The Genius Of Donkey Kong Country's Music

In today's episode, I will be dissecting what I feel to be the best music in video game history, Donkey Kong Country. From the SNES to the Switch, David Wise and company's music has touched millions with a profound emotional impact. Let's look through the history of the composer, how he created these masterpieces and why it has affected me so greatly.

CREDITS:

MUSIC

“Forest Folly” - DKC Tropical Freeze
“Funky’s Theme” - DKC2
“Simian Segue” - DKC
“Cranky’s Theme” - DKC
“DK Island Swing” - DKC
“Bonus Room Blitz” - DKC
“Aquatic Ambience” - DKC
“Life in the Mines” - DKC
“Fear Factory” - DKC
“Cave Dweller Concert” - DKC
“K. Rool Returns” - DKC2
“Steel Drum Rhumba” - DKC2
“Jib Jig” - DKC2
“Lockjaw’s Saga” - DKC2
“Hot Head Bop” - DKC2
“Mining Melancholy” - DKC2
“Bayou Boogie - DKC2
“Snakey Chanty” - DKC2
“In a Snowbound Land” - DKC2
“Stickerbush Symphony” - DKC2
“Forest Interlude” - DKC2
“Enchanted Riverbank” - DKC3
“Rockface Rumble” - DKC3
“Water World” - DKC3
“Intro Theme” - DKC Advance
“Forest Interlude” - DKC2 Advance
“Main Theme” - DKC3 Advance
“Main Theme” - DKC Returns
“Factory Friction” - DKC Returns
“Alpine Incline” - DKC Tropical Freeze
“Scorch n’ Torch” - DKC Tropical Freeze
“Amiss Abyss” - DKC Tropical Freeze
“Seashore War” - DKC Tropical Freeze
“Stickerbush Symphony” - NyxTheShield

VIDEO CREDIT
Angry Video Game Nerd
EightBitHD
GameXPlain
EPGPlays
Retrohistories

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[PressStartToContinueYT]

Thanks for checking out the video today! This was a labor of love, as the Donkey Kong Country series means the world to me. What memories do you have of DKC's music? Let me know in the comments below!

[TheFearChannel]

I'm telling my children that this is country music.

[MicahBuzanANIMATION]

I've only played the games a handful of times, but have listened to the soundtracks thousands of times. This music sticks with you.

[Goolix_Aero]

This is one of those cases of technical limitation leading to the creation of something very special. There's just nothing quite like the DKC SNES soundtracks.

[RelyeaGaming]

Donkey Kong music is so iconic. Going back and listening to the tracks now takes me back

[RichardofanFivbe]

As soon as you mentioned having two favorite tracks in DKC 2, my first thought was, "Is it Stickerbrush Symphony and Forest Interlude?" It's really cool to see someone appreciate Forest Interlude as much as I do. That frothy synth and the rising background hum creates a vibe like no other. I think the soundtrack in DKC 2 is really a testament to how well a good soundtrack can complement a game and make it even more enjoyable than just its core gameplay.

[antisocialmedia]

david wise is a genius, thanks for spreading the love for a great composer

[_.Alucard._]

This is one of the most beautiful games ever made under every single aspect.

[staceyweeden]

I remember as a kid, pausing the game before finishing levels because I didn't want the track to end. You nailed the way this music in particular made/makes me feel. Awesome video!

[BobbyJCFHvLichtenstein]

When the title says that the music changed your life - I literally resonate with that on so many levels.
I have always loved the music and now I'm learning to compose music

[fullbodyscab]

This game holds a special place in my heart. I used to play it with my aunt as a child, she loved the Aquatic Ambience music. We recorded it from the tv onto tape and then later in life I burned it on disc for her.
When she died, that game and song take me back to beloved memories. Brilliant, really.

[lilypage]

Forest Interlude is my favorite song of all gaming and I am so happy to not be alone in feeling this! Hits me right in the heart every time from when I was a teen to even now as an adult. Great video! Oh and subscribed! :)

[elfiebranford]

I always cite Donkey Kong Country, particularly David Wise, for introducing me to my love of atmospheric music. Not only do these compositions encapsulate incredibly memorable melodies, but they also evoke such depth in conveying atmosphere; they really breathe life into areas of the game. If you had someone listen to the tracks and ask them to guess where each might take place, I don't think there would be a single track that would be guessed incorrectly. They truly are THAT good at setting the mood and complementing the area. And even with all my praise, we all know this is just scratching the surface.

As someone who's been looking to get back into her studies of music theory, I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful video. I'll be coming back to view it again and again, that's for certain!!

[wyvernmg]

You nearly brought me to tears while revisiting the music of DKC. *Especially* DKC2. I was only in kindergarten and going into first grade when I was playing it, Yoshi's Island and a handful of other games on the SNES back in the early to mid 90's. I became entranced with the music of these games, but especially DKC2's. I loved just about every track, but Mining Melancholy hit me harder than any other. And only when I got a year or two older and finally managed to reach Bramble Blast did Stickerbush Symphony become one of my all time favorites as well. Maybe it's because I was playing the level or thinking of the game around the time, but I always, ALWAYS get flooded with pleasant memories of mid to late Autumn, especially late October and all of November (which it is now as I write this; go figure.) Being that young and excited to play in leaves with my family, prepare for Halloween with getting pumpkins, decorating the house, and eagerly anticipating trick-or-treating, and awaiting the joy of Christmas all November long. Without this getting longer than it is, Stickerbush Symphony makes me 5 years old again and fills me with warm Autumn childhood feelings. And somehow, without me fully understanding why, it also evokes fondness for my grandparents. I miss them all so very much, even now that I'm in my 30's. May they all rest in peace.

Thank you for this wonderful video about an amazing collection of games and their sublime music. You're truly spot on about the incredible power of music that many of us, myself included, take for granted all too often. David Wise, among many others I admire (Koji Kondo, Junichi Masuda, Stewart Copeland, Grant Kirkhope, etc.) have blessed us with an amazing experience that is simply irreplaceable and cannot be easily replicated. Thank you to all who are involved with these incredible games we love, and for the music that moves our souls.

[johnnyalexander]

Honestly shed a tear watching, can’t even believe you literally mentioned all the greats and ended with my favorite. Forest interlude was my ring tone for years, and I love playing it while I drive. Such a well done video!

[quarium]

I literally pumped my fist and audibly shouted "YES" when you said Forest Interlude is your favourite from DKC2, that might legitimately be my favourite VGM of all time too, it's technically impressive in it's layering, super emotional while also heavily ambient, it has basically all of David's strengths rolled up into one so well.

[hazbiniznow]

Growing up with the SNES in the 90's was maybe one of the greatest times to be alive as a kid in the entire history of human kind. The feelings and memories these soundtracks evoke in me are truly priceless.

[Mr.Pacario]

It's odd that, when the top 16-bit soundtracks are named, the DKC series isn't instantly named the #1 example. Even among the Final Fantasies, Chronotriggers, and Streets of Rages, there's nothing quite as rich, bold, soothing, and (most importantly) eclectic as Rare's trilogy of masterpieces (especially the first two).

[ferrangrifols]

I have to thank Taia777 for introducing me to stickerbush symphony. His hour-long video appeared in my YouTube feed back in 2017 I think. First, I didn't know it was from a DK game, even though I've always been a Nintendo nerd, I thought it was a song composed by this random person online, the title was in Japanese too, so I couldn't know what was it's meaning. Some years later, when I found out it was a theme from DKC2, I searched up the song and I fell in love with every single track of it.
Thank you, David Wise, thank you Rare and thank you Taia777!

[Pupppeteer]

The DK music is something I only really started appreciating the last year or 2. The depth of the music is surprising considering it's SNES and like you said it just sparks something on an emotional level.