Stardew Valley is a game whose popularity is still going strong, in no small part due to the above-and-beyond updates of its creator, ConcernedApe. With the 1.4 update, players have been treated to new activities and events, new items to farm and collect, and new music to enjoy while playing. The farming simulator's soundtrack is entirely composed by ConcernedApe themselves and features some truly memorable songs that will have players humming along the entire way.
Stardew Valley's soundtrack is so loved that it is available for streaming on Spotify, and the amount of listens is nothing to sneeze at. This article will take a look at the top 10 Stardew Valley songs ranked by the amount of Spotify listens.
10 Spring (Wild Horseradish Jam)
All of Stardew Valley's theme songs for the Spring season claim a spot in the top 10, but none as charming and unique as "Spring (Wild Horseradish Jam)". The song's plucked string instruments create an inquisitive atmosphere, one that says "positivity" without being nauseatingly cheery.
The accompanying bongos and lead flute mix together perfectly to lead the song into an almost mystical crescendo, before quieting to just a synth and jingling bells. Of course, the song picks back up, as Spring always does, and is a wonderful accompaniment to picking flowers and sowing seeds in the fresh spring soil.
9 Fall (Raven's Descent)
Perhaps the most hauntingly beautiful of Stardew Valley songs, "Fall (Raven's Descent)" features the echoing movement of wind and the caws of ravens and crow. The chirps of the last remaining bugs of Autumn set the perfect tone as a music box tone clinks away. This song's blend of piano and soft synthesizer seems to encompass the inevitable passage of time, neither a joyful nor saddening fact of life.
With almost 700,000 listens, it has the most listens of all the themes of Fall, indicating many other players relate to its reflective and ruminative nature.
8 Cloud Country
"Cloud Country" may be the most popular banjo song in OST for Stardew Valley if fans on Spotify have anything to say about it. This song expertly combines soft, reverberating piano with the comforting, steady plucks of a country banjo, as well as that classic flute SoundFont that is synonymous with Stardew Valley at this point. The bass drop is particularly notable, making an effortless yet spine-chilling entrance in the song.
Listening to this song can conjure up picturesque images of the "simple life," farming and toiling away until the sun sets to reveal the hundreds of twinkling stars in the sky, untouched by the light pollution of the city.
7 Spring (The Valley Comes Alive)
What better song to announce the return of spring than "Spring (The Valley Comes Alive)?" No doubt many players cleared their fields and planted their seeds to this enjoyable song. Filled with flute, castanets, accordion, and good ol' country guitar, this song is definitely an enjoyable theme to listen to while farming or completing quests.
This song has just over 700,000 listens on Spotify, and is most likely very recognizable to players due to its early appearance in the game. Clocking in at 4 minutes and 23 seconds, it is the longest song on the entire Stardew Valley soundtrack.
6 Winter (The Wind Can Be Still)
It may be difficult to make money or progress the story during winter, but it's not impossible! With no outdoor crops to grow, many players resort to the plethora of other money-making avenues such as mining, caring for animals, raising slimes, or even making wine to age in cellar casks.
"Winter (The Wind Can Be Still)" is a track that employs reverb and echoing synths to convey the vast, empty expanse of a whole valley covered in snow. The song wavers back and forth between major and minor themes, creating a wistful and larger-than-life feel to the season. The wind can be still, but that doesn't mean the player has to be.
5 Grandpa's Theme
Every game could use an emotional music box theme, and Stardew Valley's is a real tearjerker. "Grandpa's Theme" is the culmination of all the player strives towards during their journey to become the most successful farm in the valley. Escaping the tedious and soul-destroying grind of the city, the player finds joy where their dear grandfather once did, working to fill his footsteps and make him proud from beyond the grave. With the subtle crackling of vinyl and soft needling of guitar in the background, this theme is sure to warm any city slicker's heart.
4 Winter (Nocturne of Ice)
Winter is known as the coldest and darkest of seasons, with the sun setting early in the day due to the tilt of the earth (and daylight savings time). It is quite fitting, then, to have a song called "Winter (Nocturne of Ice)," as a nocturne is a musical composition that is reminiscent of (or inspired by) the night.
Though this particular song does not play at night, it reminds the player of how Winter is seen as the sun setting on the current year, with it rising once again on a new year in Spring.
3 Spring (It's a Big World Outside)
Winter ends, and as the sun rises and melts the thick blanket of snow, farmers everywhere merge from hibernation to the sound of "Spring (It's a Big World Outside)." With 900,000 plays on Spotify, this tune of Spring is the most listened to theme of all the seasons, and with its soft and expanding orchestral section, we can understand why. Not only does it include the Stardew Valley flute, but also timpani, shakers, and guitar, all combined to make a harmonious masterpiece. Time to fasten your hat and till the earth once again!
2 Stardew Valley Overture
It comes as no surprise that Stardew Valley's memorable title sequence would be one of the most enjoyed songs on Spotify, garnering over 1.2 million listens as of 2020. "Stardew Valley Overture" wordlessly narrates of all the beautiful songs and moments to come, featuring flute, xylophone-esque synths, and plucking strings. Those who stay on the title screen to hear the full melody will be treated to gorgeous flowing bells and harp. If only this song could have warned players they were going to be investing 100+ hours into the game...
1 Dance of the Moonlight Jellies
Coming in at number one, with a playtime of only 1 minute and 51 seconds, is "Dance of the Moonlight Jellies". This event at the end of the Summer season is perhaps the most unique event in Stardew Valley, adding to the patent charm of Pelican Town. Referred to by the Wizard as "Lunaloos", Moonlight Jellies possess a magical aura that makes them glow in the water as they follow their migration path every year, signaling the beginning of Fall.
Though the festival serves no mechanical purpose in-game (no items to collect or contest to enter), the player can gain friendship points by talking to every villager present at the event, as well as enjoy the beautiful music while the Jellies float on towards the unknown.