Music Hacker News recommends
Every music video in the HackerTube list, best-scored first. The score counts the number of different months in which someone on HN recommended it, so a music video people kept coming back to for years outranks one viral thread.
- 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.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2010–2026Q Question Copyright · music videoLinked constantly in copyright and piracy debates as a short explainer of the difference between copying and physical theft.
- 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.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2017–2026HN recommends it as an entertaining four-minute introduction to evo-devo that works even for people who dislike the original song.
- 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.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2011–2024R Radical Discourse · music videoOffered as a quick, entertaining primer on Keynesian versus Austrian economics, especially for newcomers to Hayek.
- 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.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2014–2020G Gary Garrett · music videoShared as a beautiful example of lattice-based harmony visualization.
- 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 4 months 2012–2018C crysknife007 · music videoHN people use it as background noise for coding and focus, and share it as a personal favorite.
- 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.
- 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 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 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.
- 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 2016–2024L LeonardCohenVEVO · music videoCommenters name it among their favourite Cohen songs, especially in threads after his death.
- 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 2018–2026A Ace Records · music videoPosted in space-spending threads as a classic critique of priorities, usually with a quip.
- 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 2010–2023L Leonard Ritter · music videoHN recommends it as a showcase of what the demoscene can do, with high-res antialiased vector graphics and motion blur.
- 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 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 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 2017–2025K Keeper1st · music videoHN commenters recommend it as a showcase of remarkable sight-reading and a favorite when sight-reading or notation comes up.
- 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 2020–2025D Dylan Beattie · music videoShared as developer humor, with commenters insisting any Dylan Beattie mention must come with this song.
- 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 2018–2025K Kylie Minogue · music videoCited as a landmark looping music video, a reference point for creative video and editing tricks.
- 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 2020–2023A 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 2013–2022D Dalesnale - Noise Ambient · music videoHN users use it as a concentration, sleep and tinnitus aid, preferring steady noise over music.
- 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 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.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2013–2020R Rhymesayers Entertainment · music videoShared in surveillance and civil-liberties threads as a powerful rap critique of the US.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2024HN brings it up as the sharpest satire of scientists who serve whoever pays them, and as a favorite Lehrer song.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2026P PhineasFreakers · music videoUsed in techno-history threads as evidence of Kraftwerk's role in the genre's origins and as an example of original work.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2011–2022J James Houston · music videoIt is the canonical example HN brings up in threads about music hacks on floppy drives, printers and other junk hardware.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2012–2019V vagifabilov · music videoHN uses it as a short introduction to Glenn Gould and his distinctive playing.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2013–2024T TheGreatWorker · music videoCited as a classic, catchy explainer of the US legislative process, and half-jokingly as many people's whole civics education.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2024C Cappella Romana - Topic · music videoCited as an example of the Hagia Sophia acoustic recreation project, where a choir performs with the building's measured impulse response.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2025R RHINO · music videoMostly posted as a catchy reference or joke in threads about Istanbul or Constantinople, and as a favorite song.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2024HN mostly drops it jokingly in threads about grammar, apostrophes and language, and occasionally discusses the animated video's making.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2011–2025G geohot · music videoHN mostly brings it up as a funny, cocky artifact of the Hotz-versus-Sony fight, sometimes with a skeptical eye on how seriously he took the lawsuit.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2025N NPR Music · music videoHN uses it as evidence that T-Pain can sing without Auto-Tune, so his sound is an aesthetic choice.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2022Mostly quoted or linked as a witty example of Lehrer's satire, often as a joke in unrelated threads.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2026Mostly posted as a joke in threads about corporate-speak, buzzwords and meeting culture.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2026D Dumb Ways to Die · music videoHN mentions it mostly as a joke or a pop-culture reference, and as the campaign that titles play on.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2026E ewecylinder · music videoIt is mostly cited as a joke or a wry reference in threads about dubious statistics.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2026S Sesame Street · music videoHN mentions it as a fondly remembered classic of children's educational television.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2023N Nigel John Stanford · music videoMentioned as a striking example of sound producing physical effects and a favorite among his videos.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2026M Macklemore · music videoHN brings it up as a catchy example of pop music pushing back on consumerism, in threads about thrifting and spending.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2026Cited as an example of ambitious video art and of a slow-motion real-time shot.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2024J JohnnyCashVEVO · music videoMostly invoked as a reference or joke in threads about names, the .su domain or hardship, rather than recommended.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2021J Jellybean Fenderson · music videoHN cites it as the example of oscilloscope music, where the song itself is the visual, in XY mode.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2024D DavidHasselhoffVEVO · music videoMostly mentioned as a joke or a personal pick, including on a coding playlist thread.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2013–2024P Psychopathic Records · music videoMostly posted as a joke in threads on magnets and physics, echoing the song's 'magnets' lyric.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2026S switchbg · music videoHN shares it as a fun, memorable way to explain the longest path problem and as an entry in lists of programming and math songs.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2026C Carpenter Brut · music videoRecommended as an example of synthwave with striking retro visuals.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2023A AphexAcid · music videoIt comes up as an example of challenging, dense electronic music and as a hand-made visual-sync piece predating generative tools.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2023T TrilobiteJuice · music videoHN cites it as the canonical work behind repeated re-recording experiments, and a pivotal piece of minimalist music worth listening to patiently.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2022Mostly quoted as a joke in nuclear war and doom threads, with one commenter praising Lehrer's satire.
Showing the 100 best-scored of 184. Use search to find the rest.
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.