Question: Why does most new game show music...

[SamJ93]

...just plain suck?

I mean, if you look at a show like TPiR, not only is their main theme very memorable, but even their prize cues (well, most of the older ones, anyway) have very clear melodies that one can definitely remember if they hear it often enough, plus a fairly complex structure musically.

Nowadays, it seems most "themes" consist of a drum machine with a few cheesy synths placed on top...repeating the same four bland, melody-less measures over and over again.  Of course, there are some exceptions (Millionaire and H2 come to mind), but by and large most new shows or revivals (Pyramid, and Wheel post-1998 are the most blatant examples) just have awful music!

What happened here?  Have all the good composers taken up other projects?  Or can no one be bothered to put any effort into "frivolous" things like music, in this era of TV as an advertising business first, entertainment second?

--Sam

[Matt Ottinger]

That's similar to the question, "Why are there no great TV theme songs anymore?"  Sure, there are still a few, but most dramatic and comedic shows have no more than a five or ten second stinger to identify the show rather than the old minute-long ballads.  TV marches on.

Nostalgia plays a role as well.  In general, especially when it comes to game shows, the stuff you remember from your childhood is always "better" than the newer stuff.

[reason1024]

Is the "stinger" trend primarily due to increased demand for advertising time, costs of developing the music, or the risk that the theme won't be good?

All the fairly modern themes I can think of that I like belong to cartoons -- Futurama, Family Guy, Teen Titans.

On a similar note, I was humming the beginning of Press Your Luck's theme the other day in the yard, and somehow I turned it into Tic Tac Dough...!?!  Did game show themes used to fall mostly into a common "style" with similar hooks or devices?  I'm not musically inclined, so I don't know what the right words to describe these things would be.

[itiparanoid13]

Yeah, there haven't been great themes in a while.  The best theme in a while IMO is Russian Roulete, but the synthesized themes are apparently easier to make.  Not only that, most themes are just one tiny piece of music looped over and over.  In my books, Craig Stuart Garfinkle is the best TV theme composer this decade.

[cmjb13]

Maybe because Mr. Kalehoff's music is just so good, there aren't many Kalehoff's in this world.

I'm sure cost plays a factor in that if you want a good piece of music, you will have to pay more.

[Chief-O]

>> Maybe because Mr. Kalehoff's music is just so good, there aren't many Kalehoff's in this world.
And that's probably literally too. Of course, though, his workload these days is mostly news and sports themes [Monday Night Football, World News Tonight, Nightly Business Report, etc]. The same can be said for Score Productions, although I've read that they still do the occasional TPIR cue. So, basically, most of those who DID themes in the "old days" probably aren't doing them anymore [either because they're retired, deceased, or just not doing game show music anymore], and the folks doing them now are either newbies in the business, or new to game shows.

[cmjb13]

[quote name=\'Chief-O\' date=\'Sep 21 2004, 04:00 PM\'] The same can be said for Score Productions, although I've read that they still do the occasional TPIR cue. [/quote]
 Some of the recent TPIR score cues definitely have an outdated feel to them (80's).

You can pick out most of them if you listen carefully.

[urbanpreppie05]

Nostalgia plays a role as well. In general, especially when it comes to game shows, the stuff you remember from your childhood is always "better" than the newer stuff.

Yep. It's was definately the case when Price had its new cues. Some of them (epecially the $1M car cues) sounded good, but one thing I kept seeing were remarks like "That shouldn't have been there" or "Big Banana's sounds better there."

Hmm. Different Strokes, i guess.

BTW, I actually like the current WOF theme, yet hate the Jeopardy! theme.

[Ian Wallis]

I'm wondering if it's because so many shows have "squeezed back" credits these days that you don't get to hear the theme anyway, so maybe they figure they don't need more than a few drum beats, etc. since most of it would go unheard.

[Clay Zambo]

I dunno, but it seems to me that much pop music today is comprised of a drum machine looping with some synths on top, so why wouldn't TV music follow the trend.  TPiR has always had a uniquely rich musical palette, probably due as much to the taste of its first music director as to anything else.  Mr. K's compositions are terrific, no question, but they wouldn't have made air if they'd been rejected by Mike Malone.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Clay Zambo\' date=\'Sep 22 2004, 09:05 AM\'] I dunno, but it seems to me that much pop music today is comprised of a drum machine looping with some synths on top, so why wouldn't TV music follow the trend.  TPiR has always had a uniquely rich musical palette, probably due as much to the taste of its first music director as to anything else.  Mr. K's compositions are terrific, no question, but they wouldn't have made air if they'd been rejected by Mike Malone. [/quote]
 Exactly, just like a lot of themes of the late-70s/early-80s had a disco sound to them, and some 80s themes had a synthesized new wave feel. I'm sure if pop music actually sounded like something today, then game show themes would be more melodic.

[The Ol' Guy]

I think Clay's pretty much on it. Times change, and the beautiful melodies of Gershwin and Porter are rapidly leaving the airwaves and are replaced by music where the rhythm and a hook phrase is more important than a melody (It has a good beat, I can dance to it, I'll give it a 92, Dick). Since producers want young demos, they're just playing up to what the crowd is listening to. It takes concentration and time to appreciate a well-crafted song/melody/theme, and the mass venue just isn't bothering.

[gtbecbp]

IMHO, the Balderdash theme is one of the best in many years.  It's catchy, and uses real instruments!!!

Ben

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'gtbecbp\' date=\'Sep 22 2004, 12:25 PM\'] IMHO, the Balderdash theme is one of the best in many years.  It's catchy, and uses real instruments!!!

Ben [/quote]
 As opposed to imaginary instruments the other game shows use?

[reason1024]

As opposed to music synthesizers, I expect.