal texture and delivery. As the fifth track on the band’s extraordinary 2011 album, “Wait” fits beautifully within the record as a whole, and as a stand-alone production that can essentially re-energize one’s spirit. There’s a distinct feeling of space and time, as the focal “No Time” lyric reminds that life goes on, regardless of what you may be grappling with. And so, it’s a highly relatable M83 track, one that stands out with its lyrical ebb and flow, enhanced by the meditative sound design.
#8: “Reunion”
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (2011)
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In the context of dreams, this song makes perfect sense when tapping into the subconscious. The evocative lyrics directly reference time and space, with vocalist Anthony Gonzalez fully communicating the hopeful message of mutual love. Not only does “Reunion” emphasize the past and present, but it also locks in on the here and now, or least that moment when everything seems to come together. In that sense, it’s both optimistic and hypnotic, even if the narrative references a dream world rather than reality. Or maybe they’re one in the same – at least from M83’s perspective.
#7: “Don’t Save Us from the Flames”
Before the Dawn Heals Us (2005)
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The lyrics of this M83 gem may seem haunting on paper, but the sound is anything but. Spiritual and rebellious, “Don’t Save Us from the Flames” zeroes in on timeless romance, with a devastating event serving as the narrative backdrop. Like many M83 tracks, the music video touches on existential themes, but the relentless production and chorus overrides any negativity or bad vibes. Just the title alone conjures up vivid imagery, while the dream pop vibe accentuates the inherent romance. Released as the album’s second single, “Don’t Save Us from the Flames” captures the power of feeling immortal.
#6: “Teen Angst”
Before the Dawn Heals Us (2005)
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Building upon the conceptual framework of the album, this M83 track manages to blend a mixture of emotions associated with the titular vibe. Sonically, “Teen Angst” builds up and slows down, much like the experience of being young. Incidentally, the brief set of lyrics are less about the literal meanings and more about the subtext of the vocalization. In other words, to die, to cry - and to burn, to learn - can feel like a normal school day for some, certainly when the future seems more distant than ever. Within the context of the album, the poignant track carries even more weight.
#5: “Kim & Jessie”
“Saturdays = Youth” (2008)
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As one of the more critically acclaimed M83 singles, this track feels both timely and retro. Of course the music video, which features some pretty unique choreography and flashy outfits only adds to the vintage feel of the song. Then again, the cryptic nature of “Kim & Jessie” can also be associated with basic friendship and the intense feelings that come with shared experiences. All in all, the standout track is yet another M83 production that works magnificently within the album’s collective narrative.
#4: “We Own the Sky”
Saturdays = Youth (2008)
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Released as the album’s fourth single after “Kim & Jessie,” here’s a song that’s a bit more dreamy and effective than some of M83’s more unearthly productions. With the vibrant introduction, “We Own the Sky” immediately creates a meditative feel, where the soft vocals enhance the vibe even more. Lyrically, it may feel obscure and even apocalyptic, but the chorus’s extended vocals highlight a feeling of invincibility, which the music video substantiates in its final moments. Focusing on youthful and existential themes, M83 once again delivers an effective take on anticipating the future.
#3: “Outro”
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (2011)
Given the spiritual nature and exclamatory lyrics of this M83 album closer, it became widely used in both American film and television. But there’s more to “Outro” than just the bold declarations and the obvious references to dreams;the dramatic production thrives musically from beginning to end. It capitalizes on the urgency of the album’s title before closing out with a touch of poetic piano. It’s truly a musical experience, with the lyrics offering some resolution to the album’s narrative that began with the pounding and equally affecting “Intro.”
#2: “Midnight City”
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (2011)
If you’re looking for a track for your late night joy rides, this track highlights the calming quality of a beautiful summer night. As the lead single from the band’s surrealist album, “Midnight City” found a secure place in pop culture, especially given the eclectic sound design. It works on a variety of levels, as it touches on loneliness, excitement and the perpetual M83 theme of anticipation. At times, the production becomes incredibly soft and moody, only to expand just like a midnight drive can expand one’s mind.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Sitting”
M83 (2001)
“Moonchild”
Before the Dawn Heals Us (2005)
“Steve McQueen”
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (2011)
#1: “Lower Your Eyelids to Die with the Sun”
Before the Dawn Heals Us (2005)
In 2014, M83 released the music video for this track, nearly a decade after the initial audio release. Not to be hyperbolic, but the visuals capture everything beautiful about the song itself while touching on the album’s conceptual themes. Entirely instrumental, there’s no lyrics to break down, but rather an expansive, intergalactic sound enriched by the spiritual chanting. As the album’s closing number, the emotional quality rings true, but it’s also a timeless M83 production that speaks to the band’s artistry without them uttering a single world.
