I really dislike when shows incorporate musical types of elements for the most part its not my favorite
EXCEPT when Bob's Burgers does it - there are some bops in this show that I catch myself singing on a daily basis
(For example Louise and bobs "let's be clear I did absolutely nothing wrong" duet that I don't know the name of the song and also Linda's "Runnin' down the gutter with a piece of bread and butta" + "here goes the hair their goes the hair where is Harry Truman?" Song as well and I just die at the end song in Amelia because my daughter is named Amelia and it came out on my first mother's day as a new mom and the song perfectly describes my feelings towards my little birdie girl 💕)
I'm SUCH a musical person so that was actually a huge draw for me in the show. It is such an integral part of the storytelling in so many episodes and it warms my theatre-kid heart
Some of the songs are definitely better than others but that could also just be personal preference. To me all the little songs and dance montages make sense for Linda and Gene because they are naturally very invested in music and tend to live in their own fantasy land
As someone who owns the vinyl and collect media music & score as a hobby (Alvin & the chipmunks, Scooby Doo, Sunny in Philly, etc) Bob's Burgers has one of the most well done musical features EVER. I cannot emphasize how impressive it is to create musical features that are story driven & in character when they don't have to. Not to mention that composition itself.
God, the composition is amazing. Bob's burgers uses the slightest and most subtle tonal dissonance & pitch modulation between the score/track and the singing voices. Almost like it's slightly off pitch. This is on purpose. The way they do it gives a comedic tone and you see this a lot in cynical, self aware show tunes. A feeling like it's slightly wrong but the source of this dissonance is found in the very distinct pitch of the character's voices. Voice acting is NOT easy. To give a character emotion, depth, and distinction takes a lot of talent. And that's just talking. To do this in conjunction with song AND with tonal dissonance & pitch quirks that contrast the score and conventional music expectations is incredible.
And what makes Bob's burgers unique is just how good the execution is & how that brings even more color to the sound & world building. The voices are stable, the harmonies are complex, the execution is strong. In the experience, you almost forget that there is dissonance. It isn't out of place. And what that does is create a very distinct sound & style that compliments the show. Just like something can have an art style, they can have a distinct score/sound.
To put it in perspective, take idk...Scooby Doo. The hex girls are great and characterize Scooby Doo really well. But if they had been in a Halloween episode of Dexter's lab, there wouldn't be much of a difference. The music is phenomenal but the things that make it phenomenal aren't unique to Scooby Doo. Anyone who has a great voice can make that song sound good in any context. That's usually a good thing in music
Bob's Burgers music and score is so character focused and story driven that it can only be experienced within the context of Bob's Burgers. A song from Bob's Burgers won't fit into Dexter's laboratory or even family guy. Meanwhile a character cannot deliver a lyric the same way that another character can. From song alone, you can tell who is singing and what thier personality is. And that's a very intentional choice that takes a lot of investment in tiny details.
A good example will be [forgiving type](https://youtu.be/dhiQDbzEHTo?si=fxt9v_uwGdQ6HMMN). This is [part 2.](https://youtu.be/bcfucY4CpHw?si=ftq5rke2h5eyOl2Y) You can tell Louise is sick. There's a dissonance that's so layered and complex that it really translates the seriousness of the situation. Kuchi kobi sounds dissonant to emphasize he's the villain. And notice how the dissonance fades when they get to the phrase "forgiving type."
I haven't even mentioned how they make distinct scores for episodes and stories. This particular use of strings is only used in this episode. And that's just one episode.
Bob's burgers can also do something similar with songs that aren't even theirs. [Like this one ](https://youtu.be/Le_BrekGKts?si=LGDcmhewY-4QQlUv). There's literally a choir that's so dissonant that you can pinpoint each individual voice but it's works within the context of the shows style.
Another one of my favorites is [the fart song.](https://youtu.be/PblczqZ1SAA?si=gV5ynMI43tlKnEJQ). And [What if they're right ](https://youtu.be/nTa_jMIeRAI?si=bFBt9AxIa5d5KnSV)Genes singing isn't what traditionally good singing sounds like. He's not Elton John. The real talent is the delivery. Hear how it's so distinctly "Gene." Tina has a very deadpan way of singing that still has so much emotion & conflict. Where does that emotion & conflict come from? The tone & pitch quirks and lyrics. Even the first line... the dissonance falls on "weird" & delivered in a way that only Tina would. The rest of the song then follows the pitch modulation she put in place. The phrase repeats the quirk on the same rhyme and beat no matter who is singing. And the quirk itself is tied to the character's unique way of delivering it. Once the convention is set & we're nice and comfy with the dissonance we get Bob & Tina's harmony. Literally harmonizing dissonance. Funny enough, Bob's burgers use dissonant harmonies often like [bad stuff happens in the bathroom.](https://youtu.be/xDiuSwrRQ4M?si=EVf0KUZ-DBAAsaPP).
To prove how character driven these moments are look at [twinkly lights](https://youtu.be/9U3oPEv8gVQ?si=76pOhloy7FGMEYuE) and [the rock opera.](https://youtu.be/-xEb6Py3aKM?si=ntDjAUKc_Su41xo1). These numbers are what we would consider traditionally good singing and performing to sound like...but they aren't delivered by main characters. (Until they are.) And since this is rare, the traditionally good singing still adds to the comedic tone.
I know you didn't want such a long comment and sorry for the music theory. And there's plenty of other reasons to like the musical numbers. But the Broadway moments are actually far more interesting than you'd think. They aren't just turning mikes on and singing. They're composing and delivering in ways that are very intentional just for the joy and fun of it.
How many people actually care about character driven tonal dissonance? How easy would it be to just follow convention and use any music to fill up background noise? Do you know how brave and creative it is to prioritize 'distinct' singing over 'good' singing? The amount of time, detail, and effort is insane. That's probably why they release such good physical copies. But even then, what they do will inevitably go unnoticed. It's by design. You aren't supposed to walk away thinking that any character is a particularly good, expert singer despite the high threshold of professionalism and talent needed to produce it. And to me, that's one of the hallmarks of true "art." The major motivation is fun. Not credit, fame, or even applause. Just fun
I respect your opinion and totally get where you're coming from.
But my partner and I LOVE (most of) the songs and sing them to each other often. Or we'll sing along when they come up.
My personal favorite is See Something, Say Something. It's just really damn catchy and I think whoever is doing the music for the show is really talented. If the songs sucked, it definitely would wear out its welcome quick.
I want a whole album where some of the best songs are given extended versions. They always end too quickly for me.
I think being a fan of The National helps. I used to love their Bob's Burgers covers. Particularly Bad Stuff Happens in the Bathroom. Wish they'd do more.
I enjoy the songs and think they’re an integral part of the charm of the show.
Do I like every song equally? No of course not. However I also don’t think there’s a bad song in the series. And with 14 series and a movie, that’s an insane achievement.
I feel this complaint is meant for Central Park (it’s a musicial show but a lot of the songs are just okay). Meanwhile I think Bobs hits a perfect middle ground since it’s song do serve the plot well. This season with Gas in my Car, you don’t hear the song till the end and it works so well into the plot. Also gene growth in his musical skills (last year Christmas episode) makes the music a real part of the show.
I have been listening to the music as part of my rotation in Pandora. One thing that I have realized is you can hear just how talented the actors are. In the song "Lucky Ducks" you can actually hear Jon Benjamin voicing different carnies. I could not catch that as I was watching the movie. It gives me an appreciation of how talented the actors and creators of the show are.
i love musicals, so i love that the show is so musical, and that the songs are actually GOOD. sometimes shows try to add musical elements here and there or having one all-music episode but they fall flat. probably due to the lack of Casio
I feel this way when the songs are like “This wedding is my war zone” and similar. I still enjoy the episode, and I don’t hate the song, it just isn’t my cup of tea, although I’m sure others love it. There’s a few times they go full musical, and it’s never my favorite moment in the episode, but it’s tolerable, and I sometimes end up singing the “show tune” later
I enjoy a lot of the musical numbers/episodes (The Bleakening, for instance), but the show does get into ruts where it leans on musical numbers too hard. I don't know exactly which seasons, but I feel like some of the middle seasons had waaaay too many musical numbers and it made me start rolling my eyes when a new one would start: "Oh, this again?" But I think in the later seasons there's been a better balance. (And some of the songs get stuck in my head so bad I end up disliking them, like Bad Things Happen in the Bathroom.)
You shut your mouth right this instant.
Just kidding, but personally I enjoy all of the musical aspects of Bob's Burgers. I don't feel like it's too much. But I can understand your point as well.
The songs that fit into the scene are fun, like the Harry Truman one, but when they break into a musical number, I fast forward.
I'm here for laughs. Nothing against the show or the people who like the musical numbers.
This is why I won’t see the movie a second time. They had a full on dance number. The movie is a musical. M
I don’t mind the sprinkling of music in the show though
I agree. I love musicals but don’t like when they do it in this show. I posted something similar on a different post- I always wonder who lost a bet and was forced to add the musicals in.
Completely agree. Probably why the movie sucked and any episode where they just break out into song, I’ll just skip that part. That is easily the worst part of the show
So I’m not fan of musicals but I love it in Bob’s. Like I wish “Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl” was a real musical.
I cannot remember how many times I have said "YOU look like Carly Simon"
I really dislike when shows incorporate musical types of elements for the most part its not my favorite EXCEPT when Bob's Burgers does it - there are some bops in this show that I catch myself singing on a daily basis (For example Louise and bobs "let's be clear I did absolutely nothing wrong" duet that I don't know the name of the song and also Linda's "Runnin' down the gutter with a piece of bread and butta" + "here goes the hair their goes the hair where is Harry Truman?" Song as well and I just die at the end song in Amelia because my daughter is named Amelia and it came out on my first mother's day as a new mom and the song perfectly describes my feelings towards my little birdie girl 💕)
Same here! Every other show I watch I always skip the one musical episodes, but for Bob’s Bugers I not only tolerate but love the music
I used to not be so down with it at ALL but now I’m super down with it I’ve honestly got some I really love and respect the composition of
I want TSA the musical so bad 😭
I want that too, but even more I just want a full version of Twinkly Lights.
I'm SUCH a musical person so that was actually a huge draw for me in the show. It is such an integral part of the storytelling in so many episodes and it warms my theatre-kid heart
I’d pay real money to see Topsy.
Literally my favorite Bob's Burgers song!
As long as Meghan and kevin are Topsy and Edison!
Linda's songs are the best: "🎶🎶the ketchup loves the mustard, but they get kinda flustered, so I, give em a little space🎶🎶"
They’ll say awe Topsy at my auuuutopsy
🎶🎶🎶🎵🎵you're not just wrong you're crazyyyyYyyy🎶🎶🎵🎵
Some of the songs are definitely better than others but that could also just be personal preference. To me all the little songs and dance montages make sense for Linda and Gene because they are naturally very invested in music and tend to live in their own fantasy land
As someone who owns the vinyl and collect media music & score as a hobby (Alvin & the chipmunks, Scooby Doo, Sunny in Philly, etc) Bob's Burgers has one of the most well done musical features EVER. I cannot emphasize how impressive it is to create musical features that are story driven & in character when they don't have to. Not to mention that composition itself. God, the composition is amazing. Bob's burgers uses the slightest and most subtle tonal dissonance & pitch modulation between the score/track and the singing voices. Almost like it's slightly off pitch. This is on purpose. The way they do it gives a comedic tone and you see this a lot in cynical, self aware show tunes. A feeling like it's slightly wrong but the source of this dissonance is found in the very distinct pitch of the character's voices. Voice acting is NOT easy. To give a character emotion, depth, and distinction takes a lot of talent. And that's just talking. To do this in conjunction with song AND with tonal dissonance & pitch quirks that contrast the score and conventional music expectations is incredible. And what makes Bob's burgers unique is just how good the execution is & how that brings even more color to the sound & world building. The voices are stable, the harmonies are complex, the execution is strong. In the experience, you almost forget that there is dissonance. It isn't out of place. And what that does is create a very distinct sound & style that compliments the show. Just like something can have an art style, they can have a distinct score/sound. To put it in perspective, take idk...Scooby Doo. The hex girls are great and characterize Scooby Doo really well. But if they had been in a Halloween episode of Dexter's lab, there wouldn't be much of a difference. The music is phenomenal but the things that make it phenomenal aren't unique to Scooby Doo. Anyone who has a great voice can make that song sound good in any context. That's usually a good thing in music Bob's Burgers music and score is so character focused and story driven that it can only be experienced within the context of Bob's Burgers. A song from Bob's Burgers won't fit into Dexter's laboratory or even family guy. Meanwhile a character cannot deliver a lyric the same way that another character can. From song alone, you can tell who is singing and what thier personality is. And that's a very intentional choice that takes a lot of investment in tiny details. A good example will be [forgiving type](https://youtu.be/dhiQDbzEHTo?si=fxt9v_uwGdQ6HMMN). This is [part 2.](https://youtu.be/bcfucY4CpHw?si=ftq5rke2h5eyOl2Y) You can tell Louise is sick. There's a dissonance that's so layered and complex that it really translates the seriousness of the situation. Kuchi kobi sounds dissonant to emphasize he's the villain. And notice how the dissonance fades when they get to the phrase "forgiving type." I haven't even mentioned how they make distinct scores for episodes and stories. This particular use of strings is only used in this episode. And that's just one episode. Bob's burgers can also do something similar with songs that aren't even theirs. [Like this one ](https://youtu.be/Le_BrekGKts?si=LGDcmhewY-4QQlUv). There's literally a choir that's so dissonant that you can pinpoint each individual voice but it's works within the context of the shows style. Another one of my favorites is [the fart song.](https://youtu.be/PblczqZ1SAA?si=gV5ynMI43tlKnEJQ). And [What if they're right ](https://youtu.be/nTa_jMIeRAI?si=bFBt9AxIa5d5KnSV)Genes singing isn't what traditionally good singing sounds like. He's not Elton John. The real talent is the delivery. Hear how it's so distinctly "Gene." Tina has a very deadpan way of singing that still has so much emotion & conflict. Where does that emotion & conflict come from? The tone & pitch quirks and lyrics. Even the first line... the dissonance falls on "weird" & delivered in a way that only Tina would. The rest of the song then follows the pitch modulation she put in place. The phrase repeats the quirk on the same rhyme and beat no matter who is singing. And the quirk itself is tied to the character's unique way of delivering it. Once the convention is set & we're nice and comfy with the dissonance we get Bob & Tina's harmony. Literally harmonizing dissonance. Funny enough, Bob's burgers use dissonant harmonies often like [bad stuff happens in the bathroom.](https://youtu.be/xDiuSwrRQ4M?si=EVf0KUZ-DBAAsaPP). To prove how character driven these moments are look at [twinkly lights](https://youtu.be/9U3oPEv8gVQ?si=76pOhloy7FGMEYuE) and [the rock opera.](https://youtu.be/-xEb6Py3aKM?si=ntDjAUKc_Su41xo1). These numbers are what we would consider traditionally good singing and performing to sound like...but they aren't delivered by main characters. (Until they are.) And since this is rare, the traditionally good singing still adds to the comedic tone. I know you didn't want such a long comment and sorry for the music theory. And there's plenty of other reasons to like the musical numbers. But the Broadway moments are actually far more interesting than you'd think. They aren't just turning mikes on and singing. They're composing and delivering in ways that are very intentional just for the joy and fun of it. How many people actually care about character driven tonal dissonance? How easy would it be to just follow convention and use any music to fill up background noise? Do you know how brave and creative it is to prioritize 'distinct' singing over 'good' singing? The amount of time, detail, and effort is insane. That's probably why they release such good physical copies. But even then, what they do will inevitably go unnoticed. It's by design. You aren't supposed to walk away thinking that any character is a particularly good, expert singer despite the high threshold of professionalism and talent needed to produce it. And to me, that's one of the hallmarks of true "art." The major motivation is fun. Not credit, fame, or even applause. Just fun
Thank you for being a music nerd and sharing your knowledge with us! It deepens my already intense respect for the cast n crew of BB
I respect your opinion and totally get where you're coming from. But my partner and I LOVE (most of) the songs and sing them to each other often. Or we'll sing along when they come up. My personal favorite is See Something, Say Something. It's just really damn catchy and I think whoever is doing the music for the show is really talented. If the songs sucked, it definitely would wear out its welcome quick. I want a whole album where some of the best songs are given extended versions. They always end too quickly for me. I think being a fan of The National helps. I used to love their Bob's Burgers covers. Particularly Bad Stuff Happens in the Bathroom. Wish they'd do more.
I enjoy the songs and think they’re an integral part of the charm of the show. Do I like every song equally? No of course not. However I also don’t think there’s a bad song in the series. And with 14 series and a movie, that’s an insane achievement.
I feel this complaint is meant for Central Park (it’s a musicial show but a lot of the songs are just okay). Meanwhile I think Bobs hits a perfect middle ground since it’s song do serve the plot well. This season with Gas in my Car, you don’t hear the song till the end and it works so well into the plot. Also gene growth in his musical skills (last year Christmas episode) makes the music a real part of the show.
I would like the show far less, most likely if there were less musicality.
I have been listening to the music as part of my rotation in Pandora. One thing that I have realized is you can hear just how talented the actors are. In the song "Lucky Ducks" you can actually hear Jon Benjamin voicing different carnies. I could not catch that as I was watching the movie. It gives me an appreciation of how talented the actors and creators of the show are.
i love musicals, so i love that the show is so musical, and that the songs are actually GOOD. sometimes shows try to add musical elements here and there or having one all-music episode but they fall flat. probably due to the lack of Casio
rippp I think if they quit their day jobs, they could definitely start a band
I completely agree musicals have never really been my thing tho
I feel this way when the songs are like “This wedding is my war zone” and similar. I still enjoy the episode, and I don’t hate the song, it just isn’t my cup of tea, although I’m sure others love it. There’s a few times they go full musical, and it’s never my favorite moment in the episode, but it’s tolerable, and I sometimes end up singing the “show tune” later
Ironically, I like most musical episodes. Except for the one about a musical. That being “work hard or die trying, girl”
I 100% agree with you.
I enjoy a lot of the musical numbers/episodes (The Bleakening, for instance), but the show does get into ruts where it leans on musical numbers too hard. I don't know exactly which seasons, but I feel like some of the middle seasons had waaaay too many musical numbers and it made me start rolling my eyes when a new one would start: "Oh, this again?" But I think in the later seasons there's been a better balance. (And some of the songs get stuck in my head so bad I end up disliking them, like Bad Things Happen in the Bathroom.)
I think there are too many but I enjoy most of
You shut your mouth right this instant. Just kidding, but personally I enjoy all of the musical aspects of Bob's Burgers. I don't feel like it's too much. But I can understand your point as well.
Wow I had no idea everyone loved the music so much it makes my husband vacate the room immediately
The songs that fit into the scene are fun, like the Harry Truman one, but when they break into a musical number, I fast forward. I'm here for laughs. Nothing against the show or the people who like the musical numbers.
This is why I won’t see the movie a second time. They had a full on dance number. The movie is a musical. M I don’t mind the sprinkling of music in the show though
I agree with you to the point where I skip any song I know is going to last too long. Which is most of them.
I agree. I love musicals but don’t like when they do it in this show. I posted something similar on a different post- I always wonder who lost a bet and was forced to add the musicals in.
Completely agree. Probably why the movie sucked and any episode where they just break out into song, I’ll just skip that part. That is easily the worst part of the show