My Top Ten Vocaloid Songs (On YouTube)

I had previously mentioned the musical voice synthesizer, Vocaloid. However, you didn’t get to see, or rather hear, the full extent of what you can do with the program, because I focused on the March 9 concert. I plan to rectify that with this post though. The Vocaloid program is so versatile that it can be used to produce or reproduce any number of songs, including “Fleeting Moon Flower”/”Setsugetsuka”, “Fate: Rebirth”, GACKT‘s “RETURNER ~Yami no Shuuen~”, and “Phantom of the Opera”.

I’ve heard many a Vocaloid song within the last 2 months or so, some good, some bad. The one thing that still surprises me though, about the good and even the mediocre songs, is how professional they sound. For the most part, I even forget the voices are synthesized.

Last March, Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun uploaded a 13:35 news special about the Vocaloid, Hatsune Miku, to its YouTube channel. Much like my previous article, this special, which I just found while working on the list below, explains what Vocaloid and Miku is, how popular “she” is, as well as Miku Miku Dance and other video programs.

Narrowing the list down to these 10 (or 12) was very difficult, because there are so many good songs. In addition, I tried to find English subtitled versions so you can understand the lyrics (I even found an English subtitled version of the news special), but I digress. Here are my top ten Vocaloid songs, that are on YouTube:

10. “Ievan Polka” (Hatsune Miku)

The song that started it all. This cover of the song of the same name, originally by the Finnish quartet, Loituma, is arguably the one that made Vocaloid such a hit.

9. “Meltdown” (Kagamine Rin)

The lyrics and video are a bit scary but I really like the song. The young girl is the childish side of Rin, while the older one is her mature side. The composer says the lyrics and video represent conflicts of inner psychological world.

8. “Just Be Friends” (Megurine Luka)

A beautiful, yet heart-wrenching song. Its upbeat and danceable tempo is a stark contrast to the heartbreaking lyrics. The music itself, I’d say is on the same level as Daft Punk, which is a plus. I really like this song, and I’m not the only one. There’s a live-action cosplay version of the above video.

7. “Magnet” (Megurine Luka & Hatsune Miku)

A love song unlike the norm for us Americans. This one is about forbidden love, and given that it’s a duet with 2 female Vocaloids, yeeeah… Personally, I applaud this decision, because while what’s implied is a touchy subject, it does need to be put out there.

6. “When the First Love Ends” (Hatsune Miku)

A song I can really relate to, having given unrequited love on a number of occasions. Listening to this song brings back so many sad memories of when (in my case) the girls left.

5. “Black*Rock Shooter” (Hatsune Miku)

This song inspired an anime of the same name, which was scheduled to start airing, this Spring. More info here.

4. “World Is Mine” (Hatsune Miku)

A really cute song about a rather demanding “princess” telling you how to treat her, with just a pinch of affection. The ending of the video also makes me giggle.

3. “Last Night, Good Night” (Hatsune Miku)

A really beautiful song. There’s just something about it that makes me really like it so much, but I don’t know what. However, I do know that this is one of my favorite Vocaloid ballads that I have heard. Because the quality of the subtitled version isn’t all that great, here’s the link to a better version (sans subs), and as an added bonus, here’s a version by GACKT’s Vocaloid, Kamui Gakupo.

2. “Double Lariat” (Megurine Luka)

A powerful song about the trials and tribulations that an auditioning/up-and-coming singer has to face. I like the song so much that when I first heard it, I made a playlist on my iPod, with nothing but this one song, 15 times.

1. “Love Is War”/”Koi wa Sensou” (Hatsune Miku)

Another powerful song, this time about trying to make someone you have a crush on notice you. After failing a few times, you finally decide to buckle down, and try harder, maybe even resorting to drastic measures. The video is pretty awesome too, it’s cel-shaded. This song has its own playlist on my iPod too. Here’s a different version of the song with the male Vocaloid, KAITO.

Honorable Mentions
“Umbrella” (Hatsune Miku)


This is a cover of the song of the same name made famous by Rihanna. While the video itself is kinda pointless, the song’s very good. The creator says it’s hard to get Miku to sing in English (so we end up getting Engrish lol), but still in my opinion it’s well done.

“Caramelldansen” (Caramell)

Not even a Vocaloid song, but this is from the first Vocaloid video game for PSP, Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA-. The song is arguably 2008’s catchiest song among anime fans. This is also the first time I’ve seen the full dance.

Andrew Monkelban

Andrew Monkelban is an avid gamer and writer, who has been featured in Second Skin, and on Wired's GameLife and The Escapist. He is also really into the Japanese entertainment scene. Even though he has Cerebral Palsy, he does not let it stop him from doing what he loves, although he's always on the look-out for technology that would help him with difficult tasks. He came to PopTen in the Summer of 2009, where he's now able to combine his passions.

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14 Responses

  1. Lookerpie says:

    aww what about Alice in Human Sacrifice

  2. GeekyGeek says:

    Great choices! I love that you put Meltdown and Just Be Friends in the top ten list, although I wouldn’t choose Love Is War as my first choice, i still really like this Top Ten!

  3. Kelchehkins says:

    really good choices (: but one of my fav that no one ever puts on their top ten lists is “Circle you, Circle you” by Miku and Luka its such a good song lol and their voices are so pretty in it , same with gemini by Rin and Len, both songs no one seems to put as any of the top ten lol

  4. Nutz says:

    LOL. its Ievan Polkka, btw xD (Not Levan, Ievan 🙂 )

  5. Thanks for the correction, Nutz!. Yes I know I absurdly late… Sorry

  6. fanta says:

    can u also put nico singers? world’s end dancehall and the boys vers. of matryoshka is what i liked the most.

  7. The Ana says:

    Y U NO PUT GAKUPO!? …at least one of his songs? …pwease? ;__;

    (well, i guess that gakupo’s technically not a vocaloid…)

    I like all of these songs, but I personally do not like Miku’s “World Is Mine”.

  8. Technically, although not numbered, I did put Gakupo songs

  9. LUNA says:

    HOW COME U DID NOT PUT “BUTTERFLY ON YOUR RIGHT SHOULDER” BY LEN AND RIN KAGAMINE?! THAT IS THE BEST VOCALOID SONG I HAVE EVER HEARD!!!!!!!!!!!!

  10. Otakuloid says:

    Too bad you didn’t put Matryoshka by Miku and Gumi.. I love that song… XD

  11. tadase says:

    YES! world is mine is there!

  12. SakurahimexVocaloid says:

    Can you tell me how you got
    Double Lariat on your IPod?
    Oh and how i could get
    Just be Friends
    Magnet
    ???
    Thank you:)

  13. NamdYaIllust says:

    Where is Spice! ? =(
    aitai ?
    there are many any great songs of vocaloid you missed to put in your list =D

  14. Zahra_Annisa says:

    Heeyyy, where’s A proof of Life/Soundless Voice?? Love those songs and they made me cry as hell too ;-;

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