# Why is the "All Things Considered" intro music so horrible?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 5, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719 "2013-07-05T14:29:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/1 "2013-07-05T14:29:56Z")
Or if it’s not horrible, explain why you find it remotely pleasing?? Becase we hates it.
It’s screechy, dissonant, grating. Like it’s designed to put you on edge so that your nerves are bared and super-sensitive to the news.
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### Author:  [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/2 "2013-07-05T15:53:46Z")
I always felt it sounded exactly like the South park “Cheesy Poofs” commercial.
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### Author:  [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/3 "2013-07-05T20:28:41Z")
And you think the “Morning Edition” or Diane Rehm intro music is deeply moving and sublimely beautiful? It’s just an NPR thing, like having an interesting name. (Note: If you’re not already subjected to Diane Rehm’s truly horrible interstitial music that you only hear on the podcast version of her show, you might go have a listen to that, then meditate on just how lucky you are with the intro music.)
Aside: Why is it assumed that just because I like NPR’s talky programming, I’m also going to like cool, hip, happenin’, smooooooooove JAZZZZZ, baby? Grr.
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### Author:  [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2013, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/4 "2013-07-06T04:51:52Z")
Because like most PBS theme songs, it’s played on a crappy synthesizer keyboard (well, most of it). I can’t stand the fake horn fanfare for The News Hour.
Then, on top of that, ATC’s theme is a very jazzy piece with a lot of discordant notes (that eventually resolve… sorta). Unless one was used to this kind of jazz, it will sound clashy. And the cheesy synth keyboard makes it worse.
Here’s what it’s supposed to sound like: ["All Things Considered" Theme by The CNY Jazz Orchestra - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHduFMP8Uk)
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2013, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/5 "2013-07-06T05:51:23Z")
With no context provided\* I had no idea what you were talking about, but I presume you mean [this piece of crap](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qkq5CFGOBH4).
\*As usual
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### Author:  [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2013, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/6 "2013-07-06T05:58:51Z")
It would never have occurred to me to call it awful. It’s distinctive, you know exactly what it is, and the fanfare gets your attention. It’s not like it’s a two-minute cheeseball pop-type song playing over the credits.
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### Author:  [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2013, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/7 "2013-07-06T07:03:13Z")
The clarinet part of the song always got my heckles up, probably because I was a marching band nerd and it just sounded painfully out of tune.
Of course, I always knew what show was starting when they did that, so that might have been the point. “Hey Driver! Wake up! Time for the show!”
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### Author:  [@Blue\_Mood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Mood)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2013, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/8 "2013-07-06T11:40:39Z")
I’ve never thought of it as music. It’s just the theme that tells everybody to get ready to listen.
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### Author:  [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2013, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/9 "2013-07-06T12:33:21Z")
Huntley Brinkley managed to do that with [this little ditty](http://youtu.be/iwIvS4yIThU)
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### Author:  [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/10 "2013-07-08T18:09:41Z")
That fanfare on ATC has always bugged the hell out of me. It sounds like what a jazz composer typically produces when trying to sound serious and “legit.”
And to concur with someone upthread, I hate the presumption that because I’m listening to NPR, then OF COURSE I must be into jazz.
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### Author:  [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/11 "2013-07-08T19:44:55Z")
I don’t mind it. The bombastic whatever it is that plays before the BBC’s news hour (generally on around noontime, here) - now that’s something terrible. Oof.
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### Author:  [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2013, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/12 "2013-07-09T11:53:11Z")
Funny, I listen to NPR every day, and sitting here at my computer for the life of me I can’t recall what a single “theme song” sounds like. Will make a point of paying more attention.
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### Author:  [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/13 "2013-07-09T12:56:12Z")
Nothing beats the theme to “As it Happens”!
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### Author:  [@ASanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASanders)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2013, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/14 "2013-07-09T13:05:42Z")
The very worst theme song on NPR, and that’s saying something, is the one to [On the Media](http://www.wnyc.org/articles/music/2003/feb/09/wnyc-theme-songs/#p90). It sounds like someone tripped and fell over into the band.
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### Author:  [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2013, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-all-things-considered-intro-music-so-horrible/662719/15 "2013-07-09T13:38:56Z")
Oh come on, it’s not that bad.
What we need is a little perspective.
As a point of comparison, I offer you **Yoko Ono’s Interpretation of Katy Perry’s “Firework”.**
[link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrJz9Dh5MsM)
(Probably NSF anything.)
The word “bad” does not even do justice.
Mods, you may now close this thread.