Top 10 Favorite Songs to Listen to while Playing a DK related game

[f_symbols]

Here is a List of players' individual lists of Favorite songs to listen to while playing games.  I'm not ready to post my list, but eventually we can develop a communal list of the "universal top 10 songs" based on the lists.  I'd imagine that the rocky theme song might make the final cut, but nothing is certain.

[TheSunshineFund]

Yeah Ethan!  You're now on the list of people to make lists in the list subforum!

[syscrusher]

I'll throw down a list here.  To make it easier on my brain, I'll just grab 10 from my current stream playlist:

1.  Down Under - Men At Work
2.  Way Cool Jr. - Ratt
3.  Enchanted Farm - The Forbidden Five
4.  What A Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers
5.  Turn To Stone - ELO
6.  Astronomy Domine - Voivod
7.  The Sails Of Charon - Scorpions
8.  Subdivisions - Rush
9.  Eyes of a Stranger - Queensryche
10.  Man on a Silver Mountain - Rainbow

[TheSunshineFund]

1. I'm Pregnant - Kleenex Girl Wonder
2. Kentucky Cocktail - Pavement
3. The Wagon - Dinosaur Jr
4. The Boston Rag - Steely Dan
5. China Cat Sunflower - Grateful Dead
6. A Day in the Life - The Beatles
7. Long Distance Man - Guided by Voices
8. Hand Me Downs - The Minders
9. Cross Bones Style - Cat Power
10. Two Headed Boy - Neutral Milk Hotel

[stella_blue]

A Top 10 list is almost impossible for me (even 25 was a struggle).  Ask me again next week, and I'll replace half of these selections with something else.

• Once Upon A Time In The West - Dire Straits (Alchemy)
• Birdland - Weather Report
• Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-5) - Pink Floyd
• Can't You Hear Me Knocking - Rolling Stones
• Scarlet Begonias => Fire On The Mountain - Grateful Dead (Cornell 05/08/77)
• Third World Man - Steely Dan
• Dixie Chicken => Tripe Face Boogie - Little Feat (Waiting For Columbus)
• The Things That I Used To Do - Stevie Ray Vaughan
• Autumn Leaves - Chet Baker & Paul Desmond
• New York City Serenade - Bruce Springsteen
• Loan Me A Dime - Boz Scaggs & Duane Allman
• Don't Think Twice, It's All Right - Eric Clapton (The Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration)
• Watermelon Man - Fourplay
• Rhapsody In Blue - George Gershwin
• Stormy Monday - Allman Brothers Band (At Fillmore East)
• The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys - Traffic
• Morning Dance - Spyro Gyra
• Someday Baby - Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders (Keystone Berkeley 09/01/74)
• In The Evening - Led Zeppelin
• Red House - Jimi Hendrix
• Crush - Dave Matthews Band
• Steppin' Out - John Mayall (Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton)
• You Enjoy Myself - Phish (Albany, NY 12/09/95)
• October Queen - Bob Weir & Ratdog (Evening Moods)
• Stickin' With You - Roomful Of Blues

[Xermon54]

From that:

1. I'm Pregnant - Kleenex Girl Wonder

To this:

10. Two Headed Boy - Neutral Milk Hotel

Well, that escalated quickly! (Anyway, I understand my joke, lol).

Personally, the only sound I'm listening to, is the sound of my earplugs! 

[TheSunshineFund]

From that:

1. I'm Pregnant - Kleenex Girl Wonder

To this:

10. Two Headed Boy - Neutral Milk Hotel

Well, that escalated quickly! (Anyway, I understand my joke, lol).

Personally, the only sound I'm listening to, is the sound of my earplugs! 

Ha!  Well there was a lot of stuff in between 

[LMDAVE]

You would think I would be all over this topic, but I know my flavor of music may not be someone else, so it would be hard to see a universal list. And of course, the favorites, while playing DK, change.
Currently some of my favorite that I have on my playlsit that get me the most pumped right now:

(1) No Spill Blood - Oingo Boingo
(2) Only a Lad - Oingo Boingo
(3) Coming Home - Scorpions
(4) Dirty Deeds - AC/DC
(5) Purgatory - Iron Maiden

But, I know this'll change within a few weeks.

[mikegmi2]

Although I don't listen to music while playing because I like the game soundtrack so much...if I did I would listen to random techno type stuff.  I can't listen to music with words or basic chords that I could potentially be subconsciously memorizing.  I tend to do that.  I still remember random TV commercials from when I was little and could sing many of them word for word, if I had to.  I feel like if I listened to music it would be taking away some of my brain power or something...and I don't have a lot of that so I need to use all of it on DK while playing.

Ratatat would probably fill my playlist.

[ChrisP]

That's interesting Mike, because I feel like I have the opposite need.

I like to distract the "conscious" part of my brain (usually with an audio book or lecture of some sort) because it seems to make me play better. I get involved in what I'm listening to and the gameplay just becomes a series of autonomic responses. Whereas if it's JUST the game I get bored and impatient and start pushing things too hard.

Of course, those people who listen to (or even need) music, etc. while writing, reading, or studying are totally mystifying to me. How can you possibly read or think about something when lyrics are happening??

[marky_d]

Of course, those people who listen to (or even need) music, etc. while writing, reading, or studying are totally mystifying to me. How can you possibly read or think about something when lyrics are happening??

I'm exactly the same way, Chris. Though music in the background doesn't bother me per se, but if it's "my playlist" it tends to be a distraction because I'll have a heightened focus on what is going on with the music.

[mikegmi2]

Interesting Chris.  We are all unique and function differently. 

When I studied in college, I needed absolute silence.  The whole "study in an environment that would be similar to the environment you will be taking your test" thing...I guess I took that seriously and maybe thats another reason I want no music or other disctractions going on while I play, read, study, etc.

White noise on the other hand, I really like.  My machine is in my basement, which is unfinished, and I like when my furnace is on, or the hot water heater is on.  When they shut off, it gets 'too quiet' for a few minutes...until I get used to the silence.

I don't like making excuses, but I blame my furnace shutting off for a death here and there. Ha!

[stella_blue]

Although I don't listen to music while playing because I like the game soundtrack so much...

I generally play without music during serious games, but it's not because I enjoy the game's soundtrack.

My Top 25 list (somewhere above) represents what I'd be listening to, if music was required during gameplay.  This topic was really just a convenient excuse for me to provide examples of "stuff I like".

I like to distract the "conscious" part of my brain (usually with an audio book or lecture of some sort) because it seems to make me play better. I get involved in what I'm listening to and the gameplay just becomes a series of autonomic responses. Whereas if it's JUST the game I get bored and impatient and start pushing things too hard.

That's a very good point, Chris.  I imagine it's analogous to the natural hypnosis people experience every day, effortlessly performing one task while primarily focused on something else.  An example would be listening to an audio book while driving, arriving at your destination, and having no real recollection of what happened between points A and B.

I believe that music would enhance my gameplay, in the manner you've described, with one notable exception.  If the game sounds are overpowered by the music, I find that it negatively impacts my ability to gauge the duration of the hammer cycle.  Your preferred audio source (book/lecture) might be less intrusive (sparser sound?).

How about a MAME plug-in that auto pauses one's media player while the hammer is active?  Useful at first, but incredibly annoying after 10 minutes (less than 2 complete DK levels).

[marinomitch13]

I don't prefer to listen to music when I play. My reason is quite simple: I am a musician and singer, so I find music to be somewhat like if someone was talking to me. I can't help but think about what is going on musically, and I often feel the desire to sing along and harmonize, etc. I find this brings me the most risk (like Chris said) when I am judging the end of the hammer cycle.

If I ever do listen to music while I play, it is usually when I am doing some challenges or some sort of shorter DK variations. I like to listen to, almost exclusively, the band Red. I find it pumps me up pretty good.

[ChrisP]

I find this brings me the most risk (like Chris said) when I am judging the end of the hammer cycle.

For the record, Scott said that. 

To be honest, I don't understand how the music helps you guys judge the end of the hammer cycle, or the springs (as some have mentioned elsewhere). The hammer music endpoint is arbitrary isn't it, and will vary based on smashes, etc.?

Audio doesn't help me with the hammer.