Great question! I’m sorry you had to wait two months for an answer!!! Off the top of my head, these are the tunes that I listen to all the time. (All links are to the first youtube video that showcased the song I wanted.)
10. Sailor War Supreme. In the best songs, the form matches the content. In this song, there’s like 3 different melodies battling for dominance to mirror the 3 different ideologies of the people involved, but by the end, they are all singing in unison, finding common ground. You would think that the stern march of Sailor War would clash with the more elegant tunes, but they complement each other perfectly. The counterpart harmonies are absolutely seamless; every space is filled with a vocal flourish from one of the groups.
9. An Evil Dream. Probably a weird pick, since I’ve only found it on one soundtrack and it’s not like a major showstopper. The syncopation and the synth give it this funky nightmare-disco aura. I love Miyuki’s nasal voice for Usagi, it’s the perfect fit for this song.
8. Sakura Fubuki. I immediately loved it the first time I heard it, I think in the episode where Rei is tricked into singing a benefit concert for children and she starts singing about how God is dead? It has a very different vibe from most of the other songs in PGSM, or in all of Sailor Moon for that matter. It has this low-key, jazzy piano thing going on, to contrast all the high energy percussive songs on the album. The Live Concert version is also amazing because Ami is there.
7. Stairway to the Moon. I don’t even know who sings this, but it’s gorgeous! I love the “theme and variation” style that I’m finding hard to explain; each phrase is based around the same chord structure, but varies the pacing and intensity. It sounds sort of like a round that a capella singers would use as a warmup.
6. Fukkatsu Crisis Yurusamaji. I’m REALLY into tight harmonies. And the Outer Senshi slaying the game.
5. Music of the Spheres. I think this was only in the most recent musicals, but it really has the spirit of the old Myu battle songs. I love the melody that just goes up or down a 2nd set against the driving beat. It’s a very easy song to dance to. I want an extended dance remix of this song. (It doesn’t hurt that I believe the title is a reference to “musica universalis,” what ancient philosophers called the harmonious movement of all things in the universe. Like, the galaxy is an eternal symphony and every element has its place. Isn’t that beautiful?)
4. Friend. It’s a very cute, almost generic J-pop style song, but then like three-quarters of the way through the song it slows down the tempo and gets really heavy for a second and I tear up and then it bounces back with just as much energy as before. It’s incredibly sincere and genuine. I’m just reading through the lyrics translation right now and my eyes are getting misty. It’s just a song about how much Usagi loves her friends, and it’s the quintessential song to end PGSM with.
3. Moon Pride. Probably the reason I watched the first two arcs of Crystal? I didn’t think much of the story, but I watched it every 2 weeks just so I could see the opening title again. That electric guitar riff is life-changing. The vocals are stellar. I could put this song on at a party and people would not even question it. I actively seek out this song if I need to get pumped up for something. This is what happens when Sailor Moon goes HARD and I love it.
2. LINK. Gosh, I love LINK. I’ve never seen any of the musicals, but I’ve listened to enough versions of this song that I can pretend I have. Again, the first time I heard it I thought it was generic and forgettable, but it’s amazingly catchy. Just from the vocals alone, when it moves from Usagi singing alone to all of them singing in a group, it feels like the epitome of female solidarity.
1. M O O N R E V E N G E. Need I explain what a perfect song this is? As soon as you hear those first two notes you know what’s going down. Each Senshi gets a solo verse with character specific lyrics that showcases her vocal style. Here’s Peach Hips singing it live at the Dreaming Moon concert; they’re clearly loving it as much as the audience is.
There are many more that I listen to, but here’s a selection of my eclectic tastes. Now everyone is obligated to tell me their favorites! What songs are missing from my list? Maybe I’ll find some new faves!