Super Mario Bros. theme

File:Kōji Kondō 2015 (cropped).jpg, the theme's composer]]

Of the six tracks of the Super Mario Bros. soundtrack, this theme took the most time to develop, according to its composer Koji Kondo. He stated that he would write one piece, and the team would put it in the game. If it did not accentuate the action, did not time up with Mario running and jumping, or did not harmonize with the sound effects well enough, he would scrap it. He composed the music using only a small keyboard.{{cite web |title=Interview with Koji Kondo (Electronic Gaming Monthly) |url=http://www.squareenixmusic.com/composers/kondo/dec05interview.shtml |publisher=Square Enix Music Online |access-date=February 16, 2009}}

The composition takes influence from the 1984 song "Sister Marian" by T-Square, a Japanese fusion band. In a 2001 interview by Game Maestro Vol. 3, Kondo affirms that "the overworld theme in Mario might show some influence from the Japanese fusion band T-Square, too. The rhythms in their music were easy for Japanese listeners to follow."{{cite web |last=Sheridan |first=Connor |title=TikTok shows surprising inspiration for some of Super Mario Bros' most iconic music |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/tiktok-shows-surprising-inspiration-for-some-of-super-mario-bros-most-iconic-music/ |publisher=GamesRadar+ |access-date=1 August 2024 |language=en |date=2 July 2021}} The first theme he made for Super Mario Bros. was based on an early prototype of the game, which simply showed Mario running around a big empty area. Kondo described this early theme as a bit lazier, slower tempo, and more laid back. As the game underwent changes, he realized that his theme no longer fit, so he increased the pace and changed it around to fit better. In an interview, Kondo explained that compositional ideas come to him during everyday activities.{{cite web |title=Super Mario Bros. Composer Koji Kondo Pt. 2 |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3163588 |publisher=1UP.com |access-date=February 16, 2009 |date=October 19, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523092745/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3163588 |archive-date=May 23, 2011 }}

Kondo was given complete creative freedom over the soundtrack of Super Mario Bros., and would collaborate with Shigeru Miyamoto, the game's director, through their daily interactions. Miyamoto would share his records and music scores of the type of themes he liked with Kondo, but did not tell him exactly what he wanted. It was composed with a Latin rhythm.{{cite news |title=A New Game for Super Mario's maestro |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122481778316565825?mod=googlenews_wsj |publisher=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=February 13, 2009 |date=October 24, 2008 | first=Jamin | last=Brophy-Warren}} When the player has less than 100 units of time left to complete the stage, the music's tempo accelerates. At the Game Developers Conference in 2007, Kondo commented that the theme features rhythm, balance, and interactivity. He demonstrated this with a short clip of Super Mario Bros., showing the character's movements and players' button presses syncing with the beat of the music. He also added that the theme reflects the action-oriented gameplay of the series. Kondo stated that he was not sure if he could make any future music of his "catchier" than it.

The theme was reused in multiple other media, including the anime film Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! television series and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Japanese lyrics were originally submitted in 1985 by fans of the Japanese radio program Takao Komine All Night Nippon. The recorded version of the song with lyrics was released in 1986 under the name "Go Go Mario!!".{{cite web | url=http://kotaku.com/the-mario-bros-theme-has-lyrics-1745593728| title=The Mario Bros. Theme Has Lyrics| publisher=Kotaku| date=December 1, 2015}}{{cite web | url=http://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/12/01/you-can-now-sing-the-super-mario-bros-theme-at-karaoke-boxes-in-japan/| title=You can now sing the Super Mario Bros. theme at karaoke boxes in Japan| publisher=RocketNews24| date=December 1, 2015}} The song is interpreted by Princess Peach, voiced by {{ill|Hiroko Taniyama|ja|谷山浩子}}.{{Cite web|title=GOGOマリオ!!とは (ゴーゴーマリオとは) [単語記事]|url=https://dic.nicovideo.jp/id/5386650|website=ニコニコ大百科|date=11 December 2015 |language=ja|access-date=2020-05-16|quote="その歌が評判が良かったため、さらに谷山浩子がその歌詞を一部変更と間奏中にナレーションを追加して歌った。ただし、プリンセスピーチ名義で発売されているのと、本人のアルバムにも収録されていなかったりする。" "The song was so well received that Hiroko Taniyama made some changes to the lyrics and added narration during the interlude. However, since it was released under the name of Princess Peach, it may not have been recorded on his own album."}}{{Unreliable source?|sure=y|reason=Wiki is not a reliable source according to WP:SPS |date=May 2022}}{{Cite web|title=「マリオ」BGMがカラオケに！「GO GO マリオ!!」JOYSOUNDで配信決定、映像にも注目|url=https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2015/11/30/93508.html|website=インサイド|date=30 November 2015 |language=ja|access-date=2020-05-16|quote="ボーカルは谷山浩子氏が謎の歌手「プリンセス・ピーチ」名義で担当するという、驚きの展開を見せました。""Hiroko showed a surprise that she would be in charge of the mysterious singer Princess Peach."}}{{Cite web|title=7P-1002 {{!}} Super Mario Brothers GO GO Mario!! Princess Peach - VGMdb|url=https://vgmdb.net/album/11385|website=vgmdb.net|access-date=2020-05-16}}{{Unreliable source?|sure=y|reason=Wiki is not a reliable source according to WP:SPS |date=May 2022}} The song was also released on vinyl, called Mario No Daibouken (transl. "Mario's Big Adventure").{{cite web|title=Super Mario Brothers – Mario No Daibouken (Mario's Big Adventure)|url=https://www.discogs.com/Super-Mario-Brothers-Mario-No-Daibouken-Marios-Big-Adventure/release/5141485|website=Discogs.com|date=30 March 1986 }}{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.ie/gaming/Wait-the-Super-Mario-Bros-theme-song-had-lyrics/390874.htm|title=Wait, the Super Mario Bros. theme song had lyrics?|last=Entertainment.ie|website=entertainment.ie|date=28 February 2017 }}

For the 1989 animated television series The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, a different, unrelated set of lyrics were penned for the song's appearance as the show's credits theme. Titled "Do the Mario", the song features the title character (portrayed by professional wrestler Lou Albano) vaguely instructing and encouraging the viewer in performing the eponymous dance.{{cite web |last1=Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - WildBrain |title=Do the Mario! - Super Mario Bros. Super Show! Theme Song |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pml6LZQIdac |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/Pml6LZQIdac |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|website=YouTube |publisher=WildBrain |access-date=30 November 2020 |ref=WildBrain |date=4 December 2019}}{{cbignore}}

The song was first performed live on All Night Nippon in 1986.{{cite news|title=「スーパーマリオ」意外に知らない"名前の秘密"｜ニフティニュース|url=https://news.nifty.com/article/entame/showbizd/12205-27601/|access-date=June 15, 2017|work=Nifty Corporation|date=May 8, 2017|language=ja-JP|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730113921/https://news.nifty.com/article/entame/showbizd/12205-27601/|archive-date=July 30, 2017|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|last1=Kohler|first1=Chris|title=I Can't Stop Listening To The Mario Odyssey Theme Song|url=http://kotaku.com/i-cant-stop-listening-to-the-mario-odyssey-theme-song-1796106371|access-date=June 15, 2017|work=Kotaku|date=June 14, 2017}} The theme has been featured in many concerts, including "PLAY! Chicago",{{cite web |title=Super Mario Bros. and Zelda composer Koji Kondo to attend PLAY! Chicago |url=http://www.music4games.net/News_Display.aspx?id=184 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225004700/http://www.music4games.net/News_Display.aspx?id=184 |publisher=Music 4 Games |archive-date=February 25, 2009 |date=April 14, 2006}} the Columbus Symphony,{{cite web |title=Symphony piles up points with video-game concert |url=http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/life/stories/2007/04/26/gamer_concert.html |publisher=The Columbus Dispatch |access-date=February 13, 2009 |date=April 27, 2007 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }} the Mario & Zelda Big Band Live,{{citation needed|date=April 2018}} Play! A Video Game Symphony,{{cite web |title=I hear a video game symphony |url=http://www.popjournalism.ca/pop/news/2006/00266playconcert.shtml |publisher=Pop Journalism |access-date=February 13, 2009 |date=September 27, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404161104/http://www.popj.ca/ |archive-date=April 4, 2012 }} and others. The Video Games Live concert featured the theme performed by Kondo.{{cite web |title=Super Mario Bros. Composer Koji Kondo Interview |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3163588 |publisher=1UP.com |access-date=February 16, 2009 |date=October 19, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523101607/http://www.1up.com/features/mario-maestro |archive-date=May 23, 2011 }} The song has been performed twice with The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, once in 2016 as a guitar performance with Mario series creator Shigeru Miyamoto, and once in 2023 as an acapella cover along with other themes from the game with the cast of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri.{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Nicole |date=2023-03-10 |title=The Super Mario Bros. Movie cast sang the theme song together, somehow |url=https://www.polygon.com/23634118/super-mario-bros-movie-jimmy-fallon-tonight-show-sing |access-date=2023-04-18 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}{{cite web|last1=Ricker|first1=Thomas|title=Watch Miyamoto play the Super Mario Bros theme song with The Roots|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/12/8/13881126/miyamoto-the-roots-super-mario-theme|website=The Verge|date=8 December 2016 |access-date=December 10, 2016}}

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For decades, Nintendo had not published official sheet music for Kondo's compositions. In 2011, Alfred Music published three officially licensed music folios of the music from Super Mario Bros. for piano and guitar. These were followed in 2013 by three more folios for New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and a folio of jazz styled arrangements of Super Mario Bros. themes.

In an article about Kondo, Wired.com editor Chris Kohler described the theme as one of the most famous in the world, and that "it gets into your head quickly and won't leave".{{cite web |title=Behind the Mario Maestro's Music |url=https://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/03/72971 |publisher=Wired |access-date=February 12, 2009 |date=March 15, 2007}} Jeremy Parish of 1UP.com called it one of the most memorable tracks in video game history.{{cite web |title=GDC 2007: Mario Maestro Shares His Secrets |url=http://www.1up.com/news/gdc-2007-mario-maestro-shares |publisher=1UP.com |access-date=February 16, 2009 |date=March 7, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710232628/http://www.1up.com/news/gdc-2007-mario-maestro-shares |archive-date=July 10, 2012 }} Netjak editor Rick Healey commented that though MTV tried to make the quintessential song of the '80s, Nintendo beat them to the punch with the Super Mario Bros. theme.{{cite web |title=Gaming's Greatest Hits |url=http://www.netjak.com/review.php/682 |publisher=Netjak |access-date=February 13, 2009 |date=August 19, 2004}} Editors Jeff Dickerson and Luke Smith of The Michigan Daily newspaper commented that if you were to ask a random student to hum the theme, they would likely know every note.{{cite web |title=Underworld theme, Aeris'' theme video games are more than scores |url=http://www.michigandaily.com/print/32179 |publisher=The Michigan Daily |access-date=February 13, 2009 |date=November 15, 2001 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224065530/http://www.michigandaily.com/print/32179 |archive-date=February 24, 2009 }} Sam Kennedy, also an editor for 1UP.com, stated that anyone who lived through the '80s can hum the theme, and that most people remember it to this day.

Video game music composer Tommy Tallarico cited Kondo as his inspiration for why he got into music, commenting that when he first heard this theme, it was the first time he thought music in video games really existed. Mario voice actor Charles Martinet commented that "The first time I ever played a Mario game, I started at about 4 in the evening and played until daylight. I laid down on the bed, closed my eyes, and I could hear that music – ba dum bum ba dum DUM!" Former Final Fantasy series composer Nobuo Uematsu called Kondo one of the best video game composers in the industry, commenting that he was sure everyone in the world who has come across the Super Mario Bros. theme, regardless of borderlines or age, will never forget it, while also adding that it should become the new national anthem of Japan.{{cite web |title=A Day in the Life of Nobuo Uematsu |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=7&cId=3166165 |publisher=1UP.com |access-date=February 15, 2009 |date=February 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523092242/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=7&cId=3166165 |archive-date=May 23, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} In an interview with Kondo, 1UP.com editor Sam Kennedy stated that Paul and Linda McCartney visited Kondo in Japan and enjoyed the theme.

The ringtone version of the theme has proven very popular in the United States, having been on the top ten most downloaded ringtones for 112 straight weeks as of November 2004.{{cite web |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/mario-ringtone-marks-over-two-years-on-charts-who-knew/ |title=Mario ringtone marks over two years on charts. Who knew? |date=December 7, 2006 |work=Joystiq |access-date=May 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128031655/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/mario-ringtone-marks-over-two-years-on-charts-who-knew/ |archive-date=January 28, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} Approximately 747,900 copies were sold in the United States in 2006{{cite web |title=Top selling ring tones in the US for 2006 |url=http://moconews.net/article/top-selling-ringtones-in-us-for-2006/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008100415/http://moconews.net/article/top-selling-ringtones-in-us-for-2006/ |publisher=Moco News |archive-date=October 8, 2011 |access-date=May 22, 2014 |date=January 4, 2007}} and the ringtone was awarded Gold certification in 2010.{{cite certification|region=United States|title=Super Mario Brothers Video Game Theme|artist=Theme Tonez|type=ringtone|access-date=September 6, 2021}}

In 2023, the Super Mario Bros. theme was selected by the U.S. Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2023 based on its "cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation's recorded sound heritage."{{cite web |title=2023 National Recording Registry selections |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/recording-registry/registry-by-induction-years/2023/ |website=Library of Congress |access-date=12 April 2023}}{{cite web |title=National Recording Registry Inducts Music from Madonna, Mariah Carey, Queen Latifah, Daddy Yankee |url=https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/national-recording-registry-inducts-music-from-madonna--mariah-carey--queen-latifah--daddy-yankee/s/5a91b115-3825-4a5f-a702-35940b4de958 |website=Library of Congress |access-date=12 April 2023 |language=en}} The theme was the first recording from a video game ever selected for preservation in the registry.

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{{Super Mario}}

{{Mario series}}

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Category:1985 compositions

Category:1985 songs

Category:Compositions in C major

Category:Mario (franchise) music

Category:United States National Recording Registry recordings

Category:Video game theme songs