Heck, it’s even worse if you’ve played more than one Animal Crossing game. Just imagine those devastated communities left in your wake. For shame! Although funny enough, that might be why anyone who has ever played an Animal Crossing just can’t help but fall in love with the series. From the un-demanding pace to the memorable characters, AC is so sweet that even “hardcore” gamers can’t help but be charmed by everything about it. And a big part of the AC aesthetic is from the game’s soundtrack. Best of all I don’t need to get out my old console to experience Animal Crossing with the newest Switch title. Before I get into my favorite songs from the Animal Crossing series I just want to clarify one thing: there’s no K.K. Slider songs here since they aren’t really BGM music. I’m just focusing on the background sounds and that we all remember so fondly. So with all that said, prepare to get chill…

10. Animal Crossing Theme Song (Nintendo GameCube)

Yes, it might be the first one, but it’s important that I’m honest here: when the first AC was released in 2001, there was little expectation from anyone that it would turn into anything. The game seemed to become popular in spite of how it fared against the Halos and Grand Theft Autos that would define the “tone” that gaming would adopt moving forward. And maybe like the game itself, the original Animal Crossing theme is important for showing the potential of how a cutesy game can still make an impact on the gaming space.

9. Mr. Resetti’s Theme

You can never accuse Nintendo of not being self-aware. Here’s a character that perhaps personifies it: Mr. Resetti, an angry mole who appears throughout the Animal Crossing series to admonish players who turn off (or more likely “reset”) the game without saving. Because come on, gamers are notorious for save-scumming so AC might as well acknowledge it. So rather than simply being a “memorable” theme, Mr. Resetti’s music acts like a Pavlovian signal to remind players that yes, just because you live in an anthropomorphic village doesn’t mean you’re free to shrug off rules. How’s that for teaching a young ‘un about the importance of society in the world? Oh and if you needed some revenge just feel good that Mr. Resetti was dropped in the newest iteration.

8. 10 PM Theme

One reason why Animal Crossing managed to imprint itself in gamers’ minds is that every “hour” in the game’s world features different background music. And it all seemed to match calmly or excitedly with the time of day. Case in point: the 10 PM theme sounds appropriately low-key, but it still contains enough “energetic” elements like percussion to gently remind players that they have to finish up so they can retire for the night. If only the real world could be that gentle…

7. Rainy Day Theme

In the age of global warming only Animal Crossing can make it feel like even the rain can still be your friend! AC’s Rainy Day theme features keyboards that sounded like they were recorded ever-so-slightly, while the nudging percussion should make you feel like walking around in the rain–which as a player you’ll probably be doing, anyway–is the most fun thing you can do!
A great theme to throw on while you sit down to study a bit.

6. 4 AM Theme

Still out with a fishing rod at 4 am? This is the game telling you “Why are you still awake???” The score features a steadily ascending chord progression until it bottoms out and loops back all over again; an aural reminder that, while daylight will be out in an hour, it can still feel so far off. For the record though, the “New Leaf” version of this theme always sounded the creepiest to me.

5. 11 PM Theme

File this one to “Relaxing VGM” in your Spotify playlist. When I said that AC is “un-demanding” this theme is a distillation of that phrase. This is the game saying you have to go to bed now, but at your own pace dear. See Persona 5? This is what you should have done when you wanted players to sleep instead of having the cat ordering Joker to sleep.

4. 11 AM Theme

In the real world us regular folk would still be slaving away at our jobs or stuck in our classes. In the Animal Crossing world, this wonderful theme just makes sure that 11 AM doesn’t seem so bad. Curiously though, the 11 AM theme sounds like an invitation to nap. But since we can’t “nap” during the mid-morning I guess we should take this as a reminder to take things easy. Easier said than done, of course.

3. 5 PM Theme

This theme, on the other hand, is a more direct invite to relaxation. This is when you can finally let your hair down, have a few (non-alcoholic, this is Animal Crossing) drinks, and get refreshed for the next day ahead. Come to think of it… people still get off work by 5 PM right?

2. Animal Crossing: Wild World Theme (Nintendo DS)

The definitive Animal Crossing theme, at least for newer gamers, is from this little portable title released on the Nintendo DS back in 2008. It’s like the main theme of the GameCube title except… well, better! At the very least you can get a sense of what the Animal Crossing’s world is by simply listening and taking this one in.

1. Town Tree (New Leaf, Nintendo 3DS)

This might be the most recent theme in Animal Crossing’s history and it certainly grabbed my attention the first time I heart it. Yet in terms of cultural penetration it might prove to be the most significant. Animal Crossing: New Leaf sold over 12 million copies, the largest in recorded sales for the series history. As such, this is the first theme that would have greeted new players to the most epic intro to this series in many years. It might be one of the most recognized Animal Crossing themes of all time! Will the themes in New Horizons prove to be just as memorable as those above? I’m excited to boot mine up and play to find out.