On this year’s January 19, Mac Miller would’ve turned 34 years old.

This makes the late musician a Capricorn, an astrological sign defined by its ambition – albeit oftentimes slightly offset by high levels of self-awareness – and an uncompromising work ethic: qualities that shine through every artistic endeavor Mac set his sights on.

There’s no better day to pay tribute to his unwavering impact on the music scene and cultural zeitgeist – and there’s absolutely no better way to sum up his impact than through his own world-building discography. Here are 15 songs that define Mac’s otherwise undefinable legacy.

“Shangri–La”

Project: Balloonerism
A snapshot of Mac at peace, the soothing Balloonerism cut envisions a euphoric state of steadiness. The worldly possessions of fame matter less; internal peace matters more.

“Come Back To Earth”

Project: Swimming
Sparse in production and self-aware in lyricism, “Come Back To Earth” sets the tone for Swimming as the thesis for the cerebral compilation of music that marks a sign of relief for Mac as he moves from head underwater, drowning, to head above water, swimming.

“Cinderella” featuring Ty Dolla $ign

Project: The Divine Feminine
A poignantly penned high point of the ethereal storyscape that is The Diving Feminine, the spellbinding Ty Dolla $ign feature finds Mac musing on romantic love as a spiritual experience rather than a hedonistic escape from reality.

“Blue World”

Project: Circles
Lifted from the musician’s first posthumous project, “Blue World” blends optimism with realism. This is Mac making light of all the darkness and “blue” in this “mad” world. After all, blue can be beautiful when it hits the light just right.

“The Star Room (OG Version)”

Project: Watching Movies With The Sound Off
The opening act of Watching Movies With The Sound Off, “The Star Room” introduces us to the introspective side of Mac Miller. Swerving into psychologically darker territory that preceding projects Blue Slide Park and K.I.D.S., the track’s unfiltered “OG Version” with assistance from Earl Sweatshirt, lays all of Mac’s innermost ruminations – mostly on the constraints and confines of fame – all out on the table, leaving nothing to the imagination.

“So It Goes”

Project: Swimming
A reference to Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five in title, this Swimming track revels in the beauty of impermanence, recontextualizing all of the musician’s hardships as healings.

“Nikes On My Feet”

Project: K.I.D.S.
The apex of Mac’s early discography, which romanticizes the relatable into some of the most striking and refreshing raps of the early aughts.

“Aquarium”

Project: Watching Movies With The Sound Off
Like the glass walls of an aquarium, this underrated Watching Movies track acts as both a mirror inward for the musician, but also a window to the outside world. Multidimensional Mac at his finest.

“Perfect Circle / Godspeed”

Project: GO:OD AM
The two-part GO:OD AM song is one that many Mac Miller fans deem to be one of the most vulnerable studio tracks of his entire career. Stripped-back, minimal production pairs with complex lyricism across two distinctly different yet intrinsically connected halves, with shared themes of addiction, mortality, and accompanying existentialism.

“Missed Calls”

Project: Blue Slide Park
One of Blue Slide Park‘s more melodic highlights, “Missed Calls” is a conversation, a reckoning of how fame and fortune play into romantic communication.

“Love Lost”

Project: I Love Life, Thank You
Backed by the Temper Trap’s song of the same name, the I Love Life, Thank You standout just might be the happiest “break-up” songs in the cannon.

“Wedding”

Project: Faces
Faces’ best love song hears Mac reflect on his life’s ultimate desire for a steadfast love in a realistic, almost self-deprecatory manner. He wants a house to live in forever, and he is more than willing to put in all the work that comes with it.

“2009”

Project: Swimming
A direct confrontation of his emotional growth and resilience, one of Swimming‘s heavier peaks, packages the musician’s personal evolution in a palpably soulful six-minutes.

“Best Day Ever”

Project: Best Day Ever
Opening, title track to Best Day Ever epitomizes Mac’s mentality and view of the world, through and through.

“Angels (When She Shuts Her Eyes)”

Project: Macadelic
A classic, meditative Mac love song to close out this list.