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To make Software recommendations requires that you know the user(s) of the PC. Do you write? Do you play games? Do you make spreadsheets and presentations? How do you use your computer? All of these questions go toward a useful package of software.
That being said, here are a few 'don'ts'.
Don't have several programs for the same use. Pick an application to play media, one to use for writing and editing, and one to surf the internet. Get one antivirus program. Since no antivirus is 100% safe, why not go with a free one, such as AVG, an award-winning program that costs nothing for the home computer. Remember that the internet is a free, unregulated, totally open and dangerous marketplace. Never assume that something is what it claims to be. There is a class of malware called 'Trojan Horse' that specializes in being other than it is labeled. You'll have to buy your games, your Operating system, unless you use a free one, and any specialized software you might need. All the rest is probably available as freeware, and some freeware is better than the stuff you have to purchase.

You will probably want a registry cleaner, if you use windows. You will definitely need to have something to clean up after Microsoft, as it does not clean up after itself. Be careful of programs that claim to 'enhance your web surfing experience' or some such claim. Many of them are adware that tracks your usage, sends you to sponsored websites and/or interfere with your internet access. Be leery of 'free games' for the same reason. Not all of them are inconvenient, but some are. Free screensavers, desktop wallpaper, animated anything, all of these have their hazards. While I'm at it, you need to understand a fundamental practice of many programmers. Many programs are written to 'run in the background', invisible and supposedly without bothering you. Each one of these programs will 'grab' a tiny snippet of memory and hold it, running there while you do other things. The problem is that eventually they will use up all the memory you have and you won't be able to anything else. Even if you have 'scads and scads' of memory, and you don't have to worry about running out, remember that these 'background applications' use up CPU resources and slow your computer. Why pay for an ultra-fast machine if you are just going to crowd yourself until it slows to a crawl?

Now that you know what to avoid, what is left that you should get? I have Google Earth, because

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