Top 10 K.K. Slider Songs Of All Time
They say it’s hard to be a successful crossover, but somehow a little white cartoon dog from the beloved video game franchise “Animal Crossing” makes it seem like dabbling in every genre is just that easy.
Written by Micaela Garza
Image courtesy of Cat with Monocle and Nintendo
K.K. Slider, the guitar-wielding animated dog, became an instantly recognizable mascot of the “Animal Crossing” franchise from his first appearance on screen in the original “Animal Crossing” game in 2001. He has a repertoire of over 200 total songs that he performs live in all versions of the game. To commemorate the release of Nintendo’s “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” game on March 20, we’ve put together a ranking of the top 10 K.K. Slider songs.
10. “Café K.K.”
“Café K.K.” is the perfect coffee shop tune — it’s great for studying, reading a book, or even people-watching. This song will leave you longing to devour a whole baguette somewhere in the French Riviera.
9. “Surfin’ K.K.”
“Surfin’ U.S.A.?” More like “Surfin’ K.K!” Sounds like he’s really giving The Beach Boys a run for their money. “Pet Sounds?” How about “Small White Animated Dog Sounds”?
8. “Go K.K. Rider!”
A universally loved classic that could not be left off of this list.
7. “K.K. Reggae”
K.K. really carries the spirit of Bob Marley on this track... Feeling so lifted right now... Island vibes all around.
6. “Two Days Ago”
A more fitting title would be “Eleven Years Ago.” The nostalgia really hit me when I played this one back… reminiscing on the first time K.K. Slider played this song for me at the cafė inside the museum.
5. “The K Funk”
K.K. really gives us some Rick James flair on this one. I heard he worked with Funkadelic on this track back in the ‘70s.
4. “K.K. Metal”
Bet you didn’t think K.K. could get any cooler. This is undoubtedly the hardest breakdown to ever exist. Meshuggah could really take some notes from K.K. Slider after listening to this one.
3. “K.K. Soul”
“K.K. Soul” feels like a chill ‘90s TV show theme song. It makes you want to kick back and relax, evoking an intense longing to be chillin’ like a villain with your homies and drinking some Crystal Pepsi.
2. “DJ K.K.”
K.K. made this insane Euro club hit back in the early 2000s. You can catch this song playing in any of the German all-night techno clubs, or any boat in Ibiza! The minute it came on at Berghain I lost myself to the music.
1. “K.K. Dirge”
“K.K. Dirge” is an ominous goth tune that has a stark resemblance to The Smiths. The whispers and whistles build up on top of one chord, creating a hypnotic feeling that keeps you wanting to listen even though you’re probably scared. The long, drawn-out howl he releases at the end is a truly primal experience, and arguably what really sets this song apart from all of the others and makes him a goth icon.
Honorable Mentions: “Comrade K.K.” and “Hypno K.K.”
K.K. Slider will be making an appearance in the new “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” game, and although he will likely be a non-playable character like he has been in previous games, we can only hope this game brings a new level of interaction, or at least some new music. Perhaps our favorite drifting hippie dog will gather around the campfire with our islanders as the sun goes down, or maybe he’ll set up a stage in the island cafe once again! The only thing we can be sure of is that his sweet serenades will be just as revered in 2020 as they were back in 2001.