UPDATE: Your response has been overwhelmingly amazing so we're extending the sale through the weekend! Today is the final day of our GIANT sale on the Complete Pianist Bundle! Like I've said before, this is how I've ultimately decided to support the operation of this channel rather than doing promotions for sponsors that might not be super useful or relevant to you. Hopefully this is a way I can help you accomplish all you've ever wanted to on the piano! And if you're interested, it's the best way for you to support the channel. BUT whether you choose to check out my courses or not, I'm SUPER appreciative of you being here!! Every view, like and comment helps a ton, so thanks for watching. Check out the Complete Pianist Bundle here: cornellmusicacademy.com/the-complete-pianist
Some other Cartoon themes that are Great to check out. Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends Codename Kida Next Door Dexter's Lab Jimmy Newton Boy Genius Kim Possible
What I thought was so creative about the Powerpuff Girls' theme was the music style changed when each of them flew into frame on screen, so it was like each Powerpuff Girl had her own different theme WITHIN the main theme. And even as I kid I remember thinking, "Wow, that's so cool!"
Yesss, definitely!!! Almost like a girl group like TLC where each member brings in their own element. Innocent triangle chimes for Bubbles, honorable justice of truth trumpets for Blossom, and bad-ass guitar for Buttercup. Rock on!!
That's what made the og so great over whatever was the reboots. The show didn't need a pilot to 'introduce' the characters because the intro did that for you already.
i wonder if the studios knew that making banger theme songs was critical for the show's success, or if it just ended up that way. cuz these songs are STILL stuck in my head
I've watched power puff girls within the last week simply for the End Theme not even just the Main. Hell, I've purposely revisited the songs over the course of my life. Not to say I don't enjoy the show too of course.
Assuming you meant the studio as in Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon… Don’t give the *studio* so much credit. That entity pretty much only pays for stuff in order to make money from selling the products. Not hating on that, but that’s the scope of it. The studio just green-lit the production because it thought it could make a buck. The ones making bangers were the musicians, and the ones making most of the contact with the musicians were the director & producer. The other thing the studio does is prompt the production company for specific products: “hey we need an edgy show for preteens” type of stuff.
I didn't think I watched Arthur enough to be able to sing along 20 years later and couldn't even remember As Told by Ginger's name until looking in the comments and also could still sing along so they something right
Fun fact: every character in _As Told by Ginger_ wore a different outfit in every episode, which required them to give every character a fresh reference sheet for every episode.
I never realised how important cartoon music could be - comforting that kids get exposed to interesting music early to develop their musical brains and taste. My kids loved Phineas and Ferb - so many things to talk about there!
This is one of the reasons why I loved Class of 3000 as a kid. I already loved a wide variety of music, but that show really focused on playing different types of music. shame it was cancelled
The choir behind the Fairly Odd parents is phenomenal as well. The movement of it is just absolutely perfect. The chords they produce during each transition is just ear candy
I'm 31 years old and I'm glad someone is finally showing the PPGs theme song the appreciation it rightly deserves. That theme song couldn't have went any harder- and neither could the cartoon. Blood and guts everywhere. It was amazing.
Kudos to all who overcame the social stigma of boys watching a cartoon show about 3 girls and were handsomely rewarded with absolute GOAT of a cartoon show
I think this really just scratches the surface. So many animated shows have music that deserves an enormous amount of recognition and appreciation, both in and out of the context of its respective show. Watching and sharing the way you get such a thrill from it brings me great happiness.
@@alexkunce2006 The Gravity Falls theme is SO GOOD. I've seriously looked to see if there's a full length song. Add that to how they start to morph it as the show goes on and weirdmagedon happens? Seriously goes way harder than it needed to, and I'm happy they did! :D
@@DawnStarLightning I actually have links to both songs, including a long version of Gravity Falls! Enjoy! ua-cam.com/video/2Jn1OeDlNpM/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/Qxo4R4zcwwg/v-deo.html
Whenever i'm at my workplace, i start whistling the Powerpuff girls theme and some of my coworkers starts doing the same. At least for me, those cartoons music themes are and were very important, and it surely helped build my musical taste, which encopasses old and newer songs of this era.
That same chord progression at 8:25 is also commonly used in the song 'Feelin' Good' by Nina Simone. (Which is a clear example of that big-band sound that is used in the Fairly OddParents theme song.)
I never realized how spoiled we were with amazing themes 20-30 years ago. Pokemon, X-Men and Jimmy Neutron lived in my head all throughout elementary school
@@SandwichGlitchOver a dozen years ago when he was still a teenager, UA-camr *Danny Fong* did several cartoon theme songs as _a cappella_ multitracks, with every vocal _and instrumental_ part and track and done with _just his voice!_ They include _DuckTales, Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z Kai,_ and _Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles_ and maybe some others.
Digimon's the clear nostalgia winner for me. Like, that was the first time I experienced such an intense theme, that also gets piano variations in the show and actual classical music as part of the soundtrack. Kind of a shame Butterfly got botched in the US or we'd get a lot more covers and remixes than the few we have on YT.
I’m amazed that you passed up Magic School Bud (by Little Richard) and Phineas and Ferb (by Bowling for Soup) - which is actually a 90s show at heart since they came up with the idea in the 90s and pitched it forever. Also great: Angry Beavers.
Honestly, the Fairly Odd Parents theme was always one of my favorites growing up. I seriously wonder if that show is one of the reasons I grew up to love big band jazz so much.
Fairly Odd Parents was hands-down one of the best themes ever, catchy, the singing was great, the music sounded soo good. I am Bulgarian, and even in the Bulgarian dub, the theme is excellent, which bravo to the translators.
90s and early 00s cartoon themes hit different. Hey Arnold! was incredible, loved the Doug theme, Batman: The Animated Series will always be the cartoon Batman theme in my head (sorry, I'm an 80s baby) with one of the best orchestral soundtracks, Rocko's Modern Life had an Australian twist on a B-52s sound, Ren & Stimpy theme was epic, CatDog, Goof Troop, Magic School Bus, X-Men, Kipper, and so many more.
It might have something to do with going back to the home tonic chord in the home key, even after all these wild chord progressions and key changes. It still goes back home. So it’s like kind of comforting because despite the crazy journey you still get to come back home. Come to think of it, some of my rags do that too.
I completely LOVED As told by Ginger. It showed so many mature topics for those days, like the absence of father figure portraited by Ginger's dad. That chapter always hit me hard. I'm grateful for listening to Macy Gray's tune here ❤❤
Shows back then had more love in them as entertainment media networks focus on taking good risks rather than something that already exists. I think the openings reflect how different each show was, music is a great way to invoke emotions. I loved all these shows and the opening was never skipped.
I'm 53 and have been playing piano/keys since the 1970's, and it still amazes me at how complicated cartoon music was/is. Huge respect to any musician who takes the time to dissect it like you do!
I'd assume that since children's cartoons are produced very quickly on relatively small budgets compared to anything live action, composers working in that space probably have more freedom and less studio notes to deal with.
@@christianlarson4201 Good point. Like early vgm having tech limitations it pushes the creativity. Having spent years telling the kids to get off the games, we are all now addicted to The Consouls 😅
Sure, but whether that translates to the music is also a matter of other variables like whether they care about the music, if the production supports it, getting the right people and if they don't just do something silly
Please do a part two of this! There’s so many brilliant themes from childhood shows that just hit hard. I would love to see your take on something like the Gargoyles theme or even anime themes like sub vs dub. ❤
Pretty sure I could watch a video of Charles just reacting emotionally with his face to this kind of stuff with no verbal commentary at all. It’s just such a pleasure to see how much he digs this.
How did I never realize the Arthur theme was reggae? What a cool choice! And the rest of these were so nostalgic. I never watched As Told by Ginger, but that song was incredible.
I can’t believe “as told by ginger” is on this list. I wasn’t until last summer where I revisited the theme and I actually like the theme😅. It definitely is a good theme 😌👌🏽
Well The Powerpuff Girls Main Theme is in fact, the "Funky drummer", not the "amen break", you can compare both sound waves. So you were right at first.
Right... It becomes more clear when you note that "Funky Drummer" uses a closed hi-hat, with little openings here and there, and you can find that exact thing in the Powerpuff Girls theme. The "amen break" uses a ride. But anyway, this is a great and interesting video!
Yeah amen uses the kick on the 4th 16th note (the “a”) of the third beat, and funky drummer uses the snare. I feel like it’s pretty obvious but maybe because I’m a drummer
I'd argue that the Fairly Odd Parents theme fits very well to the story. Once you hear the song slowed down, it's kinda matches and details that Timmy is going to make a wish he thinks is good all round, but learns shortly before the end the error of his ways. You can hear this kind of hinted in the songs climax and finale.
I never knew the show at all and I used to watch Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network etc in the 90s and very early 2000s. Somehow I completely missed it. I’m a 35 year old musician and hearing that theme for the first time today blew my mind. As it played I freaked out like a half second before Charles does here, and when he did I was like “yeah man!” and grateful for the musical analysis.
Same boat here, for a hot second I was like... "This isn't All Grown Up... What even was this show?" I remember being far too young for it, so much like Hey Arnold it's subjects flew over my head. Being as the show isn't around anymore though... Time to start sailing for it.
I used to love Fairly odd parents. I've just finished watching your video and now I'm thinking "there's no way that intro went that hard". Brilliant. Great, thought provoking video man congrats. Thanks!
Not sure what you're saying here. Are you saying that these are all the only ones that fit the title, or are you further agreeing that all of them out there fit that? If the latter is actually the case, then it makes sense that he's only picking 5 to analyze because he doesn't have time to do them all
@@alexheldman I’m joking that every, or at least a lot, of cartoon themes go way harder than we remember. I realize that doesn’t exactly line up with the title now that I think about it haha
“This stuff was so rich with musical content, just delivered as kids entertainment” is a great quote because I always loved music from cartoons and it was a big part of why I studied music in college. I often attributed it to stuff like Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry since they had a lot of classical music influences, but I’m constantly surprised by other stuff like the Arthur theme being sung by Bob Marleys son and even the Pixie Rap from Fairly Odd Parents was done by Method Man and Redman, who are two of my favorite rappers and I never ever realized they were on my favorite show as a kid. Anyways that’s wild. Love the video!
I know it's not strictly a cartoon, but i always thought the opening to Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman was such a great groove with a stellar beginning portion.
as a kid I loved as told by ginger's intro so much! not so much the show itself but the intro had something that hypnotised me, all those cartoons were great
The Arthur theme makes me absurdly emotional. It activates that combination of nostalgia and sadness like few other things do and immediately transports me to being home sick from school, sitting in front of the TV.
Thundercat in his Hot Ones interview gave his top three cartoon theme songs: Goof Troop, Mighty Orbots and Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers. Chip and Dale really goes hard
This is a deep well, for sure. The 80s vs 90s themes are so different, love to seem then contrasted (and not just so I have and excuse to listen to Mysterious Cities of Gold)
i’m 29 yrs old and still sing the tune of arthur through out the day to my son lol. it’s always been a hitter ❤ love ur passion and knowledge of the keys and music overall
Listening to someone with a massive passion and massive knowledge passionately explain a subject. Is so fascinating to me I don't understand half of the terminology or what he's talking about but I'm still gripped none the less. Thank you for your passion and your videos
I literally never saw any of your videos. After five minutes of watching this I bought your course 😅 call me impulsive but your passion and enthusiasm sold me! Thanks for the awesome video!
I looooooved this!! Was so fun going back down memory lane ... both regarding the cartoons themselves (90s baby all the way!!), but also music from a theoretical perspective. Absolutely 100% down for it! 😍
10:13 I love how he plays all of the chords in this video effortlessly but the amount of struggle he looks like he is going through to play a simple E Major chord is hilarious.
Man, I wish I could justify buying your courses right now but I'm just about between jobs and I don't even have a keyboard yet. But I miss music so very much. I'm thankful for your channel because I feel connected to the musician I used to be. One day soon, I'll get your courses and start playing music again. Please never stop making content because it's a constant reminder of how much I love music and how much I need to be playing again.
Can you get to a thrift shop? Cuz you may be able to afford a keyboard a bit sooner that way. I've seen decent old ones for like $20, and kids' ones for less than $10. You'll surely want an upgrade in due time, but the cheap ones are plenty to get back on some basic practice and just have a little fun with.
Charles, you was actually right the first time. It isnt amen, it actually is the james brown drums. Also the amen sample has way more hi hats / cymbals
I remember the powerpuff girls beat going so hard. The amen drum break runs my life now and in so many lucio gameplay songs, i literally hear it all the time. I STILL listen to music like the powerpuff girls
best part is that it’s not even amen, it’s funky drummer. you can tell by the lack of the ride cymbal and the fact that there are far more ghost notes than in amen
This is the first video I've watched of yours- instant subscribe! Your energy is something else, brother. I love how excited you get about these funky grooves and I can tell you're having a blast. Big ups!
Someone once told Charles the grass is much greener on the other side...glad you paid it a visit! It's different yet exactly the same 😂. Love As Told by Ginger! It was produced by Klasky Csupo who also created Rugrats (as well as Rocket Power and The Wild Thornberrys), hence why it has a similar art style! They've even worked on a six-episode series for McDonald's called The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald...what a timeline. As Told by Ginger was monumental because at the time the show aired, it was rare for an animated show to have ongoing story arcs and characters who developed, aged and changed their clothes throughout the show. And thus, it paved the way for shows we have now. Another great piece from the Fairly OddParents is My Shiny Teeth and Me. In the show, the song is performed by a character called Chip Skylark, who was voiced by Chris Kirkpatrick from NSYNC! The song is exactly two minutes long, which was done on purpose because that's how long it should take to brush your teeth (and listen to the song as you brush). Though the song incorrectly says teeth are bones when they're not, they're made of inorganic tissue while bones have organic tissue.
Another theme to check out for a possible future video would be “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” which was on Disney Channel in the 90s. Steve Nelson composed that theme and some of the other music in the show. Thom Sharp did much of the rest of the music. Although it’s been many years, the music in that show moved me emotionally and no doubt partially inspired me to become a composer.
I was actually waiting for the Fairly Oddparents theme song. That was one of my favourite shows growing up and the opening really kicks ass. Great video.
All the way back to Sesame Street in the '70s, honestly. Pointer Sisters doing the pinball song, Stevie Wonder's legendary performance of Superstition right next to Mr. Hooper's store. There's never a bad time to expose kids to the best music and musicians society has to offer.
Every time I watch these breakdown videos you put out, I end up having a deeper level of appreciation for the music that I have grown too accustomed to appreciate.
Ed Edd n Eddy is so fuckin good. My brother and i constantly quote it in different situations.."It aint DEAD, windbaaaag", "Kevins walking DOWNNN the lane!!" , "THE STORY IS NOT YET OVER!!!"
Another cartoon theme song that goes way harder than it should is ChalkZone, more specifically the electric guitar of the ChalkZone theme song. Like who knew that a show about a fifth grader who has the power to create portals to enter a world filled with chalk to escape bullying could have such an epic theme? And another music piece that comes in mind is the credits theme of most episodes of Avatar the Last Airbender. Jeremy Zuckerman and Benjamin Wynn, who composed the score for both Avatar the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, performed the Balinese monkey chant heard throughout most of the theme. It's also the theme used in The Firebending Masters when Aang and Zuko meet the dragons. The theme in the credits changes to a completely different one in the finale, to show that the Avatar defeated the Fire Lord, and thus a new era begins. The Avatar the Last Airbender franchise in general has amazing music, from Secret Tunnel in The Cave of Two Lovers (which was performed by the one and only Dee Bradley Baker; who's done the voices of many characters in many shows from Olmec in Legends of the Hidden Temple to Perry the Platypus in Phineas & Ferb) to The Avatar's Love which is the theme that plays when Katara and Aang kisses in the final scene. I hope you eventually do showcase the music that this franchise has to offer.
I’m realizing how many different genres of music I was exposed to growing up without even knowing it. Just enjoying every single one because they’re simply great songs.
Cartoons have always been known for having amazing music, going back to Carl Stalling and the stuff he wrote for Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons starting in the 1930s.
Well... Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies used classical music because it was royalty free and extremely cheap to obtain. Which means the animators had to go hard, matching every gag and most motions to very complicated preexisting music. But yes, music has always been integral to cartoons and when they phone it in, the show usually fails.
I knew my childhood shows music goes hard but it goes even harder when you actually play it. 😂 This was awesome! 😚👌 These songs are still stuck in my head after years of not seeing these shows.
Ah I'm crying. You've selected and dissected the exact theme songs of the shows my kids watched that I absolutely love. I always knew the theme songs were amazing but never knew why until now. Thank you so so so much
I adore how they incorporated music into the actual Ed, Edd, n Eddy episodes! What makes shows/films stand out to me the most, in general, is the score. EEnE is just....a masterclass in how it's done
9:35 the slow descending chord progression you're playing and explaining is, if my ears are correct, the same/similar chords to those of Oath to Order, the giants' theme song from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Very dramatic, love it in my childhood cartoon's theme song
As the grownup sitting with my kids watching Arthur, I was very aware of just how good the theme was. Thank you, Ziggy. The best cartoons have something for the adults, even if it’s theme song.
Growing up as a kid this cartoons were LIFE to me, so now like two decades later and with some music knowledge is great to see this type of content. I love how you put it all together, had great fun and, as you said, some of these themes have actually great arrangements. I’ll be waiting for part 2!!
The Spongebob theme has a kind of 3 against 4 polyrhythm. The snare drum and guitar are in 4; the vocals, accordion melody, penny whistle, and mandolin are in 3, the snare accents and accordion accompaniment are in 2, and the bass and kick drum are on the downbeat to ground the whole thing.
I like these (especially the Maley and Gray ones)... but wow are you missing out on some of the older stuff! OG Underdog theme is simply fantastic. The 1960s spiderman theme is so good it's been covered fairly straight by both Michael Buble and The Ramones (brand new sentance there I imagine?). ...and The Ducktales theme is pretty much just a straight cover of one of Hall & Oates biggest hits. That's like 'The Wonder Years' levels of cheating.
I love it when people who make kids shows go hard--on anything: the animation, the writing, the music, the backgrounds, the vocal performances. It means they had people who were SUPER passionate about the project. I would absolutely ADORE to see you react to the music from The Owl House--if nothing else, then just the music from the finale "Watching and Dreaming". HOWEVER... it IS a Disney product so... there be copyright sharks
I had never heard the As Told By Ginger theme. And I'm pretty sure you didn't say the name of the show. But I knew just by the voice that it had to be Macy Gray. So I googled the lyrics and her name, and I found it right away. Awesome song. I never paid much attention to her back in the day. I just remembered her super-distinctive voice from that one big single she had. I might have to check out more of her stuff.
I like the As Told by Ginger theme. I like the mixolydian progression in the chorus. The IV chord, which happens to be the V of V of the new key sets up the key change nicely.
UPDATE: Your response has been overwhelmingly amazing so we're extending the sale through the weekend! Today is the final day of our GIANT sale on the Complete Pianist Bundle! Like I've said before, this is how I've ultimately decided to support the operation of this channel rather than doing promotions for sponsors that might not be super useful or relevant to you. Hopefully this is a way I can help you accomplish all you've ever wanted to on the piano! And if you're interested, it's the best way for you to support the channel. BUT whether you choose to check out my courses or not, I'm SUPER appreciative of you being here!! Every view, like and comment helps a ton, so thanks for watching. Check out the Complete Pianist Bundle here: cornellmusicacademy.com/the-complete-pianist
You should check out the music for the training montage from the 1st episode of Samurai Jack.
@charles, you should do the Amen (the TV show) theme
45th time of asking to make a video on Bayonetta OST
Jimmy Neutron theme song is god
Some other Cartoon themes that are Great to check out.
Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends
Codename Kida Next Door
Dexter's Lab
Jimmy Newton Boy Genius
Kim Possible
What I thought was so creative about the Powerpuff Girls' theme was the music style changed when each of them flew into frame on screen, so it was like each Powerpuff Girl had her own different theme WITHIN the main theme. And even as I kid I remember thinking, "Wow, that's so cool!"
Yesss, definitely!!! Almost like a girl group like TLC where each member brings in their own element. Innocent triangle chimes for Bubbles, honorable justice of truth trumpets for Blossom, and bad-ass guitar for Buttercup. Rock on!!
I noticed that! Blossom had the reg theme, bubbles was the sweet chimes, and buttercup was the badass theme with rock guitar. Super cool!
Bruh
That's what made the og so great over whatever was the reboots. The show didn't need a pilot to 'introduce' the characters because the intro did that for you already.
Yesss I noticed this too!
i wonder if the studios knew that making banger theme songs was critical for the show's success, or if it just ended up that way. cuz these songs are STILL stuck in my head
😊😊😊😊😊😅😊😢
I've watched power puff girls within the last week simply for the End Theme not even just the Main. Hell, I've purposely revisited the songs over the course of my life.
Not to say I don't enjoy the show too of course.
Considering that the official PPG album had bands like Devo and others, I think the teams wanted bangers.
Assuming you meant the studio as in Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon…
Don’t give the *studio* so much credit. That entity pretty much only pays for stuff in order to make money from selling the products. Not hating on that, but that’s the scope of it. The studio just green-lit the production because it thought it could make a buck.
The ones making bangers were the musicians, and the ones making most of the contact with the musicians were the director & producer.
The other thing the studio does is prompt the production company for specific products: “hey we need an edgy show for preteens” type of stuff.
I didn't think I watched Arthur enough to be able to sing along 20 years later and couldn't even remember As Told by Ginger's name until looking in the comments and also could still sing along so they something right
Fun fact: every character in _As Told by Ginger_ wore a different outfit in every episode, which required them to give every character a fresh reference sheet for every episode.
And they repeated pieces and mixed and matched across the episodes like a real person’s wardrobe!
Never seen the show and I was born in 2000
completely forgot about this show can't believe I found something that would remind me of it lol
Thank you, i watched this when i was younger but couldn't remember the name 👍🏼
@connorpike23 you probably were too young to appreciate it. It was def a preteen show.
The best part about Arthur is Arthur's intentionally late "hey" in the chorus, it's always so adorable!
Do you remember the episode where they replaced Arthur with The Brain for the intro?😅
I never realised how important cartoon music could be - comforting that kids get exposed to interesting music early to develop their musical brains and taste. My kids loved Phineas and Ferb - so many things to talk about there!
This is one of the reasons why I loved Class of 3000 as a kid. I already loved a wide variety of music, but that show really focused on playing different types of music. shame it was cancelled
Phineas and Ferb are in a league of their own when it comes to music and the soundtrack!!
Written by Bowling For Soup!
@@fizzyb0mb"be yo self cause, no one else can, take yo seat at, coooool school, class of three thousaaaaaand"
The choir behind the Fairly Odd parents is phenomenal as well. The movement of it is just absolutely perfect. The chords they produce during each transition is just ear candy
it was an AI choir
Whew especially the sop line
Reminds me of Muse
That’s Macy Gray singing the theme to As Told By Ginger. She’s incredible.
I thought so!!
Thanks, I was wondering about that!
I always thought that had a major Macy Gray vibe. The internet wasnt that big to look when I was a kid though.
wasn’t she an original destiny’s child member? they rotated a fourth member in and out of the group early on
No wonder the voice was so familiar..
Watching Ed, Edd, and Eddie with the constant jazz hits different after 20 years of listening to music
I'm 31 years old and I'm glad someone is finally showing the PPGs theme song the appreciation it rightly deserves. That theme song couldn't have went any harder- and neither could the cartoon. Blood and guts everywhere. It was amazing.
Kudos to all who overcame the social stigma of boys watching a cartoon show about 3 girls and were handsomely rewarded with absolute GOAT of a cartoon show
Something kind of neat about the Ed, Edd N Eddy theme is how the whistles corelate to their names. D, D-D, D-D-Y, and then back again, so damn clever
Has to be my favourite theme song
It also correlates to 1, 2, 3
@@musiclistsareus1029 what?
I've never seen it so I guess I wouldn't know, but what do you mean?
@@althealligator1467just search it up dude lol
I think this really just scratches the surface. So many animated shows have music that deserves an enormous amount of recognition and appreciation, both in and out of the context of its respective show. Watching and sharing the way you get such a thrill from it brings me great happiness.
I think of Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated and Gravity Falls as having excellent themes.
He could make a college course out of the music from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
@@alexkunce2006 The Gravity Falls theme is SO GOOD. I've seriously looked to see if there's a full length song. Add that to how they start to morph it as the show goes on and weirdmagedon happens? Seriously goes way harder than it needed to, and I'm happy they did! :D
@@DawnStarLightning I actually have links to both songs, including a long version of Gravity Falls! Enjoy!
ua-cam.com/video/2Jn1OeDlNpM/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/Qxo4R4zcwwg/v-deo.html
Wow wow Wubzy was a jam
Ed, Edd, and Eddy always blew my mind with their nonstop different sound effects. A league of their own.
The sound effects made that show. I love so much about it but the sound effects are the default in my mind.
Whenever i'm at my workplace, i start whistling the Powerpuff girls theme and some of my coworkers starts doing the same. At least for me, those cartoons music themes are and were very important, and it surely helped build my musical taste, which encopasses old and newer songs of this era.
Timestamps:
0:00 Powerpuff Girls
1:51 Arthur
3:03 As Told by Ginger
5:40 Ed, Edd n Eddy
7:53 Fairly Oddparents
10:52 Summary & Conclusions
thank you!
Is that Macy Gray singing the as told by ginger theme?
@@daved2352Indeed.
It’s also the same chords as Corrine Bailey Rae ( go put you records on)
ty
That same chord progression at 8:25 is also commonly used in the song 'Feelin' Good' by Nina Simone. (Which is a clear example of that big-band sound that is used in the Fairly OddParents theme song.)
Well, he was playing that song specifically for a moment. Not "the same", just literally playing it as an example of a familiar song that uses it
I never realized how spoiled we were with amazing themes 20-30 years ago. Pokemon, X-Men and Jimmy Neutron lived in my head all throughout elementary school
Aw yeah, the '90s X-Men theme is killer. Another banger: the original Jonny Quest theme.
40 years ago we had stuff like gummibears.........
And frickin DUCKTALES woohoo
@@SandwichGlitchOver a dozen years ago when he was still a teenager, UA-camr *Danny Fong* did several cartoon theme songs as _a cappella_ multitracks, with every vocal _and instrumental_ part and track and done with _just his voice!_
They include _DuckTales, Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z Kai,_ and _Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles_ and maybe some others.
Digimon's the clear nostalgia winner for me. Like, that was the first time I experienced such an intense theme, that also gets piano variations in the show and actual classical music as part of the soundtrack.
Kind of a shame Butterfly got botched in the US or we'd get a lot more covers and remixes than the few we have on YT.
X-Men is awesome...Batman animated series as well.
Macy Gray has one of the most unique, easily recognizable voices in the industry....she tore with the ATBG theme song.
I jumped into comments hoping someone could confirm it was Macy Gray. Her voice is amazing!
They made a version with the voice actress of Ginger singing the song but then they were like...nahhhh
Amazing breakdown.
This needs to be a whole series, over multiple decades of children's television.
💯
until he gets to coco melon 😂
I second this!
He should do a whole video on the Magic School Bus theme. I feel like he has before, maybe that was Adam Neely?
I’m amazed that you passed up Magic School Bud (by Little Richard) and Phineas and Ferb (by Bowling for Soup) - which is actually a 90s show at heart since they came up with the idea in the 90s and pitched it forever. Also great: Angry Beavers.
oh my gosh Angry Beavers - yes
YES, Magic School Bus. One of the KINGS of western edutainment cartoons.
Magic School Bus is free on UA-cam now.
I was also surprised the lack of Magic School Bus for the same reason (literally sung by Little Richard)
Honestly, the Fairly Odd Parents theme was always one of my favorites growing up. I seriously wonder if that show is one of the reasons I grew up to love big band jazz so much.
Fairly Odd Parents was hands-down one of the best themes ever, catchy, the singing was great, the music sounded soo good. I am Bulgarian, and even in the Bulgarian dub, the theme is excellent, which bravo to the translators.
when i was in 5th grade this show always caught my attention..and i wasn't aware that that's one of the reason i love jazz😂
90s and early 00s cartoon themes hit different. Hey Arnold! was incredible, loved the Doug theme, Batman: The Animated Series will always be the cartoon Batman theme in my head (sorry, I'm an 80s baby) with one of the best orchestral soundtracks, Rocko's Modern Life had an Australian twist on a B-52s sound, Ren & Stimpy theme was epic, CatDog, Goof Troop, Magic School Bus, X-Men, Kipper, and so many more.
And Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
I am so glad the As Told By Ginger theme is finally getting the recognition it deserves
There’s just something so cozy about it
Cozy is the perfect word.
It might have something to do with going back to the home tonic chord in the home key, even after all these wild chord progressions and key changes. It still goes back home. So it’s like kind of comforting because despite the crazy journey you still get to come back home. Come to think of it, some of my rags do that too.
Hearing it unlocked a core memory. I completely forgot about that show.
I didn't even watch the show that much but I knew every word and still do like 15yrs later
I wish there was a longer version of it. 😭
I completely LOVED As told by Ginger. It showed so many mature topics for those days, like the absence of father figure portraited by Ginger's dad. That chapter always hit me hard. I'm grateful for listening to Macy Gray's tune here ❤❤
Objectively, the Powerpuff Girls theme goes hard even if you don't know what the Amen break is. It's rock solid.
Girllas With Xttitude
I'll die happy once I see a drum and bass DJ drop the Powerpuff girls theme into a set
When I was a youngin I had such an infatuation with the theme and I didn’t know why. Years later I became a jungle and breakcore junkie.
@@XAVR_The outro actually goes way harder
It actually uses the funky drummer, not amen break
Shows back then had more love in them as entertainment media networks focus on taking good risks rather than something that already exists. I think the openings reflect how different each show was, music is a great way to invoke emotions. I loved all these shows and the opening was never skipped.
Macy Gray's voice was just so good on that "As Told By Ginger" song
Had no business being that legit
Such amazing music
Flintstones being rhythm changes. Hey Arnold being a hard-bop masterpiece. Teen Titans being a J-pop banger. Lots of other examples.
Hey Arnold: ua-cam.com/video/GrJ411AHB5Q/v-deo.html
Anything by Vince Guaraldi.
And obviously Thomas the Tank Engine being crazy chromatic
Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi Show is also a J-Pop banger
@@ryler7Teen Titans having a theme song so good they made a whole show about the singers
I'm 53 and have been playing piano/keys since the 1970's, and it still amazes me at how complicated cartoon music was/is. Huge respect to any musician who takes the time to dissect it like you do!
Artists will always find room to make magic happen if they’re passionate enough
And for that we should be very thankful 🙂
I'd assume that since children's cartoons are produced very quickly on relatively small budgets compared to anything live action, composers working in that space probably have more freedom and less studio notes to deal with.
@@christianlarson4201 Good point. Like early vgm having tech limitations it pushes the creativity. Having spent years telling the kids to get off the games, we are all now addicted to The Consouls 😅
Keyword: passionate
Sure, but whether that translates to the music is also a matter of other variables like whether they care about the music, if the production supports it, getting the right people and if they don't just do something silly
Doug and Rugrats definitely get an honorable mention. They were both so innovative with their sound and instrument use.
I'd also put Ookla The Mok's excellent work on the Fillmore theme up there.
Another HUGE one is Ren & Stimpy
Doud specifically since it's just one guy scatting and creating a lot of the sounds to mimic instruments.
I didn't watch Doug as much as Pepper Ann.
Please do a part two of this! There’s so many brilliant themes from childhood shows that just hit hard. I would love to see your take on something like the Gargoyles theme or even anime themes like sub vs dub. ❤
seconded--I would also request Invader Zim and (as mentioned in another comment) Magic School Bus
That Macy Gray vocal melts me. I'm in love with her voice.
Pretty sure I could watch a video of Charles just reacting emotionally with his face to this kind of stuff with no verbal commentary at all. It’s just such a pleasure to see how much he digs this.
How did I never realize the Arthur theme was reggae? What a cool choice! And the rest of these were so nostalgic. I never watched As Told by Ginger, but that song was incredible.
Right? I listened to that song a thousand times growing up but I never stopped to think about what the genre was, much less who the singer was!
I can’t believe “as told by ginger” is on this list. I wasn’t until last summer where I revisited the theme and I actually like the theme😅. It definitely is a good theme 😌👌🏽
Well The Powerpuff Girls Main Theme is in fact, the "Funky drummer", not the "amen break", you can compare both sound waves. So you were right at first.
Right... It becomes more clear when you note that "Funky Drummer" uses a closed hi-hat, with little openings here and there, and you can find that exact thing in the Powerpuff Girls theme. The "amen break" uses a ride. But anyway, this is a great and interesting video!
Yeah amen uses the kick on the 4th 16th note (the “a”) of the third beat, and funky drummer uses the snare. I feel like it’s pretty obvious but maybe because I’m a drummer
its so inanely obvious, i thought i watched this guy for his great hearing but now im starting to doubt
Breakbeats are breakbeats dude.
@@SlyHikari03 Breakbeats are one of the breakbeats ever
I'd argue that the Fairly Odd Parents theme fits very well to the story. Once you hear the song slowed down, it's kinda matches and details that Timmy is going to make a wish he thinks is good all round, but learns shortly before the end the error of his ways.
You can hear this kind of hinted in the songs climax and finale.
The "As Told By Ginger" theme like awakened a memory in me. I'd forgotten how much I love that show and the theme song.
Same, I had completely forgotten the show until the song made something click in my head 😂
I never knew the show at all and I used to watch Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network etc in the 90s and very early 2000s. Somehow I completely missed it. I’m a 35 year old musician and hearing that theme for the first time today blew my mind. As it played I freaked out like a half second before Charles does here, and when he did I was like “yeah man!” and grateful for the musical analysis.
Same boat here, for a hot second I was like... "This isn't All Grown Up... What even was this show?" I remember being far too young for it, so much like Hey Arnold it's subjects flew over my head. Being as the show isn't around anymore though... Time to start sailing for it.
For real!! Now I know why I loved journalling so much 😅
I used to love Fairly odd parents. I've just finished watching your video and now I'm thinking "there's no way that intro went that hard".
Brilliant. Great, thought provoking video man congrats. Thanks!
did you mean: all of them?
Not sure what you're saying here. Are you saying that these are all the only ones that fit the title, or are you further agreeing that all of them out there fit that? If the latter is actually the case, then it makes sense that he's only picking 5 to analyze because he doesn't have time to do them all
@@alexheldman I’m joking that every, or at least a lot, of cartoon themes go way harder than we remember. I realize that doesn’t exactly line up with the title now that I think about it haha
This was such a trip down memory lane for us 90s kids! I got goosebumps when the As Told By Ginger soundtrack finished ugh I miss that show!!
Hey Arnold! was the sickest intro of them all. The man who composed music for that entire show was truly something. SUCH a mood!
Hey Arnold and mr Rogers were my intro to jazz.
I hope he does a part two and include this.
Yea, as I was watching this, I wondered if he was going to do Hey Arnold!. It was my favorite intro in the 90s.
Yeah i think Hey Arnold is a no brainer. Not including it here is a huge let down. The Outro theme is pure liquid Gold. "Stompin" - Jim Lang
The outro to Hey Arnold! is so epic
“This stuff was so rich with musical content, just delivered as kids entertainment” is a great quote because I always loved music from cartoons and it was a big part of why I studied music in college. I often attributed it to stuff like Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry since they had a lot of classical music influences, but I’m constantly surprised by other stuff like the Arthur theme being sung by Bob Marleys son and even the Pixie Rap from Fairly Odd Parents was done by Method Man and Redman, who are two of my favorite rappers and I never ever realized they were on my favorite show as a kid. Anyways that’s wild. Love the video!
I know it's not strictly a cartoon, but i always thought the opening to Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman was such a great groove with a stellar beginning portion.
AGREED
as a kid I loved as told by ginger's intro so much! not so much the show itself but the intro had something that hypnotised me, all those cartoons were great
The Arthur theme makes me absurdly emotional. It activates that combination of nostalgia and sadness like few other things do and immediately transports me to being home sick from school, sitting in front of the TV.
The Hey Arnold opener has to be one of my favorite theme songs, definitely another one you should look at
Thundercat in his Hot Ones interview gave his top three cartoon theme songs: Goof Troop, Mighty Orbots and Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers. Chip and Dale really goes hard
Yeah I’m gonna need a sequel video diving into these asap
Rescue Rangers and Darkwing Duck get me going like crazy everry time. The original DuckTales era Disney stuff is *powerful*
The entire Disney afternoon had amazing themes songs, without fail
This is a deep well, for sure.
The 80s vs 90s themes are so different, love to seem then contrasted (and not just so I have and excuse to listen to Mysterious Cities of Gold)
Omg goof troop goes hard af, the theme was made by Iggy pop too
The 80s Disney cartoons had incredible theme songs, Duck Tales, Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, and Talespin are stand-outs
Flintstones, Jetsons, Jonny Quest... All devastating jazz at breakneck tempos. Hoyt Curtin was an unbelievable composer.
I know nothing about playing the piano (or instruments for that matter) but your enthusiasm is infectious
i’m 29 yrs old and still sing the tune of arthur through out the day to my son lol. it’s always been a hitter ❤ love ur passion and knowledge of the keys and music overall
Lol I’m 37 and do the same thing to my kids!
Listening to someone with a massive passion and massive knowledge passionately explain a subject. Is so fascinating to me I don't understand half of the terminology or what he's talking about but I'm still gripped none the less. Thank you for your passion and your videos
I literally never saw any of your videos. After five minutes of watching this I bought your course 😅 call me impulsive but your passion and enthusiasm sold me! Thanks for the awesome video!
Analysis of some of the overtures for Tom And Jerry would be awesome as well. Big Band everywhere!
I looooooved this!! Was so fun going back down memory lane ... both regarding the cartoons themselves (90s baby all the way!!), but also music from a theoretical perspective. Absolutely 100% down for it! 😍
You should've mentioned the theme from "Hey Arnold". OMG that's a funky tune!
10:13 I love how he plays all of the chords in this video effortlessly but the amount of struggle he looks like he is going through to play a simple E Major chord is hilarious.
Man, I wish I could justify buying your courses right now but I'm just about between jobs and I don't even have a keyboard yet. But I miss music so very much. I'm thankful for your channel because I feel connected to the musician I used to be.
One day soon, I'll get your courses and start playing music again. Please never stop making content because it's a constant reminder of how much I love music and how much I need to be playing again.
Can you get to a thrift shop? Cuz you may be able to afford a keyboard a bit sooner that way. I've seen decent old ones for like $20, and kids' ones for less than $10. You'll surely want an upgrade in due time, but the cheap ones are plenty to get back on some basic practice and just have a little fun with.
@@sirfizz6518 that's actually a great idea. I hadn't thought of it. I'll try to get my hands on something by next weekend! Thank you sir fizz :)
Charles, you was actually right the first time. It isnt amen, it actually is the james brown drums.
Also the amen sample has way more hi hats / cymbals
I remember the powerpuff girls beat going so hard. The amen drum break runs my life now and in so many lucio gameplay songs, i literally hear it all the time. I STILL listen to music like the powerpuff girls
best part is that it’s not even amen, it’s funky drummer. you can tell by the lack of the ride cymbal and the fact that there are far more ghost notes than in amen
@@skybliss338 Yeah I have to agree, I love Charles and will always support but he got it backwards with that one
Arthur's theme always give me some chills! I sometimes cry at it, it is so lovely.
This is the first video I've watched of yours- instant subscribe! Your energy is something else, brother. I love how excited you get about these funky grooves and I can tell you're having a blast. Big ups!
Someone once told Charles the grass is much greener on the other side...glad you paid it a visit! It's different yet exactly the same 😂. Love As Told by Ginger! It was produced by Klasky Csupo who also created Rugrats (as well as Rocket Power and The Wild Thornberrys), hence why it has a similar art style! They've even worked on a six-episode series for McDonald's called The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald...what a timeline. As Told by Ginger was monumental because at the time the show aired, it was rare for an animated show to have ongoing story arcs and characters who developed, aged and changed their clothes throughout the show. And thus, it paved the way for shows we have now.
Another great piece from the Fairly OddParents is My Shiny Teeth and Me. In the show, the song is performed by a character called Chip Skylark, who was voiced by Chris Kirkpatrick from NSYNC! The song is exactly two minutes long, which was done on purpose because that's how long it should take to brush your teeth (and listen to the song as you brush). Though the song incorrectly says teeth are bones when they're not, they're made of inorganic tissue while bones have organic tissue.
Thank you Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un!
Another theme to check out for a possible future video would be “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” which was on Disney Channel in the 90s. Steve Nelson composed that theme and some of the other music in the show. Thom Sharp did much of the rest of the music. Although it’s been many years, the music in that show moved me emotionally and no doubt partially inspired me to become a composer.
i feel that growing up watching these shows, it's funny to see you talk about them XD
I was actually waiting for the Fairly Oddparents theme song. That was one of my favourite shows growing up and the opening really kicks ass. Great video.
All the way back to Sesame Street in the '70s, honestly. Pointer Sisters doing the pinball song, Stevie Wonder's legendary performance of Superstition right next to Mr. Hooper's store. There's never a bad time to expose kids to the best music and musicians society has to offer.
Every time I watch these breakdown videos you put out, I end up having a deeper level of appreciation for the music that I have grown too accustomed to appreciate.
Still really hoping for a deep dive on the Professor Layton soundtrack! You'd love it!
Oooh, yes please! I actually discovered that via the fire covers by The Consouls.
Ace Attorney series!!
Ed Edd n Eddy is so fuckin good. My brother and i constantly quote it in different situations.."It aint DEAD, windbaaaag", "Kevins walking DOWNNN the lane!!" , "THE STORY IS NOT YET OVER!!!"
Another cartoon theme song that goes way harder than it should is ChalkZone, more specifically the electric guitar of the ChalkZone theme song. Like who knew that a show about a fifth grader who has the power to create portals to enter a world filled with chalk to escape bullying could have such an epic theme? And another music piece that comes in mind is the credits theme of most episodes of Avatar the Last Airbender. Jeremy Zuckerman and Benjamin Wynn, who composed the score for both Avatar the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, performed the Balinese monkey chant heard throughout most of the theme. It's also the theme used in The Firebending Masters when Aang and Zuko meet the dragons. The theme in the credits changes to a completely different one in the finale, to show that the Avatar defeated the Fire Lord, and thus a new era begins.
The Avatar the Last Airbender franchise in general has amazing music, from Secret Tunnel in The Cave of Two Lovers (which was performed by the one and only Dee Bradley Baker; who's done the voices of many characters in many shows from Olmec in Legends of the Hidden Temple to Perry the Platypus in Phineas & Ferb) to The Avatar's Love which is the theme that plays when Katara and Aang kisses in the final scene. I hope you eventually do showcase the music that this franchise has to offer.
The Ocean Spirit theme lives rent free in my head.
I’m realizing how many different genres of music I was exposed to growing up without even knowing it. Just enjoying every single one because they’re simply great songs.
Cartoons have always been known for having amazing music, going back to Carl Stalling and the stuff he wrote for Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons starting in the 1930s.
Well... Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies used classical music because it was royalty free and extremely cheap to obtain. Which means the animators had to go hard, matching every gag and most motions to very complicated preexisting music. But yes, music has always been integral to cartoons and when they phone it in, the show usually fails.
Today im learning Arthur's theme was done by Bob Marley's children....WHAT
just makes me love it more
'The Powerpuff Girls' and 'Ed, Edd, n Eddy' were some of the best cartoons in the early 00s, glad to see the love.
I knew my childhood shows music goes hard but it goes even harder when you actually play it. 😂 This was awesome! 😚👌 These songs are still stuck in my head after years of not seeing these shows.
Ah I'm crying. You've selected and dissected the exact theme songs of the shows my kids watched that I absolutely love. I always knew the theme songs were amazing but never knew why until now. Thank you so so so much
I adore how they incorporated music into the actual Ed, Edd, n Eddy episodes! What makes shows/films stand out to me the most, in general, is the score. EEnE is just....a masterclass in how it's done
So many genres introduced to me at a young age and I never realized. Maybe this is why I like a bit of everything in my playlists. lol
9:35 the slow descending chord progression you're playing and explaining is, if my ears are correct, the same/similar chords to those of Oath to Order, the giants' theme song from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Very dramatic, love it in my childhood cartoon's theme song
One of my favorites has always been The Magic School Bus' theme. Little Richard sang it!
Gotta love how he broke down these awesome songs that we loved as kids and made us love it as adults on a whole new level
I LOVED the As Told By Ginger theme song when I was a kid. The lyrics are also pretty deep. Overall a pretty amazing and underrated show!
Yo, your video editing abilities are going hard too! Props to that!
As the grownup sitting with my kids watching Arthur, I was very aware of just how good the theme was. Thank you, Ziggy. The best cartoons have something for the adults, even if it’s theme song.
As Told by Ginger theme was one of my first intros to contemporary jazz/soul as a kid. Man I loved that song
Growing up as a kid this cartoons were LIFE to me, so now like two decades later and with some music knowledge is great to see this type of content. I love how you put it all together, had great fun and, as you said, some of these themes have actually great arrangements. I’ll be waiting for part 2!!
I still see the Rebel Letter L when Billy Idol comes on my radio. He goes La La La
The Spongebob theme has a kind of 3 against 4 polyrhythm. The snare drum and guitar are in 4; the vocals, accordion melody, penny whistle, and mandolin are in 3, the snare accents and accordion accompaniment are in 2, and the bass and kick drum are on the downbeat to ground the whole thing.
I like these (especially the Maley and Gray ones)... but wow are you missing out on some of the older stuff! OG Underdog theme is simply fantastic. The 1960s spiderman theme is so good it's been covered fairly straight by both Michael Buble and The Ramones (brand new sentance there I imagine?).
...and The Ducktales theme is pretty much just a straight cover of one of Hall & Oates biggest hits. That's like 'The Wonder Years' levels of cheating.
Please do more of these bro I highly enjoyed watching this.
I love it when people who make kids shows go hard--on anything: the animation, the writing, the music, the backgrounds, the vocal performances. It means they had people who were SUPER passionate about the project. I would absolutely ADORE to see you react to the music from The Owl House--if nothing else, then just the music from the finale "Watching and Dreaming". HOWEVER... it IS a Disney product so... there be copyright sharks
Love your enthusiasm for music! I grew up with so many of these cartoons and love hearing these themes still! ❤
I had never heard the As Told By Ginger theme. And I'm pretty sure you didn't say the name of the show. But I knew just by the voice that it had to be Macy Gray. So I googled the lyrics and her name, and I found it right away. Awesome song. I never paid much attention to her back in the day. I just remembered her super-distinctive voice from that one big single she had. I might have to check out more of her stuff.
8:30 that part actually reminded me of "why don't you do right" from jessica rabbit scene
Loved this video! Would love to see a part 2 or even a series. Interesting learning the music theory and chord progressions behind these.
Restoring joy by showing the skills behind the production is even better than plain nostalgia.
I like the As Told by Ginger theme. I like the mixolydian progression in the chorus. The IV chord, which happens to be the V of V of the new key sets up the key change nicely.