i was ready to disagree when i saw gone to oregon in the bottom spot but this list is literally nothing but bops so there's not really anything else i would have put there. get back to hogwarts is the obvious (and correct) number one but bah humbug is a deserved runner up, the vhs christmas carol track list is so severely underrated!
It’s my 3rd favorite, I just love twisted too much lol. I can totally agree though it’s one of their best soundtracks and I hope that one day I get to hear what they added in the extended version
I'm so surprised that Twisted ranked so low on both of these lists. Also, High School is Killing me being so low, too? What the actual hell? It's one of the BEST!
i love twisted but the opening and closing songs happen to be ones i don’t care about as much. i don’t consider 4 low, high school is killing me is definitely one of the best!
I Wanna Be not being top 5 stung a little (I will fight for Starship until the very end babey!!!) BUT I forgive you bc having Bah Humbug so high was incredibly based of you
Ani being top half a hot take that I'm not totally sure I agree with but also it's pretty based lol. personally the only ranking I truly actively disagree with is that wiggly jingle would be last for me (it's not bad I would just never choose to listen to it outside of the context of the show and even in context it's just fine), this is a solid ranking even if mine would be vastly different my shot at a list (this is hard they're all bangers ugh) plus my thoughts on them both as songs and openers 14. Wiggly Jingle: the only one I think is mid, everything above this is at least *good*. It kind of works for Black Friday as an exposition piece but as a tone setter it might actually be a bit detrimental. This song makes you think it's going to put the comedy first and then the rest of the show happens and... yeah Black Friday has tone issues and this song doesn't help lol. 13. This is the End: has some really high highs and probably could have been top tier with a bit more time in the oven but especially given the circumstances of Senior Year, it's solid). Fantastic opener though, since 1) it sets the tone of Senior Year as a bit more serious than the previous entries in the trilogy without being too dark or dour and 2) it has a sense of finality. It sounds halfway between an opener and... not a closer, but definitely a late act two number, right before the climax. Which is exactly the point. 12. Fire: IDK what to say, it's just short. I love the sound of firebringer in general (driven by percussion and vocal harmony rather than being driven by keyboard, synth, and/or guitar like pretty much ever other show) and this is no exception, there's just not really enough there for me to rank it any higher. Good tone setter though. 11. Gone to Oregon: Great song and great tone setter. I don't really have anything else to say about it, it's just a good song that just isn't quite as memorable as everything I've put ahead of it. 10. Me and My Dick: This one's just... oddly cute, considering the subject matter (which you could kind of say about MaMD as a whole tbh lmao). It just has a charming vibe and a fun energy, and its the perfect start to MaMD, just the right blend of funny, wholesome, surreal, and cursed for the show it introduces. 9. I Wanna Be: This one, Me and My Dick, and Goin' Back to Hogwarts all have very similar vibes. It can't quite compete with Hogwarts as far as being an outright banger, but the way it turns into a group number gives it a rush of infectious energy that shoots it above MaMD. As far as whether it fits, well Starship is basically Disney's version of The Little Mermaid meets Aliens and this is the most Disney a Starkid opening would get until the actual Disney parody so yeah, I'd say it's fitting. 8. Ani: Talk about infectious energy, this is probably the Starkid opening that most makes me want to get up and dance, and I don't dance lol. Honestly all of the up-tempo Ani songs are just. Like. Great '80s dance music lol. Does it fit the show? Well, Ani is an '80s sports movie parody/workplace comedy with a synthpop soundtrack and this is an unabashedly cheesy '80s synthpop riff, the only thing it's really missing is any Star Wars puns or references. 7. Holy Musical B@man: The beginning of this song is perfect and the chorus is extremely catchy, while also being perfectly suited to the show. Again, this is another one I don't have too much to say about this except that... well... as catchy as the chorus is, they really hammer that chorus into the ground don't they? It's just really repetitive and overstays its welcome a little, which are kind of problems in a couple other HMB songs too. 6. Not Over Yet: Great villain song and a fantastic opener to AVPS for much the same reason This is the End works for Senior Year (they both set a darker tone compared to the previous entry and both have some sense of finality, either present for This is the End or past for Not Over Yet). Why is it this low? Honestly, for a pretty petty reason. I just don't like the "Eeeeeeeeeeeevil plaaaaaaaaaaaans" part, it pulls me out of the tense atmosphere of the rest of the song. 5. Goin' Back to Hogwarts: Hoo boy, I'm going to get crucified for this. Okay. Listen. Like I said, all of these except Wiggly Jingle are bangers, the fact this song made it as far as it did means it's pretty damn good. But my first Starkid show was HMB, and the first show that came out while I was in the fandom was TGWDLM. And while I was a Harry Potter fan, I never really got. Like. Nearly as deep into it as a lot of people just a few years older than me (and plenty of people my age) did. So I don't really have any nostalgia for it. I don't have any memories attached to this song. That said, it's a fantastic song, easily the best in the first Potter show, and really shows quite a bit of potential from Darren Criss as a songwriter, and I think putting it higher is an extremely valid take. 4. Bah Humbug: Sorry my brain's getting kinda fried now so the rest are probably going to be pretty short. Great song, like the rest of the VHSCC it's the perfect blend of Christmas vibes and '80s synth pop, only reason it's this low is because I like the top three more. 3. The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals: Banger intro, and the way Paul just... doesn't enter is still funny no matter how many times I rewatch it, especially how much it pisses everyone else off. It's also a perfect tone setter for TGWDLM. It's a very broad, almost wacky show but with a smooth, slick musical aesthetic. Good stuff 2. Dream a Little Harder: Pitch perfect Alan Menken pastiche in both the music and orchestration, just like almost every other song from Twisted. This one in particular is, musically, something of a riff on Belle, albeit a very loose one, which is fitting for the opening number. 1. High School is Killing Me: The beginning is super ominous and gets you invested in finding out what happens to Richie, and then once it moves to the classroom the rest of the song is just pure, unbridled energy and teen angst. NPMD is driven by both guitar and keyboard/synth but the guitar is always what sticks out most to me when I listen to it and I think this song influences me in that regard. The guitar is just utilized perfectly in this song. Plus it's a great tone setter. It follows the old school Starkid format of starting as a slow, ballad-y solo that turns into an energetic group number (AVPM, Starship, HMB, *kind of* MAMD) but takes that formula to new heights
I was a bit flabbergasted at first when you put Dream A Little Harder so low but seeing the ones at the top made me realize Starkid always knock it out of the park with their opening songs. Which means I can’t be mad at whichever songs is the top of the ranking Also, I agree with Going Back To Hogwarts. The song (and show) that was so powerful it started a whole theater company
I completely respect this list but I was stunned how the Tickly Me Wiggly Jingle (that's what it's called?🗿) topped the "fuck you!"s from Dream A Little Harder. The latter's lyrics were just more witty and captivating imo but I completely agree everything else (it's one place I know I'm bitter as hell mate about my expectations of BF lmaoo)
i guess i wasn’t focusing much on lyrics and more how i vibe with the song. i think dream a little harder is extremely well written i just don’t like listening to it as much as others
The guy who didn’t like musicals High school is killing me Bah humbug Holy musical Batman I’m going back I wanna be Tickle me wiggly Not over yet This is the end Fire Ani Me and my d*ck Gone to Oregon Dream a little harder
The bottom of any list comparing their different shows is always always reserved for any of the Potter stuff. My trans ass is so goddamn sick of references to that terfs' work. On a positive note, I think Ani and TTO have the perfect tone-setting, silly openers! Those are my two favorites, followed closely by Twisted, TGWDLM, Batman, & Starship. FIrebringer is one of the best shows, but the opener doesn't really match the tone of the show, in my opinion. Black Friday & VHS are fine. I don't really care for any of Me & My Dick, and finally, I haven't watched Nerdy Prudes yet (I know I know, I'm way way behind. Life is weird), So I don't have an opinion.
dhjdkgg thank god for you homie im so far from being attatched to that series, its the only starkid works i actively dont have interest to watch cause ive never been into HP and what i know about it tells me i have nothing to gain from it, so the amt of AVP hype in a lot of starkid content always gets a grain of salt from me yes there are good moments in the Starkid content, but holy shit its so overhyped when you look at all their other works imo also no worries abt the latter, it took me a while to watch the last two big musicals (VHSCC and NPMD), MAMD is very...of its time, etc. take ur time and dont be sorry you gorgeous they ✨
I totally get you. I don’t think I’ll ever get there because I just can’t start not liking anything done by a-holes - that includes basically every "big" song, movie, book and piece of art there is - but I get it! I stopped with some of them (books are by far easiest to boycott) but I don’t think I’ve ever, for example, watched a movie that didn’t have a problematic (i .e. racist, sexist, ableist,…) storyline or a very important person involved with production who turned out to be at least a complete douchebag if not a criminal
dream a little harder being so low was unexpected
i’ve just never really loved it
Im ashamed to say i forgot how hard 'its not over yet' goes
same it was lower in my original plan for the video
TTO and Twisted being so low is crazy
i know
starkid opening numbers literally never miss
you know Starkid is stellar when you listen to the two lowest on the list and they're excellent openers
I am the only person in this fandom who loves the wiggly jingle way too much and I will continue supporting it
Nope! I love it as well! ❤
I love it too
i was ready to disagree when i saw gone to oregon in the bottom spot but this list is literally nothing but bops so there's not really anything else i would have put there. get back to hogwarts is the obvious (and correct) number one but bah humbug is a deserved runner up, the vhs christmas carol track list is so severely underrated!
i think vhscc is my favorite starkid show, the soundtrack is incredible
Wouldn't say it's my alltime fav, but vhscc is such a comfort show for me for any season. Probably because I missed seeing Brian and Meredith onstage.
It’s my 3rd favorite, I just love twisted too much lol. I can totally agree though it’s one of their best soundtracks and I hope that one day I get to hear what they added in the extended version
I would’ve put NPMD higher cos I mean- the harmonies are amazing and it’s such a bop in general
I'm so surprised that Twisted ranked so low on both of these lists. Also, High School is Killing me being so low, too? What the actual hell? It's one of the BEST!
i love twisted but the opening and closing songs happen to be ones i don’t care about as much. i don’t consider 4 low, high school is killing me is definitely one of the best!
I Wanna Be not being top 5 stung a little (I will fight for Starship until the very end babey!!!) BUT I forgive you bc having Bah Humbug so high was incredibly based of you
VSHCC supremacy 🫶🏻
yesss always
BAH HUMBUG SURPREMARCY
forgot how hard firebringer goes
top three is so controversial yet so true🫶
I think we all knew which one was gonna be first ;)
i almost didn’t put it first but i listened to it again and there’s just no other option
just started the video but im gonna guess goin back to hogwarts
babe wake up, new quirrelmorts vid dropped
Ani being top half a hot take that I'm not totally sure I agree with but also it's pretty based lol. personally the only ranking I truly actively disagree with is that wiggly jingle would be last for me (it's not bad I would just never choose to listen to it outside of the context of the show and even in context it's just fine), this is a solid ranking even if mine would be vastly different
my shot at a list (this is hard they're all bangers ugh) plus my thoughts on them both as songs and openers
14. Wiggly Jingle: the only one I think is mid, everything above this is at least *good*. It kind of works for Black Friday as an exposition piece but as a tone setter it might actually be a bit detrimental. This song makes you think it's going to put the comedy first and then the rest of the show happens and... yeah Black Friday has tone issues and this song doesn't help lol.
13. This is the End: has some really high highs and probably could have been top tier with a bit more time in the oven but especially given the circumstances of Senior Year, it's solid). Fantastic opener though, since 1) it sets the tone of Senior Year as a bit more serious than the previous entries in the trilogy without being too dark or dour and 2) it has a sense of finality. It sounds halfway between an opener and... not a closer, but definitely a late act two number, right before the climax. Which is exactly the point.
12. Fire: IDK what to say, it's just short. I love the sound of firebringer in general (driven by percussion and vocal harmony rather than being driven by keyboard, synth, and/or guitar like pretty much ever other show) and this is no exception, there's just not really enough there for me to rank it any higher. Good tone setter though.
11. Gone to Oregon: Great song and great tone setter. I don't really have anything else to say about it, it's just a good song that just isn't quite as memorable as everything I've put ahead of it.
10. Me and My Dick: This one's just... oddly cute, considering the subject matter (which you could kind of say about MaMD as a whole tbh lmao). It just has a charming vibe and a fun energy, and its the perfect start to MaMD, just the right blend of funny, wholesome, surreal, and cursed for the show it introduces.
9. I Wanna Be: This one, Me and My Dick, and Goin' Back to Hogwarts all have very similar vibes. It can't quite compete with Hogwarts as far as being an outright banger, but the way it turns into a group number gives it a rush of infectious energy that shoots it above MaMD. As far as whether it fits, well Starship is basically Disney's version of The Little Mermaid meets Aliens and this is the most Disney a Starkid opening would get until the actual Disney parody so yeah, I'd say it's fitting.
8. Ani: Talk about infectious energy, this is probably the Starkid opening that most makes me want to get up and dance, and I don't dance lol. Honestly all of the up-tempo Ani songs are just. Like. Great '80s dance music lol. Does it fit the show? Well, Ani is an '80s sports movie parody/workplace comedy with a synthpop soundtrack and this is an unabashedly cheesy '80s synthpop riff, the only thing it's really missing is any Star Wars puns or references.
7. Holy Musical B@man: The beginning of this song is perfect and the chorus is extremely catchy, while also being perfectly suited to the show. Again, this is another one I don't have too much to say about this except that... well... as catchy as the chorus is, they really hammer that chorus into the ground don't they? It's just really repetitive and overstays its welcome a little, which are kind of problems in a couple other HMB songs too.
6. Not Over Yet: Great villain song and a fantastic opener to AVPS for much the same reason This is the End works for Senior Year (they both set a darker tone compared to the previous entry and both have some sense of finality, either present for This is the End or past for Not Over Yet). Why is it this low? Honestly, for a pretty petty reason. I just don't like the "Eeeeeeeeeeeevil plaaaaaaaaaaaans" part, it pulls me out of the tense atmosphere of the rest of the song.
5. Goin' Back to Hogwarts: Hoo boy, I'm going to get crucified for this. Okay. Listen. Like I said, all of these except Wiggly Jingle are bangers, the fact this song made it as far as it did means it's pretty damn good. But my first Starkid show was HMB, and the first show that came out while I was in the fandom was TGWDLM. And while I was a Harry Potter fan, I never really got. Like. Nearly as deep into it as a lot of people just a few years older than me (and plenty of people my age) did. So I don't really have any nostalgia for it. I don't have any memories attached to this song. That said, it's a fantastic song, easily the best in the first Potter show, and really shows quite a bit of potential from Darren Criss as a songwriter, and I think putting it higher is an extremely valid take.
4. Bah Humbug: Sorry my brain's getting kinda fried now so the rest are probably going to be pretty short. Great song, like the rest of the VHSCC it's the perfect blend of Christmas vibes and '80s synth pop, only reason it's this low is because I like the top three more.
3. The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals: Banger intro, and the way Paul just... doesn't enter is still funny no matter how many times I rewatch it, especially how much it pisses everyone else off. It's also a perfect tone setter for TGWDLM. It's a very broad, almost wacky show but with a smooth, slick musical aesthetic. Good stuff
2. Dream a Little Harder: Pitch perfect Alan Menken pastiche in both the music and orchestration, just like almost every other song from Twisted. This one in particular is, musically, something of a riff on Belle, albeit a very loose one, which is fitting for the opening number.
1. High School is Killing Me: The beginning is super ominous and gets you invested in finding out what happens to Richie, and then once it moves to the classroom the rest of the song is just pure, unbridled energy and teen angst. NPMD is driven by both guitar and keyboard/synth but the guitar is always what sticks out most to me when I listen to it and I think this song influences me in that regard. The guitar is just utilized perfectly in this song. Plus it's a great tone setter. It follows the old school Starkid format of starting as a slow, ballad-y solo that turns into an energetic group number (AVPM, Starship, HMB, *kind of* MAMD) but takes that formula to new heights
I love all your reasoning! Thank you!
This is my exact list for a lot of the same reasons. Ty for putting it into words lol
Imma say it. Nick made This is the End like his part is definitely my favorite
His nipples made it for me
LOVE the love for It's Not Over Yet!! Also I feel that it's unfair that the entire top 4 can't share the #1 spot because they are all the best
Can i say how much of love that for both for intros and final song vhs has come so high cause i flipping love the music so much
how could you put dream a little harder so low I'm- you're literally insane, clinically
i just don’t love it as much as others
I was a bit flabbergasted at first when you put Dream A Little Harder so low but seeing the ones at the top made me realize Starkid always knock it out of the park with their opening songs. Which means I can’t be mad at whichever songs is the top of the ranking
Also, I agree with Going Back To Hogwarts. The song (and show) that was so powerful it started a whole theater company
dream a little harder is one of my favs😭😭
I completely respect this list but I was stunned how the Tickly Me Wiggly Jingle (that's what it's called?🗿) topped the "fuck you!"s from Dream A Little Harder. The latter's lyrics were just more witty and captivating imo but I completely agree everything else (it's one place I know I'm bitter as hell mate about my expectations of BF lmaoo)
i guess i wasn’t focusing much on lyrics and more how i vibe with the song. i think dream a little harder is extremely well written i just don’t like listening to it as much as others
Shoot, didn't see the desc, but honestly I get where youre coming from 👍
respect.
I would've put fire higher and high school is killing me but I loved this video!
I respect it
I wanna say your wrong for Gone to Oregon but I can't even lie
I agree on the top 3 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😲😲💗
its been 14 years and going back to hogwarts is still the best song of all time
The guy who didn’t like musicals
High school is killing me
Bah humbug
Holy musical Batman
I’m going back
I wanna be
Tickle me wiggly
Not over yet
This is the end
Fire
Ani
Me and my d*ck
Gone to Oregon
Dream a little harder
No time stamps as of yet?
The bottom of any list comparing their different shows is always always reserved for any of the Potter stuff. My trans ass is so goddamn sick of references to that terfs' work.
On a positive note, I think Ani and TTO have the perfect tone-setting, silly openers! Those are my two favorites, followed closely by Twisted, TGWDLM, Batman, & Starship. FIrebringer is one of the best shows, but the opener doesn't really match the tone of the show, in my opinion. Black Friday & VHS are fine. I don't really care for any of Me & My Dick, and finally, I haven't watched Nerdy Prudes yet (I know I know, I'm way way behind. Life is weird), So I don't have an opinion.
dhjdkgg thank god for you homie
im so far from being attatched to that series, its the only starkid works i actively dont have interest to watch cause ive never been into HP and what i know about it tells me i have nothing to gain from it, so the amt of AVP hype in a lot of starkid content always gets a grain of salt from me
yes there are good moments in the Starkid content, but holy shit its so overhyped when you look at all their other works imo
also no worries abt the latter, it took me a while to watch the last two big musicals (VHSCC and NPMD), MAMD is very...of its time, etc.
take ur time and dont be sorry you gorgeous they ✨
I totally get you. I don’t think I’ll ever get there because I just can’t start not liking anything done by a-holes - that includes basically every "big" song, movie, book and piece of art there is - but I get it! I stopped with some of them (books are by far easiest to boycott) but I don’t think I’ve ever, for example, watched a movie that didn’t have a problematic (i .e. racist, sexist, ableist,…) storyline or a very important person involved with production who turned out to be at least a complete douchebag if not a criminal
I think ‘this is the end’ from avpsy would’ve been higher however Evana lynch.. she’s lovely but she can’t sing bless her cotton socks 😂
The Black Friday opening is absolutely insufferable to me 😂
fair
Glad there's someone else out there that thinks the same 😅