History Main / SuddenSoundtrackStop

* ''WebOriginal/CatGhost'': In "Judgement", the looping music stops at several moments, emphasizing the character's responses to questions, either due to noteworthy responses, or just to add some blunt comedy. Lines spoken during these moments include:

* ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'': While the music flows near constantly, during the sidequest "Star of the Stage" in H'aanit's version, she will summon Linde on stage. The accompiment will come to a dead stop as the audience realizes she summoned an actual monster before the audience panics and flees.

* In ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonRescueTeam'', the music stops after Gengar reveals to everyone that the protagonist is the human they must eliminate to prevent the curse from destroying them.

* Virtually every work from Creator/WhamCity features this trope, with it usually being invoked to make the scene move into SurpriseCreepy.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* ''Anime/OsomatsuSan'': PlayedForLaughs in "Tell Us, Hatabou!", in which Hatabou once again gets filthy rich thanks to his delicious meat dishes, and everyone goes wild over his food. But when the Matsunos try to ask him [[MysteryMeat what kind of meat he' using]], Hatabou ''freezes'' and goes silent, coupled with the music halting to a dead stop to emphasize the [[TheSecretOfLongPorkPies alarming implications]] of Hatabou's refusal to give a clear answer.

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': When [[spoiler:Madoka is about to make a contract with Kyubey]], the song "Sis Puella Magi", which often accentuates important plot points, is playing quite loudly. It seems like a climatic moment, and then... The music instantly halts as [[spoiler:time is briefly frozen,]] and the next shot is of [[spoiler:Kyubey full of bullet holes.]]
* During the climax of the final episode of ''Anime/KillLaKill,'' when [[spoiler: Ryuko and Senketsu are falling back down to Earth, he begins to [[ReEntryScare burn up on reentry.]] He bids farewell to Ryuko, content that he's served his purpose and assures her that she can wear whatever clothes she wants now; she's halfway through saying goodbye when she suddenly gasps and all the sound cuts out completely as he's finally reduced to ash.]]

* An upbeat soundtrack starts in Episode 10 of ''Manga/AsteroidInLove'' when Mira found that she has been selected for the summer camp. After a minute or so of congratulation by the Newspaper Club, the soundtrack suddenly stops when Ao announces that she doesn't make it.
* Episode 15 of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist: Brotherhood'' features a scene where [[AxCrazy Barry the Chopper]] tries to stalk [[ActionGirl Riza Hawkeye]]. He emerges from a dark alleyway late at night with RedEyesTakeWarning, accompanied by the ominous music "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHTPYImpw70 Mortal Sin]]". It's set up as [[NightmareFuel/FullmetalAlchemist Nightmare Fuel]], but quickly turns [[Funny/FullmetalAlchemist Funny]] when Riza fires several gunshots at him (he's a soul bound to a suit of armour, making it {{Slapstick}}), whereby the aforementioned music abruptly stops.
* This happens in Episode 7 of ''Manga/JujutsuKaisen'', when, right as Jogo's [[LethalLavaLand Domain Expansion technique]] is about to hit Gojo and Itadori, Gojo activates his own Domain Expansion, stopping the music as the lava freezes in place, before the place turns into a WhiteVoidRoom.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}'': Except for a few stings for punctuation, most of Lady Tremaine's introduction (where she gives Cinderella a list of chores for the day) is almost completely silent, emphasizing that [[KnightOfCerebus she's not a villain to be taken lightly]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'':

* ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'': ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing The Return of the King]]'' uses this in the Battle of Minas Tirith. As the Rohirrim charge towards the [[WarElephants oliphaunt]]-riders of Harad, there is heroic music, which then stops abruptly the moment the horsemen are swept away or trampled by the gigantic war beasts.

* ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'': Just as Peter is marching up to Liz's house to pick her up for the prom, the background music is cheery and happy to reflect Peter's mood at the moment... and then [[spoiler: it abruptly stops when the door opens to reveal the Vulture, who is Liz's father]].
* ''Film/ThorRagnarok'': Played for comedic effect.
** Ominous music is playing while Surtur talks about his destiny being to destroy Asgard, but stops when Thor interrupts him because the chain he's hanging on is making him turn around.
** When Thor tries to make a dramatic exit in front of Valkyrie by smashing a window in Hulk's room with a giant ball, the ''Ragnarok'' theme starts to play but abruptly stops when the ball [[FailedDramaticExit instead bounces back and smashes into Thor's head]].

* In ''VideoGame/HauntingGround'', as long as the background music plays Fiona is relatively safe. If it suddenly stops and there is no sound but [[EvilDetectingDog Hewie softly growling]], it means one of her stalkers is nearby, probably behind that door she was just about to open...

* ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'': In the opening cutscene the intro theme plays throughout Samus handing the baby Metroid over on Space Station Ceres, then when she leaves the station said theme stops dead when she picks up a distress signal and has to fly back.

* ''VideoGame/OneStepFromEden'': When a boss is defeated and the choice to kill them or spare them is possible, the soundtrack stops to emphasize the pivotal choice at hand.

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* In ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'', when you present the right contradiction to a statement, the background music briefly goes silent to enhance the drama of the moment as the protagonist explains the objection, after which a triumphant tune plays. This functions as a MusicalSpoiler, as a player who is [[TryEverything trying everything]] only needs to wait to see if the music goes quiet to know if they've found the right answer. However, in one occasion that was subverted - after the correct contradiction is found, the music continues to play for a few lines until Phoenix confirms he's definitely sure of himself, a trap for players who weren't so confident.
* ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'': For much of the game, background music plays to set the tone. However, there are a few moments of sudden silence, often occurring alongside important dialogue and before a shift in both music and mood. The most notable examples would be:
** The entirety of the Festival Day, where after MC and Sayori have a major talk about [[spoiler:her depression and their feelings for each other]], the music completely stops, only coming back a few scenes later, when [[spoiler:Sayori is found hanging in her room, and the game undergoes a GenreShift into psychological horror]]. In this moment, it works to bring a feeling of unease.
** The second major stretch of silence comes when [[spoiler:Yuri stabs herself, and the player has to spend an entire weekend with her decaying corpse]]. The scenes following the death are completely, musically silent, and the next time there's any sort of music, it's [[spoiler:after Monika restarts the game, with just her and the player.]]
* ''VisualNovel/DontTakeItPersonallyIJustDontLikeYou'': There are a few times in the demo where this happens, most notably [[spoiler:when Maria bluntly tells the protagonist that her parents have been dead for some time.]]
* ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'': In the Onikakushi chapter, when Keiichi questions Rena for the first time about whether anything strange occured during the abandoned Dam Construction Project, the music cuts out the moment she answers with a [[BluntNo Blunt No]], turning the otherwise innocent-seeming answer creepy. [[spoiler:The fact that this very first incident of something being off about her happens through the music, rather than in-universe, is one of the many hints that the Chapter is shown ThroughTheEyesOfMadness.]]
* ''VisualNovel/StarshipPromise'': In Jaxon's season 4, [[spoiler:the protagonist is thrown during the fight with Kreave and hits her head]]. The action music comes to an abrupt halt.
-->[[spoiler:I stop.\\
Everything stops.]]
[[/folder]]

* ''{{Music/brentalfloss}}'':
-->''[[VideoGame/DonkeyKong64 AND THEN]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6Ldhe504Mw THERE'S CHUNKY]]... [[MoodWhiplash He's dead.]]''

* ''WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpy'', "[[Recap/RenAndStimpy2x09TheGreatOutdoorsTheCatThatLaidTheGoldenHairball The Cat That Laid the Golden Hairball]]": The HardWorkMontage of Stimpy licking and hwarfing up hairballs while Ren stamps them is set to an upbeat, jaunty tune. While the song and montage are at their fastest pace it all comes to a sudden stop as [[spoiler: Ren stamps an unconscious, licked clean Stimpy's ass.]] It even has a RecordNeedleScratch in the ''pvvvvvt'' sound of [[spoiler: Stimpy's butt cheeks getting smashed by the stamp.]]

* The [[BonusDungeon Chrysler Building]] in ''VideoGame/ParasiteEve'' has the music cut out completely when you enter a boss room and in the stairway leading to the BonusBoss.

For complete silence in-universe being used as a sign of danger, see ItsQuietTooQuiet. Compare MomentOfSilence, for when silence is used to give more emphasis to a character's death; ShellShockSilence, which is when things go silent save for ringing or humming after an explosion; TheDayTheMusicLied, for when a musical cue is subverted; and SilenceIsGolden. When applied to credits, you have SilentCredits. See also MusicalisInterruptus for in-universe examples of music being cut-off, and RecordNeedleScratch. For when a song pauses for a second, see StopAndGo. When the music gradually fades out, see LettingTheAirOutOfTheBand. Contrast the JumpScare, which often involves a period of silence followed by a jarringly loud noise.

* ''Series/{{Greed}}'': Each of the last four questions (out of 8) in a team's campaign requires four answers. The music would fade out during the reveal of a fourth answer.

* ''Series/{{Greed}}'': Each of the last four questions (out of 8) in a team's campaign require four answers. The music would fade out during the reveal of a fourth answer.

Similarly, this can be done with actual silence, or an eerie ambiance that ''mimics'' silence, as long as it's jarring and works to change the tone of the scene.

* To make the audience laugh, especially when occurring as the anti-climax to a musical or in-universe build-up, usually preceded by a RecordNeedleScratch.

* In ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'', when you present the right contradiction to a statement, the background music briefly goes silent to enhance the drama of the moment as the protagonist explains the objection, after which a triumphant tune plays. This functions as a MusicalSpoiler, as a player who is [[TryEverything Trying Everything]] only needs to wait to see if the music goes quiet to know if they've found the right answer. However, in one occasion that was subverted - after the correct contradiction is found, the music continues to play for a few lines until Phoenix confirms he's definitely sure of himself, a trap for players who weren't so confident.

* This happens in Episode 7 of ''Anime/JujutsuKaisen'', when, right as Jogo's [[LethalLavaLand Domain Expansion technique]] is about to hit Gojo and Itadori, Gojo activates his own Domain Expansion, stopping the music as the lava freezes in place, before the place turns into a WhiteVoidRoom.