Awesome Music / Super Mario Odyssey

"I'll be your 1-up girl!"

• "Bonneton", the Cap Kingdom's theme, is a whimsical tune that may remind some players of The Nightmare Before Christmas^note Or even Danny Elfman in general. Some have even compared it to the music heard in the Harry Potter movies once they listen to it.
• "Fossil Falls", the theme for the Cascade Kingdom and the main orchestral theme of the game, is a majestic and epic theme that rivals the best of the soundtracks for the two Galaxy games. It would later return in the 3DS/Switch port of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
• "Tostarena: Ruins", the Sand Kingdom's theme, mixes spaghetti western music with desert ambiance soundtrack (leaning on Latin American though), and it gives a beautiful result. "Tostarena: Town", heard after Mario completes its story, turns Super Mario 64's "Inside the Castle Walls" into a cheery and catchy mariachi tune.
• "Lake Lamode 1", the Lake Kingdom's theme, has a theme that gives the same relief as floating above a calm water lake.
• "Steam Gardens", the Wooded Kingdom's theme, starts with an orchestra before becoming... one of the best surf rock themes ever written for a video game. "Steam Gardens: Sherm" adds techno instruments, making the music sound more jumpy and slightly chaotic.
• "Forgotten Isle 2", the Lost Kingdom's theme, certainly lives up to its name, with its music creating a soothing, almost prehistoric vibe that absolutely fits the place.
• "New Donk City: Daytime", the Metro Kingdom's theme once it's saved, is a bombastic orchestral jazz theme which shows how the city is alive again.
• "New Donk City: Cafe". Various radios in New Donk City are heard playing this very relaxing piano version of the Super Mario World overworld theme. Any Mario fan will get instant nostalgia.
• "NDC Band Performance" is the main theme of the series (aka the classic overworld theme from the original Super Mario Bros.) done in an incredibly catchy Big Band style. It's made even better in-game by the crowd (and Mario, if you leave him alone) dancing to it.
• If you thought 3D World had awesome jazz songs, Odyssey takes it to the next level with its main theme, "Jump Up, Super Star!" (listed in-game as "New Donk City Festival" for the track that plays for the concert level). It's a gloriously catchy jazz remix of the original Donkey Kong arcade theme... with full vocals (which proves that Kate Higgins can sing!).
• "Shiveria: Town", the Snow Kingdom's theme, seamlessly blends the feeling of Christmas with the sound of traditional Scandinavian music. The result is something that wouldn't sound too out of place in The Legend of Zelda.
• "Mount Volbono", the Luncheon Kingdom's theme, is a sweet little music that gives the impression you're on some kind of alien territory.
• "Bowser's Castle 1", the theme for Bowser Kingdom, is very different from his previous level themes, but absolutely awe inspiring in the level its played in. Really strikes the right balance between calming and adventurous.
• "Bowser's Castle 2" combines jazz and traditional Japanese instruments to create a distinctive and epic theme for Mario to wreck Bowser's home turf by, and the nods to Mario 3's final boss battle theme are an awesome added touch.
• "Honeylune Ridge", the Moon Kingdom's theme, is a peaceful track that will bring memories to Super Mario Galaxy players.
• "Honeylune Ridge: Caves" is an epic rock theme that perfectly fits heading to the final battle with Bowser through a gauntlet of obstacles.
• "Honeylune Ridge: Wedding Hall", a not-so-Ominous Pipe Organ piece that perfectly fits the climactic lead-up to the final battle, to the point that it makes you want to shout "I OBJECT!" as Mario and Cappy bust the door open.
• "Honeylune Ridge: Collapse" is an utterly frantic, anxiety-building track loaded with swathes of dissonant chords, perfectly capturing the desperation of escaping the collapsing caves on the moon to its surface.
• "Break Free (Lead the Way)" (listed in-game as "Honeylune Ridge: Escape"), a super-upbeat Hard Rock track that plays over the last part of the climactic Escape Sequence. It's another vocal track sung by Kate Higgins, and unlike the jazz number of "Jump Up, Super Star!" this track sounds more like the theme song to an anime. The way it sounds and its use has drawn comparisons to Mario's gaming rival, Sonic the Hedgehog (fitting, as Kate Higgins used to voice Tails), who has a track record of playing similarly-awesome rock music over climactic sequences. If capturing Bowser and using him to smash your way through the molten interior of the moon, all while the level literally crumbles beneath your feet didn't hype you up, this song sure will.
• The sub-levels have awesome music too:
  • "Run, Jump, Throw! 1" is Odyssey's "athletic" theme, for fast-paced and dangerous platforming challenges. It's one of the most instantly catchy tunes in the game, and feels like a spiritual successor to "Slider" from Super Mario 64.
  • "Run, Jump, Throw! 2" (8-bit version) is the most "Mario" theme in the game, a catchy and playful piece perfect for the platforming challenges it accompanies.
  • "Another World". A trippy theme for trippy, Nintendo Hard platforming and Brutal Bonus Levels.
• The game is full of awesome boss themes.
  • "Broodals Battle", the Broodals' boss theme, sounds both amazing and insane. See also "Madame Broode Battle", a heavier remix of the Broodals' battle theme. There is also "RoboBrood Battle", a very menacing Variable Mix that devolves into Japanese drums and chanting when the thing is down, and the main theme starts picking up Japanese instruments as you get closer to defeating it.
  • "The Broodals' Airship" is a little minimalistic, but it's awesomely threatening. And here it is, albeit extended, with the piano! It's unfortunate that this wasn't included in the Music List, though...
  • "Knucklotec Battle". Few would think a fusion of rock and a pan-flute could be so creepy. But here, it's Creepy Awesome.
  • "Torkdrift Battle" is an intense techno song that sounds completely out of place in a Mario game, drawing some comparisons to the music in the Half-Life series...but is even better because of that. Even more surprising is that it's one of Koji Kondo's contributions to the game.
  • "Mechawiggler Battle" mixes jazz, electronic sounds and rock into a badass piece of Creepy Jazz Music to fight this robotic Wiggler to.
  • "Mollusque-Lanceur Battle" is quite akin to the boss theme of Sunshine.
  • "Cookatiel Battle" is a deliciously insane music that fits her personality perfectly. It would later return in the 3DS/Switch port of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, along with Cookatiel herself.
  • "Ruined Dragon Battle". The bombastic, ominous orchestra that feels straight from Dark Souls helps makes this fight memorable for just how out of place it is.
  • Meanwhile, Bowser gets the awesome themes that you would expect from him. "Bowser Battle 1" is an amazing metal theme that can bring to mind Bowser's Castle from Mario Kart 8, while "Bowser Battle 2" mixes orchestra and metal together for an epic atmospheric final showdown against the Koopa King.
• A wonderful post-game musical treat is a beautiful rearrangement of "Inside the Castle Walls" from Super Mario 64, which plays in Peach's castle in the Mushroom Kingdom. It's guaranteed to make many a fan shed Tears of Joy from the nostalgia.

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