The ultimate music tracks to test your hi-fi system

The ultimate music tracks to test your hi-fi system.

We listen to a lot of music during the course of the working day. Morning, afternoon and evening (and usually lunchtime too), the What Hi-Fi? test rooms in London, Bath and Reading are regularly pumping, while our desktops are often also alive with the sound of music. As the song almost says.

Both by nature and by design, the What Hi-Fi? reviews team uses many different types of music when reviewing products, both in terms of genre and recording quality. So we have compiled lists of test tracks that reveal the true nature and ability of a product more effectively than others. There are those that are generally great for putting your system through the wringer, and those that are ideal for testing certain elements of your system – some very obviously highlight timing and rhythmic ability while others divulge how convincing a stereo image is, for example.

It's all music that we a) find especially helpful when considering aspects of the way a product performs, and b) like – because who would sit for hours listening to something they don't? Some of it is vinyl-specific, some of it centres around a particular instrument, and some of it is just all-around useful. 

So if you have a new component in your system you wish to test drive and are looking for inspiration for the material to do it with, or you suspect your system is lacking in a certain sonic area, we hope one of these lists will come to your aid...

Best songs for testing specific kit

• Best tracks for testing speakers
  A list of 12 songs (along with some extra suggestions – we just can't help ourselves) that we frequently use to test every aspect of a pair of speakers' performance, from treble and bass quality to the way they handle rhythm and dynamics. This is by no means a complete list – we’d be here for days if we tried to list every single song we all use for testing – but it's a very solid start.

• Best tracks for testing headphones
  By and large, there's no reason you ought to expect a radically different kind of performance from that of your amplifier and speakers, but the intrinsic intimacy that headphones offer means that openness, space and clarity are arguably even more important. Here's a collection of 10 tracks that will highlight what we believe to be the most important aspects of your headphones' performance.

• Best vinyl test records
  Some records are of more use than others when it comes to finding out just how good your turntable can sound. And, obviously, some records come with better songs on them than others. Here we've compiled a list of 15 vinyl albums that, to us, manage the by-no-means common feat of ticking both boxes: great sound, great tunes.

(Image credit: Ripcaster)

Best songs for testing specific sonic elements

• Best tracks for testing treble
  It might not always move you in the same way as dynamic range, and it probably isn't as sexy as bass, but how well your system handles treble frequencies can be the difference between class-leading, tonally even-handed hi-fi and a splitting migraine. There are plenty of tracks that can highlight a coarse or rolled-off treble right away, but we'd bank on few doing so better than the 10 we have here.

• Best tracks for testing bass
  Bass quantity isn't everything, so expect many of these 28 songs to showcase bass subtlety and agility too (as well as some that should, if you have floorstanders and/or a subwoofer, rattle your rib cage!). All of these bass test tracks will help when it comes to figuring out how your set-up handles low-pitch frequencies.

• Best tracks for testing vocals (midrange)
  For many people, midrange performance is the most important and also the easiest to scrutinise. After all, it's the frequency band where many vocals and instruments fall into. We’ve chosen 23 songs with exquisite vocals by exquisite vocalists (so no Beethoven here, I’m afraid), whether it’s for their brooding baritone or their delivery's dynamic pyrotechnics.

• Best tracks for testing dynamics, rhythm and timing
  Many of the What Hi-Fi? reviews team would say that many audio products live or die by their ability to time well and capture a song's rhythm. Timing, rhythm and dynamics make up musicality, and if a system cannot convey that then it cannot entertain. These 22 tracks will call them out for it.

(Image credit: Apple )

Best genre-specific test tracks

• Best prog test tracks
  This may be the most popular test track playlist we've ever made. Hey, at least we know our audience! Go to any hi-fi show or convention and prog will likely be the genre you hear the most (we're saying nothing), filling halls and conference floors with the sounds of Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Focus. There's a good reason for this affection for prog in all of its forms, as it remains one of the most experimental, complex and challenging genres for any hi-fi system looking to showcase its true capabilities.

• Best funk and soul test tracks
  Is there a better genre in existence for testing a system's sense of rhythm than good old-fashioned funk? From The Temptations to Curtis Mayfield, we've compiled the finest funky offerings to determine whether your system has fire in its belly or lead in its feet. There's plenty of soul here, too, a genre that's impeccable if you want to expose a setup's capabilities regarding emotional transparency, vocal reproduction and textural insight.       

• Best classical test tracks
  Some people believe that hi-fi can only really be tested by using classical music. While we don’t agree with that sentiment, there’s no denying that the use of real, physical instruments rather than those of the electronic variety can be really helpful for comparisons. Stereo imaging, tonality and dynamics are also well served by classical music, and as the recordings tend to be less processed than other genres, they can sound more natural.
  

• Best British indie test tracks
  Indie music is a tricky one to pin down, so we've been pretty loose with our definition for this list. It's a good one, mind, and while you tend to think of indie music as having a stripped-down, limited palette, there's a breath-taking amount of variety on display ranging from the ever-enrapturing weirdness of alt-J to the tight, polished excellence of London Grammar.

• Best dance and electronic test tracks
  On the other hand, the use of synths and electronica has made for some of the most creative and immersive music out there, with the likes of Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream and Aphex Twin (all of which feature on our list) the genre masters that have made electronic music ideal for testing timing, bass depth and stereo imaging.

• Best jazz test tracks
  Walk around a hi-fi show and jazz will be among the most prominent genres used to demo kit – it tends to be popular with the hi-fi crowd, yes, but like classical music tends to showcase sonic transparency and imaging very well. Regardless of whether or not you know your Basie from your Bird, there's no denying the hi-fi potency of some of the best jazz recordings.
  

• Best instrumental test tracks
  Aside from classical, jazz and film scores, it's actually surprisingly rare to find much mainstream music that doesn't feature a vocal performance at its core. Despite being relegated to something of a niche, nebulous genre, instrumental test tracks are an ideal way to dig into the nitty gritty of textures and timing without having to worry about anything else. 

• Best rock and metal test tracks
  A collection of heavy music that runs from the compressed and grungy to the epic and lavishly produced. (Remember, there's no such thing as a bad test track!) Every track will thoroughly test your system in at least a couple of regards, as well as give you a great excuse to rock out.

• Best grunge test tracks
  We love grunge here at What Hi-Fi? (well, some of us do), so making a "best grunge test tracks playlist was as much a passion project as it was a professional one. You might think of grunge as nothing but sludgy guitars and long-haired men with flannel shirts and emotional issues growling out angry tirades, but there's so much more to the genre than that. From Soundgarden to Screaming Trees, Smashing Pumpkins to Stone Temple Pilots, there's a wealth of creativity for your speaker to dig into. 

• Best pop test tracks
  Which songs from pop's extensive and varied oeuvre could you play to test your system? Well, many. Many. But we've picked out the best we can think of and explained why they're a match for even the most gifted drivers. The list spans 50 years of the genre, too, so there's no danger of 1980s synth-and-jangle overkill.

• Best piano test tracks
  Given the instrument’s ubiquity in modern and classical music, we hope you agree that piano music deserves its own list. Piano pieces are telling of many things, but perhaps nothing so much as dynamic subtlety, an inherent skill of piano playing. We can tell you now that rarely do we finish testing a piece of hi-fi without serving it up one of these many piano masterclasses.

• Best hip-hop albums for testing
  From the crisp drums of West Coast '90s rap to the deep bass of Southern hip-hop, from the lo-fi sound to more experimental beats, here we have a varied selection of hip-hop greatness. Not all tick the traditional boxes when it comes to hi-fi sound and high production levels, but they nevertheless offer tests of timing, dynamics, vocals and bass.

• Best live albums for testing
  Big, open sound and precise stereo imaging – the point of live albums is to be able to put the listener in that gig as convincingly as possible. If your system (and the live recording) is revealing enough, you should be very aware of the room in which it took place, not to mention the energy and effort of the performer(s) on stage.
  

• Best-produced recordings for testing
  While a badly produced recording isn't bad for testing exactly – it'll certainly tell you how revealing or forgiving a system is – the best-produced ones will allow your system to sound the best it can be. Here we've included groundbreakers, some gleaming sound-check classics (consider this your Steely Dan disclaimer) and, hopefully, a few you may not have considered as studio masterworks before. 

• Best Grand Theft Auto test tracks
  Is GTA a genre? It might as well be at this point. One of the largest video game franchises of all time always throws up some choice musical cuts across its varied and genuinely excellent selection of in-game radio stations, from the grungy delights of San Andreas' Radio X (not that one) to the '80s throwback joy of Vice City's Flash FM. Something for everyone, even if you've never picked up a controller in your life.   

• Best movie test soundtracks
  Not to be confused with movie scores, soundtracks are usually defined as a curated catalogue of music, most of which was composed or produced prior to the film's production, which is nevertheless used to accompany the action onscreen. Think the classic pop-rock accompaniment to the Guardians Of The Galaxy movies or the '90s alt-rock that goes with Trainspotting. Whatever comes to mind, great soundtracks can be as eclectic, innovative or ground-breaking as the motion pictures they accompany.       

• Best movie test scores
  Now that you know what a soundtrack is, you won't be confusing it with a movie score, that is, music specifically composed to go with a film and reflect the on-screen action. Whether you think of Vangelis, John Williams, Hans Zimmer or James Newton Howard when you hear the term, there's no doubt that much of the industry's real innovation and visionary talent is being employed in this particular musical field. If you want expressive, orchestral numbers (and all else in between) produced to the highest standards by some truly ingenious people, head straight to the movies. 

• Best British rock test tracks
  Nothing tests a system like a great rock track, and while we may be a little biased, the Brits’ natural inclination towards experimentation and progressivism lends itself perfectly to a rich culture of challenging, complex and occasionally deranged musical output. 

• Best Dolby Atmos test tracks
  We described Dolby Atmos (and this can be extrapolated to spatial audio in general) as the "metaphorical Marmite of this generation's music technology", and it couldn't be a more apt metaphor. Because of the variable nature of many mixes' general quality, we've given you 12 of the best Dolby Atmos tracks across Tidal, Apple Music and Amazon, but also 5 that simply aren't up the scratch.
  

• Best video game soundtracks test tracks
  Video game music has changed so rapidly that it's all but unrecognisable from its earliest incarnations. When composers such as John Williams and Ennio Morricone were working on some of the great movie scores of the time, video games were still using the bleeps and bloops of primitive chiptune tech. Now, however, game soundtracks have become one of the most creative, innovative and expressive fields of musical endeavour anywhere in the world. You'd be a fool to miss out.

• Best songs for running
  Yes, this is still a vital category for testing, albeit in a slightly different way. Normally with test tracks, you're listening for certain compositional elements to distinguish how the music is conveyed by your hi-fi, speakers or headphones. Here, however, it's about how the songs themselves make you feel when you're ploughing through a tricky workout or scaling the side of Helvellyn in nothing but a pair of running shorts and some JBL Reflect Pros.
  

• Best summer test tracks
  Not quite as genre-defined as other playlists we've put together but themes of sunshine and relaxation run deep throughout. Expect to find an assortment of bright, vibrant sounds across pop, hip-hop, electronica, and more to relax to, dance to, or just sit and listen to. Bask in the sun or brighten up the gloom.

• Best Halloween test tracks
  Who needs Christmas music when you can get spooky with your favourite Halloween songs instead? It sounds like a bit of a woolly list, but songs tinged with a scary edge can often be the most atmospheric and rewarding of them all. With Jackson, Bush, Muse and Zevon helping to round out the numbers, your system is in for a scarily good time.  

• Best love love songs for testing
  For Valentine's Day, we put together a list of the best love songs for testing your system. Not only did it give us a chance to showcase many of our writers' softer sides (ah, Elliott Smith), it also unearthed some genuine testing gems. Love songs are a tricky breed, yet they often give systems what we consider the litmus test for all good hi-fi: does it make you feel how the song wants you to feel?

• Best anti-love love songs for testing
  Single and not looking to mingle? Our list of the best anti-love songs was designed for those readers who weren't exactly feeling the love when Valentine's Day rolled around while also showcasing some wonderfully vitriolic musical delights in the process. From Alice Cooper's Poison to Eve 6's Inside Out, there's something for everyone, even if your heart hasn't been recently torn to shreds by a loved one.

(Image credit: Getty Images, George De Sota)

Best artist-specific test tracks

• Best Led Zeppelin test tracks
  Easily one of the most influential, important and downright irrepressible forces in the history of rock'n'roll, Led Zeppelin have continued to command an unerringly loyal fanbase since their early days in the late '60s. In terms of influence, they're in the same league as The Beatles or Chuck Berry, paving the way for practically every rock outfit, good bad or ugly, that has come since. There was simply no way they were to be deprived their own tracklist. Turn it up!

• Best Beatles test tracks
  It was only a matter of time before quite possibly the most famous music act of all time (Taylor Swift notwithstanding) got their own dedicated test track playlist. While it's tempting to think of The Beatles as being rooted in a particular genre, the Liverpool quartet stretched their sonic palette well beyond their poppy, Merseybeat origins to incorporate and experiment with a vast array of textures and styles, paving the way for a host of artists, songwriters and copycats to do the same. Love them or loathe them, we all owe the lads a great deal.  

• Best Taylor Swift test tracks
  Thought you were going to go a day without hearing about the planet's biggest name in pop? Ha! Wrong. We're not all old fuddy-duddies around these parts (some of us are still in our twenties), so there's definitely a place for the biggest performer on the planet on our list of the best test tracks. From anthemic pop crowd-pleasers to intricate folky heartbreakers, it feels as though TS is just getting started.     

• Best Gorillaz test tracks
  In choosing the Gorillaz to have their own What Hi-Fi? playlist, we wanted an artist with a varied, eclectic back catalogue that benefited from talented performers and an ear for sharp production. Far from a joke cartoon outfit, Gorillaz has been co-creator Damon Albarn's chance for true experimentation, and over the course of eight studio albums and countless incorporated genres and influences, he's certainly done just that.

• Best Pink Floyd test tracks
  There would be no hi-fi testing without Pink Floyd. Okay, that's obviously a gross exaggeration, but it is fair to say that one of Britain's greatest-ever musical exports is ideal fodder for the process of ensuring your speakers, hi-fi or headphones are up to the task. Floyd were always a grown-up, sophisticated outfit for those with refined taste, yet they remain accessible, listenable and hugely varied in terms of their overall output. From Time to Comfortably Numb, your system is in for a treat.
  

• Best David Bowie test tracks
  For test track fodder, you don't get much better than Bowie. At times it feels as though Bowie was actively making music that he knew hi-fi devotees would adore (he wasn't, obviously), filling his compositions with depth, emotional resonance and an unrelenting proclivity for genuine experimentation. A man of many masks, his music reflects a shifting id that could never settle on one creative avenue for long.

• Best Muse test tracks
  Over their 20+ years in the business, British rock trio Muse have managed to defy categorisation, pushing boundaries and merging genres to make them ideal test track candidates. A chameleonic, ever-shifting outfit that rarely settles on one sound or genre for long, Muse have evolved to encompass musical influences as far-ranging and eclectic as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Prince, Jeff Buckley, Chopin and countless others. 

• Best Boards of Canada test tracks
  Boards of Canada craft experimental, ambient electronic music with a penchant for invoking feelings of longing and nostalgia, mixed with more ominous tones. Showcasing a range of magical sounds courtesy of their collection of analogue synths and tape machine, Boards of Canada have produced some excellent music for testing out just how capable your system really is.

• Best Radiohead test tracks
  Radiohead, a little like Massive Attack, Nick Cave or Floyd above, are somewhat synonymous in the hi-fi world with the whole concept of test tracks. Go to a large press event or exhibition such as the Bristol Hi-Fi Show and it's all but guaranteed you'll hear at least one Radiohead song floating out of a pair of speakers making their proud debut. In terms of experimentation, innovation, meticulous production and expressive musicality, few artists come close. Their reputation is well deserved.

• Best John Williams movie scores for testing
  The godfather of movie scores remains undiminished in his esteem. Hans Zimmer has taken over the master mantel more recently, but John Williams' legacy is assured one hundred times over. It's the variety of Williams' compositions that really strikes you: from the dread of Jaws to the heartrending sophistication of Schindler's List, here is a man who could do it all. Simply in terms of range, you'd struggle to find a finer back catalogue.

• Best Hans Zimmer test tracks
  Yes, it's become a bit of a cliché to talk about Hans Zimmer as a test track titan, but some things are cliched for good reason. There's nobody around who churns out the eclectic, often bombastic fare that Zimmer manages with such regularity, and while many contemporaries are capable of reaching similar heights, they rarely do so with such frequency. Our list of the German's great works could've stretched into the hundreds if we so chose... 

• Best Elton John test tracks
  Our Elton John test playlist was somewhat inspired by the great man's final performance at Glastonbury, as we reasoned that it would be a nice way to tie his career together and give Sir Elton a send-off of our own. Not only that, but EJ has literally dozens of remarkable songs to choose from, all of which bring something new to the table. There's musicality, texture, emotive weight and creative flair in abundance, making the Rocket Man a perfect test track muse.

• Best Kate Bush test tracks
  Kate Bush is, without question, one of the most influential women in the history of modern music, and we're not just saying that because she's British and we're feeling jingoistic. Rafts of musicians (including our beloved Björk below) cite Kate Bush as an influence, and it's a true testament to her enduring talents that the music continues to be enjoyed today by a whole new generation of listeners. Long may that continue.  

• Best Björk test tracks
  Ah, Björk, you always were too pure and wonderful for this cruel, jagged world, something that can also be said for the Icelandic chanteuse's eclectic catalogue of majestic tracks. Enigmatic, grand and always experimental, you could delve into any of the famed artist's creative periods, from raw '90s beginnings to the orchestral pomp of the 2000s, and be confused and delighted in equal measure. That's Björk! 

• Best Guardians Of The Galaxy test tracks
  With Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 streaming on Disney Plus, we've compiled our own Awesome Mix Tape, featuring songs used in the movies that we consider to be great test tracks for your system. Say what you like about Marvel movies, director James Gunn really nailed it with his selections across the Guardians saga.

• Best tracks brought back by TV and Movies
  It goes without saying that the supposedly separate worlds of the screen and singer are in fact deeply intertwined, with each sphere exerting a profound and lasting influence on the other. A great movie or series can pull tracks from obscurity or introduce a new generation to the classics; from Stranger Things to The Batman, these are the works given new life thanks to the small and big screens.  

• Best tracks from Tarantino movies
  In celebration of What Hi-Fi?'s Home Cinema Week, we whittled down the finest and most iconic Tarantino needle drops that deserve to be heard not just within the context of their respective movies but through the best system possible. It speaks volumes about Quentin's eclectic tastes that across the 11 tracks currently populating this list you'll find John Legend and Bobby Womack sitting happily alongside Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry and Deep Purple. Something for everyone.
  

• Best Gorillaz tracks to test your system
  Since their formation  in 1998, virtual powerhouse Gorillaz has gone numerous musical and creative changes, constantly evolving with the times while always retaining a signature sound of their own. Drawing upon a wealth of creativity and innovation and sampling a range of styles and influences, one of this century’s most innovative outfits are perfect for testing hi-fi, speakers and headphones alike.

(Image credit: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images)

Best test tracks by decade

• Best 1960s albums for testing
  No decade is as tinged with nostalgia as the '60s. If the '80s are characterised by the Gordon Gekko mantra from 1987's Wall Street that "greed is good", the '60s are defined as an age of free love, romance and peerless musical output. While those associations may be a tad rose-tinted, you can't argue with how great, or important, that last connection turned out to be. The Beatles, The Stones, Aretha Franklin, John Coltrane, The Beach Boys, Otis Redding, Leonard Cohen, it really was a music-lover's paradise.

• Best 1970s albums for testing
  The '60s is rightly thought of by many as being the Golden Age of modern music, yet there's a strong case for that accolade being applied to the decade that followed it. In terms of the collective musical community working at its peak, little compares to an era that saw the emergence and/or flourishing of the likes of Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder and Elton John, to name but a few.

• Best 1980s albums for testing
  The '80s, love them or hate them, were a time like no other. Lazily placed within a reductive framework of Thatcher, Reagan and yuppyism, the musical legacy has been similarly boiled down to its bare essentials. You'll either associate the decade with hard rockers like AC/DC or overwrought synth-pop from acts like Hall and Oates, but there's so much more in the shades in between. Fugazi, Kate Bush, Kraftwerk, New Order, Prince, The Cure, Bobby Womack, the '80s really were the place to be.

• Best 1990s albums for testing
  By far the most underrated of all the decades (and, arguably, the last great era in music since the irrevocable decline took hold), the '90s are something of a paradox. On the one hand, boy and girl bands such as Take That and The Spice Girls dominated the world stage, yet the Cool Britannia swagger of Brit Pop also swept across nations. In America, the Seattle sound explosion made the likes of Nirvana a new type of household name, while singer-songwriters Elliot Smith and Jeff Buckley pioneered a new stripped-down sound. Hip-hop, meanwhile, enjoyed some of its finest ever years courtesy of Lauryn Hill, 2Pac, Nas and The Notorious B.I.G. Something for everyone, then.
  To show you how good this glorious decade was and to celebrate some very special 30th birthdays, we picked out a single year – 1994 – to demonstrate how much musical goodness could be crammed into a mere 12 months.   

• BONUS - Best songs of 2024 (so far) to test-drive your hi-fi system
  The year isn't over yet, but that hasn't stopped our expert team from picking out their favourite test tracks thus far. It's an eclectic mix, ranging from the pop perfection of Charli XCX's Von Dutch (it's a Brat summer!) to the dreamy, ethereal beauty of Michael Kiwanuka's Floating Parade. Stay tuned for further entries later down the line.

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