You know when you hear two songs that seem like they’d be perfect together, but since you have no knowledge of music production software you are left to imagine what could have been? That’s me, pretty much constantly. Finding the ideal song pairings gives me butterflies. And the only cure is mashups. While there are few truly good mashups (they’re mostly…trash) (call them…trashups) (forgive me), I am attempting to muster a list of some solid mashups, with a little help from my friends.
1. Calvin Harris’s “Acceptable in the 80s” and Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September”
I found this gem on a reddit thread that was just a bunch of freakin mashups and let me tell you, that thread changed my life. Middle school me LOVED Calvin Harris for some odd reason, and I thought “Acceptable in the 80s” was about as funky as techno could get. But then the actual 80s hit, “September” gets thrown over it, and funky town has arrived.
2. SZA’s “Love Galore” and Flume’s “Never Be Like You”
As much as I love SZA’s new album, it’s not exactly the most upbeat and dancey compilation. So to get “Love Galore,” which is slow and soft and passionate, paired with head-bangable electronic background noise, brings SZA into a whole new dimension.
3. Super Mash Bros: “@LaurenConrad Get Us On The Hills” (“Sexy Can I” by Ray J and “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World and other stuff)
This one’s a personal favorite because you put it on at a party and everyone thinks you’re about to jam to Jimmy Eat World but then RAY J comes on and everyone does a fucking spit take. With “Sexy Can I” and “The Middle” and “Move Bitch” all in the same song, it’s a mashup made in heaven.
4. Super Mash Bros: “Bruce Willis Was Dead The Whole Time”
Honestly I’m a fan mostly because of the name but also what a BANGER. I went with two Super Mash Bros songs because honestly they were my first glimpse into the world of mashups, and they might be a bit outdated, but I’m mashup-ignorant. And if you think these two picks don’t deserve attention then click the heck out of this article.
5. Biggie Smalls vs The Strokes
Do I even need to explain why this rocks? Biggie is a solid mashup start, since his lines tend to go over a variety of beats, but who would’ve thought to pair it with The Strokes? Someone on Soundcloud, apparently.
–Lizz Pankova
6. Another Brick in the Wall/Thriller
The funky, rhythmic bass line of “Thriller” and simplistic guitar riff of “Another Brick in the Wall” combine seamlessly in this live mashup by jam band Umphrey’s Mcgee. If lead singer Brendan Bayliss could have hit the Thriller notes better, this would be one for the ages.
–Nick Gavio
In this mashup, One Direction’s typical upbeat pop sound is mixed in with a rock edge in “Diana,” making it the perfect yet unexpected complement to Fall Out Boy’s pop punk anthem “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down.”
–Monica Cho
8. Bad n Groovy
This remix perfectly encapsulates two eras of popular music that somehow work in unison and defy space and time. I never thought I would say Migos and Earth, Wind and Fire in the same breath, but here we are. I will continue to enjoy this remix and receive strange looks when I attempt to play it parties. Above all, I anticipate the next generation to add their song of choice to the mix and further the layers of American musical phenomena.
–Mica Bernhard
