NOTE: I am not an expert in the popular music that conductors Stalling and Franklyn quoted continuously in their cartoon scores. However, here is a good starting place to find this music:
I Love to Singa (1936, Avery)
"Owl" Jolson goes to audition for Jack "Bunny"'s amateur hour at station G-O-N-G. His classically-trained parents and siblings lament his love of jazz, but accept him in the end.
Notes to You (1941, Freleng)
An alley cat keeps Porky awake, singing all night long. One of the MANY uses of Figaro's aria "Largo al factotum" (Figaro, Figaro, Figaro...) from The Barber of Seville, which is also used by Freleng in "Rhapsody Rabbit" and Jones in "Long-Haired Hare" and "One Froggy Evening". Several popular songs and folk melodies are sung throughout, and when the kitty is finally taken care of, all his nine lives sing the Sextet from Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor.
Rhapsody in Rivets (1941, Freleng)
Using Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody, a construction crew builds a skyscraper. Freleng often used a classical/musical background to orchestrate an action piece, seen below in several cartoons.
A Corny Concerto (1943, Clampett)
This cartoon came out immediately after Disney's Fantasia, as a parody. The cartoon features animated versions of two Strauss waltzes: "Tales from the Vienna Woods" and "The Blue Danube." Takes place at "Corny-gie" Hall. The title theme music comes from a Tchaikovsky piano concerto. Features a very cute bit with Elmer as Leopold Stokowski and Deems Taylor (Disney's conductor and narrator), except he has some trouble with his tux!
Pigs in a Polka (1943, Freleng)
The Three Little Pigs story given an orchestral soundtrack. This is a flagrant parody of the Disney version. Like "Mouse Mazurka" later in this list, the cartoon utilizes Brahms' Hungarian Dances heavily.
Yankee Doodle Daffy (1943, Freleng)
Porky gets a constant barrage of singing from Daffy, who is the talent agent for a young duck, Sleepy Lagoo. Daffy never gives up trying to sell his client - and when Porky finally gives in, the kid has a huge baritone voice, and chokes on the high note.
Rhapsody Rabbit (1946, Freleng)
Bugs, in full concert regalia, gives a performance of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody (this piece is again used by Freleng). A funny moment: the telephone rings, and Bugs answers: "Franz Liszt? Never heard of him."
Back Alley Oproar (1948, Freleng)
This is a remake of 1941's "Notes to You," replacing Porky and the alley cat for Elmer and Sylvester. Music repeated: "Largo al factotum," and Donzetti's Sextet. Music new to this remake: Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody (what, again?), Brahms' Lullaby, Spike Jones' "Angel in Disguise" and several different popular songs.
Long-Haired Hare (1949, Jones)
Bugs vs. the opera singer, Giovanni Jones. I LOVE this one, mostly because I sing classically. The songs performed are actual classical pieces, and Bugs imitates Leopold Stokowski (with better success than Elmer, I must say). I find myself often singing the tunes Bugs annoys the singer with at the beginning of the cartoon.
Mouse Mazurka (1949, Freleng)
Several Slavic melodies, mostly taken from Brahms' Hungarian Dances, are interspersed through this essentially silent cat-and-mouse chase. Strauss' Pizzicato Polka also appears. Sylvester follows this mouse even to the afterlife to catch him!
Rabbit of Seville (1950, Jones)
The entire overture to Rossini's Barber of Seville is used as a background for Bugs and Elmer's chase. Another favorite. I get tickled every time when Stalling throws in Mendelssohn's wedding march near the end, seamlessly. And the "Marriage of Figaro" (a Mozart opera) gag is priceless.
One Froggy Evening (1955, Jones)
Who can forget this one-time performance of Michigan J. Frog? A fable about the never-ending greed of humanity. Contains several performances of vaudeville, show tunes and traditional songs - and one original, "The Michigan Rag."
Pizzicato Pussycat (1955, Freleng)
A twisted cat and mouse tale. The mouse plays the piano, but the cat takes the credit.
Show Biz Bugs (1957, Freleng)
Hasn't everyone seen this one? The Bugs/Daffy rivalry at its finest. "Those Endearing Young Charms" (used in several cartoons) will never be forgotten.
The Three Little Bops (1957, Freleng)
The story of the Three Little Pigs, entirely sung (with incidental rhyming dialogue) and"modernized" in a 50s hybrid jazz/rock 'n' roll style. Shorty Rogers on music, and sung by Stan Freberg. References to Liberace: "I wish my brother George was here." (Used in several cartoons), and a section with the wolf dancing the Charleston with a ukelele and raccoon coat.
What's Opera Doc? (1957, Jones)
One of my favorites: combines music from several Wagner operas (The Flying Dutchman, Tannhäuser, Die Walküre, etc.) with new lyrics. The backgrounds are gorgeous. Every time I hear a new Wagner opera, I hear a new piece from this cartoon. An interesting side note: Jones borrows the idea for "Return My Love" from an earlier Friz Freleng cartoon: "Herr Meets Hare" (1944).
NEW! An analysis of the cartoon, detailing each quote of a Wagner opera, and where it happens in the cartoon.
Baton Bunny (1959, Jones)
Bugs Bunny directing a large orchestra in "Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna" by Franz von Suppe. He pulls out ALL the stops to get his musical direction across, and destroys the orchestra in the quest to kill a fly near the end. Despite all his hard work, the audience is gone, and the fly is his only fan (still alive, of course.)
High Note (1960, Jones)
I think this is one of the greatly overlooked cartoons. Very clever animation, involving a missing half-note from "The Blue Danube." They find him in "The Little Brown Jug." The use of musical symbols as other things: (quarter rest=Scotty dog, 16th notes=horses, slurs=lassoes, etc.) - great!
Nelly's Folly (1961, Jones)
The giraffe who becomes a singing star and her fall from the spotlight. Quite beautiful animation.
The complete lyrics to many of these cartoons, including many not discussed here, can be found at:Tuco's Looney Lyrics Page
The Anvil Chorus (1990)
Poor Plucky tries to escape falling anvils, in time to "The Anvil Chorus."
Buster and the Wolverine (1990)
Elmyra, at the concert hall, introduces us to this alleged parody of "Peter and the Wolf", with each of our leads represented by a (usually inappropriate) instrument. Babs gets a harp, Furrball gets a violin, Plucky is insulted with a bike horn, etc. They all run in great fear of a big, nasty wolverine who captures them and eats them all up, but Buster saves everyone in the end.
C Flat or B Sharp? (1990)
Buster, Plucky and Hamton are charged by Yosemite Sam to get a piano down from the bell tower to the tune of the WB favorite - what else? - Hungarian Rhapsody #2 by Liszt. Although, with what they put that piano through, it's a miracle it isn't destroyed before the final chords. Side note: The tipsy half-note from Jones' "High Note" appears on the title card.
Tiny Toon Music Television (full episode - 1991)
Buster and Babs host this "music video" show. Contains:
"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" by They Might Be Giants, from the album "Flood" - one of my favorite groups. Very well done - Plucky is an Istanbul P.I., after a stolen statue. He becomes the statue after it breaks!
"Particle Man" also from They Might Be Giants' "Flood" - Plucky, again, is depicted as a pro-wrestler, who deals with Triangle Man, Universe Man and becomes Person Man.
"Respect" by Aretha Franklin -- Babs annoys people all over town, dancing and singing in her walkman. Finally, she is taught a little respect, herself.
"Money (That's What I Want)" by Barrett Strong - stars Montana Max and his love-affair with money.
"Top Secret Apprentice" - parody of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Dukas, as treated by Disney's "Fantasia." Buster is messing with the computer animation equipment. At one point, he even runs from dinosaurs, as in the "The Rite of Spring" segment of Fantasia.
That's Art Folks! (1991)
-- Babs goes on a surreal trip through the world of art. Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" is used frequently, especially the "Promenade."
Ducklahoma (1992)
Plucky gets the anvils once again in a parody of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Oklahoma."
Toon TV (full episode - 1992)
As in "Tiny Toon Music Television," Buster and Babs countdown seven music videos:
"It's in his Kiss" by Betty Everett
"Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy / Russian Dance (Video Game Blues)" - a cute use of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite to describe video game addiction.
"Nothing Compares to Yul" - a parody of Sinead O' Connor's "Nothing Compares to You"
"The Name Game" (traditional) - Elmyra sings this while helping to destroy enemy space robots with the other Tiny Toons. Everybody's name but Plucky's is treated. You figure it out. =-)
"Toon Rap" (original) -- rapped by "Vanilla Lice."
"Do You Love Me?" by The Contours
"Yakkity Yak" by The Coasters
Music Day (full episode - 1992)
"Ruffled Ruffee" -- Buster's guitar jams raise the ire of kiddie star Ruffee, who's playing a let's-be-happy-and-obedient themed concert nearby. He's taught to party... Buster style.
"The Horn Blows at Lunchtime" -- Sneezer rehearses his trumpet playing in the basement while munching down on some limburger. The sound and smell drift up through the vents to the lunchroom...
"Loon Lake" -- Shirley's performance in the ballet "Loon Lake" is endangered when her snotty fellow dancers try to trip her up. Fortunately, Babs is there to set them straight.
***Special thanks to the TTA Episode Guide for making this so easy!
NOTE: Animaniacs is filled with song segments throughout the episodes. These are excluded unless I wanted to add a reference. Generally, the shorts listed are specifically related to classical, Broadway or popular music. #=episode number.
To get the complete lyrics for all Animaniacs songs (including those listed below), see The Animaniacs Mega Lyrics File
H.M.S. Yakko (#3, 1993)
Two of Gilbert and Sullivan's operettas are treated here: Pirates of Penzance and H.M.S. Pinafore. Because these works are in the public domain, the music is unchanged. A highlight: "I am the very model of a cartoon individual" - tribute to "Modern Major General."
Piano Rag (#7, 1993)
The Warners pester a pompous piano virtuoso, Tympannini. Schubert's Unfinished Symphony is frequently used. Filled with musical in-jokes.
Les Miseranimals (#11, 1993)
A Rita and Runt version of Les Miserables. In all the Broadway tributes, Richard Stone very cleverly shifts the melodies so that they are recognizable, yet not into copyright infringement. My favorite Rita/Runt cartoon - all of them use music because of Bernadette Peters (a famous Broadway actress), but I don't feel they are all as effective as this cartoon. There is even a reference to Sweeney Todd, a Sondheim musical.
West Side Pigeons (#12, 1993)
Because West Side Story is my favorite musical, I am especially partial to this one. The Goodfeathers and Sparrows fight over Martin Scorsese's statue, and Squit falls in love. "I Feel Feathery" is a great send-up of "I Feel Pretty."
Hello, Nice Warners (#13, 1993)
As an audition for Mr. Director (a Jerry Lewis clone), the Warners sing "Three Little Maids" from Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado."
La Behemoth (#13, 1993)
The title is a play on Puccini's La Bohème, but other than being melodramatic and sung, the cartoon bears little resemblance. The Hip Hippos try to live without their maid.
Little Old Slappy from Pasadena (#13, 1993)
A music video-style short of "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena."
The Great Wakkorotti: The Master and His Music (#16, 1993)
If you can stand having your sensibilities offended, the Wakkorotti (obviously a Warner Pavarotti) shorts are a hoot. They make fun of the ultra-formal etiquette of a concert recital. This one uses "The Blue Danube" by Strauss with Wakko burping in time with the music. As he bows, he says "Excuse me" instead of "Thank you."
Roll Over, Beethoven (#17, 1993)
The title refers to the 50s Chuck Berry song, but deals with Beethoven's search for a theme to his Fifth Symphony, aided and abetted by the Warners. A mistake: the date is given as 1811, but the fifth symphony was composed in 1808. Beethoven pieces used: Für Elise, Moonlight Sonata (3rd movement), 5th Symphony (1st and 3rd movements) and 9th symphony (4th movement).
The Cat and the Fiddle (#17, 1993)
Rita tries to escape being made into violin strings by Stradivarius (the famous instrument maker) Reminiscent of Granny's threat to Sylvester in "Tweet and Sour" (1956, Freleng).
O Silly Mio (#31, 1993)
An opera singer breaks the Warners' window, and they get revenge at the performance. There are pieces of several arias, choruses and the "fate" motive from Bizet's Carmen, performed in French, as well as Yakko's version of "The Toreador Song."
The Great Wakkorotti: The Summer Concert (#31, 1993)
Wakko "performs" "The Dance of the Hours" by Ponchielli.
Bubba Bo Bob Brain (#34, 1993)
In Brain's plot to take over the world, he decides to plant a subliminal message in his country song. Several parodies of famous country songs throughout. The list of requirements to becoming a country star Brain compiles is a scream.
Spell-Bound (#38, 1993)
Although the cartoon is not specifically about music, Pinky sings unfinished rhymes to the medieval folk-song "Greensleeves" while playing the lute.
The Great Wakkorotti: The Holiday Concert (#50, 1993)
Wakko performs "Jingle Bells."
Woodstock Slappy (#59, 1994)
Even though I'm a bit young to remember Woodstock, this tribute is my favorite Slappy cartoon. The parodies of the songs, bands and fans are first-rate. And I LOVED the "Who's on Stage" gag.
Karaoke-Dokie (#60, 1994)
Combines a Star Trek send-up with the recent popularity of Karaoke.
Pigeon on the Roof (#67, 1994)
A salute to Fiddler on the Roof. I especially liked "If I Were Godpigeon" (based on "If I Were a Rich Man").
Coo (#67, 1994)
From the musical West Side Story's song "Cool". May have been cut from the "West Side Pigeons" cartoon.
Nutcracker Slappy (#70, 1995)
Slappy attempts to open a walnut, using almost the entire Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite as a background.
Three Tenors and You're Out (#71, 1995)
Slappy and Skippy try to go to a Dodgers Game and find the Three Tenors are performing. Slappy turns it into a ball game. The Three Tenors (Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo) performed in Dodger Stadium to sold-out crowds. The tenors even perform their standards in this cartoon, like "O Sole Mio" and I Pagliacci in clown suits. The end of the episode has the three performing the theme song to Animaniacs. The variable lyric is "Spaghetti Stain-y."
A Hard Day's Warners (#73, 1995)
The beginning of the short is a parody of the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night."
The Sound of Warners (#78, 1995)
The Warners parody The Sound of Music.
Dot's Entertainment (#80, 1996)
Basically a spoof of Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals. The title refers to MGM's "That's Entertainment." The musical "Webby" is performing is "The Cats of Phantom Boulevard." The Warners do bits from Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Sunset Boulevard, Evita, and a "Do-Re-Mi" send-up from The Sound of Music.
Wakko's 2-Note Song (#82, 1996)
Wakko convinces Dr. Scratchansniff that he is writing a legitimate song with only two notes (sol and mi to be technical).
Return of the Great Wakkorotti (#H5, 1996)
Wakko is plagued with laryngitis, that bane of all singers (even though belching doesn't really involve the vocal cords). He instead uses his hands to burp out Tchaikovsky's "Chinese Dance" from the Nutcracker Suite.
Macadamia Nut (#92, 1997)
Almost the entire Animaniacs cast participates in a parody of the Bayside Boys' "Macarena."
The Brain's Apprentice (#94, 1997)
This is a re-creation of Disney's version of Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" from Fantasia, of course. Pinky is unable to stop a machine from making little robots, which almost succeed at world domination, before Brain steps in and shuts off the machine.
Cheese Roll Call (#P4, 1995)
Pinky sings an ode to cheeses to the tune of Sousa's "Semper Fidelis."
Mouse of La Mancha (#12, 1996)
A parody of the musical Man of La Mancha
It's Only a Paper World (#14, 1996)
As Pinky and the Brain are constructing "Chia Earth," Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 (From the New World) is used in many ways. The music comes from mostly the first and second movements.
A Meticulous Analysis of History (#31, 1997)
The Brain tries to show Pinky how studying great leaders' mistakes can help in their plans to take over the world, all sung to the tune of "When I was a lad" from Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore.
All You Need is Narf (#34, 1997)
A cutting look at the Beatles' search for spirituality in the late 1960s. Contains a mean-spirited take on Yoko Ono, which is nonetheless very funny.
Brain Acres (#35, 1997)
While taking their mutated vegetables to the county fair, Pinky and the Brain sing a tribute to Rodgers and Hammerstein's State Fair.
Pinky and the Brainmaker (#39, 1997)
Brain tries to create a Celtic dance troupe from clones of himself.
Brain's Way (#41, 1997)
Frank Sinatra and the entire Rat Pack (especially their Las Vegas careers) get treated as Brain becomes "Brainatra" - the "Chairman."
Broadway Malady (#44, 1998)
Brain fails at producing his show, Angst: The Musical, while Pinky becomes a star in Mice (which oddly resembles Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats). =-)
My Fair Brainy! (+Elmyra, 1998)
This cartoon is a short spoof of My Fair Lady. Brain becomes a Henry Higgins type, in an effort to teach Elmyra enough about the solar system to win her a spot on the space shuttle. There are parodies of "The Rain in Spain," "Why Can't A Woman Be More Like a Man?" and others.
Dexter's Date (1996)
This cartoon contains a tasteful tribute to "Hello, Dolly" - the song "Bonjour, Lobey" - complete with a Louis Armstrong impersonation.
The Island of Dr. Mystico (1997)
As the characters are trying to escape the evil Dr. Mystico, they suddenly break into a chorus from Gilbert and Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore."
Normadeus (1997)
Not only is the title card and title a spoof, but the entire first part of the episode PERFECTLY parodies the opening scene of Milos Forman's Amadeus (1984).
Throughout the scene where The Lobe is being dragged to the asylum, Mozart's Symphony No. 25, 1st Movement is played, in the exact same spot as the movie.
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