The Importance of Music in Animation

Riley Watkins

Music Journalist

The fall season always ends up being a very sentimental time for me. Every time the leaves start falling (very leisurely in Texas, unfortunately) and autumn comes around, I am flooded with memories of getting home from middle school and immediately flipping through channels to see what cartoons were playing. I reminisce on animated shows like “Adventure Time”, “Over the Garden Wall” and “SpongeBob SquarePants,” like how a hopeless romantic reminisces on a first love. 

An often-overlooked component of childhood cartoons is the music. Whether it’s theme songs, soundtracks or songs written for the shows, music plays a major role in the nostalgia you feel towards the shows of your youth. Here’s a playlist of recommendations from some of my favorite animated shows and movies! 

“Everything Stays” by Olivia Olson (Adventure Time) 

I won’t lie, this is a completely biased pick from me. “Adventure Time” and its musicality hold a very special place in my heart. The music in “Adventure Time” is very modest; most songs feature only a handful of instruments, resulting in light arrangements.  

However, the songwriters go out of their way to give the music an off-kilter feeling whether it be through odd time signatures or melodies that linger out of key. I believe this is done with the intention of reflecting the themes of the show; the land of Ooo in “Adventure Time” is exactly like our planet, just slightly off.  

“Everything Stays” stands out to me due to the context of the show and its lyrical content. It’s sung by Marceline, a vampire who has lived for hundreds of years. Over a slick bassline, Marceline sings about how nothing really changes when you live forever. 

“Here Comes a Thought” by AJ Michalka and Estelle (Steven Universe) 

The songs featured in “Steven Universe” have a similar strange energy as the music in “Adventure Time,” primarily due to the influence of one woman: Rebecca Sugar.  

Sugar has been involved with the production of multiple Cartoon Network shows; she was a writer on “Adventure Time,” “OK KO! Let’s Be Heroes” and is the lead writer and showrunner for “Steven Universe”. She is also credited as a songwriter in many of her shows’ best songs, including “Here Comes a Thought”, my personal favorite song from “Steven Universe”.  

Over floaty and calming instrumentation, Estelle (who voices the character Garnet and is best known for her song “American Boy” featuring Kanye West) sings about the importance of recentering yourself in times of turmoil.  

“The Path of the Wind – Instrumental” by Joe Hisaishi (My Neighbor Totoro) 

If there is one production studio that knows how to establish tone through music, it’s Studio Ghibli. Every score the legendary Joe Hisaishi has crafted is an essential component to establish the atmosphere of its respective movie. Whether it’s the haunting “Princess Mononoke” score, the adventurous compositions in “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Win” or the peculiar melodies of “Spirited Away,” Hisaishi has shown he is a master of tone.  

There is no better example of this point than Hisaishi’s score in the 1988 classic, “My Neighbor Totoro”. The whimsical melodies in the song “The Path of the Wind” can make anyone feel like they are playing pretend in the forest. Here’s a fun fact: the lead melody in the song is literally being played by the wind! Hisaishi uses an aeolian harp, a string instrument designed to stand on its own in an outdoor space and be played by the breeze. 

“Tank!” by SEATBELTS (Cowboy Bebop) 

The importance of crafting a memorable intro sequence for a television program cannot be understated. It is the first thing that the audience will think of when the show is talked about. Many shows like “SpongeBob SquarePants”, “Hunter X Hunter” and “Phineas and Ferb” have mastered the art of the intro song, but none are quite as special as the intro of “Cowboy Bebop”. 

Talk about the type of intro that never gets skipped! The initial meter of horns, followed by a chunky bass riff leading the way and the silky voice of SEATBELTS collaborator Tim Jensen proclaiming “I think it’s time to blow this scene…” all comes together to create a one-of-a-kind opening for a one-of-a-kind show. This maximalist jazz epic of a track is not exactly what you’d expect for a show about bounty hunters in space, but somehow it works perfectly. 

“The Bare Necessities” by Phil Harris and Bruce Reitherman (The Jungle Book) 

When I started curating this playlist, I made a rule for myself: no Disney musical songs allowed! I think Disney musicals are their own separate entity that could warrant its own playlist.  

However, I had to make an exception for “The Bare Necessities” because I don’t think it gets appreciated enough in the realm of Disney songs and I wanted to give it its flowers! The ragtime bump and jazzy horns present throughout give the song a unique feeling amongst its Disney contemporaries.  

Tying the song together is Phil Harris’ laid back tone, reminding the audience that whatever is not meant to be in their lives, simply won’t be. Lyrics like “When you find out you can live without it, and go along not thinking about it, I’ll tell you something true, the bare necessities of life will come to you!” have admittedly helped me get through more tough times than I can count. 

You can check out these tracks and the rest of my playlist using the Spotify link below!