It has been just over 10 years since Kid Cudi released his monumental Man on the Moon: End of Day album on September 15, 2009. It is an album that many people have said actually saved their life. On the album, Kid Cudi openly chronicles his struggles with loneliness and depression which, at the time in 2009, wasn’t discussed much in hip hop. The album is split into 5 acts: Act I: The End of Day, Act II: Rise of the Night Terrors, Act III: Taking a Trip, Act IV: Stuck, Act V: A New Beginning. Each act analyzes the dark feelings that are associated with deep despair and sadness.
His musical influence started a wave in which many artists of the 2010s expanded upon. This list celebrates this iconic album.
Disclaimer: Each song on this album is great it its own way. Just because a song appears lower on this list does not mean it is a bad song.
Let’s analyze and rank all 15 songs on Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon: End of Day…
15. Make Her Say
“Make Her Say”, produced by Kanye West, also features Kanye West and Common. Kanye interpolates the acoustic version Lady Gaga’s 2008 song “Poker Face”. I think “Make Her Say” is a good song but it is one that I never fully connected with. It was originally titled “I Poke Her Face” and released on Kid Cudi’s Dat Kid From Cleveland mixtape which was released in early 2009.
14. Simple As…
Referring to my disclaimer above, just because “Simple As…” comes in at #14 does not mean it is a bad song. It is actually great song. It is produced by Plain Pat and features a sample of “ABC (Auto-Industry)”, performed by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. It is a fun carefree song that is sort of an outlier from dark themes of the rest of the album.
13. Alive (Nightmare)
“Alive (Nightmare)” comes in at #13 on my list. It is produced by Ratatat. On this song Kid Cudi discusses how, at night, he becomes “alive”. He becomes his true self at night when the “beast” comes out. But he seeks “a sexy lady who’s pure, she has the cure” to save him. It is a really great song that, coming in at #13, really shows how strong this album is.
12. Up Up & Away
I’m sure that “Up Up & Away” is one of the favorite songs for many people. It is produced by FreeSchool and is the final song on the album. It is an uplifting and positive ending to the album. On this track, Kid Cudi comes to the realization that it’s best to ignore his detractors because he will be judged no matter what he does.
In 2013, “Up Up & Away” was featured in a Mountain Dew commercial. I can honestly say it took me a few months for this song to truly hit me as I was more drawn to the darker songs on the album. It is the perfect song to listen to for a positive boost and a reminder persevere despite the negativity that might be around you.
11. Sky Might Fall
This song comes in right in the middle of the album at track #8. It is produced by Kanye West. This song sounds like it could have easily been used by Kanye himself on 808s & Heartbreak which was released 10 months prior to Man on the Moon: The End Of Day. “Sky Might Fall” is a dark, yet uplifting song that portrays someone that may have hit their lowest moment and is searching for any kind of answer to bring themselves out of the darkest. The track showcases the obvious chemistry that Kanye and Kid Cudi have as a duo. This song, like “Make Her Say” was also originally on the Dat Kid From Cleveland mixtape released in early 2009.
10. Day ‘N’ Nite (nightmare)
The song that garnered the most buzz for Kid Cudi is “Day ‘N’ Nite” which is also the first single he ever released. Personally, it is the first song I heard by Kid Cudi. This is also the oldest song on the album as it was released on the A Kid Named Cudi mixtape in July of 2008. It is still his most popular song having peaked at #3 on the US Billboard Charts and selling 3 million copies. It is produced by Dot Da Genius.
9. Hyyerr
“Hyyerr” produced by Crada, features Chip Tha Ripper who is also from Cleveland like Kid Cudi. Chip That Ripper wrote the song and provided the hook to the song. Kid Cudi then provided his own hook and use the song for his album. It is a classic smoking record that serves as the first song to the final act of the album; Act V: A New Beginning. The production from Crada and the hook is what makes this song so great.
8. Cudi Zone
The euphoric song, “Cudi Zone”, comes in at #8 on my list. In this song, produced by Emile, Kid Cudi documents how he is “feeling alright” when he is stoned. It continues on the themes of the entire album where Cudi is able to escape his issues and sadness when he is high. The song itself just feels good. Emile’s unique production and sound is something that I closely associate with Kid Cudi. I can also say “Cudi Zone” contains one of the better hooks on the entire album.
7. Enter Galactic
This song was one of my initial favorites upon first listening to this album in September of 2009. “Enter Galactic” is about Kid Cudi convincing a woman to try psychedelics with him for the first time. This song has euphoric vibes similar to “Cudi Zone”. What makes this track so great is Cudi’s ability to flow on the instrumental, which is produced by Matt Friedman. Towards the end of the song, Cudi seamlessly transitions from spoken word into the hook so effortlessly.
6. Soundtrack 2 My Life
One of the most popular songs on the album comes in at #6 on my list. “Soundtrack 2 My Life” is track 2 on the album. It is a welcomed tempo switch from the album’s opening song. In this Emile produced track, Kid Cudi provides 3 verses to set the tone for what he will be discussing on the album.
I got 99 problems and they all b*tches
Kid Cudi in verse 1 on “Soundtrack 2 My Life”
Wish I was Jigga man, carefree livin’
But I’m not Shawn, or Martin Louis
I’m that Cleveland n*gga rollin’ with them Brooklyn boys
Kid Cudi contrasts himself with Jay Z explaining how all of his problems are actually negatively affecting his wellbeing. It is the relatable lines like that which make this song and Kid Cudi so great.
5. Heart of a Lion (Kid Cudi Theme Music)
We are now at the top 5 songs on Man of the Moon: The End of Day. “Heart of a Lion” is an inspirational track that showcases Kid Cudi’s talent and ability to rhyme over unorthodox production. The song is motivational to its core and could easily fit in on your workout playlist. It is produced by Free School (Jean-Baptiste Kouame) who has worked with The Black Eyed Peas, Chris Brown, and Rihanna. It’s an important song on the album because Kid Cudi makes it a point to explain that even though he has gone through some traumatic experiences, he will always walk with the “Heart of a Lion”.
4. In My Dreams (Cudder Anthem)
In my opinion, “In My Dreams (Cudder Anthem)” is the most underrated song on the entire album. Even though it is the first song, I feel it is often overlooked when discussing this album. In this song, produced by Emile, Kid Cudi opens the album by inviting us into his dreams in which everything is perfect and “dope” as he puts it. What I love about this song his how Emile incorporates chords with deep bass. It is a slow and melodic cut that feels grandiose. Rapper Common, ends the song with his best of the 3 narrations on the album in which he details the societal disruption that comes with being a leader rather than a follower. He then sets up the story of the “Man on the Moon”. “In My Dreams (Cudder Anthem)” is one of my favorite songs of the entire album.
3. My World
#3 on my list is produced by Plain Pat and Jeff Bhasker. “My World” is sort of like Kid Cudi’s version of “Back Then” by Mike Jones. This is his way of telling all of his nonbelievers “I told you so”. It’s one of those songs that I love because anyone can use it for motivation to do something you really want to do that others may have dissuaded you from doing. Kid Cudi provides a relatively simple hook that meshes perfectly with the string arrangement provided by The Larry Gold Orchestra.
2. Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)
This final song of Act IV: Stuck is “Pursuit of Happiness”, which is produced by Ratatat and features vocals from MGMT. Excluding “Day ‘N’ Nite”, this song was the biggest commercial hit of the album in that it sold over 2 million copies. It ended up being a party anthem that was later made into an official remix by Steve Aoki which was almost more popular than the original.
Kid Cudi teaches a valuable lesson explaining that the drugs and alcohol that he abuses while seeking happiness only provide a temporary escape from his issues. These things may seem great and shiny, like gold, but they really aren’t gold. I think this true meaning of this song is often misconstrued. Either way, it is a nearly perfect song that is still very relevant a decade later.
1. Solo Dolo (Nightmare)
The best song on Man on the Moon: The End of Day is “Solo Dolo (Nightmare)”. This track, produced by Emile, samples “The Traitor” by Menahan Street Band. This song is the perfect encapsulation of one of the primary issues that Kid Cudi discusses throughout the album, loneliness. “Solo Dolo (Nightmare)”, as evidenced by the title, is 1 of 4 songs on the album that are told from the perspective of Kid Cudi’s nightmares. On “In My Dreams (Cudder Anthem)”, Kid Cudi discusses his dreams in which everything is perfect. “Solo Dolo (Nightmare)” discusses the dark side of his dreams in which left with more questions than answers.
Vote here for your favorite song on MOTM1!
Please let me know in the comments below what you think of this list. Which songs are too high? Which are too low? Thanks for reading!
