Top 10 Super Mario Songs & Themes

Super Mario Brothers 2 is an oddity in the main series. We know it’s a reskinned Doki Doki Panic, but at the time we were expecting a follow up to the green pipes, flagpoles, and castles. Instead... we fall. But as we’re falling down the rabbit hole of sorts, we hear a pleasant tune. It’s upbeat and easy to whistle along to, and when we land on the ground we find ourselves in a brand new world full of shy guys and vegetables. Ironically, we would later hear that same music in another oddity in the Mario franchise.

Didn’t you know? Mario can write you a prescription... or at least show you how to stack pills in a Tetris-like fashion. When using your medicinal skills to rid the playing field of viruses, you have a choice between two themes: Chill, and our #9 pick (0:20). It’s the kind of music you’d expect to hear from a quirky cartoon series about a doctor... which is preferable to the funky commercial about said doctor (0:16). The tune gets an updated version for the Smash Brothers series as Dr. Mario makes his opponents take two punches and call him in the morning.
“Tetris & Dr. Mario”

There’s a lot of things we’ve come to expect in the Mario Kart franchise: crazy race tracks that no one should be driving on , our irritation toward different colored turtle shells, and, of course, the music. Electrodome is a stage that feels like we’re driving through a nightclub, complete with speakers on the walls, dancing Koopas, fretboards, and a giant disco ball. But what really creates that night life atmosphere is the music and it’s bumpin’ techno beat, especially during the final lap. If only we could jump out of the kart and dance when we crossed the finish line.

Ever since our first adventure through the Mushroom Kingdom, there’s always been a cool tune to listen to when we take that pipe and end up underground. To us, the epitome of “cool” was this particular underground theme in the happy-go-lucky and surprisingly challenging “Yoshi’s Island.” After being introduced to the cute, coloring book style and frolocking through the sunshine with smiling flowers and drug-induced fuzzies, this was not the music we expected to hear, but there it was, the most chilled out underground theme in the Mario franchise... until a certain baby cried and ruined it.

Ah, Yoshi’s Island. It’s bright and colorful, with happy tunes as you ride around on friendly dinosaurs. Then suddenly, up ahead, there’s a castle. It doesn’t look that daunting, but then... that music starts. Any Mario player know that castles are bad news, but this theme is foreboding and downright chilling. Each note feels like a warning of what’s to come: lava, spikes, chainsaws, giant pillars that try and crush you, bottomless pits... jeez! No wonder Yoshi stays outside... except in Mario Maker. We know you’re scared, Yoshi, but this drum beat is on point.

Before Disney combined its powers with Square Enix, there was one other franchise that became an unlikely RPG. Back before Squaresoft became Square Enix, they took hold of everyone’s favorite plumber. What started as the typical save-the-princess story became an incredible RPG full of lovable characters, fun gameplay, and incredible music. It’s actually difficult to pick a favorite tune, but in the end, we had to give it to the forest. You can feel the subtle tones of mystery, and curiosity, while at the same time remaining upbeat and charming, which is not an easy emotion for composers to try and capture in their work, yet first time Mario composer Yoko Shimomura, didn’t just capture the tone, he defined it.

There’s a lot riding on the first level of a Mario game. Not only does it have to be fun, but the music has to be a tune we’re going to want to listen to over and over again since the songs tend to appear in other levels. Fortunately, this melody lived up to our expectations, so much so that even Mario Galaxy 2 paid homage to it, by remaking the game’s 2nd stage Whomp Fortress. The song was a perfect for a first level, especially a first level where we could jump around and WAHOO to the beat.

As always with a new Nintendo console, we expected a new Mario adventure. Better graphics, bigger worlds, and for the purposes of this list: a memorable soundtrack, and the bar was sky rocketed into space with Galaxy’s fully orchestrated music. While every Galaxy track is worth a listen... or ten... the music for the Gusty Garden Galaxy exemplifies all of our excitement with the series. Triumphant horns, soothing harps, and violins that encourage you to flick your wiimote and take to the skies. Honestly, this music spoiled us for any other platformer we played that year.

The downside to Mario 64’s water levels is the fact that, for the first time, Mario can drown. The upside? That music. Of course, the levels looked great, but that music is what made us want to submerge ourselves into the water. As we swam around the deep depths of the sea, the music became more exciting, encouraging us to go a little further even if we were running low on air. After exploring the waters and discovering underground caverns, sunken ships (51:12), and even Bowser’s submarine (1:04), the music increased in tempo.
Before the music speeds up and we run out of time, let’s hear it for these honorable mentions:

“Delfino Plaza”
“Super Mario Sunshine” (2002)

“Athletic Theme”
“New Super Mario Brothers” (2006)

“Melty Monster Galaxy”
“Super Mario Galaxy 2” (2010)

“Overworld Theme”
“Super Mario World” (1990)

“Slide Theme”
“Super Mario 64” (1996)

Sometimes, you just gotta turn to the classics. This is the music that made Mario and Nintendo a household name. Even if you’re not a gamer, this is definitely a song you recognize, a song you’re probably humming along to as you’re telling us in the comments that it better be #1. Fear not, Mojoholics, we know that this theme is the epitome of Mario, and it’s no surprise that variations of it sneak into other Mario titles, whether it’s the full track, or that beginning Do do do do do DO! It’s classic. It’s catchy. It’s-a-simply Mario.

Do you agree with our list? Which Mario tunes do you keep saved in your gaming playlist? For more musical top tens published everyday, grab hold of that power star and subscribe to WatchMojo.com.