After you’ve listened to a song often enough that you can sing the whole thing karaoke –style without a screen assist (and make it even more embarrassing when you screw it up), you can either move on to new music or try to approach it in a new way. Since we can all happily laugh off the “move on” option, let’s take a look at a way that awesome popular songs have been given new life: mashups. Whether it be musical portions that are blended into each other for effect or mixtures of instrumentation with vocals, some very exciting results are just waiting for you to experience them. Here are my top 10 mashups:
10. Firework & Grenade
by Bruno Mars, Taio Cruz, Katy Perry and Sam Tsui
Frankly, I wouldn’t be would be surprised if listening to Sam Tsui’s addictive mash-up covers distracted you from listening to the rest of this list for the next hour. What they may lack in bass, his songs more than make up for in smoothness of transition, sheer sexiness of voice (if you like that kind of pitch), commitment, and energy.
9. The Final Teen Spirit
by Europe and Nirvana
Some might find this mash-up too repetitive or the two musical choices overly familiar. Some might even have hated Nirvana or Europe straight up in the first place. But this is perfect in a deeper sense. Cobain went on record as saying he hated Spirit and that he wrote it as a joke, and yet people insist that it’s a great and meaningful song just because it rags on mainstream teen interests. The Final Countdown, by contrast, is about as mainstream as you can get. It’s in the top five for use in sporting events (if only the opening notes.) Mixing that song with Spirit is a really killer way of spitting on Nirvana’s alleged counter-culture ambitions and the depth that people like to project on it.
8. Viva La Romance
by Lady Gaga and Coldplay
This one was chosen because the hatred for Lady Gaga and Coldplay is just too pervasive to not be tapped into. If you’re one of those people who hate either of these bands so much you do a fist pump whenever you see comedians like Maddox or Opie and Anthony insult them, this might be almost the exact opposite of a Zen experience for you, which can be great for learning about yourself.
Also it’s on here because I like it, but that other reason I gave sounded better.
7. Rigby Stew
by The Beatles and Green Day
Nobody hates The Beatles or Green Day, right? Right, the whole notion is utterly ridiculous. What makes this one worth seventh place on this list is the contrast between the most depressing song the Beatles ever did and the intense instrumentation of the Green Day song. Listened to today, it seems to take the vocals of a song from the 60’s that was somewhat fresh and original in it’s day and put it in an environment where it’s out of place and anachronistic. It’s like imagining an old lady (Eleanor Rigby herself, perhaps?) in a modern, busy, and oppressive world full of noise and fury. It really makes the original song like the words of a sermon that no one will hear.
Not that I think this is deliberate or that the guy who mixed it had anything artistic to say, mind you. It’s just fun to analyze and speculate like this.
6. Ghostbadsters
by Michael Jackson and Ray Parker Jr.
No analysis necessary. Out of all of these, this is probably the most pure fun. It’s definitely the most 80’s of all of these, for better or worse. Just one change that should have been made: the youtube video should have been a photoshop mash-up of the Ghostbusters with Jackson from Thriller, even if it’s the wrong song.
5. How Six Songs Collide
by Howie Day, Five for Flying, Jason Mraz, Three Doors Down, Boyzone
Remember back when you watched TV and there were commercials for compilation discs that included the most popular five seconds of songs? This mash-up is basically the best possible version of one of those commercials. Even if you’re one of those cynics who hates songs in the least bit of sweetness, with this the saccharine flavors will vary enough to make it worth a try.
4. Monkey Gone To Opera
by Giacomo Puccini, Pixies, Goldfrapp, Stanley Kubrick
Ah, space travel. Ever since 2001: A Space Odyssey included a match cut between a bone flung in the air and a satellite orbiting Earth, we’ve linked humanity at its most evolved with humanity at its least evolved through that subject (unless you‘re more one of those Star Wars-types.) This one really captures and luxuriates in that feeling, allowing for a great trancelike experience. (Editor: embedding is disabled, click here to see video.)
3. A Fifth of Golddigger
by Walter Murphy/Beethoven and Kanye West
As of this writing, we mostly remember hating Kanye West for his publicity stunts, but remember when he was fun, like back when he did Golddigger? Oh… you remember that song being ridiculously overplayed, and kind of annoying? Well, even if you do, with some help from a Beethoven remix by Walter Murphy (also known for doing the music for Family Guy) the song gets some nice progression and more of a sense of humor. If you don’t find the contrast between Beethoven’s awesome strings and West’s petty relationship griping at least kind of funny, you disappoint us.
2. Rapture Riders
by Blondie/The Doors
Keeping up with the music scene is just plain hard, but I think I’ve caught up. Nothing more current than Blondie and The Doors. I think we can all agree that, if he keeps his act together, there will be big things in the future for this Jim Morrison kid.
1. Staying Another Alive Brick In the Wall
by The Bee Gees/Pink Floyd
For sheer synchronicity of chord progression and themes, you just can’t beat this combination captive boarding school British kids and John Travolta reminding us why disco was tolerated for a time. Seriously, watch Saturday Night Fever and Pink Floyd’s The Wall back to back and see if you don’t feel an overwhelming urge to both dance and mope. Luckily this mash-up only provides the dance, unless you actually listen to the lyrics.
By Dustin Koski
Add your favorite mashup to our TopTenz YouTube mashups playlist.
15 Comments
I get why people would hate lady gaga but Coldplay? NO, you CAN’T HATE THEM! YOU CAN’T!…can you?
I made some mashups myself, mostly 90s rap, give it a listen and like http://www.youtube.com/user/JDMarks16
Pink Floyd vs The Bee Gees is outstanding!
My favorite mashup is with Nine Inch Nails – Closer and 50 Cent – In Da Club. No joke… I realize the NIN is God and 50 Cent is lame but… it’s actually really good. 😛
The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby” + Daft Punk’s “Around the World”. Is the best mashup
Yes I agree but you need to read up on the history on that mashup to really like it
it was gone live with 2 CDs to for simple terms sake not digita on a computer l like they are done today and it ends before the bridge the extended version done by apeboy was done on a computer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CTJqwX-AwM
enya & prodigy mash’d up! fantastic effect 😀
i like this list but the choices are middle of the road
heres a few i have that are just too good to ignore
ghp_uptight_maggie- stevie wonder vs rod stewart
Mercy Me, Marvin’s Doin’ Time with Sublime
No More Pressure -MessyJames
No Woman, No Mercy – bob marley vs marvin gaye
BLINK 182 VS MISSY ELLIOT-DJ Nicky T Remix
Sweet Home Po Alabama Mashup-DJ F Sharp
easy_waiting-bob_marley_vs_lionel_richie
Damn, I wish I was your candy shop-50 Cent v Sophie B Hawkins
Ghp Dont Hold Back (Sweet Jane)-Go Home Productions
Louie’s Boots Part 1 (Sympathy For Louie)-Jimmi Jammes
People Ring The Alarm Everyday-Arrested Development Vs. Beyonce
If I Aint Got You Ill Kill You-Queen vs. Alicia Keys
Summer Breakthru-queen vs Don Henley
The Blackout Cries Mary-Jjimi Hendrix vs Muse
Ghetto Right to be Wrong-Common & Macy Gray Vs Joss Stone
Pictures Of Walls-The Cure VS Oasis
The Verve vs Marvin Gaye (El Barto & Liam b)
The Isley Brothers vs Oasis-DJ Paysano
ThisHealingLove- marvin gaye vs maroon 5
We Belong Together Time After Time-Cyndi Lauper vs Mariah Carey
You Don’t Know My Sweet Emotion-Alicia Keys vs Aerosmith(Aggro1)
this is just a few i have there is so much more that the top ten listed is just for noobs
The Pink Floyd-Bee Gees mashup is just brilliant. Rock and disco find common ground.
One of my favorites is the DJ Earworm mashup of Annie Lennox with… Annie Lennox and Annie Lennox and Annie Lennox… etc. Basically, he took eight of her songs and made one big META song out of them. The result, “Backwards / Forwards” has even gotten it’s own video treatment, with Annie’s permission and participation. Check it out, it’s just awesome. Also, the two top spots you have given are both by Go Home Productions. That guy is AMAZING, and probably one of the pioneers of the Mash-up genre.
“Psychosocial Baby” needs to be on here. Just saying.
How does one go about converting a youtube mashup to an iPod track? I have GOT to have the Bee Gees/Pink Floyd mashup for my daily training run!
Heres a link for the mj vs ghostbusters mashup :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8elKMBZUdWQ
These are my favourites :
Axel F vs Beastie boys: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dq7OPX1HGo&feature=related
Grease/Dr Dre/Snoop:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJx54IOAbEY&feature=related
Benny Benassi vs Sir mix a lot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9kXyDT6IkY
and my all time favourite , Prodigy vs Enya: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyqyJW4yNhs&feature=fvst
Enjoy 😀
Thanks, Niz – I’ve added the video to the list and added your favourites to the YouTube playlist. 🙂
Sweet, i think the Mj/Ghostbusters fits so perfectly that after a while you actually forget what the original bad backing track sounds like ^^ Its probably also one of the oldest on the list, I’m pretty sure I have a mix of it on an old bootleg cassette from around 1990!! Lets hope someone adds some more , I am allways on the lookout for more mashups to enjoy =]