The Erosion of SpongeBob's Musical Identity

Anybody who grew up with SpongeBob Squarepants will tell you how iconic its sound design is, yet like with many aspects of the show, that severely changed after the movie. Today we'll be exploring what made the background music in SpongeBob so great, and why I feel it began to suffer after the 2004 film.
20 Spongebob Tracks Abandoned After the Movie:
• SpongeBob Music ABANDO...
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Credits:
Written, Filmed and Edited by: GregCubed
Set Design, Lighting, Hair: Natalie
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[@theotherjared9824]

Spongebob is unironically a great case study of leitmotif. Specific music tracks were used in similar situations so often that putting several music tracks one after the other can effectively create a basic plot synopsis to an episode that doesn't exist. It's no accident that spongebob music is often used as the bgm for memes to convey a certain emotion.

[@RTU130]

Ye

[@nelsonnicholson6175]

Isn't leitmotif more the manipulation of a musical device, particularly melody, that tie an album or other work together? I immediately think of Undertale's OST.

[@theotherjared9824]

@Nelson Nicholson leitmotif is defined as a recurrent musical theme that is associated with a particular concept. An entire song can still be leitmotif under certain circumstances.

[@rawquikh0ney710]

Basically why Undertale and Deltarune won indie games due to the writing and music writing

[@WumboOfOrigin]

​@@theotherjared9824so like when people use Freebird for " full send it" moments?

[@SabreLilly.]

One piece of sound design that I really miss is the water swooshing and bubble sounds when the charterers would run of wave their hands around. It really solidified the fact that the show took place under water.

[@kootunesscrewy]

They still use those sounds, lol.

[@SunnyyDayzz]

One Piece?

[@jabee_balls]

​@@SunnyyDayzz no, moby dick we're talking about here dude try to keep up 👎

[@meatloafer2762]

@@SunnyyDayzzlol

[@Gerorgebushsr]

ONE PIECE??????

[@kaitlin9288]

The "original music vs. new music" montage gave off the same vibe as that episode where the crowd cheered for Spongebob at the talent show but went dead silent when Squidward appeared on stage lmao

[@zojirushi1]

📠

[@MaxsAnimations22]

📠

[@fezcrystal9]

📠📠

[@SnailFailShow]

:steel:sting:

[@Lost..........................]

Yeah, I loved the part where he compared songs that have COMPLETLEY different contexts, and used songs that were literally used twice in the whole show, yet tried to make a valid argument

[@emanuelvela6097]

The end credit theme’s erasure is actually kind of sad. I mean I understand why it’s gone, no one really uses DVDs or VHS’ anymore so there’s no use in having an end credit sequence, but man it kind of sucks that it’s gone forever.

[@speeder-gojira]

It’s still in episodes on On Demand

[@adampkalb]

I still buy DVDs, and so should you. Physical media is important if you do not want to let the past die! Some really do still use DVDs.

[@legoislandstuff8773]

i would use vhs’s if I had a player

[@user-tk4gr9zo7t]

@@adampkalb exactly!

[@Flughundi]

@@adampkalb I do too, always makes me happy when I get a new box set or when I go to the thrift store!

[@SirLightsOut99]

I think one other underrated aspect of SpongeBob‘s musical identity was the one it had outside of the show. Stephen Hillenberg was a huge fan of a lot of 90s alt rock groups, and he let that show. There are obvious examples like Ween doing the loop the loop song and letting him use ocean man in the movie, but there were other instances of him having Violent Femmes record a cover of the SpongeBob theme, and having Motörhead re-record you better run with SpongeBob centric lyrics. In an interview one time, he had stated that Nickelodeon wanted him to use a big-name artist of the time like Justin Timberlake to write the credit song for the first SpongeBob movie. His response was “I don’t like Justin Timberlake. I like Ween and The Flaming Lips, and that’s who we’re going with because this is my show.” Outside of just being a good show, it almost garnered a weird little punk rock identity that gave it legs with all of the alternative kids during that era. Nowadays when SpongeBob has a guest star it’s somebody big. So I guess that component of the shows musical identity is gone too.

[@GregCubed]

Yep, this is all very true as well! I wanted to stay focused on the background music specifically, but Stephen's musical influence on the show in the original run definitely shaped a lot of its identity as well. Kind of sad to see that degrade, like how the newest SpongeBob film has a bunch of licensed pop songs in it

[@RealLarsUlrichISwear]

Hillenberg basically telling nickelodeon to fuck off and that they wouldnt use justin timberlake because it was his show. Rip to a legend ❤.

[@mothcloth815]

The spongebob movie unironically has one of yhe hardest soundtracks with motorhead, flaming lips, ween, and even twisted sister And fun fact, pantera recorded a song for the episode hibernation (aka the ep where sandy and spongebob do extreme sports before sandy goes to hibernate)

[@goeticfolklore]

The Flaming Lips are so good thanks for the info

[@SirLightsOut99]

@@mothcloth815 yeah. I know SpongeBob was just this massive juggernaut of the thing even back then, but Stephen Hillenberg always had the energy of that cool cousin that you only saw maybe once or twice per year who taught you to skate and got you into all these obscure bands. Innoway it kept the show kind of grounded and made it feel like a show for everybody, completely unlike the corporate Cashcow it’s seen as now.

[@2mewz]

I just find it disturbing that the spinoff shows began releasing soon after Hillenberg's passing, leading me to believe he was a "hurdle" for Nickelodeon's production. Great vid as always Greg, love ya

[@Beavis-ej3ny]

In all fairness to Nick, it wasn’t like Stephen said “fuck spin-offs we won’t ever do any spin-offs” he just said that he wasn’t interested. That was also a 2005 interview. Also keep in mind that workers at Nickelodeon say both spin-offs were in the works before Stephen became sick. In the end, the shows still suck, so I guess it doesn’t matter. And Mr. Hillenberg isn’t alive, so we don’t know what he truly thought.

[@Spongyboi897]

​@@Beavis-ej3ny I heard somewhere that Stephen Hillenburg was actually shown an early version of Kamp Koral

[@kootunesscrewy]

I feel like the Patrick Star Show got way too much backlash because of the change of characters. I thought it was pretty funny in my opinion. Heck, even better than most of the current episodes of the main show. Plus, the sound design and music fits well for the spinoff than the actual series.

[@Spongyboi897]

@@kootunesscrewy Same! People should give it a chance

[@omomori9214]

Actually, Stephen never saw any of the spin offs. He was sick at the time, one of the people on the team of Kamp koral lied that Stephen saw the spin off. Plus, if you do some research, you'd know that if Stephen did see it. His ALS would've made it difficult for him to actually say something about the spin offs.

[@jonnygee489]

Let’s not forget the wide array of musicians to be on SpongeBob: 1) Loop de Loop by Ween 2) Pre-Hibernation by Pantera 3) Livin in the Sunlight by Tiny Tim 4) Underwater Sun by The Cramps (as the Bird Brains)

[@noone3305]

underwater sun is such a fucking bop

[@goobert5485]

We’ve Got Scurvy by P!nk is another great example!

[@magicalthief]

​@@goobert5485what sucks is that she doesnt like the song

[@jackpijjin4088]

Who did "Back in Encino"?

[@Notmortarandivyson]

​@@jackpijjin4088Nicolas Carr and Steve Marston completely wrote and performed the song.

[@CartoonCade]

One aspect of SpongeBob's sound design I've never heard anyone mention was just how common echoes were used in season 1 when a character is far away or yelling loudly. It's one of my favorite details that got dropped early on as the series went on. As far as the production music aspect of this video, which is most of it, I absolutely love SpongeBob Production Music and I'm so happy to see someone finally make a video on it!

[@GregCubed]

I also loved the ambient nautical sounds that also mostly were dropped after season 1 :( although S2 and 3 still feel far more nautical than anything after lol

[@CartoonCade]

@@GregCubed Oh snap, you're right, I remember that sound! The ambient water noises were always so calming to me. I've heard rumors that the sound is still in the show but its volume has been lowered so low that it's nearly impossible to hear... but I don't know if I believe it.

[@mrpizza_5139]

“AM I THE BIGGEST LOSER ON THE BEACH???”

[@CartoonCade]

@@mrpizza_5139 I can practically HEAR that line and its echo in my head.

[@lonelyhermit1182]

MR KRAABS! I WANNA GO TO BEEEDDD!

[@therealthirst8099]

It's ironic how many tracks from various TV music libraries that were originally made to be show/movie agnostic and aplicable for a miriade of different projects are now forever tied to Spongebob in the mind of a generation.

[@RTU130]

True

[@madduxnagel6935]

I’ll say! When I found out that the iconic “Now That We’re Men” song from the movie is a straight-up APM track they put lyrics over… my mind exploded

[@chocov1233]

Yeah. I remember watching Scaredy Squirrel on Cartoon Network and hearing the music, I thought: "This is SpongeBob music.". Eventually I just thought it was CN's version of SpongeBob.

[@LooneyDude]

On the topic of sound design, I'm surprised you haven't mentioned just how generally noisier the whole show has gotten. A lot of character movement used to be paired with light water swooshing sounds to reinforce the characters were underwater, but now there's an excess of stock sounds that pile on top of each other and give very little breathing room for any of the water ambient noises, along with characters often making little yelps and grunts with every little movement. It's gone from making things feel pretty unique to somewhat overwhelming in certain cases, and the little noises the characters keep making don't let the humorous drawings and animation speak for themselves and sometimes remove from their comedic value.

[@eatatjoes6751]

I forgot the show was set underwater.

[@hunimoonz]

it was such a chill show just chill underwater vibes but they fucked it up!

[@klas-6]

The sound design in ur games did cartoony noise better than the latest SpongeBob seasons imo

[@Whiteythereaper]

Tiktok generation moment. Gotta have the goofy ahh sound effects to get clipped and shared online and hopefully go viral

[@tealautumn]

im so glad someone else is bringing this up😭😭

[@a17yearoldonyoutubeluigi]

9:38 One of the greatest travesties of SpongeBob in general is how they've only used this song like twice. Its one of my favorites.

[@GregCubed]

Yeah same here, it's only been used 3 times across 2 episodes but it's such a pleasant listen

[@a17yearoldonyoutubeluigi]

@@GregCubed Title card of Home Sweet Pineapple, classic montage of SpongeBob and Patrick building SpongeBob's new home, and the iconic MORE scene.

[@jagerzaku9160]

It’s such a banger

[@A.C.E.]

🔨😃 🤚🏼🔨😫 OWWWWW 🤚🏼🔨😫 OW 🤚🏼🔨😫 OOOOWWWWW

[@cordyceps7531]

Can someone says it’s name

[@orionbarnes1733]

The Boo-Womp is, beyond a doubt, the best piece of sound design in any show ever. It conveys so many emotions in a single boo and then follows up with the womp, making it a true masterpiece.

[@KrabbyPatty]

Part of me is glad the later seasons don't use the same old tracks anymore, but that's only because it makes the old seasons stand out more. If they had kept using the same tracks I think the music could've lost its charm and gotten old as using them for 12+ seasons long does that. Now they are still kinda fresh and of course nostalgic as we associate them with the old seasons.

[@strawberryjam3670]

The fact that the old stock music is so recognizable to me that I can instantly imagine the scenes in which they were used.

[@milkisreallygood8957]

new spongebob bg music sounds saturated and manufactured while old spongebob music sounds chill and organic, like you can actually listen and vibe to. New spongebob music sounds like you need to be in a specific situation to fully enjoy it.

[@mlmfshjm7962]

From the examples he gave i honestly couldn't tell which was which until i went back to them, the modern ones are more generic but i can still picture them distincly as spongebob, i think is less of a problem more just a downgrade

[@milkisreallygood8957]

@@mlmfshjm7962 yea i agree. The new music is ok and fits spongebob but there is something so special about the original music. Both are good but if i had to choose og spongebob music for sure.

[@bw-leftturnracing7779]

Here's something interesting you may not have known. During a few episodes of season 12, a variety of different music editors were used instead of the usual one, Nick Carr. And in the eight or so episodes the substitute editors did, a TON of the original tracks (some of which hadn't been used since seasons 4 or 5) made appearances. Just listen to the soundtrack of Gary's Got Legs in particular, and point out how many old stock tracks you can recognize. A bunch of them all aired in the same week of 2019 and the SpongeBob music community was absolutely buzzing that whole week. Things returned to normal after a while, but it was nice for those few episodes to get a bit of a throwback soundtrack.

[@juliusnepos6013]

Yeah

[@BinglesP]

They should rehire them if they haven’t already! At least when they make a new amazing modern episode like ‘My Leg!’

[@Sentanette]

hmmm

[@nootics]

that name in the second sentence is sus

[@flashdawnx]

@@BinglesP they shouldn’t, their editing sounded sloppy and a lot of music usages did not fit the scenes they played in

[@lindsayg8518]

As someone who grew up in the 2000s on this show, for years i’ve been looking into why the new seasons are so hated. I think part of it is the overuse of saturated colors and bouncy animation. I’ve always loved the old, chill surfer music but I’ve never even considered the new music and why it factors into why the show isn’t as good anymore. The old music is definitely more appreciated because of its nostalgic quality, but it’s almost like it moved us entirely subconsciously. It’s cool that you were able to notice and explore this and bring it forward to our attention

[@kootunesscrewy]

I don't have a problem with the music, tbh. If anything, I really love how they finally used Jean Jacques Perrey music more often. (Though, The Mighty B fits well with this music a bit more, since that series had a more comedic tone.)

[@Emery_Pallas]

I personally find anytime I end up seeing a new SpongeBob episode the first thing to come to mind is the plot and writing. Some of it is on Elsagate levels if you remember what that was.

[@kootunesscrewy]

@@Emery_Pallas I wouldn't put wacky cartoons with Elsagate. Elsagate is something else...

[@Emery_Pallas]

@@kootunesscrewy No like genuinely some of them have that exact same fetishy undertone. The only difference I’d say is that the quality is higher and there’s less crossovers

[@kootunesscrewy]

​@@Emery_Pallas I see it more in the way of Zig and Sharko, Larva or Pencilmation to me. But I respect you

[@Bartholomule01]

I think the big difference between the new and old music for me is that a lot of the examples you showed the newer ones are more like loops made for the Short clips they would be in, rather than a clip from a full length song. Sad to see how many of some of the best early songs have been completely phased out.

[@downrightannoying3922]

i think you really hit the nail on the head with this

[@lexiepound1062]

Something ironic with the old vs new montage I noticed is the new music is trying so hard to be zany and fun, but they all just sound so hollow. The older music is much more fun because it’s so full of life and character. They tried to add energy, and in turn, stripped all of it away

[@DesTheMagicDog]

Soundtracks and sound design should always be distinctive for any piece of media. This is especially true for cartoons. The best ones you can recognize by sound alone.

[@EyeShotFirst]

It's not just the music, but even the voice acting is grating. Like Tom Kenny's post movie Spongbob is louder, higher pitched, and borderline whiny at times. I do understand that voices age, but it wasn't a gradual thing. It was immediately changed and it's evident in the first movie at times.

[@X2011racer]

Now, in the current season, Tom Kenny struggles with his voice as SpongeBob due to age. SpongeBob now sounds like he's finally hitting puberty. As for Spyro, he sounds considerably off, almost as if the voice direction for SpongeBob as you mentioned before spilled over to Tom Kenny's Spyro voice, which can heard in Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled.

[@blazingiron8097]

While a lot of the post movie music can be bland and boring, not all of it is bad. I think the track "Slide Whistle Stooges" is actually really good, it sounds goofy and silly but pulls it off in way that's not boring sounding, it's fast paced with a lot of instruments and decently complex musically.

[@OreoSmithOfficial]

I think one of the reasons the commercial music worked so well is because it encapsulated the feeling of the beach and the ocean. The songs were designed to fit the ocean theme. The newer songs don't really try to fit that motif anymore and just seem to try to appeal to kids who want slapstick humor.

[@thedarkgenious7967]

Man you mentioning it's been 14 years since Truth or Square hit me like a truck. I can still remember being hyped for that episode's release when they were advertising it as a "Special" and being only _somewhat_ disappointed it was basically just a clipshow episode.

[@tatiannatownsend1531]

SpongeBob was the only kids show that ever made my dad lol and that sticks with me decades later. I read on the wiki that 40% of viewers were aged 18-34 in those golden years, and I went back and watched and I see why. Super funny pacing, imaginative animation, and subliminally dark themes. The music also stood out to me maybe that’s why this video was recommended. Now I think I’ll make a Surf Dusters playlist for my next study sesh

[@CrowandTalbot]

The music to the original 3 seasons was legitimately music, that could be enjoyed separately from the show and would be a solid ambient music CD if introduced to someone who had never seen the show. But the newer stuff isn't just simple "feeling", you can hear it's stripped down. There's less instruments and the instruments used have no solos or stand out melodies. They're easier to loop endlessly, but without the context of the show they're just a little better than just static noise. You can feel that something is missing when you listen to it separately and your brain tunes it out as background noise wherever it plays. It defeats the whole purpose to having a soundtrack to the show, and that's really the problem of new Spongebob. It's just going through the motions and I get that enough from my depression. Kids aren't as rabid fanatic over the show anymore because they can feel it too, even if they can't know what they don't know is supposed to be there yet. It feels incomplete and unresolved from every angle

[@binterwinterboyii1095]

No cause I don't think it was emphasized enough A lot of the songs were from other composers yes, but a person could live their whole life without ever knowing that because the music selection was that damn good, the thematic consistency between each of the songs is so strong you'd think they were all made by the same composer but no, Hillenberg's vision for Spongebob was so strong he made connections between songs that in any other universe would have nothing to do with each other but each and every person who watched Spongebob as kids will immediately will connect The Lineman to Mermaid Man despite the song having been written as a half-time signifier in Football. Mad fucking genius istg

[@BinglesP]

This was weirdly nostalgic for me, as part of the unfortunate group of ‘people who grew up with SpongeBob when they aired a mixture of pre-movie and post-movie episodes’. Funnily enough, I completely forgot the tunes for most of the post-movie episodes’ songs, and this video is what it took to unrepress them!

[@Spongebrain97]

Spongebob's Hawaiian and surfer rock music feels so nostalgic to me because I grew up in a city called Oceanside where as the name suggests is right next to the beach. And being an early 2000s kid who watched classic Spongebob, it really spoke to me more that I lived next to a southern California beach with all of the vibes described in the video. The scene that sticks out the most is when Spongebob sings the Ripped Pants song because I remember watching that episode on a day when I went to the beach and Oceanside had lots of Polynesian people there which was reflected in the food

[@gehtdichnichtsan5211]

Also don't forget the apparent genuine love for harder rock, in the earlier episodes and movie, like Sweet Victory and the Pentera 'cameo'. When the Goofy Goober rock blasted at the end of the first movie, it really felt like a fitting finale and a nod to that always shown love.

[@beefydie2010]

0:07 the only real simpsons prediction

[@TheAwesomenessOfJay]

This was a fantastic video! Last night I went to the "Big Bubble Rave" on their OKC leg, and I realized that night just how much people who grew up with SpongeBob connect to its music. Whenever the music stopped to just play one of the Krusty Krab themes, Gary Come Home, or the Ripped Pants song, everyone in the room stopped bouncing around and sang along earnestly. It was incredible to witness. I share that experience because you are absolutely right, SpongeBob's cultural impact is rooted heavily in the music composed for the show, original or otherwise. Also I will say, don't feel like you need to apologize for coming off "crazy" when you talk about your interests in SpongeBob. Hyperfixation is awesome, and I guarantee that the people watching this are as invested in this topic as you are. Keep doing what you're doing!!

[@seb1520]

SpongeBob: made for the love of the ocean Later SpongeBob: made out of obsession of SpongeBob

[@lordplebius483]

I always felt like SpongeBob sorta lost its ocean themed identity as it went on. Even compared to the later season three episodes the pilot feels way more foreign.

[@StoneBust]

I think the main difference, in my opinion, between the old Spongebob tracks and the new ones is that the old ones felt more *ambient* and *experimental* as well as having more emphasis on the chill vibes which definitely matched the feel of the pre-movie seasons, especially Season One since it was pretty much the foundation of the show's universe. Hillenburg really had a raw vision for the show which the music that accompanied each episode truly demonstrated. The new tracks in the later seasons really do feel too zany and cartoony, which, yeah I know, it _is_ a cartoon, but also it kinda feels... samey? Idk how to explain it, but when you hear a new track, it just kinda feels empty, as if the sole purpose of it is to just play over a scene in an episode rather than putting more emphasis on the vibe of the environment in the scene. (idk if i said it correctly lmao)

[@Spadealchemist]

The way they used Good-bye Samba in the episode "Suds" is one of my favorite moments from the earlier episodes. Music to Drive By is my second favorite ❤

[@soyjoyy]

Jovial Pirate's Jig is a perfectly fine song, in fact I like it almost as much as the og song. You seem like a guy who thinks "everything new = bad". Most new Spongebob song are noisy and trashy, yes, but not this one - it perfectly captures the vibe of the first seasons

[@xBezerkerrr]

Yeah that one actually sounded thematically appropriate and fits with the older style

[@bingobunny7862]

Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who hyper-fixates on production soundtracks. I LOVE THEM TOO! I was such a freak when I was little, I had memorized the titles of all the episodes (seasons 1-3 at least, the rest was hit or miss), memorized scripts, I knew the lyrics to all the songs… I downloaded the entire soundtrack a few years back. I love SpongeBob, man. SpongeBob deserves to go down as the legend it was back then, not this husk it is now. Thank you for your video, you’re preaching real shit. P.S I’m also gonna give love to the original and commercial songs that had a lot of identity. Ween- Loop De Loop, Tiny Tim- Living in the Sunlight, Loving in the Moonlight, Doing the Sponge, Richard Myhill - Surfin Summer, Give it all You’ve Got, etc. I’ll stop rambling, Ty again.

[@liminalradiofm7899]

I make music and am part of a music production class. one of our assignments was to think about our earliest musical memory and make something out of it. the only thing i could think of was the stock music from spongebob. the music is genuinely important to me as silly as it can be. i love it

[@jrodd13]

I never really realized, but SpongeBob is the only show/cartoon I know where you can show me a background track and 9/10 times I can tell you where the setting is and what's happening. Namely with the location themes like the Krusty Krab or Goo Lagoon. Kinda crazy if you think about it.

[@tarahmac5520]

This articulates something I think I subconsciously knew but never actually fully realized as a child If I didn’t recognize the different art style in season 4 - onwards, id know I was watching an episode post-movie because of the soundtrack, and that’s how I knew to not watch whatever episode was airing and change the channel to CN Its so soulless sounding, it genuinely sounds like if the Minions were condensed into Hawaiian sounding music Absolutely wonderful and thoughtful video 10/10

[@Big-Image]

It’s refreshing to find someone who shares my opinion. To me, the soundtrack from the post-movie seasons come across as overly forced, desperately trying to fit into the show’s established vibe but ultimately falling short. It’s akin to encountering a celebrity impersonator who insists they’re the real deal, yet lacks the genuine talent and charisma that originally made the celebrity iconic.

[@AnnaMWatch]

I think the difference between the old tracks and the new tracks is they feel composed. It's clear that they're written by film composers, people who are used to writing music that's meant to blend into the background. Because of that, the music sounds similar to other film and tv soundtrack incidental music. You can tell the pastiche is there, but hearing a pastiche after experiencing the real thing is never gonna be the same. Conversely, the old music stood out so much because it wasn't written to blend into the background at all. It feels a bit more diagetic because of that, and stands out way more. Also, doesn't hurt that it was played along iconic episodes, I'm sure we wouldn't all remember those songs as well if they were all introduced post-movie.

[@Pejo-Bun]

The credits theme is severely underappreciated, in season one it was THE prelude to Spongebob's tomfoolery. The most memorable appearance for me was in episode 4, the one where Squidward ingests a fork, you know the one, it plays right as he starts observing Spongebob and Patrick's literal speech bubbles shenanigans. That moment and its sound design has stuck with me for years and i feel it defines perfectly what Spongebob is.

[@qrowing]

I mean this with absolutely ZERO disrespect to Grant Kirkhope, but those new SpongeBob tracks remind me of something you'd hear in Banjo Kazooie. Just sort of over the top, and *incredibly* goofy. Good for a game like Banjo, not so good for a show like Spongebob. Although with how the show is written nowadays maybe it *does* work.

[@geeguy7429]

this is one of my favorite videos ive seen in a while. Theres something so special about the early spongebob aesthetic that I love, especially with how well paired the music is with the art direction. From surf rock, to calming Hawaiian vibes, sea shanties and pirate sounds and even some very out there tracks from the same time that could get mysterious or melancholic tracks like lonely stranger. It all worked to give spongebob a beautiful identity that I love and carry with me to this day.

[@spimbles]

this is a fantastic video, i genuinely have so much respect and adoration for the early Spongebob seasons. i personally consider them the absolute pinnacle of goofy children's cartoons, not just because of its perfectly unique musical direction, but also because its written for all ages and audiences, and treats it viewers with a mutual respect and understanding that theyll get the more sophisticated and multilayered jokes. im nearing 20 years old and still watch the old episodes whenever i can, they will never get old or stop being as funny as they are. truly a timeless era

[@onedaybutnottoday63]

Old SpongeBob had PANTERA and it doesn’t get much more metal than that. I love PANTERA and I love SpongeBob

[@PippityPip]

“It sounds so empty” That’s what so much of the modern SpongeBob music sounds like it just sounds cheap

[@PyroLego]

Imo, I personally find the original tracks pretty good. Especially stuff like Honolulu Choo Choo and South Pacific Smile. And there are reasons why Nostalgic Hawaii and all of the pre movie Krusty krabs tracks got replaced.

[@miguelblanco7387]

Fantastic video! I'm surprised you didn't mention just how much time was dedicated to original music numbers during those original three seasons, especially the first two. To name a few: Ripped Pants, the Stadium Rave from Jellyfish Jam, Sandy's Texas song, Loop de Loop, This Grill is Not a Home... Sweet Victory! Hell, when the pilot episode had a licensed musical number in the form of Living in the Sunlight by Tiny Tim, you know it's integral to the show's DNA.

[@estoesalva]

Can’t beleave I actually did find a video essay about SpongeBob soundtrack… I couldn’t beleave my eyes when I saw it 🥹 about time somebody did a video like this, loved it soo much. I pretty much needed it ❤ thank u soo much bro 🙏🏻 Greetings from Madrid, Spain 🤟🏻 keep it up pal

[@mino2123]

honestly playing old vs new spongebob songs back to back gets the point across so well that it could've been the entire video and it would be able to convince anyone. it's sad what nick has done to spongebob

[@littlegarfieldproductionst5106]

Dude, I could listen to you ramble about the background music in a kids cartoon all day! I've never seen any video from you before, but you honestly made me care about the music in the show I grew up with more than I thought I would... I don't need therapy, I swear!

[@PraetorianCuber]

agree 100%! he's got my sub for sure, I've always loved and appreciated and focused on the music from these cartoons I watched when I was little, I also really liked fairly oddparents tracks tbh

[@maxweII_demon]

"as long as you weren't a discovery family/hub kid we're chill" i feel called out...

[@papajohncena2516]

The Mob was interestingly composed by Sam Spence, and was originally used in NFL documentaries. The album is called Autumn Thunder and includes many other tracks, such as those used in the Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy episodes and a variation of “Drunken Sailor.”

[@KingYoshi93]

When you talked about Goo Lagoon I realised that this location as a whole doesn't appear much in the series since season 4.

[@FSAPOJake]

You know what makes this even worse? The original music composed for Battle for Bikini Bottom is absolutely excellent and totally fits in with the music used in the early seasons. Why couldn't music like that have been used for later seasons if they wanted original stuff so badly?

[@mihaleben6051]

10:01 that is uh... not a bad one...

[@sproutsan]

whats the name of this one btw?

[@mihaleben6051]

@@sproutsan not looking it up

[@sproutsan]

@@mihaleben6051 😑

[@mihaleben6051]

@@sproutsan btw thats the edized version of the comment. The original comment features poo fetisj (cpmment/reply) MY FINGIES TOO BIG Anyways, yeah.

[@laganrat8996]

Glad to know I'm not the only one frustrated by how the police theme changed after Season 6, I'm also always like "come on horn section, where are you!?"

[@_puduposting]

Yesssss finally a video focused on spongebob's music

[@7Kazi7]

S4 is unwatchable? Lost mattress? Krusty towers? Where Gary? Dunces and dragons? Fear of a kraby patty? Shell of a man? Mrs puff you're fired? Patrick smart pants? Krabs vs. Plankton? Ghost host? Skill crane? Mm&bb VI? Enemy in law? New leaf? Selling out? However I agree with the rest of the video.

[@GregCubed]

I forget what I said in the video at this point but you're right it's not unwatchable lol, I do however think it's incredibly noticeable most of the show's soul was gone at that point. There's a creative consistency to the original run that was gone after the movie, most of those episodes you listed are fine children's television but they don't really transcend it the way the original seasons did.

[@7Kazi7]

@@GregCubed yeah you're right, I think the only reason s4 was good, is because most or all those episodes I listed were made for and during s3, and for whatever reason weren't used. Thank u for your video btw

[@darealepic]

​@@7Kazi7Nah, season 3's production was done for a while when season 4 started, season 3 even got extended a few times to cover the hiatus of the series

[@7Kazi7]

@@darealepic I meant it feels like it's meant to be part of s3, cause the ep quality is nearly identical, (and the music🤭) though obv the animation is very different

[@DanilegoPlays]

In the video he said it's "not unwatchable", unlike newer seasons I guess

[@dylanlolll]

i fully agree with the older seasons having better sound design but the song at 9:57 will always have a special place in my heart because i vividly remember hearing it alot on the season 8 dvd i had when i was 6 back in 2015

[@SquidBeatsSB]

It is named skipping to school

[@PillzmansFox]

You know the craziest thing is not only are they recognizable to the show, but also to universal, I remember hearing "The Mob" all the time near the kids zone coming from the car diner

[@tfarstudios391]

Theres (i think) a few songs in SpongeBob that come from the old NFL Films that aired back in the 70s and 80s, i think they mostly appeared when mermaid man and barnacle boy were introduced. The songs from the NFL Films were made specifically for the NFL Films, so ot was surprising to me when i listened to some of the old NFL films songs and managed to find some songs i already recognized from SpongeBob lmao Great vid! Keep up the good work

[@Saandy_]

That outro music hasn't been used for 14 years? That's to me such an iconic song, and every episode of Spongebob I've ever seen ends with that song. I guess I haven't watched the show in a long time (it used to air in Sweden where I watched it). Spongebob just isn't Spongebob without that song.

[@littlemisseevee2309]

I remember how I kinda tuned out in the mid 2000’s after a bit because even as a kid I felt the change, slowly but surely and was getting kinda sick of what it was turning into, I still think spongebob was at its best in the first 3 seasons, wish it ended after the movie. Actually this is one reason I cherish megaman battle network so much too, it ended, and ended well.

[@GeteMachine]

Spongebob is also one of the shows (in the early seasons) that actually picked a good sound for it because it actually emphasized the aesthetic theme of the show in audio form, being nautical, tranquil and underwater. So you get a lot of bass strumming, squeezebox playing, flute, surfer tunes, Hawaiian, Irish or German sailor tunes, a bit of doowap instrumental tunes (especially in season 1) sounds to it.

[@kestrelflurry]

The credits theme was a huge loss, I feel genuine sorrow that newer kids won't be able to experience the yellow flowery end credits...

[@_AmirK_]

It’s amazing how the show is still so loved even after the late seasons. They didn’t contaminate the first 3. It Just shows how amazing those 3 seasons really are.

[@Vivi_Tann]

I enjoy both the old and new tracks ☺️ They all have a unique spunk and style to them~

[@cc13556]

i love your positivity ☺️

[@Vivi_Tann]

@@cc13556 Thank you!

[@shannonlewis2022]

I think there are positives in both types of SB music, even if I’m nostalgic towards the older tracks.

[@Vivi_Tann]

@@shannonlewis2022 I agree!

[@Takimeko]

As a kid watching the seasons that came after the movie, it felt like they downgraded to only using 5 tracks they'd play ad nauseum throughout each season non-stop.

[@chrismartin6247]

Yo the police change was genuinely crazy. I thought that was the only one they kept in but now hearing the missing horns I’m sad 😓

[@coco_rthritis6462]

Such a fresh look at such a stale topic. I always realized that the music is different but I didn't actively think about it until now. I think it definitely influenced my music tastes, and now that I'm a musician I can genuinely hear how much fun those guys had playing their instruments. When I hear that steel guitar I just picture the player with a smile on his face (like at 9:39). That's what makes it so great to me, the music is ALIVE! It's like their soul is singing through their instrument. Great video and rest in peace Mr. Stephen Hillenberg, we will forever appreciate you and your work🧽❤

[@TylerRamos-h2o]

I feel so grateful that I got to see the golden age of SpongeBob. I remember before the SpongeBob movie.

[@wojak-sensei6424]

Early SpongeBob, like Hey Arnold or Samurai Jack, is just a show that oozes with vibe. With how fast-action. in-your-face, and instant some children shows can be in my childhood (and I ate it all up to be fair) Early SpongeBob is a show I saw and just get magnetized to for half an hour. It plays by its pace, lets you soak in every audio and visual, and takes you in with it. It doesn't need your attention, it earns your attention. Something most shows, or hell even most content creators, seem to never understand.

[@yomama9390]

"real life recordings made by authentic musicians" THEY ALL ARE YOU PUTZ

[@plazmikpond]

10:22 holy fucking shit i never truly knew how pissed off this song made me as a kid until now. Also great vid man, never even realized how bad the music from season 4 onwards was when i was younger. Watching this and viewing your words about this as an adult makes me appreciate seasons 1-3's music more now. Those side by side comparisons rlly have a great example of the contrast between old sb and newer sb

[@scrittle]

I praise whoever spent their time highlighting filler on sponsorblock

[@kechypop7946]

Thank you for taking your time to research and produce this video, i know this took a long ass time to do. Thank You again!!!!!!!!

[@brickhead9111]

As someone who absolutely loves SpongeBob’s soundtrack, I think this video is super under-researched and kinda insulting to those who make music for the show currently. Nick Carr, Sage Guyton and Jeremy Wakefield put so much effort into their music, only for someone on the internet to compare their compositions to the dip in quality of a universally beloved show. Some of most recent compositions by the trio are super relaxing and not cartoony in the slightest, examples being Honolulu Choo Choo, Swinging On A Star and South Pacific Smile. Also, the reason why old nostalgic SpongeBob music doesn’t play as frequently nowadays isn’t because they are smiting you for enjoying it, Carr’s license to specific albums and even full sites like WCPM was dissolved for a long period of time. As of the most recent episode: Delivery to Monster Island, some old CPM tracks like African Conflict and Bloodbath have returned to the show. Edit: I just rewatched the video and I just want to tell you I bare you no malice for the making of this video. It’s very well-edited and has a great sense of identity for a topic that has honestly barely been talked about. I just don’t like what you said about the original music being worse than the old soundtrack, it’s just different and that’s a good thing. Not everything is going to stay the same for 24 years.

[@Henryduckfan63]

I mean, he literally mentions in the video that the license for the original tracks expiring was likely the reason why they stopped using them as much.

[@brickhead9111]

@@Henryduckfan63 I get that but he also seemed genuinely annoyed about tracks like The Tip Top Polka (CPM) being removed and replaced with other production or original music tracks even though it was out of Carr’s control.

[@t.l.e.e.]

yeah it’s not a dig on the musics producers, they’re doing the best they can and it sounds okay. compared to the original music, however, it’s not good. and the show shouldn’t have been running for this long. we’re not mad at the producers of the music for having to pilot a flying bag of dog shit, we’re mad that the bag of dog shit is flying

[@brickhead9111]

@@t.l.e.e. I don’t really think the quality of the soundtrack really has anything to do with the quality of the show. Both are still great. I know many people don’t like the new episodes due to their exaggerated expressions and bright colors, but I still think their pretty fun and have their own sense of charm different from the first three seasons.

[@noelvalenzarro]

@@brickhead9111 they flanderized the characters

[@professormadlad7773]

After season 4 the show has been unnecessarily torturing Squidward too much.

[@modifiedapple5522]

I honesty feel like a big reason why SpongeBob can never feel as good as "classic" again has a lot to do with just the presentation. Even if you get one episode that is completely on par with the og's writing and whatnot, you're still lacking that classic art style and sound design (along with how much Tom Kenny's SpongeBob voice has changed over the years). It's a shame, because no matter how good the writing gets they'll simply never be able to fully recover what was lost.

[@podomuss]

I think it isn’t fair for the one at 9:56 to be lumped in with the rest. It still retains the nautical theme and serves its purpose. I still think SpongeBob when I hear it vs the other late stage SpongeBob tracks

[@SuperIsaiahOST]

NGL the new music is still pretty good imo. While different, the music team was clearly skilled. The vibe is different, but not necessarily "bad". I personally appreciate goofy sounding music just as much as charming/more chill music.

[@notcats2139]

You either get canceled as a legend, or get overly milked over the process of 40+ years

[@weirdosheep619]

the dramatic changes to the series when season 4 and ESPECIALLY season 5 started airing inadvertently caused 13-year-old me to record a ton of classic episodes to VHS. been watching my digital rips of those tapes a lot lately, fantastic stuff.

[@Cygnetbsf]

I agree with most of the points here, but im at least glad we got roughly half of season 4. Skill crane was great for example.

[@elijah260]

And don’t forget Gary Come Home, a fantastic song from SpongeBob

[@dacrohnswarrior]

I still like the new goofy music that SpongeBob offered after the first movie, but you’re right. SpongeBob got a lot of its identity from its cool pre movie soundtrack. Not too serious and not too goofy. Just right and fits with the shows aesthetic.

[@EmployeeAMillion]

Even as someone who still watches and appreciates the newer SpongeBob episodes, it’s really sad thinking about all the great tracks they had access to that they just stopped using for one reason or another. I also grew up as more Post-Movie episodes filled the rerun pool, and even more than the (usually) uglier animation and flatter jokes, the music was such a quick indicator of when the episode was made. Unlike the animation and writing, there’s never been a concentrated effort to restore the soundtrack feel of the show’s background music, because it’s never been treated like a big enough deal. Like the character writing got so bad that they had to go back to basics with them around the time of the 2nd movie, and the animation got so stiff that they went in the complete opposite direction and dialled the zaniness up to 20. Not perfect solutions by any means, but I’ll give them more credit than a show like The Simpsons which has hardly shaken things up for the past 2 decades. But the music is such a niche part of SpongeBob that them occasionally bringing a track back is only going to excite a passionate minority of longtime fans. It’s a part of the original run’s atmosphere that is probably never going to be replicated, but hopefully more videos like this could spark more discussion and appreciation for such an overlooked aspect of the show.

[@GregCubed]

Yeah I also grew up around that same time, I have a few memories of late season 3 premiers (mainly UGH), but seasons 4 - 8 were what aired during the prime of me watching Nick. The changing sound design of the show was my introduction to television production, because it really irked me as a kid who loved the vibe of the original season's bgm to a concerning degree. I remember combing every episode's trivia section on the SB Wiki at age 10/11 to see if there was any info as to why certain tracks weren't being used anymore and why the sound design was changing. I kept waiting for someone to make a KZbin video on this subject, but after over a decade of waiting I decided to take the mantle up myself lol. Huge fan of your channel by the way EAM! I think I remember you showing interest in making a video about SpongeBob music in one of your SpongeComms, but I could be wrong lol. Would love to see you tackle this topic and fill in the cracks I missed, I feel like you probably have a ton more knowledge on this than me haha

[@ccalvac18]

THANK YOU, I remember noticing this as a kid and wondered how apparent this was to everyone!!! Thank you for bringing this to further light!

[@hb4174]

I think another reason too is if you notice in each song the music has way more instruments and has theming behind it, they sound like different things involving the ocean, Hawaiian, Tropical, Pirates, Surfing, is what vibes I get from the songs from early SpongeBob New SpongeBob just sounds like you can interchange it with any other cartoon and it won’t feel out of place Even old spongebob music that doesn’t exactly sound like oceanic music still sounds like music you’d hear around the era in which the other songs sound they’d be in

[@secretscarlet8249]

Even now I still love the SpongeBob Production Music. I know it’s essentially a generic music library but they still shaped my childhood and evoked a sense of positivity that other shows didn’t. Maybe it’s because it’s feels like from the 1940s post WW2, or maybe because they sound like you can play most of them in a grocery, but they’re really something. ❤

[@krismer7742]

The music in the first 3 seasons give me the same feeling as Everywhere At The End Of Time by the Caretaker. absolute nostalgia, memory of my life (i’m 22). i even write a piece entirely inspired by Nostalgic Hawaii when I was 16 or so. this music has always meant a lot to me, thank you

[@rahbeat9785]

at what age you first saw spongebob and was it the first 3seasons exclusively? (and how) im just curious

[@Aberyyyy]

Not that many people out there on KZbin make videos gushing over their hyperfixiation for the production music in spongebob and quite frankly I think there should be more so I felt this on a spiritual level. But if you REALLY want to talk about underused tracks, then look no further to Heat which is probably one of if not THE most underutilized track In the entire series with it only being in 3--count em--3 episodes, being Reef Blower (all the way up until spongebob says YOU! to the leaf), Ripped Pants (sponge and sandy chilling at the beach) and Nasty Patty (the end of the episode) and two spongebob games, that being Truth or Square (Console) and the Spongebob Moves In mobile game. It's easily up there in the top 3 of my top 10 favorite spongebob apm tracks, alongside tracks like Maui Beach, Royal Hawaiian Hula, Hula Festival, Bashful Eyes, Alekoki, and Real Western Steel to name a few.

[@tucker6072]

Placing "Skipping to School" directly after "Hawaiian Train" is like serving someone authentic New York pizza followed by Totino's pizza rolls.

[@areakastudios6704]

The main issue for me is that the music is ALWAYS playing, and the amount of compression is almost unbearable. I wish the show could just give us some space to breathe and take in stuff.

[@GregCubed]

The original seasons were great at giving the episodes breathing room, even beyond the music. Like how whenever there's a time skip, they showed the time of day changing up above water for a few seconds. Multiple times an episode in some cases. Little things like that gave you time to take in what's happening.

[@areakastudios6704]

@@GregCubed I liked those moments of silence in season 1. It made for some really funny jumpscare type laughs that also gave the viewer a chance to take things in. It's a shame, because there are modern spongebob episodes that I feel have so much potential.

[@katoahirou8151]

And ocean man is still a banger I go back to when I get sad

[@icecreamhero2375]

I don't understand how using old music is better than making original music. Both are good in my opinion.

[@SnailFailShow]

Exactly, this video is very under-researched

[@icecreamhero2375]

@@SnailFailShow I don't think them using royalty free music was that deep. It was probably easier or cheaper at the time.

[@ey3z4ya]

​@@SnailFailShow "under-researched" like it's an extensive topic or something lol

[@BackupChannel-nq6fg]

Whoa I never noticed the change in the Krusty Krab theme!