CLASSICAL
The old masters. I tried not to include most opera composers, since singing/lyrics interfere with concentration. Most of these playlists are at least an hour long:
Baroque (prancing through the flowers with royalty):
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Albinoni
- Bach
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Corelli
- Handel
- Guerre
- Purcell
- Scarlatti
- Telemann
- Vivaldi
Classical (sipping tea with royalty while listening to their woes and gossip):
Romantic (watching a heartfelt, teary-eyed scene in a soap opera):
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Beethoven
- Berlioz
- Bizet
- Borodin
-
Brahms
- Bruch
- Bruckner
- Chopin
- Dvorak
-
Field
- Franck
- Gade
-
Grieg
-
Liszt
- Mendelssohn
-
Rachmaninov
- Rimsky-Korsakov
- Rubenstein
-
Saint-Saëns
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Schubert
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Robert Schumann
- Clara Schumann
- Smetana
-
Strauss II
- Tchaikovsky
- Wagner
- Weber
Impressionistic (stargazing in an open field at midnight):
Late Romantic/Early Modern (dramatically confessing your love in the pouring rain):
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Albéniz
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Beach
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Chaminade
-
de Falla
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Dukas
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Elgar
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Fauré
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Glazunov
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Mahler
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Respighi
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Satie
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Sibelius
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Strauss
-
Vaughan Williams
Modern (these get sub-categories because they’re so different):
- Emotional and moving
- Barber
- Bartok
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Glass
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Holst
-
Ives
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Kabalevsky
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Kodaly
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Poulenc
- Schoenberg
- Trimble
- We’re off on an epic adventure!
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Copeland
- Grofe
-
Prokofiev
-
Tailleferre
- Dramatic theme for every super villain ever
-
Adams
-
Musgrave
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Shostakovich
- Stravinsky
-
Tower
- Curious and off-putting, but hypnotic
- Jazz hands and big city lights
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Gershwin
- Joplin
- Milhaud
- Still
Long, random playlists: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)
Youtube Channels:
- Classical Music
-
Classical Music11
-
naxosorchestral
- The Spirit of Classical Music
- TopClassicalMusic
There’s also playlists on Spotify (just go to Browse > Genres & Moods > Classical).
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CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL
Sometimes the old masters are too stuffy. I get it. Have some more long playlists from a few of my favorite contemporary artists:
Piano
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Brian Crain
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Jim Brickman
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Joe Hisaishi
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Ludovico Einaudi
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Michael Nyman
-
Ryuichi Sakamoto
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Yann Tiersen
- Yiruma
Violin
-
David Garrett
-
Emilie Autumn (electric)
- Itzhak Perlman
- Vanessa Mae Storm
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EDM
Maybe you don’t like classical at all. That’s fine, too. Here’s some wub-wub to get your mind on track:
Aggressive & Intense (dubstep, deathstep, metalstep, etc)
- Long, random playlists: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)
- Youtube Channels:
- Excision
-
Glitch Mob
- TheSupremeKronus
Chill & Melodic (chillstep, deep house, melodic dubstep)
- Long, random playlists: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)
- Youtube Channels:
- ChillYourMind
-
Fluidified
- Pulse8Music
Upbeat & Dancy (electro house, club music, more chillstep)
- Long, random playlists: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)
Youtube Channels:
- Madeon
- Omnitica
-
Paul van Dyk
There are countless other Youtube channels and mixes. You can also find some playlists on Spotify (Browse > Genres & Moods > Electronic).
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INSTRUMENTAL COVERS OF POPULAR SONGS
Here are a few channels to check out if you’re starting from nowhere:
Piano
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Brooklyn Duo (piano & cello) - pop
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David Sides - pop, r&b, rap, some rock
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Miri Lee 이미리 Pianistmiri - pop, r&b, rap, some classical, rock, and k-pop
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oysterlovers - pop, r&b, rap, some classical and rock
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ThePianoGuys (piano & cello) - pop, r&b, classical, rock
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Steve Siu Piano - pop, country, classical, some rock and rap
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The Theorist - pop, r&b, and rap
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TheUnsungHeroine - pop & electronic/dubstep
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Yoonha85TV - pop, rap, r&b, some k-pop
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YourPianoCover - mostly pop, a few rap
Hour-long, yearly pop playlists by oysterlovers: 2013, 2014
Yearly pop medleys by AlexTanMusic: 2012, 2013, 2014
Violin
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Bryson Andres - pop, r&b, rock, electronic
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Daniel Jang - pop, k-pop, some tai-pop, some j-pop, some classical
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David Wong - pop, r&b, rock, rap
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JasonYangViolin - pop, rock, rap, soundtracks
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Josh Vietti - pop, r&b, rap, rock, classical
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JuNCurryAhn - pop, k-pop, classical, soundtracks
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Lindsey Stirling - pop, r&b, rap, soundtracks, some classical
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The Mad Violinist & SCO - pop, r&b, rap, dubstep
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Momento - pop & rock
Of course, there are countless people who don’t have huge channels and maybe only a cover or two. The search bar is your friend. And don’t forget to make a playlist!
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VIDEO GAME SOUNDTRACKS
Think about it, there are tons of people whose only job is to get the atmosphere of a game right by carefully composing the right music. And there are plenty of games with beautiful music. I love these playlists:
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Alice: Madness Returns (odd, creepy, and carnival-esque)
- Assassin’s Creed (soothing, beautiful, moving)
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Bastion (gritty, mechanical, and beautiful)
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Bioshock Infinite (sometimes cheerful, sometimes harsh and powerful)
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Braid (relaxing, Celtic vibes)
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Botanicula (breathy, vibrant, playful)
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The Cat Lady (curious and jazzy)
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Child of Light (melancholic and powerful)
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Dark Cloud 2/Dark Chronicle (beautiful, bouncy, heart-racing)
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Dishonored (emotional, heart-wrenching)
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Dreamfall Chapters, Book One (otherworldly, moving, space-like)
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Folklore (intense, commanding, emotional)
- Golden Sun (epic, inspiring, powerful)
- Golden Sun
- The Lost Age
- Dark Dawn
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Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite (adorable 8-bit)
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Heavy Rain (dramatic, moving, powerful)
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Journey (peaceful and atmospheric)
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Kingdom Hearts (gorgeous, epic, breathtaking)
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The Last Of Us (chilling, powerful, heartbreaking)
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Life Is Strange (touching, melancholic, pretty)
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Limbo (hollow, eerie)
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Machinarium (earthy, futuristic, energetic)
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Mirror’s Edge (soothing and mechanical)
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Ori and the Blind Forest (emotional, heart-wrenching, beautiful)
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Papo & Yo (relaxing and tropical)
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The Path (creepy and flowy)
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Rayman Origins (springy, lighthearted, and amazing)
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Rayman Legends (energetic, goofy, and wonderful)
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Remember Me (brilliant mix of electronic and classical)
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Riviera: The Promised Land (mostly pretty & ethereal, sometimes intense)
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Silent Hill 2 (creepy, eerie, aggressive)
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Skyrim (sometimes epic and powerful, sometimes soft and pretty)
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SOMA (creepy, electronic, intense)
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To The Moon (dreamy and moving)
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Trine (epic and mystical)
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Undertale (super charming and heart-crushing 8-bit)
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Valiant Hearts (pretty and heartbreaking)
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The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (mysterious and haunting)
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Walking Dead Season 1 (depressing and beautiful)
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Year Walk (creepy and curious)
Long, random playlists: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)
Youtube Channels:
- VGameOSTs
- SoundtrackVideoGame
- Video Game Soundtracks
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MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS
Just like video games, movies rely heavily on music to set the mood for the audience. Here are some of my favorite playlists:
-
Amelie
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
- Classic Disney piano covers (1) (2)
- Disney/Pixar
- Brave
- Finding Nemo
- The Incredibles
- Inside Out
- Monster’s Inc
- Ratatouille
-
Up
- Dreamworks
- Home
- How to Train Your Dragon
- How to Train Your Dragon 2
-
Rise of the Guardians
- Harry Potter
- Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone
- Chamber of Secrets
- Prisoner of Azkaban
- Goblet of Fire
- Order of the Phoenix
- Half-Blood Prince
- Deathly Hallows pt 1
-
Deathly Hallows pt 2
- The Hobbit
- An Unexpected Journey
- Desolation of Smaug
-
The Battle of Five Armies
- Laika
- Coraline
- The Boxtrolls
-
Paranorman
-
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole
- Lord of the Rings
- The Fellowship of the Ring
- The Two Towers
-
The Return of the King
- The Piano
- Schindler’s List
-
The Secret of Kells
- Studio Ghibli
- Castle in the Sky
- Grave of the Fireflies
- Howl’s Moving Castle
-
Kiki’s Delivery Service (x)
- My Neighbor Totoro
- Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
- Ponyo
- Porco Rosso
- Princess Mononoke
- Spirited Away
- The Tale of Princess Kaguya
-
The Wind Rises
- random playlists: (1) (2) (3)
You can also view a full list of Grammy Award-winning soundtracks here
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ANIME SOUNDTRACKS
You’ll look like weeaboo trash, but at least you’ll be concentrating. You might need to skip a few tracks here and there if they have lyrics (that messes up my concentration, at least). That said, here’s some recommended playlists:
-
Attack on Titan (sometimes emotional & harrowing, sometimes epic & gritty)
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Black Butler (epic, creepy, oddly soothing)
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Blood: The Last Vampire (harrowing, dangerous, creepy)
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Blue Gender (funky, badass, intense)
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Cardcaptor Sakura (lighthearted, bubbly)
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Cowboy Bebop (sometimes smooth jazz, sometimes wild & funky)
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Death Note (emotional, edgy, rock n’ roll)
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Elfen Lied (flowy and pretty)
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Fushigi Yuugi (emotional, romantic)
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Ghost in the Shell (hollow, lonely, mysterious)
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Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (gritty, funky, upbeat)
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Hellsing (funky, jazzy, groovy, and awesome)
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Hellsing Ultimate (epic, funky, aggressive, but also sad and moving)
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Inuyasha (epic, emotional, inspiring)
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Mnemosyne (jazzy, upbeat)
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Neon Genesis Evangelion (more smooth jazz)
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Princess Jellyfish (adorable, cutesy, happy-go-lucky)
- Tokyo Ghoul √A (powerful, electronic, heart-wrenching)
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Trigun (mostly jazzy, flowy, and funky, but some are gritty)
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Sailor Moon (happy & upbeat)
-
Samurai Champloo (funky, hip-hop, soothing, amazing)
Long, random playlists: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)
Youtube Channels:
-
Dolan Zoldhost
-
EpicAnimeRequiem
-
Epic San
-
Erolox OST
- MrAnimeSoundtrack
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Like I said, this isn’t a complete list but hopefully a good jumping-off point. Feel free to add to areas with your own suggestions. Have fun listening and go be productive!