5 min edit timeout... I came to this topic looking for a canonical list and was happy to find two but I felt Ninite was missing as it not only lists the software but provides unattended installs as well. But that usage is not what "Meta" is about. Also I see Ninite inside the deleted question.

Oh, I didn't catch that Sathya's link was the actual deleted question, my mistake. Ninite isn't just a random piece of software, it is a service which allows you to automate the install of many popular programs and could be considered to be the "Canonical List" as least as far as the Ninite devs are concerned.

You provided an option for installation of must have programs, as did Sathya yet somehow my contribution in the spirit of the answer and an existing comment is somehow wrong?

Ninite is my preferred installer