Why the DUCKTALES Theme Song is Stuck in Your Head Right Now...

Why the DUCKTALES Theme Song is Stuck in Your Head Right Now, from NerdSync

With Disney's recent reboot of DuckTales, that famous theme song has probably been stuck in your head. But why is that famous intro song to Scrooge McDuck's adventures so catchy? Today, we're diving into music theory to explain why those few notes and the iconic "woo-hoo" is a near perfect piece of music!

FACT OR NAH? Scott sings this so much his cats can purr the tune...

Follow NerdSync!

Get exclusive REWARDS by supporting us on PATREON!

Watch More Nerdsync!

NerdSync Sidekick - Our second channel!

About NerdSync:
Comic books are an incredible medium filled with the amazing adventures of fantastic superheroes, but they are also much more than just stories on a page. We here at NerdSync see comics as a tool that can help teach us about the world we live in! Join us each week as we explore fascinating topics that range from science, history, philosophy, culture, and art, making complex ideas a little more accessible through the heroes and villains from Marvel, DC Comics, and more, you wonderful nerd!

———————SOURCES———————

The Story of the DuckTales Theme, History’s Catchiest Single Minute of Music
Exclusive interview: Max Martin
This Is Your Brain on Music

— MY FILM GEAR —
(these are affiliate links)

#ducktales #cartoons #videoessay

[benmasta]

i dont remember a single SCENE of the duck tales show but i can sing the song word for word...

[cwengel]

When I was a kid, I would often, while lying in bed, literally HEAR the song. It was stuck in my head so intensely that it gave me actual auditory hallucinations. The first few times it happened I would get out of bed and go to the living room, to see if someone left the TV on.

[r.j.]

It's DuckTales. it's the one song that you can hum or softly start to sing and by the fifth line have seventeen other people randomly singing at the top of your lungs. Why? Because it's DuckTales. Don't test it's power.

[LikaLaruku]

Fun fact: This song is similar enough to "You Make My Dreams Come True" that it's a freaking miracle Hall & Oates never sued over it, given that they sued both Haulin' Oates & Holland Oats for brand infringement. They even both have some variation of "Woo hoo!"

[nicholasbarber]

This song was written in 45 minutes?!?!?

I am officially failing at life.

[RaoulWB]

Despite being fairly young and never have seen Ducktales, the first time I heard this song in the trailer of the remake of Ducktales' game, I immidiately loved it.
So, nostalgia doesn't have much to do with it, Ducktalales' theme really is simply a masterpiece

[dollythepuppet]

I believe that what makes it so catchy to me is the high amount of energy and passion that they pour into their performance, seeing as how I don’t particularly prefer versions that feel more calm and lazy

[anticswithmydogz]

3:58
"Full Octave"
*shows us a 7th*

[yojeffrow]

Another key element that I feel got overlooked: "crowd participation". The whole "Woo-ooh" is DESIGNED to have the listener INTERACT with the song. I think the feeling of contribution turns the person from a PASSIVE listener into an ACTIVE listener, which in turn makes the song more memorable and catchy.

Let's face it, we look forward to getting to chant along "Woo-ooh" :-)

[Shadowheartmk]

That "Woo Hoo" part is the part that unifies everyone. You may not know every lyric to a song but youre bound to join in on that part. Just like "5 golden rings!!!, or that part in bohemian rhapsody that everyone sings at once.

[carsonawesome]

No one seems to have commented on the chord sequence in the chorus. That’s a big part of what makes the song feel exciting. That Db - Eb - F is so money!

[Yuuuuhhhhhhhh]

After all these years I still have trouble believing that Niswander is his real name

[DETahaX]

3:30 Actually!!! In the Arabic version "Bat'tutiyya" is not a random "Woo-Hoo" like sound. "But'tutiyya" actually means "Duck-y". "Qes'us" which means stories (or tales) is a bit long, so the second word was moved over to the "Woo-Hoo" phrase. Thus, you get "Qes'us Bat'tutiyya" which gives you "Ducky Tales" lol xD instead of an entire "DuckTales Woo-Hoo".

[taylordente]

No, it’s stuck in my head because ive watched brendon urie sing it 40 times today

[isabellajane]

As a kid, I never did try to memorize the lyrics. It just got stuck to my brain. At age 42, I can still remember the lyrics pretty well and get gets excited when I hear it. Hence, I downloaded it as a ringtone. My contemporaries always get pleasantly surprised when they hear my phone ringing.😊

[MineKynoMine]

I love how you made Disney a bunch of deadeyed people in suits with mickey hats

[aggressivli]

"You cant introduce ten characters in the first scene"
U HEARD THAT, GAME OF THRONES S1E01?

[DecipherBorn]

Damn. That was impressive. So basically we love all of the new pop songs because they remind us of Duck Tales. 😐

[youtubeuniversity]

We need a Ducktales multilanguage medley. That would be awesome.

[JohnnyScribe]

So my brain recently made the connection that the turn signal on my car clicks at the same beat as this song. Therefore, every time I make a turn or change lanes, my traitorous cranium chimes in with "Life is like a hurricane... here in, Duckburg..." It's been pretty horrible, lol