We’re sorry but you’re going to be humming these for the remainder of the day now.
We were shocked and saddened to hear the news that Emmy-winning composer Alf Clausen, the man behind some of the most famous songs in the history of The Simpsons, had been fired from the show after 27 years.
Clausen has produced some of the best songs from the golden era of The Simpsons and these songs are not only our favourite songs from the show, but they are up there with our favourite songs from our childhood.
Some of the songs were just jingles, a quick musical fix to fill a one minute gap in the show. However, the majority of his work are symphonies, with regular key changes and a wide range of musical instruments, utilising the sizeable orchestra he had at his disposal for every episode.
This list is not definitive – there will be arguments and there will be split decisions over our choices – but one thing we can all agree on is that Alf Clausen’s music will be truly missed from the show.
Here’s our top 15, but we could have had many, many more.
15. Amendment To Be
We don’t know if it’s the funky piano at the start or the video that accompanies it, but this song holds a small but special place in our hearts.
It features in an episode where the future of Itchy and Scratchy looks to be in doubt after Bart meets the ‘real’ creator of the cartoon show and in his search for royalties, bankrupts the company.
“If we could change the constitution, we could make all sorts of crazy laws.”
Clip via Theolonius Assington
14. Testify
“Satan, eat my shorts.”
A song so powerful, it was the name of The Simpsons’ music album released in 2007. Featuring in the episode Faith Off, Bart believes that he has the power to heal after removing a bucket which was stuck on Homer’s head.
Lisa is suspicious but that doesn’t stop Bart and everyone else from believing that he has “the power.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa25LfKW9WI
Clip via dragongirl89115
13. Canyonero
It wouldn’t be out of place at the start of a Western movie, well, that’s if the movie involved cowboys operating from the wheel of a car.
The Johnny Cash style singing is soothing to listen to but the sudden whip sounds make sure to keep the listener involved throughout.
Warning: The Federal Highway Commission has ruled the Canyonero unsafe for both highway and city driving.
Clip via Hoy
12. Can I borrow a feeling?
There’s nothing as heartwarming as a love song but sadly there is nothing as heartbreaking as when a love song is so harshly dismissed as this one was.
Kirk Van Houten records this number for his wife Luann after their divorce. He sings it at Homer and Marge’s second wedding to try and win her back but sadly, she has none of it.
At least give him his shirts back, Luann.
Clip via Paul Nicholas
11. Happy Just The Way We Are
The Mary Poppins-inspired episode (we’re not going calling it by its full title but if you want to, it’s really called: Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious) is so good that there are three songs on the list from it.
The family decide to hire a nanny after Marge decides to have a little holiday in order to bring down her stress levels. It doesn’t take new nanny, Shary Bobbins, long to realise why Marge needed to leave…
Clip via lordmuck31
10. Baby on board
If The Beatles were the fab four, then The B-Sharps were a formidable foursome. Made up of Homer, Barney, Principal Skinner and Apu, the barbershop quartet even beat Dexy’s Midnight Runners at the Grammys.
There were a lot of Beatles references in this episode, from their rooftop performance to their album, titled Bigger Than Jesus, to Barney’s girlfriend, who looked a lot like Yoko Ono.
“I’d like to thank you on behalf of the group and I hope we passed the audition.”
Clip via Juan Milo
9. I’m Checking In
“That’s just page one of his ten-page confession.”
Featuring in The City of New York Vs. Homer Simpson, an episode was actually pulled from the airwaves for a while because of the major involvement of the World Trade Centre.
Al Jean, a screenwriter and producer with The Simpsons said that “the thing I like about the song is that it’s so exuberant about something horrible”.
Clip via lordsoriano
8. Cut every corner
The second of the songs to feature from the Mary Poppins style episode, Cut Every Corner is almost identical to A Spoonful of Sugar.
After all, it’s the American way, apparently.
Clip via thetoastman25
7. Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart?
Apu’s surname still proves to be tricky even with the biggest of Simpsons fans and Nahasapeemapetilon’s tune comes in at number seven on our list.
He loses his job at the shop after he gives Homer salmonella poisoning and subsequently moves in with The Simpsons, whom he falls in love with.
Of course, Apu really does need the Kwik-E-Mart and can be found crying on the roof after the song finishes.
Clip via McClaver Productions
6. A Boozehound named Barney
As Shary Bobbins serenades the children to sleep after singing them songs all day, she tells them the story of A Boozehound named Barney.
The melancholic tale shows the hardship that Barney faces on a daily basis and it looks as though Moe only considers him a friend when he has money to spend in the bar.
“Can I be a Boozehound? Not ’til you’re fifteen.”
Clip via Lordmuck31
5. Spring in Springfield
“It’s an angry Mob ma’am. Could you step outside for a twinkle while we knock down your house?”
One of two songs on The Simpsons to win an Emmy, (the other is ‘I’m Checking In’) The Masion Derrière was certainly putting the spring in Springfield.
Homer’s song about saving the burlesque house seems to work until his wife comes along, starts her own song and accidentally tears down a portion of the house anyways.
Clip via superpepify
4. Monorail
Mono = one, rail= rail.
Voted the best Simpsons episode of all time, Marge v The Monorail also features one of the shows’ best songs of all time too.
Hooked by the concept that it was more of a “Shelbyville Idea”, Lyle Lanley suggests that Springfield should construct a city monorail to which the people of the town agree.
Everybody now, MONORAIL, MONORAIL, MONORAILLL.
Clip via saveourspit
3. See my vest
“Feel this sweater, there’s no better than authentic Irish setter.”
Inspired by Disney’s One Hundred and One Dalmatians movie, Mike Scully stated in The Simpsons’ The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode that the producers “decided to have Mr. Burns communicate his horrific plan of making a tuxedo from the puppies through song after determining that it would be a ‘fun and light’ way to convey his plan of killing the greyhounds”.
Clip via ThingsIcantfindotherwise
2. Dr. Zaius
Stop the Planet of the Apes, I Want to Get Off! is a Simpsons musical version of the famous movie Planet of the Apes starring Troy McClure in the Charlton Heston role.
Dr. Zaius is nothing short of perfect.
From the moment the apes realise that not only can McClure talk but that he can singgggg to the point where they finally make a monkey out of him, the song features some iconic lines but none more so than “I hate every ape I see/ from chimpan-a to chimpanzee”.
Clip via PlanetAlgon
1. We Do (The Stonecutters song)
A worthy number one. Homer’s initiation into The Stonecutters was not easy. After suffering an actual five-storey fall instead of what was supposed to be five inches, he then has to withstand Crossing the Desert and The Unblinking eye, both of which happen to be quite similar to the Paddling of the Swollen Ass, with Paddles.
After passing the test and taking the oath, he is now member 908 of The Stonecutters and gets to sing their song over a nice jug of beer.
Clip via TakoKat
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