History Main / HappyCircusMusic

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' introduces the Gold Saucer amusement park with a bombastic upbeat music paired with visuals meant to elicit a sense of wonder in the guests.

* Juventino Rosas' [[https://youtu.be/N2YvhEv7ykM "Sobre las Olas"]] ("Over the Waves") is a cheerful waltz that is often covered by calliopes and circus orchestras. It has also been made into the English song [[https://youtu.be/0VeiwX5wVtw "The Loveliest Night of the Year"]].

* Creator/KevinMacLeod has written a few songs in this style:

But then, eventually the MonsterClown and CircusOfFear became popular, and that led to CreepyCircusMusic -- circus music distorted, played in a minor key, or otherwise altered from traditional circus music to make it scary.

* ''Film/ChittyChittyBangBang'': "Me Ol' Bam-Boo" easily qualifies, given it's sung by a group of carnival dancers with a fittingly bombastic and energetic circus-y score.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'': The level [[https://youtu.be/DekKId4f-Yk Switch Scramble Circus]] has a very fun, bouncy orchestral theme.

** Downplayed with [[https://youtu.be/X2DbinjpaYM "Circus Waltz"]]. While the tune is quite circus-like, it's simply played on piano, and [=MacLeod=] describes it as a "general-purpose upbeat piece."

[[caption-width-right:350:[[Recap/SpongebobSquarepantsS2E15TheSecretBoxBandGeeks So if we play loud, people might think we're good! Everybody ready? And a one, and a two, and a one two three four-]]]]

* Music/MarcAndreHamelin's [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus_Galop "Circus Galop"]] is an incredibly fast and energetic circus theme written for player piano [[spoiler:however, it is evident that things get out of hand soon, veers into ''CreepyCircusMusic" and all ends in a fatal accident]].

* Music/MarcAndreHamelin's [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus_Galop "Circus Galop"]] is an incredibly fast and energetic circus theme written for player piano.

* Music/Russya has "Зачароване Коло" which definitely evokes this sound.

But then, eventually the MonsterClown and CircusOfFear became popular, and that led to CreepyCircusMusic - circus music distorted, played in a minor key, or otherwise altered from traditional circus music to make it scary.

** PlayedForLaughs with "A Fair is a Veritable Smorgasbord." The music itself has an elegant carnival waltz tune, but the lyrics are very ''in''elegant. In the song, the Goose convinces Templeton the rat to go to the fair so he can chow down on all the food left behind when the fair closes. "Where a rat can glut, glut, glut," is not how most people would happily describe a carnival.

* Of course, no list of happy circus music is complete without the original and best-known - Julius Fucik's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B0CyOAO8y0 "Entry of the Gladiators".]] Yes, ''that's'' the song's name. Interestingly, it seems that the use of this piece to represent clowns was originally meant in itself as a joke, but the loss of context means that Entry of the Gladiators is now considered the StandardSnippet for circus music, having lost its original meaning. Nowadays one can only wonder why Mr. Fucik thought that such an upbeat and whimsical song should take its name from a caste of badass warriors trained to bloodily maim each other.
--->'''Youtube Comment:''' [[Memes/AceAttorney You are not a gladiator. You are the entire Colosseum.]]

* Juventino Rosas' "[[https://youtu.be/N2YvhEv7ykM Sobre las Olas]]" (''Over the Waves'') is a cheerful waltz that is often covered by calliopes and circus orchestras. It has also been made into the English song "[[https://youtu.be/0VeiwX5wVtw The Loveliest Night of the Year]]".
* Music/MarcAndreHamelin's "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus_Galop Circus Galop]]" is an incredibly fast and energetic circus theme written for player piano.
* Music/MarcJungermann's "[[https://youtu.be/o-hqxa5irTA The Carousel]]", described as "Happy Carnival/Funfair Music" is a simple calliope waltz tune, with ambient carnival sounds as well.

** "[[https://youtu.be/JMy_ldVJddM Circus Tent]]" is an energetic, bouncy circus theme on brass.
** "[[https://youtu.be/Xq6HOoXDkvQ Super Circus]]" is a lighthearted circus march.
** Downplayed with "[[https://youtu.be/X2DbinjpaYM Circus Waltz]]". While the tune is quite circus-like, it's simply played on piano, and [=MacLeod=] describes it as a "general-purpose upbeat piece."

* ''VideoGame/BioShock'' has the "Circus Of Values" vending machines, which greet users with a cheery little ditty. The music itself is cheerful; the effect on the player (particularly by the time you've heard it twenty times already) is very much not.

** The music for the circus level "[[https://youtu.be/rBU8wRCnaUM Funfair Fever]]" is a light ragtime-esque tune on piano and flute.
** "[[https://youtu.be/OzDqXvI6uSI Coin-Op Bop]]" was written for a minigame in the amusement park area. It sounds like it was played on a fairground organ, and it starts out quite upbeat. However, as the song goes on, it does get faster and eventually switches to a minor key, turning it into CreepyCircusMusic.

** ''VideoGame/KlonoaDoorToPhantomile'': "[[https://youtu.be/FHgf_hfJdIQ Inquisitive Waltz]]" is an unusual example. The music itself fits the "happy circus" mood perfectly, as a cheerful waltz on a fairground organ. However, rather than being used in any circus setting, it's only used in the "name your profile" menu when you start a new game. The beginning of the game is quite cute, so this music fits the beginning, but the game gets quite dark as it goes on, so it's less fitting for that.

*** The game's main theme, "[[https://youtu.be/u-1YWxsx_fQ Welcome to Lunatea]]," starts out with a bright, sparkly melody before transitioning to a waltz tune on a fairground organ. Like the Inquisitive Waltz from ''Door to Phantomile'', it is not explicitly used in a circus context, but it captures the feel of circus music perfectly and gets players excited for the adventure ahead.

* ''VideoGame/{{Toonstruck}}'': "Fun Fair," a happy calliope waltz by Dick Stephen Walter, plays during the puzzle to get into Spike the clown's room. It's a SimonSaysMinigame where you click different parts of a giant clown face.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThreeTwoOnePenguins'': Played straight and then subverted in "[[Recap/ThreeTwoOnePenguinsEpisode3TheAmazingCarnivalOfComplaining The Amazing Carnival of Complaining]]". Uncle Blobb [[https://youtu.be/Y1Z5EeYDKMw sings an upbeat song about his carnival]] (accompanied by him playing a calliope). However, Blobb soon switches to singing about why his visitors ''shouldn't'' like his carnival or any of the rides, since [[FailureGambit he secretly has an evil plan depending on this]]. The tune stays mostly the same, though.

* ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'': In "[[Recap/RockosModernLifeS3E10WackyDelly Wacky Delly]]," the in-universe ''Wacky Delly'' cartoon has upbeat fairground organ music playing in the background. While the cartoon has nothing to do with a circus, the music still sets a comical mood for the surreal cartoon.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In "Homie The Clown", Homer sees an ad for Krusty's Clown College, and despite his insistence "That advertisement had no effect on me, whatsoever.", [[https://youtu.be/tSKEl6a-b_c he starts seeing clown imagery everywhere, accompanied by a cheerful circus tune]].

** ''Door to Phantomile'': "[[https://youtu.be/FHgf_hfJdIQ Inquisitive Waltz]]" is an unusual example. The music itself fits the "happy circus" mood perfectly, as a cheerful waltz on a fairground organ. However, rather than being used in any circus setting, it's only used in the "name your profile" menu when you start a new game. The beginning of the game is quite cute, so this music fits the beginning, but the game gets quite dark as it goes on, so it's less fitting for that.
** ''Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil'': Joilant Fun Park has its own [[https://youtu.be/R16G-jDTM04 cheerful brass band music]].