Now over 30 years later SpongeBob has turned into one of Nickelodeon’s biggest media franchises including more than 250 episodes, three movies, and even a CG spin-off called Kamp Koral. SpongeBob has earned his place in the annals of history as one of the most influential series in pop culture and it will continue influencing young people for years to come. And some of the most iconic moments in the show’s long history have been accompanied by wonderful musical pieces having lodged themselves deep in the hearts and minds of fans all over the world. For this list I want to compile and rank the 15 most recognizable and beloved songs from the show that any true fan should know.
15. This Grill is Not a Home
Mr. Krabs may be a shrewd businessman willing to forego common decency in his pursuit of money… but it’s also evident he cares about his employees, especially SpongeBob. The chipper fry cook that acts like the engine that keeps the Krusty Krab running. So when Mr. Krabs accidentally loses his star-employee to Plankton over a game of cards, forcing the sponge to go work at the Chum Bucket, it’s hard not to feel sympathy for both of them. This song is about belonging, and about how a workplace is much more than simply a source of income. Sometimes a kitchen’s not the same… without you.
14. Gary Come Home
Another song that tells a story of love and loss is Gary Come Home. After SpongeBob mistreats his pet snail to the point of making him run away, he realizes what he’s done and sings this heartfelt song while looking all over town for his old friend. It’s a very relatable moment. Most of us know what it feels like to part ways with a friend, someone who was once a big part of our lives for whatever reason. Luckily they manage to make up in the end and SpongeBob can go back to being the happy-go-lucky guy we all know and love. Friendship wins!
13. Living in the Sunlight
Unlike the previous two entries in the list, this song wasn’t made specifically for the show. “Living in the Sunlight”, at least the version used in the show, was first performed by Tiny Tim in 1968. The high falsetto voice and charming ukulele notes were a perfect match for SpongeBob’s high-spirits as he prepared hundreds of burgers for a hungry mob of mindless fish during the show’s first episode. This is what makes it so memorable: that pilot episode should be considered a must-watch cartoon for kids of all future generations. This song is about doing what you like, the way you like to, and that’s what making Krabby Patties means for SpongeBob.
12. The Krusty Krab Pizza
Another iconic tune is this anthem sung by SpongeBob to motivate Squidward during their epic journey to deliver a Krusty Krab pizza, something they don’t even have on the menu. Hell, they don’t even make deliveries! But if there’s a rule Mr. Krabs respects it’s that “the client is always right”. So of course he figured something out for the good of a potential customer when someone mistook the Krusty Krab for a pizza delivery place. The Krusty Krab Pizza is indeed the pizza for you and me!
11. The Campfire Song Song
Poor Squidward just can’t catch a break from SpongeBob’s incessant antics. In this case the yellow kitchen sponge attempts to convince him that singing together and bonding is the thing to do when sitting around a campfire, so he sang a song… about singing songs around a campfire. In the end Patrick turns this thing into a rock show. And regrettably they never convince the grumpy squid to join in. But that won’t stop me from singing along!
10. Now That We’re Men
The release of the first SpongeBob SquarePants movie was a major event for fans of TV’s most absorbent character. It has some of the best songs in the whole franchise! During this particular sequence, SpongeBob and Patrick are blessed with seaweed mustaches which fills them with the manly confidence they need to cross the dangerous chasm before them and reach their destination. With the advent of facial hair they’ve abandoned childhood and become men who can do anything! This song shows us it’s all about attitude as they manage to cross the trench and even win over the monsters they meet along the way, all of whom sing along and escort them out of their territory.
9. Who am I?
While a lot of SpongeBob’s songs have a clear message they want to transmit about the pains of growing up or simply living life, few are as strangely deep as this one. After spending too much time doing impressions of other people, SpongeBob has lost all connection to his true self. He feels lost and confused, as we all have felt at some point in our lives. Sometimes we lose so much time trying to be someone we’re not, or simply have to change so much as time passes, we suddenly look at ourselves in the mirror and have a hard time recognizing the person staring back. Deep song for a kid’s show, I know. It ends with sponge accepting that he truly doesn’t know who he is. And perhaps, none of us really do.
8. The Very First Christmas
Giving, decorating, sharing with our loved ones – that’s what Christmas is about! It’s also what this song tries to convey as SpongeBob and the rest of Bikini Bottom sing about their first Christmas ever. Even Squidward sings along… well, he sings to counter the sponge’s extreme enthusiasm, but that still counts.
7. Ripped Pants
We’ve all gotten into fights with the best of our friends. Even someone as caring and agreeable as SpongeBob has run into this problem, like the time he alienated Sandy over his ripped pants gag. It’s easy to take a joke too far or overstep our boundaries. We need to know when to stop and apologize. Maybe a song isn’t the best way, but at least this apologetic song gave us one tune we’ll never forget.
6. Texas
Sandy’s heartfelt tune about being homesick and the wonders of her home state of Texas would make anyone feel at least a little bit sympathetic. In fact, it drives her friends to try and bring a piece of Texas to her… with interesting results given they have no idea what Texas is like. Could anyone blame her? I’d miss barbecues as well. The sea is certainly no place for a cowgirl squirrel.
5. Sweater Song
This deserves a spot on some record label somewhere because it’s just too catchy. Granted we don’t get to hear the entire song, but I feel like it’s catchy enough that nobody could ever forget. As we all know there’s only one time where it’s acceptable to wear a striped sweater: all the time!
4. Best Day Ever
This entry in the list is one of the most repeated songs throughout the series. It’s in the show a couple of times, it’s in the second movie and it’s even in the SpongeBob SquarePants Broadway musical! Even the sun sings along as the absorbent hero goes on about how today is the best day of his life. Why? Well, because he’ll do all the things he loves to… like every other day. It’s a song about how, with the right mindset, every day can be the best day ever.
3. The F.U.N. Song
SpongeBob has tried to get Plankton to see the light and leave his evil ways a couple of times throughout the series. Most notable among them was the time they became friends for a bit after he taught the tiny villain what F.U.N. was all about. Is it about friends who do stuff together anywhere, anytime at all or about burning down towns and leaving no survivors? Well it depends on who you ask. Either way, the song and the musical montage are some of the most memorable TV-moments in recent history.
2. Sweet Victory
By far the most talked-about SpongeBob song ever is Sweet Victory. Sponge and his friends perform in front of a big crowd of “ugly fish” in the Bubble Bowl, Bikini Bottom’s version of the Super Bowl. It’s Squidward’s chance to prove himself as an artist in front of his nemesis, and thanks to SpongeBob’s incredible vocals and everyone perfectly playing their parts, it’s his biggest success in the history of the show. This is one of the few episodes where Squidward actually wins in the end. After Hillenburg’s untimely passing, many fans petitioned for the song to be played during the actual Super Bowl’s mid-time show. There was a lot of pushing from many online communities, and although it wasn’t exactly successful this movement on its own is proof of how well-loved this song is.
1. Goofy Goober Rock
But if there’s a single song that truly encapsulates the awesomeness of SpongeBob at his peak it’s Goofy Goober Rock from the first movie. It’s an iconic heavy metal rock anthem about loving yourself as you are, coupled with some insane visuals as SpongeBob turns into a wizard of rock capable of releasing the people of Bikini Bottom from Plankton’s mind control… through the power of sweet riffs. Back when it came out, it was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen come out of a cartoon. And it remains the best SpongeBob song to date in this knucklehead mcspazatron’s opinion.
