Sounds of 2016, nos. 25 to 21

We really are reaching the rarefied heights of 2016's music scene now, aren't we? The Equestrian Trot 100 chart moves today into the top quarter. From here on in, these songs weren't just quite popular, they were really popular. Still, for the moment the usual inclusion criteria still apply:

Rule 1: Still available in the same or (1b) similar form direct from the/an original artist.
Rule 2: Available from a third party, with reason to believe the artist is fine with this.
Rule 3: So famous that it would be plain silly to leave it out.
Rule 4: Being unlisted is not, on its own, grounds for exclusion. 

Today's list of songs (all five again!) follows.

25: Silva Hound ft. Eurobeat Brony – Come Alive
24: Magpiepony – I'll Keep Trying
23: Carbon Maestro ft. SweetPoffin & Wubcake – The Siren and the Seamare
22: Caleb Hyles – Lullaby for a Princess (cover)
21: Royal Canterlot Symphonic Metal Orchestra – Fall of an Empire

Has that list whetted your appetite? Let's hope so! Here we go, then...

25: Silva Hound ft. Odyssey Eurobeat – Come Alive

Rule 1: uploaded to YouTube 29 May 2015
This song did of course feature highly in "Sounds of 2015", booking in at no. 18 that year. You've almost certainly heard it, perhaps in connection with conventions, where it's a popular track indeed. But this collaboration between fandom heavyweights Silva Hound and Odyssey Eurobeat (or Eurobeat Brony; take your pick) is more than worth a second go round. But why did it get that second lease of life? Simple: one of the very last BronyDanceParty PMVs, which after various previews appeared in final form on Christmas Day 2016. If you like club music, well, at all then this should be in your collection. Available for $1.49 on Silva Hound's Bandcamp.

24: Magpiepony – I'll Keep Trying

 

Rule 1: Uploaded to YouTube 4 Jun 2016

This is actually listed in the Top 100 video as being by "Jay Man ft. Magpiepony", but I can't find any mention of a "Jay Man" in the current credits so I'll stick with Magpiepony. Now, if you're apprehensive about that name, relax: this one is pure cuteness, as is the animation it was made for.¹ It's sung by a rather overly cutesy-sounding Scootaloo and is about how she's determined to keep pushing to fly to make Rainbow Dash proud to be her sister. Magpiepony updated the track and animation in 2021, but sadly neither version seems to be on either Bandcamp or SoundCloud.
¹ Which has just broken a million views, by the way...

 

23: Carbon Maestro ft. SweetPoffin & Wubcake – The Siren and the Seamare

 

Rule 1: Re-uploaded to YouTube 16 Dec 2015
Quite a change of feel now, to something more epic, something that might feel more at home in an animated feature film. This is the very last video on Carbon Maestro's YouTube account, and it's not a bad way to go out. It's described as "a duet between the Siren Adagio and Seamare Turquesa in the human world", though the full story seems to be missing. Adagio is played by Wubcake, who probably needs no introduction. I don't know anything about SweetPoffin, but she matches Wubcake here in terms of vocal impact. On Bandcamp, you get a collection of the full version, a radio edit (lacking dialogue) and an instrumental for $1 on Carbon Maestro's Bandcamp.

 

22: Caleb Hyles – Lullaby for a Princess (cover)

 

Rule 1: Uploaded to YouTube 15 Jun 2016

Yes, that Caleb Hyles, the guy who makes enormously popular covers of all kinds of songs to this day (plus a smidgen of originals). Back in 2016, he dabbled in My Little Pony music with this excellent cover of the vastly popular ponyphonic song from way back in 2012. Hyles has a wonderfully impactful voice, able to range between power and gentleness. There's one high note he slightly struggles to make, but to be honest who cares? The rest is so good, so full of emotion, that this cover is a must. Sadly it's not offered on Caleb Hyles' Bandcamp, which is limited to his original music – but you can hear it on this third-party SoundCloud upload.

 

21: Royal Canterlot Symphonic Metal Orchestra – Fall of an Empire

 

Rule 1: Uploaded to YouTube 26 May 2016

Most of us know the name of L-Train (or "L-TRAIN" as they sometimes style themselves) and their fairly frequent tendency to make long songs. Well, here we have a whole damn rock opera. Okay, maybe symphonic metal opera, but that doesn't sound so catchy. The whole thing runs to something like 50 minutes. Yes, fifty. It tells the story of the rise and then sudden fall of King Sombra and the Crystal Empire. There are too many collaborators to name here, but they include the likes of Francis Vace, Neighrator Pony and SkyBolt. The album containing all of this in HQ will set you back $8 on L-Train's Bandcamp.