Does anyone else think the music in the OT was the best for a cartoon?
 

I know this may sound strange, but I can honestly watch the original cartoon simply for the music. I think the OT had one of the best soundtracks for a kids cartoon out there.

Virtually every piece of music that plays in each episode is very catchy and enjoyable. Its hard for me to describe exactly what pieces I'm talking about, but everything they play during the action scenes, the comedy scenes, the "mystery" music, the drama pieces...its all great.

The soundtrack for the original cartoon was great, and it made the episodes more enjoyable than they would be without it.

I will agree, nostalgia aside, it really does have a rad soundtrack. Most TMNT games do too.

glad you posted that cybercubed, because I talk abou that a lot;)...
I agree witg you, this show has avery fine soundtrack, I like one musical key very much that I hink played first when we get to see their lair in the very first episode...but there are more great ones in this show!
together with the real ghostbusters and I think batman the animated series(which had more of a movie based soundtrack for its single story telling format) these must be some of the best examples of how music only enhances a great show and makes it even better...

I think the ot was also one of the first animated programs which incorporated rock and roll music...you know you sometimes would hear just drumtracks plaing the beat...then keyboards would screeetch in;)....great stuff....to my apreciation for the show this wasalso something new and alien at the time ilke the show's content to a lot of people back in the day and only one more of the reasons why the show had such vast success...
together with funny stuff like talking directly into the camera giving a great action line or a joke;)....just so radically different from so many cartoons in general, don't you think?

Actually, Alvin & The Chipmunks were the first way back then, and many female baby boomers still go crazy when someone mentions that show; they're the same ones who later got swept in Bearlemania. Their signature Christmas song has that early Rock & Roll sound to it, and they did some others (along with new '80s songs for the newer series).

Still, this music has inspired me to start posting videos of some background music on Youtube. It's a bit of a challenge since dialogue is constant and I have three clips so far and hope to add more.

If you haven't noticed yet, don't many of the cues introduced in Season 4 sound like recycled Twilight Zone cues? Just listen to that melody.

Say, Powder, how's your OT BGM recreation project going? I really enjoyed the stuff you shared a while back.

I haven't done anything new, what's in the 'ol thread is all there is so far. I've saved some audio clips here and there so that I can make more but I've been busy with a bunch of other projects and haven't gotten around to it yet. Another thing I haven't gotten around to is reading your comic, but I have it! :)

that beat they used to play before every action scene in the early seasons kicked. i agree great soundtrack

Love the soundtrack, very atmospheric and dynamic!

Probably my favorite cue for the whole soundtrack here!
 

Here is an abridged version of a cue that would often indicate trouble is ahead. It would sometimes be followed by a fight.

The theme is certainly the best of any cartoon, and among TV themes overall, it's one of the best.

It had a great soundtrack indeed, perfect music for every situation. It's a shame that most of the background music was gone by its later seasons until it fully disappeared in the Red Sky episodes. Also, why was it never released on CD? The show was huge back in the late 80s/early 90s, they could of made even more money.

I enjoyed the red sky soundtrack during the episodes too.

Maybe it's because I've never really listened to background music, that I really have no feelings one way or the other about it. Love the opening theme though.

What's really impressive about the 2d games made back in the day is that they were able to make music that was different but still captured the feel of the tv show.

Every time I play the games it just feels like I'm back in the show because of the music.

I love all the background music, my favorite is the Red Sky music. I noticed in season 8, they were still using music that was used in Seasons 6 and 7 and rarely season 5. In season 9, they were still using season 7 music. By season 10, all the pre Red Sky music completely disappeared.

I think the music is perfect for any cartoon, I think they should seriously consider releasing the soundtrack on CD.

There was old music in any of the Season 8-10 eps, really? All the music in those seasons seemed brand new to me.

It seemed new to me too until I saw Night Of The Dark Turtle one time (I'm talking about the first time I saw a season 7 episode since before I saw the Red Sky episodes for the first time). I heard the background music and was like "Hey, wait a minute. I heard this music in the Red Sky episodes! How cool is this?!"). When I saw Season 7 episodes before I knew about Red Sky, a lot of that music seemed new to me also.

None of the first 4 season music was in Red Sky though.

I also love that "gang member" music they play. The first time they play it is when the Turtles wear gang disguises for the first time in episode 2 and see April about a, "Rhino and Warthog tearing up the city."

There's also that other, "gang member music," when something is already going on, like criminals are already tearing up the place. It has a faster beat and it gets you pumped up.

Man, I wish these pieces had names so I can say exactly what I was referring to.

It definitely is one of the best soundtracks ever for a tv show. Each tune get stuck in the head when you hear it, that's proof it's a good soundtrack. I'm also a big fan of the Biker Mice From Mars soundtrack, with it's rock-inspired music and attitude.

This was most common in Season 2 with a few incidents in Season 1 and 3 as well?
I do kinda like how each season seem to retire some bits of music while introducing others but it was always a transition. Except perhaps Season 8 which was a complete renewal.

Idk about best, but I think it was deffintly better than the 2k3 series intro. It is deffinatly one of the best cartoon intros

I am not really talking about the theme song but the regular background music in all episodes.

The Channel 6 theme
 

Here is that famous theme associated with April's interview. An updated version in F major was introduced in Season 4, but this was the original, first heard in "Enter the Shredder".

Yeah, the music in the OT was pretty cool. I always liked the music they would use when they would show the Turtles' lair. That was always some good stuff. Also liked the music they'd play when the Technodrome was always shown.

I also love that big climax music, usually having to do with the Technodrome flying through the air just as the Turtles are about to stop it again and force it to get trapped somewhere.

You guys know what I am refering to, right? It plays in tons of episodes, its about a 1 minute long piece...as everyone is waiting for Donatello to stop the Technodrome...then it lands...the music subsides.