I know it sounds very old fashioned, but I’m yet to find a better sitcom than Seinfeld. I have some friends who complain that the show is confusing and that they don’t get the point of it. However, the brilliance of the show about nothing stems from its simplicity. Seinfeld episodes are often meaningless, revolving around small quirks in real life and social tensions. This is true for most people as well; most viewers don’t have overarching narratives dictating what goes on in their day-to-day lives. Through all of this, the characters came to represent the worst in humanity and somehow still came off as loveable and relatable.
Seinfeld also broke boundaries with its opening music. Almost all major TV shows before and after Seinfeld have a song with words or a lengthy musical piece to start the show. Seinfeld’s theme was a seemingly random assortment of popping sounds There are clear guitar plucks and some piano keys mixed in, giving the piece something of a funky, jazz vibe.
I’m not sure if this is the sound I’ll use for my sound study, but I have some questions about the origins of such a peculiar theme song and the impact it has today. Specifically, I’d like to know who the designer was, what he wanted the theme to achieve from the outset, and why he didn’t choose a traditional theme song for the show.
I also wonder if there’s any scientific explanation for why the sound fits so well with the show and if the technical aspects of the sound, like the spacing between the “pops” and their arrangement, have anything to do with the full auditory experience.
I’d also like to determine how closely people associate the song with the show and if it inspired any shows after Seinfeld to play around with their musical choices.
