The iconic Super Mario Bros. theme song is known across the world, even by those who have never touched a video game controller. What's more, each and every game in the series has top-notch music. Even the spin-off games are no slouch in this department, with tons of amazing tunes. Like the main theme, many of these songs are known by people who have never played their respective games. That's because denizens of the internet adore Mario music and frequently use it for BGM.

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Considering the incredible breadth of music in the Mario series, it's almost impossible to pick a list of favorites. We've focused our list on the most popular and iconic songs in the series—the ones that might make readers think "oh yeah, I've heard this!"

10 Secret Course (Super Mario Sunshine)

A pianta from Super Mario Sunshine chucking Mario across a black chasm.

This eerie acapella remix of the Super Mario theme song accompanies players as they fight for their lives in Mario Sunshine's secret levels. Its chill, quirky vibes ring out tauntingly during some of the game's most difficult jumps. An oddly intense song, it remains during these levels as a constant reminder that vacation is now over.

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Considering it's composed almost entirely of synthesized human voices, the Secret Course song is pretty great. It doesn't sound like a real acapella band, but it still sounds cool. The percussive snapping in the background brings it together to make a song we could listen to for hours.

9 Underworld Theme (Super Mario Bros.)

Mario running through the subterranean World 1-2 in the original Super Mario Bros.

Koji Kondo's iconic underworld theme from Super Mario Bros. 1 is instantly recognized by just about everyone. Its relentless, eerie repetition adds greatly to the game's subterranean atmosphere. At times, it seems like the notes themselves are echoing off the cave walls—bouncing back and forth, responding to themselves.

Compared to other Mario songs, the Underworld Theme is very simple. Koji Kondo composed it in the eighties, for limited hardware, using little more than an electronic keyboard. Yet despite that, it fits in so well with underground levels that it's lodged itself in our collective consciousness, probably forever.

8 Jump Up, Super Star! (Super Mario Odyssey)

Mario tossing Cappy on the streets of New Donk City in Super Mario Odyssey.

The first trailer for Super Mario Odyssey launched featuring this amazing jazz/swing song, and it was a perfect hook. The distinct big band sound achieved in Jump Up, Super Star is not only a perfect match for its New Donk City setting, but it's also an amazing sound that will send goosebumps down listeners' spines.

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The music of Super Mario Odyssey is great across the board, drawing inspiration from genres all around the world. Jump Up, Super Star is a perfect capstone to that soundtrack. It's also, as far as we know, the first song in a Mario game with actual lyrics. Unless, that is, one counts the "doot doots" from Mario Sunshine's secret course music as lyrics.

7 Overworld Theme (Super Mario Bros. 2)

Mario standing on a log in the overworld of Super Mario Bros. 2.

Most readers likely already know the story of how Super Mario Bros. 2 was completely reworked for western audiences. An amazingly weird game, the music in Mario 2 fits in surprisingly well with the happy, cutesy vibe of the series.

Mario 2's Overworld Theme is easily the most recognizable song in the game. It's a cute, catchy earworm that most fans genuinely love. With its bouncy rhythm and playful melody, it sounds almost like something one would hear ringing out in an old-timey saloon. It's hard to get sick of, thankfully, since it plays throughout so much of the game.

6 Delfino Plaza (Super Mario Sunshine)

Mario and Fludd looking out over Delfino Plaza in Super Mario Sunshine.

Beautiful driving guitar lines. Elegant simplicity. Accordions. What more could one possibly ask for in a song? Mario Sunshine's Delfino Plaza theme is a perfect encapsulation of the game's tropical setting. It's somehow both relaxing and energetic at the same time.

The Delfino Plaza theme is one of those rare songs that truly never gets old, no matter how many times you hear it. It's a simple loop that only lasts a minute or so before repeating, yet somehow it manages to stay refreshing. And that's definitely a good thing, considering the amount of time a player might spend trying to access that one secret level on the island.

5 Overworld Theme (Super Mario Land)

A banner image with art from Mario, Daisy, and various enemies from Super Mario Land.

The sound card on the original GameBoy was incredibly simple. It pumped out tinny chip tunes and not much else. Yet despite its notable limitations, the GameBoy sound card managed to produce some of the most well-known video game music in existence. Pokémon Red & Blue has countless iconic tracks. The Tetris theme was introduced in the GameBoy version, for Pete's sake!

Super Mario Land, which was a launch title for the GameBoy, features this nameless track in some of its first levels. Fans have since latched onto it, using it in remixes and meme videos. It's a bouncy, nostalgic tune that feels perfect for Mario without borrowing anything from the traditional theme song.

4 Grass Land Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)

A view of the overworld in Super Mario Bros. 3.

This relaxing tune accompanies players through the first overworld in Super Mario Bros. 3. Many of us have trouble listening to it without also hearing the "level start" sound in our heads. Like other notable songs in the series, the Grass Land Theme is fun and inviting.

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It makes great use of off beats - that's when notes hit in between what we would consider the "beats" of the song. Off beats sound bouncy to our ears, lending songs that use them a certain energetic cadence. One could imagine happily trotting down a sunny street while listening to the Grass Land Theme, or just dancing around the living room while it chirps in the background.

3 Slider (Super Mario 64)

Mario going down the secret slide in Super Mario 64.

Of Slider, a song synonymous with high-velocity wackiness, fans have often asked "Why does this go so hard?". It's a question we don't feel equipped to fully address, but that won't stop us from trying.

Slider is unapologetically fast. It elevates heart rates dramatically in what's otherwise a fairly slow slide segment. At face value, a 200 BPM jaunt with banjos and whistles would be close to number one on the list of things we don't want to listen to. Actually listening to the song, though, it's impossible to deny how great it is. Slider's down-home bluegrass quality is utterly unexpected in a Mario game, but not at all unwelcome.

2 Overworld Theme (Super Mario Bros.)

A view of World 1-1 in Super Mario Bros., featuring a single Goomba.

What makes the original Super Mario Bros. theme song so great? Could it be its uniquely charming melody, which effortlessly dances between octaves? Is it the intricate interplay between the main melody and the bassline? Or is the simple, chippy drum beat the true hero that ties this tune together?

In all likelihood, no one will ever be able to nail down the exact genius of the original Mario theme. It's some elusive mixture of qualities that come together to form arguably the most recognizable video game song of all time. The song is lightning in a bottle, with its countless remixes evidencing its status as an iconic classic.

1 Dire Dire Docks (Super Mario 64)

An underwater view of a cavern beneath Dire Dire Docks in Super Mario 64.

Admit it. Even the Super Mario Bros. theme song is no match for Dire Dire Docks. Not only is it the best water level song, but it's also the best song in any Mario game and one of the best songs in video game history.

Dire Dire Docks begins softly, with an aquamarine invitation. Then it pulls the listener in with those beautiful vibraphone hits. For a time, its two melodies dance together in a state of quiet reflection. On the horizon, ambient synthesizers swell. Just when the listener thinks it can't get any better, the drums come in. All the while, the song's melancholy refrain reminds us that there is still beauty in this world.

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