Microsoft's Windows 95 startup sound has been immortalized in the Library of Congress | Tom's Hardware

Windows 95 Computer

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When it comes to PC startup sounds, none are quite as iconic as the original Windows 95 startup tune. This class 6-second jingle meant much more than just "your PC is ready." It was an exciting invitation to start your computing adventure. As of this week, the beloved Windows 95 startup sound has been officially immortalized in the Library of Congress through the National Recording Registry.

If you're unfamiliar with the National Recording Registry, this special initiative handled by the Library of Congress began with the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000. Through this program, the Librarian of Congress works with the National Recording Preservation Board to choose 25 titles each year. The selections must be culturally significant and 10 years old at minimum. To the delight of old-school computing nerds, the Windows 95 startup sound made the cut.

The Windows 95 startup song is delightful enough, but the association with the Windows 95 operating system makes it special. This operating system made waves in the PC world when it debuted in August of 1995, introducing millions to the joys of a graphical user interface (GUI). It made computing much more palatable to new users and not just because Microsoft hired actors Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston from the 90s sitcom 'Friends' to host an official Windows 95 tutorial – although that too may need to be preserved.

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This classic startup tune was commissioned by a famous musician known for his influence in the electronica and digital music realm: Brian Eno. Also known as just Eno, this English artist went on to become a well-known music producer over the years. During the 90s, he branched out from genres like rock and roll and pop into the exciting world of Microsoft PC sound bites.

The original request was for a startup sound lasting about 3 seconds. However, Eno submitted dozens of sound elements for the Microsoft designers to explore, and they chose the one we know and love today—even though it's twice as long as initially requested. Perhaps the most scandalous part of the sound bite's creation is the admission in a 2009 BBC interview that Eno created the jingle on a Mac.

This recognition is joined by 24 other titles, which include songs from Chicago, Elton John, and more. To see the complete list of what was chosen this year, check out the official blog post from the Library of Congress.

Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.

7 Comments Comment from the forums

Heat_Fan89

I remember this quite well. What I still can't get over was, how Windows 95 won out because of the hype over the superior OS by IBM OS/2. W95 was trash and most of the programs were still launching from MS-DOS.
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USAFRet

Heat_Fan89 said:
I remember this quite well. What I still can't get over was, how Windows 95 won out because of the hype over the superior OS by IBM OS/2. W95 was trash and most of the programs were still launching from MS-DOS.
Win95 could still run all the preexisting DOS applications.
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ezst036

Windows 95 and Windows 2000 are the only two MS operating systems worth remembering. It is a shame what Microsoft has done to itself these days.

A lot of the included sounds in 95 were really cool.
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Findecanor

I didn't remember it. Had to look it up.

I have no nostalgia for it. I find sounds in the user interface annoying. They are the first thing I disable on every new MS-Windows install/account.
BTW. Not finding how to disable the startup chime is also a partial reason to why I sold the very first and only Mac I've owned within a couple weeks of buying it.

ezst036 said:
Windows 95 and Windows 2000 are the only two MS operating systems worth remembering. It is a shame what Microsoft has done to itself these days.
I too find Windows 95 to have provided a better user experience than Windows 10 and 11. On one side it has gone downhill in those things we care about (start menu, task bar, simple things such as resize-bars on windows). On the other side, we expect more of an OS these days (multiple network interfaces, multiple screens, mobility, etc) and for those the OS still has clunky interfaces.
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acadia11

ezst036 said:
Windows 95 and Windows 2000 are the only two MS operating systems worth remembering. It is a shame what Microsoft has done to itself these days.

A lot of the included sounds in 95 were really cool.
Heresy, windows 7 was their best OS ever, finally put all of it together in that version. 2000 only for server edition … millennium was trash , while windows XP was excellent. Windows 10 and 11 are also solid … ad intrusion aside.
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RedBaron616

This just shows the Library of Congress has lost its way. Unlike period music and recorded speeches, etc., in 50 years, no one will be searching for the Windows 95 sound. I would argue in 50 years, most Americans won't even remember or care about Windows 95. Yes, I enjoyed it when it was out, but it is impossible to truly go back unless you have an old computer with it still installed you use. I don't even read those articles which say "X number of years ago, this or that was introduced and was revolutionary for computing even now". Not trying to be negative, just think this save the W95 sound is a bit crazy. What's next, saving the sound of the first microwave oven?
Reply
acadia11

RedBaron616 said:
This just shows the Library of Congress has lost its way. Unlike period music and recorded speeches, etc., in 50 years, no one will be searching for the Windows 95 sound. I would argue in 50 years, most Americans won't even remember or care about Windows 95. Yes, I enjoyed it when it was out, but it is impossible to truly go back unless you have an old computer with it still installed you use. I don't even read those articles which say "X number of years ago, this or that was introduced and was revolutionary for computing even now". Not trying to be negative, just think this save the W95 sound is a bit crazy. What's next, saving the sound of the first microwave oven?
Think you are missing the point, 95 was the first ubiquitous modernized GUI and also the first where internet was coming alive making PCs common place. It’s not about 95 itself but what 95 meant to computing in the common household. So think of that start as the beginning of an era. Apple OS introduced UIs as whole …. Windows 3.1 solidified the experience … and 95 made it common to the masses. Easy enough for grams to play solitaire to her hearts delight … I mean Xerox invented the mouse and UI concept but it would take until 95 that pcs and the OS that drives them became common household appliances. That’s the point. iPhones aren’t the first phablets but they … but they did make it common conceptually along with idea of the app. Neither idea being theirs. It’s not the song the meaning of the song.
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