When shopping for a brand new pair of headphones, how do you know which ones are going to be the best for you?
You’ll play music on them! In this complete list, we break down the 101 best songs to test headphones from these musical categories: Blues, Country, Electronic, Folk, Hip Hop, Jazz, Pop, R&B, and Rock.
But before we jump into the songs, there are three things you should keep in mind when looking for music to test:
1. How Will You Use the Headphones?
Are you going for supreme noise cancellation, creating that personal auditory space? Or, are you using them in a more professional environment, like sound engineering or singing?
For those headphones you’ll use to create tracks, you want to listen to songs that are either a cappella or have layered vocal harmonies. When you sing along to the songs, are you able to hear yourself? A more isolated headphone design will help you with straight instrumental tracks, so listen to those as well.
2. Fullness of Sound
Full orchestral songs, like classical music and movie or video game soundtracks, will give you an excellent range of sound to hear. If you can’t pick up on the softer instruments and hear nothing but loud brassy trumpets, those headphones won’t be the best for you.
Full orchestras also work with sound dynamics. Many tracks start out very soft, called pianissimo, and then build to a forte or double-forte dynamic level. See if you can hear all the dynamic levels.
3. Subtlety of Sound
In addition to paying attention to the dynamic level, you also want to listen for the subtle qualities in music. These include balance and differences in tempo. Some headphones might have one ear that doesn’t function as well as the other.
Listen to each side of the headphones while you’re testing out songs. Cover your other ear with your hand and really listen for balance. That indicates a high quality pair of headphones.
By keeping these four points in mind, you’ll quickly discern which pair of headphones can give you the highest quality and the best sound.
Best Songs to Test Headphones: 101 Best Tracks
The awesome thing about music is there's something out there for everyone. That's why we've compiled the biggest list on the web of songs to test out your new headphones.
Let's jump in!
1
Name of Song:
House Party
Artist:
The Cash Box Kings
2
Name of Song:
Don't Leave Me Here
Artist:
Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo'
3
Name of Song:
Black Coffee
Artist:
Edo Lee
4
Name of Song:
Off the Ground
Artist:
The Record Company
5
Name of Song:
Frank Sinatra - Fly Me To The Moon
Artist:
Jacarandá
6
Name of Song:
Don't Know What It Means
Artist:
Tedeschi Trucks Band
7
Name of Song:
Make It Move
Artist:
Jonny Lang
8
Name of Song:
Steven Universe
Artist:
PhizzyPhizzy
9
Name of Song:
Matter of Time
Artist:
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
10
Name of Song:
Prayer for Peace
Artist:
North Mississippi Allstars
11
Name of Song:
Dream A Little Dream Of Me
Artist:
Ella Fitzgerald
12
Name of Song:
Anyhow
Artist:
Tedeschi Trucks Band
13
Name of Song:
Meant To Be
Artist:
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
14
Name of Song:
Body Like A Back Road
Artist:
Sam Hunt
15
Name of Song:
Marry Me
Artist:
Thomas Rhett
16
Name of Song:
Like I Loved You
Artist:
Brett Young
17
Name of Song:
What Ifs
Artist:
Kane Brown Featuring Lauren Alaina
18
Name of Song:
Yours
Artist:
Russell Dickerson
19
Name of Song:
Greatest Love Story
Artist:
LANCO
20
Name of Song:
I'll Name The Dogs
Artist:
Blake Shelton
21
Name of Song:
Round Here Buzz
Artist:
Eric Church
22
Name of Song:
When It Rains It Pours
Artist:
Luke Combs
23
Name of Song:
I Could Use A Love Song
Artist:
Maren Morris
24
Name of Song:
Losing Sleep
Artist:
Chris Young
25
Name of Song:
Something Just Like This
Artist:
The Chainsmokers & Coldplay
26
Name of Song:
Wolves
Artist:
Selena Gomez X Marshmello
27
Name of Song:
Let Me Go
Artist:
Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso Featuring Florida Georgia Line & Watt
28
Name of Song:
Silence
Artist:
Marshmello Featuring Khalid
29
Name of Song:
Stay
Artist:
Zedd & Alessia Cara
30
Name of Song:
It Ain't Me
Artist:
Kygo x Selena Gomez
31
Name of Song:
Best Friend
Artist:
Sofi Tukker Featuring NERVO, The Knocks & Alisa Ueno
32
Name of Song:
No Promises
Artist:
Cheat Codes Featuring Demi Lovato
33
Name of Song:
Faking It
Artist:
Calvin Harris Featuring Kehlani & Lil Yachty
34
Name of Song:
I Miss You
Artist:
Clean Bandit Featuring Julia Michaels
35
Name of Song:
Feels Great
Artist:
Cheat Codes Featuring Fetty Wap & CVBZ
36
Name of Song:
So Far Away
Artist:
Martin Garrix & David Guetta Featuring Jamie Scott & Romy Dya
37
Name of Song:
My Kind of Woman
Artist:
Mac DeMarco
38
Name of Song:
On the Road Again
Artist:
Willie Watson
39
Name of Song:
Young Folks
Artist:
Peter Bjorn and John
40
Name of Song:
Busted
Artist:
The Dustbowl Revival
41
Name of Song:
Just Say It Now
Artist:
Dori Freeman
42
Name of Song:
Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
Artist:
Arctic Monkeys
43
Name of Song:
Please Explain
Artist:
Catie Curtis
44
Name of Song:
Virgin Guitar
Artist:
John Craigie
45
Name of Song:
Prove My Love
Artist:
Lucinda Williams
46
Name of Song:
All My Life
Artist:
Flatt Lonesome
47
Name of Song:
Blessings
Artist:
Darden Smith
48
Name of Song:
undercover martyn
Artist:
Two door cinema club
49
Name of Song:
rockstar (feat. 21 Savage)
Artist:
Post Malone
50
Name of Song:
Him & I
Artist:
G-Eazy & Halsey
51
Name of Song:
Let You Down
Artist:
NF
52
Name of Song:
River (feat. Ed Sheeran)
Artist:
Eminem
53
Name of Song:
I Fall Apart
Artist:
Post Malone
54
Name of Song:
No Limit (feat. A$AP Rocky & Cardi B)
Artist:
G-Eazy
55
Name of Song:
Good Old Days (feat. Kesha)
Artist:
Macklemore
56
Name of Song:
MotorSport
Artist:
Migos, Nicki Minaj & Cardi B
57
Name of Song:
Bartier Cardi (feat. 21 Savage)
Artist:
Cardi B
58
Name of Song:
Lemon
Artist:
N.E.R.D & Rihanna
59
Name of Song:
Bodak Yellow
Artist:
Cardi B
60
Name of Song:
LOVE. (FEAT. ZACARI.)
Artist:
Kendrick Lamar
61
Name of Song:
La Vie En Rose
Artist:
Louis Armstrong
62
Name of Song:
Groove On
Artist:
Euge Groove
63
Name of Song:
Baby Coffee
Artist:
Michael J. Thomas
64
Name of Song:
Cut Loose
Artist:
Paul Hardcastle
65
Name of Song:
Boss
Artist:
Tim Bowman
66
Name of Song:
Sunset Walker
Artist:
ALUMO
67
Name of Song:
Fly Away Butterfly
Artist:
Carol Albert
68
Name of Song:
Midnight (feat. Marcus Miller & Steve Cole)
Artist:
Brian Culbertson
69
Name of Song:
Go Home
Artist:
David Garfield Featuring Kirk Whalum & Paul Jackson Jr.
70
Name of Song:
Piccadilly Circus
Artist:
Paul Brown Featuring Chris Standring
71
Name of Song:
Abusey Junction
Artist:
Kokoroko
72
Name of Song:
Velvet Groove
Artist:
Eric Valentine & Velvet Groove
73
Name of Song:
Havana
Artist:
Camila Cabello Featuring Young Thug
74
Name of Song:
Perfect
Artist:
Ed Sheeran
75
Name of Song:
Bad At Love
Artist:
Halsey
76
Name of Song:
New Rules
Artist:
Dua Lipa
77
Name of Song:
Rockstar
Artist:
Post Malone Featuring 21 Savage
78
Name of Song:
Too Good At Goodbyes
Artist:
Sam Smith
79
Name of Song:
Thunder
Artist:
Imagine Dragons
80
Name of Song:
How Long
Artist:
Charlie Puth
81
Name of Song:
Wolves
Artist:
Selena Gomez X Marshmello
82
Name of Song:
What Lovers Do
Artist:
Maroon 5 Featuring SZA
83
Name of Song:
End Game
Artist:
Taylor Swift Featuring Ed Sheeran & Future
84
Name of Song:
Lights Down Low
Artist:
MAX Featuring gnash
85
Name of Song:
Young Dumb & Broke
Artist:
Khalid
86
Name of Song:
Finesse
Artist:
Bruno Mars & Cardi B
87
Name of Song:
The Weekend
Artist:
SZA
88
Name of Song:
Sky Walker
Artist:
Miguel Featuring Travis Scott
89
Name of Song:
Pills And Automobiles
Artist:
Chris Brown Featuring Yo Gotti, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie & Kodak Black
90
Name of Song:
When We
Artist:
Tank
91
Name of Song:
F**k Love
Artist:
XXXTentacion Featuring Trippie Redd
92
Name of Song:
Faking It
Artist:
Calvin Harris Featuring Kehlani & Lil Yachty
93
Name of Song:
At The Club
Artist:
Jacquees X Dej Loaf
94
Name of Song:
While We're Young
Artist:
Jhene Aiko
95
Name of Song:
Get You
Artist:
Daniel Caesar Featuring Kali Uchis
96
Name of Song:
Roll In Peace
Artist:
Layton Greene
97
Name of Song:
Thunder
Artist:
Imagine Dragons
98
Name of Song:
Feel It Still
Artist:
Portugal. The Man
99
Name of Song:
Believer
Artist:
Imagine Dragons
100
Name of Song:
One Foot
Artist:
WALK THE MOON
101
Name of Song:
Whatever It Takes
Artist:
Imagine Dragons
102
Name of Song:
Walk On Water
Artist:
Thirty Seconds To Mars
103
Name of Song:
No Roots
Artist:
Alice Merton
104
Name of Song:
Rx (Medicate)
Artist:
Theory Of A Deadman
105
Name of Song:
Thunder/Young Dumb & Broke (Medley)
Artist:
Imagine Dragons + Khalid
106
Name of Song:
Up All Night
Artist:
Beck
107
Name of Song:
World Gone Mad
Artist:
Bastille
108
Name of Song:
Live In The Moment
Artist:
Portugal. The Man
So that's our list of the 108 best songs to test your headphones!
Want a few more? Here are 8 more classic songs to check out:
Instrumental Epic Songs
Epic instrumental music will give you an extraordinary dynamic and orchestral range in which to test your headphones. You can find this type of music in popular classical pieces, like Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries,” Modest Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain,” and Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King.” Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” includes vocals and a full choir. It starts out quiet and soft, then builds and builds to a wonderful crescendo.
Modern instrumental composers also have an impressive track list that can help you test headphones. Hans Zimmer’s oeuvre includes the “Gladiator,” “Batman Begins,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” soundtracks. Howard Shore composed an impressive amount of music for the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” soundtracks. John Williams is famous for “Indiana Jones,” “Jurassic Park,” and all of the “Star Wars” soundtracks.
Classic ‘60s and ‘70s Songs
Classic rock, disco, and pop songs from the 1960’s and 1970’s was often produced with multiple instruments and excellent harmonies. The sound engineers and music producers layered vocals, guitars, drums, and instruments to create the songs that have become so familiar.
Anything from The Beach Boys or Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young or The Bee Gees features those trademark harmonies that will help you test your headphones. The Eagles’ album Hell Freezes Over with “Hotel California” will also demonstrate the quality of headphones. Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” should sound in your ears as if he’s playing that guitar live.
Drop the Bass
What if you want to test your headphones for an excellent bass sound? Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust,” with its relentless anthemic bass guitar beat, is perfect. So is “Come Together,” by the Beatles, and it also has a wonderful drum beat in the background. “Seven Nation Army,” by the White Stripes, had a retro sound that starts off quietly but insistently and builds.
“Money,” by Pink Floyd also has cash register sounds to go along with its bass rhythm. If you’d like something a little funky with your bass, listen to “Jungle Boogie,” by Kool & the Gang. It also has a full jazz section with trumpets and saxes. A wailing sax and crazy beat make “Brass Monkey,” by the Beastie Boys another bass-dropping hit. These are the best songs to test the headphones and bass.
Immersive Electronic Songs
Electronic and electronic-based songs have come a long way since the synthesizers of the 1980’s. There are quite a few trance songs, New Age songs, and ambient songs that will test your headphones and make you feel as if you’ve become immersed in their sound. Enya’s “Caribbean Blue” has a waltz-like feel to it. The minor key in “Insomnia” by Faithless is backed by a great drum beat.
The almost orchestral “Adiemus,” by Karl Jenkins also features a flute solo. “Dive,” by Tycho has an upbeat and relaxed vibe. One of the great ambient composers is Brian Eno, whose “Thursday Afternoon” will take you away to a calm spot. Electronic music coming through excellent headphones almost creates its own aural meditation room.
High Quality Headphone Songs
These are just some of the incredible songs you can listen to while testing out headphones. From trumpeting fanfares like the “Raiders March” from John Williams to soft, quiet piano tones on a Brian Eno track, you’ll have an enjoyable listening experience finding the best headphones for you.
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