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Music performance & songs: videos Hacker News recommends
Music performance and music videos: electronic music, Aphex Twin, IDM, 80s and 90s pop videos, DJ sets, classical music, Bach, jazz, rock, folk, concerts, live sessions, singer-songwriters, Leonard Cohen, Pink Floyd, opera, orchestras, famous songs and albums. Below: every video in this topic that at least three HN users linked with real commentary, in at least three different months (169 music videos, 20 demos, 20 comedy videos), best-scored first, with the comments on each video page.
- Stand-up & sketch comedy 244
- Satire & parody 362
- Music theory, synthesis & production 103
- Film & TV clips 310
- Film analysis & criticism 39
- Documentaries & storytelling 202
- Literature & writing craft 43
- Visual arts, photography & architecture 42
- Sports & athletics 38
- Magic, puzzles & curiosities 34
- Arts & entertainment (other) 75
- 15 HN recommenders 11 months 2011–2026L Landon Proctor · documentaryA perennial HN recommendation, brought up whenever sampling, copyright or music history comes up, often described as a must-watch.
- 10 HN recommenders 10 months 2010–2024R Radical Discourse · explainerHN recommends it as a funny, accurate and easy primer on Keynesian versus Austrian views of the business cycle.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2016–2024L Le Pietre Rotolanti · music videoIt comes up whenever threads touch on fake languages, accents, or gibberish that sounds plausible, and commenters like sharing it with people who haven't heard it.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2024A Alessandro Grespan · music videoCommenters repeatedly call it a favorite and a mind-blowing introduction to jazz.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2020–2025V vvmtest · music videoHN recommends it, often emotionally, as an auditory depiction of memory loss, in threads about dementia and aging.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2016–2025V Vic Firth · music videoRecommended in coding-music threads as lyric-free, repetitive music that aids focus.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2010–2026HN points to it as an example of ambitious, practical-effects creativity in music videos, made without CGI.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2012–2026M MC Frontalot · music videoHN shares it whenever Zork or text adventures come up, as a fun tribute for geeks.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2026V Vic Firth · music videoHN commenters point to it as a showcase of astonishing drumming and music that gives chills.
- 6 HN recommenders 5 months 2013–2023D dsjkhd · music videoHN commenters repeatedly recommend it as a surprisingly good cover that brings out the contempt in the lyrics.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2025Recommended as a well-produced, accessible explanation of Giant Steps and the harmonic ideas behind Coltrane's work.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2025R Rare Earth · music videoCommenters recommend it for the sense of wonder and chills it gives, and bring it up in threads about Bowie, space and astronauts.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2026O OKGoVEVO · music videoCommenters recommend it as a creative music video shot entirely in zero gravity, citing it in threads about parabolic flights and space.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2026B boburnham · music videoHN commenters bring it up in threads about the internet, attention economy and smartphones, mostly as a favorite, with a few dissenters.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2026B barrettproduction · music videoHN commenters share it as a favorite audiovisual experience, with some calling the sync the best thing they have seen.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2011–2026S steffyweffy777 · music videoPosted as timeless, comforting life advice in threads about careers, aging, and uncertainty.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2026T TRACKLIB · explainerHN recommends it as a striking visual breakdown of how the song was constructed.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2023N NardwuarServiette · interviewHN holds it up as a model of interview preparation, where thorough research on the guest impresses the interviewee.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2011–2024J Jim Pavloff · demoUsed as an example of prototyping music and, in a Copilot copyright thread, of a handmade reconstruction that sounds like the original.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2025L lftkryo · demoHN people recommend it as the work of an unusually creative artist-engineer whose whole channel is worth exploring.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2025L lisperati · music videoHN shares it as a fun, cheerful introduction to Lisp culture that people say they rewatch.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2022C Christopher Tin · music videoHN commenters hold it up as the greatest video game song, evoking wonder and pride in humanity.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2023–2026R Rob Scallon · documentaryHN recommends it as an engaging look at how an organ works as a whole orchestra, in threads about organs and live-coding them.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2019G GroundUP Music NYC · music videoHN commenters recommend Snarky Puppy as proof that vibrant, progressive modern jazz is being made today.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2025J JustASuicidalGirl · music videoRecommended as an expressive performance on a historically significant organ with good videography.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2024–2025HN commenters recommend it as a catchy, accurate piece of science edutainment, and admire its footnote practice.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2023HN recommends it as an accessible explanation of rhyme craft that works even for people who aren't hip hop fans.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2021S Stay Nifty · music videoHN commenters recommend it as a favorite synthwave album, good for programming and long drives.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2026A aki__ · music videoCited as the prime example of what clever programming can do with a 1-bit audio output.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2025J Jared Khan · comedy videoHN brings it up whenever curriculum fads or Common Core complaints appear, as a funny precedent from the 1960s.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2022R Ryan's Smashing Life · music videoRecommended in Sesame Street and children's TV threads as a favorite example of the show's funkier past.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2026D Dubmood · music videoHN commenters point to it as an impressive showpiece of the demoscene and a nostalgic career retrospective of a legendary group.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2023J JohnnyCashVEVO · music videoHN commenters hold it up as one of the greatest cover versions ever, so powerful that Trent Reznor said the song was no longer his.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2026E ELECTRONICOS FANTASTICOS! · music videoHN users share it as a delightful example of people making real music from obsolete electronics and self-built instruments.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2022I Ivica Stojkov · music videoHN commenters suggest it as atmospheric, near-ambient music for programming and focus.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2023S Sam Aaron · demoOffered as an example of live-coded music and a fun entry point to Sonic Pi.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2024L LeonardCohenVEVO · music videoCommenters name it among their favourite Cohen songs, especially in threads after his death.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2012–2023R RobPRocks · comedy videoBrought up in threads about chord progressions and musical copyright as the funny canonical version of the idea.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2020S Sam Aaron · demoHN people recommend it as the most impressive demonstration of live coding music, especially to those curious about programmable music.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2026HN quotes it constantly, mostly as a joke or reference, whenever rocketry, engineers' ethics or skill-versus-morality comes up.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–2019C Crisyta · music videoRecommended as powerful soundtrack music, including for listening while coding.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2025D DistantMirrors · music videoRecommended as an accessible entry to Satie and calm ambient classical music, and mentioned as a famous influence on game soundtracks.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2019P Pitchfork · documentaryHN points to it in threads on black MIDI and player pianos as a look at an artist writing tuneful music beyond human playability.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2023–2024Commenters recommend it as an artist's informed explanation of streaming economics and why Spotify pays so little compared with alternatives like Bandcamp.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2026A Ace Records · music videoPosted in space-spending threads as a classic critique of priorities, usually with a quip.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2022M Microtonal Guitar - Tolgahan Çoğulu · demoLinked in music theory and tuning threads as a listenable example of microtonal guitar that sounds good.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2010–2026S smalin · music videoRecommended as a music visualization that makes the structure easier to follow than sheet music.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2025A Arif Nur Rahman · music videoFans of Transport Tycoon and OpenTTD point to it as a nostalgic, live-instrument version of the game's music.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2010–2023T TheMcphearson · demoHN recommends it as the canonical talking-piano example, uncanny and impressive once you read the captions.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2012–2025T The Axis of Awesome · comedy videoHN commenters use it as the canonical demonstration that popular songs reuse one chord progression, especially in threads on music analysis and AI-generated music.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2010–2023L Leonard Ritter · music videoHN recommends it as a showcase of what the demoscene can do, with high-res antialiased vector graphics and motion blur.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2026B Brandon Acker · demoPointed to in tuning and temperament threads as an audible demonstration of how meantone differs from equal temperament.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2018T Thoj · demoHN points to it as a demonstration of the OP-1, a well-designed instrument and an accessible way to start making music.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2023S SamCam2011 · music videoMentioned as an example of Sesame Street respecting children's intelligence and as an early gateway to modern classical music.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2014–2023HN recommends it as an inspiring interview about passion, minimalism and deliberately imposing restrictions on creative work.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2024P PSBHQVEVO · music videoHN recommends it as an energizing space-themed song, and references it when Apollo go/no-go calls come up.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2013–2022HN points to it as a memorable performance that doubles as a parody of TED talks and a showcase of live vocal looping.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2025T Tom Lehrer · music videoPosted whenever Lehrer comes up, as the best way to see him perform, and treated as a complete stand-up-style set.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2012–2024T turinpt2 · music videoHN points to it as the canonical example of extreme audio stretching making pop music into something entirely different and relaxing.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2025H Hunter Stair · comedy videoHN commenters point the uninitiated to it as a beloved parody series, often in threads that mention yacht rock.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2025K Keeper1st · music videoHN commenters recommend it as a showcase of remarkable sight-reading and a favorite when sight-reading or notation comes up.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2022HN points to it as an explanation of how Max Martin builds hit songs.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2025K KEXP · music videoHN people recommend it as a great live KEXP session with standout guitar work and good sound.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2022J Jacob Collier · music videoRecommended as a showcase of Collier's harmonic and microtonal skill.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2023W World Science Festival · demoHN shares it as a delightful demo of the pentatonic scale's near-universal appeal and of a crowd syncing without instruction.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2014–2022L Library of Alexandria · explainerRecommended in threads on rap vocabulary and rhyme generation as a clear visual explanation of Eminem's rhyming technique.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2010–2023G gobodrodiont · music videoShared as an example of Artemyev, called the Russian Vangelis, and of great Soviet electronic film music.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2024F FraKctured · music videoCited in threads about taste and terrible music as a famously engineered 'worst song', mostly for its curiosity value.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2010–2015HN recommends it as a showcase of what skilled demoscene programmers can squeeze out of extremely limited hardware.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2012–2025R random804 · comedy videoThe go-to reference in threads on chord progressions, pop music similarity and music copyright.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2025K Kylie Minogue · music videoCited as a landmark looping music video, a reference point for creative video and editing tricks.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2022M Metalfan7577 · demoHN uses it as the go-to demonstration of the loudness war and what over-compressed mastering does to music.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2014–2020T Trippin' on Cookies · demoShared as a quick audible demonstration of the errors that equal temperament introduces compared with pure intervals.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2024A AntPDC · music videoRecommended as a definitive Gould interpretation whose playing makes Bach's counterpoint clear.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2012–2023W Warp Records · music videoHN mentions it as a favorite ambient track and as a nicely edited tribute to Kittinger's jump.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2023HN commenters cite it as a favorite Lehrer song and invoke it as a joke whenever elements or science-themed wordplay come up.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2021B BATACHAN DESU · music videoRecommended as the best-known and most famous recording of the Goldberg Variations.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2009–2026T TheRichterScales · music videoResurfaces in threads on startups, valuations and hype cycles as a funny, prescient bubble satire.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2025W Wintergatan · music videoHN treats it as the canonical example of a Rube Goldberg style musical instrument and a work of love, and references it in threads on unconventional instruments and machines.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2026T Tim Minchin · music videoHN cites it in arguments about the force of words, including the long debates over the GIMP name and username filtering.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2013–2026Recommended as an example of inventive, physical-effects music video making, with the car as an instrument.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2013–2021A allthingsfangirl · music videoHN uses it to show that Lady Gaga is a genuinely skilled musician and writer of her own songs.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2025P Peter Pringle · music videoHN recommends it to fans of ancient music as a rare chance to hear an attempt at 4,000-year-old song.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2010–2022J jarkkkoo · music videoHN uses it as an example of radically different musical notation and as a favorite, if challenging, modernist piece that anticipates sounds like the THX Deep Note.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2023N NPR Music · demoHN points to it as an example of algorithmic, reactive live music that blends programming with jazz performance.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2023A Aphex Twin · music videoOffered as an entry point into Aphex Twin and IDM, and as a striking audiovisual piece in demoscene and neural-net visual discussions.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2013–2024T TallPiler · music videoHN recommends it in threads about sheep-counting systems as the famous song that explains them.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2024N notsyort · music videoHN brings it up whenever thermodynamics or entropy comes up, as the classic comic explanation of the laws.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2024C Chris Billett · demoTreated as a favorite hack and a go-to example in threads about machines playing music.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2026G George Collier · demoUsed as an example in music theory and tuning discussions of continuous-pitch thinking beyond equal temperament.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2023D Drumeo · demoCited as an inspiring example of quickly picking up a new piece by ear and of expertise transferring across genres.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2023T Tom Berry · music videoHN people point to it as a slowed-down song that sounds more plaintive and haunting.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2025HN mentions it as an enjoyable science parody song, one of a set of A Capella Science videos.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2020HN quotes it in discussions of engineers' moral responsibility and recommends it as a favorite of Lehrer's witty songs.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2014–2021G Guntis · music videoHN mentions it as a favorite documentary scene and as a reference for the Pruitt-Igoe demolition.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021T Top 2000 a gogo · interviewHN links it mostly for the glimpse of Cook's studio and his decades-old Atari ST, and as an example of a sample-based track.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2021T Thanyaphong Na nakorn · music videoOffered as an entry point to Bach's cello suites, which HN commenters praise for evoking rich harmony from a single line.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2011–2023J jmheather · music videoPraised as a standout example of kinetic typography that holds attention, and known as the earlier work that led to the animator's Weird Al 'Word Crimes' video.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2022A andrea romano · music videoMostly cited as an example piece in audio and AI-music discussions, with one commenter urging people to hear the whole sonata, especially the third movement.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2022M MC Frontalot - Topic · music videoBrought up in threads on encryption and quantum cracking as a fitting song about future decryption.
Showing the 100 best-scored of 235. Use search to find the rest.
Questions
What is the most recommended music performance & songs video on Hacker News?
Video explains the world's most important 6-sec drum loop by Landon Proctor: A perennial HN recommendation, brought up whenever sampling, copyright or music history comes up, often described as a must-watch.
How is this music performance & songs list ranked?
By HackerTube's score: the number of distinct months in which an HN comment recommended the video, plus half a point for every month with a strong recommendation. One viral thread counts less than steady recommendations over years.
Where do the videos come from?
From every Hacker News comment between 2007 and 2026 that linked a YouTube video, labeled by an AI model as a recommendation, a citation, a joke or a criticism. The list is published by HackerTube under ODC-By 1.0; this edition adds indexable pages and the comment context.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.