Ranking the Starlight Glimmer Songs (From Worst to Best)

I would've loved to do a list ranking the songs for Spike, but he only got one (not counting that improv with the Cloudsdale Anthem in "Equestria Games") and it really didn't do anything for him character wise. Starlight Glimmer, at least, did get more than one song even if it's tricky deciding what counts. Ultimately, there are five songs that I think count for her. And now we're gonna rank them all from worst to best, based not only on personal enjoyment but also what they do for her as a character. Like all the other song rankings, this one is purely the result of my personal opinion.

5. Say Goodbye to the Holiday (A Hearth's Warming Tail)
Why it's on the bottom: Compared to Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Princess Luna with their characters, this doesn't really fit Starlight Glimmer at all. It's possible that some of what we see in this song was originally meant to be used in "The Cutie Re-Mark" given the appearance of windigos, or maybe that's not the case at all. But even in her old, antagonistic ways, Starlight wouldn't be as extreme as Snowfall Frost is in this song. She only really became aggressive in "The Cutie Map" when her ruse was exposed and everything she'd worked so hard for was being dismantled.

4. Hearth's Warming Eve is Here Once Again Reprise (A Hearth's Warming Tail)
Why it's not on the bottom: At least this song is being sung in character by Starlight. It's her officially joining the party and celebrating the holiday of Hearth's Warming. The line about letting go of the past could be spun to just her in general moving on from her past troubles and mistakes. Seeing as it is a reprise of a song that originally didn't feature Starlight Glimmer at all though, it can't really be any higher for her as a character song.

3. We're Friendship Bound (Road to Friendship)
Why it's in the middle: Starlight is sharing this song with Trixie, and it's all about them saying how they're best friends. As I mentioned in my review of the episode this song is from, it seems to be in the same vein as "Morning in Ponyville" in its tempting of fate. They keep repeating how these two are supposedly so close as friends, so you just know something's gonna come along to ruin it. And it doesn't tell us much for character for either Trixie or Starlight Glimmer. It also opens up weirdly, with Starlight riding on the top of the wagon. She says "Beats walking, though. Right, Trixie?" to which Trixie retorts "I am walking!" before Starlight jumps (not teleports) down from the wagon to join Trixie. And then later on we have a random line from Trixie "Was that off key?" which has no build up or pay off to it. Plus unlike "Apples to the Core" we aren't blessed with a reprise even when this was when the songs were becoming far less frequent and more spaced out.

2. Our Town (The Cutie Map a.k.a Cutie Markless, Part 1)
Why it's not on the top: This technically counts as Starlight's villain song, even if the bigger focus is on the villagers. After all, Starlight Glimmer is not so secretly making her presence known throughout it. Not so subtly correcting mistakes and forcing equality. She frames it as a way of removing conflict, convinced that others are better off without cutie marks or special talents that only lead to competition and ultimately heartbreak. As a villain song in disguise it's really effective, but even though I think Starlight Glimmer was better as a villain than a hero (at least early on) I don't think it's quite right to have her best song be from her villain days.

1. Friends Are Always There for You (The Cutie Re-Mark, Part 2)
Why it's on the top: I know it's not just Starlight's song. It starts out as hers but it slowly but surely morphs and transitions into something else. And narratively, this song is used very poorly, to gloss over Starlight Glimmer having to earn the trust of the rest of the mane six. The montage accompanying this song is used as a shortcut before a time skip in the next season, cutting us off from seeing a crucial part of Starlight's redemption. And it's not musically the best. It would be the last song to play in a season finale until "The Magic of Friendship Grows" closed out "The Last Problem", Season 9 and the show. And of the bunch it's probably the weakest, trying to be the next "Love is in Bloom" or "Let the Rainbow Remind You". Yet for the little time they do focus directly on Starlight, we get some pretty strong character moments from her: Her hesitation and concern. She never imagined it would be possible to start again after having turned her back on friendship for so long. It gives her the most to work with out of all the songs that she does get. So ultimately, because of its bits of character, it takes the top spot.

And there you have it, come back tomorrow when we'll look at and rank all the Cutie Mark Crusaders songs.

Comments

[superfun]

For me, it probably goes:
Friendship Bound
Say Goodbye to the Holiday
In Our Town
Hearth's Warming Eve is Here Once Again Reprise
Friends Are Always There For You.

Though it could rotate and swap any moment.