Famous Nokia ringtone turns 20 years old

Rare is the product, or sound, or song that is truly universal. Think about that for a moment. If you just appeared in a foreign land and started singing a song from your favorite local band it would fall on deaf ears. However, if you were to start singing say, We Are the Champions by Queen, chances are the folks would join in the fun.

The same can be said for the iconic ringtone from Nokia, which made its debut on a Nokia 2110 handset in 1994. The music itself was written nearly a century earlier. The tone is taken from the Grande Valse, a classical guitar composition written by Francisco Tárrega in 1902.

While classical guitar may not have a widespread footprint in culture, Nokia’s popularity through the years is altogether different.  It is highly unlikely you will find a person that has had some connection with civilization in the past 20 years that has not heard the familiar musical phrase.

So familiar and friendly is the tone that even when performing musicians are interrupted by it, they cannot help but just join the fray. It is amazing to think what Nokia started with the 2110 handset, a ringtone that would define the brand for a generation and be recognizable just about everywhere. It all started 20 years ago, from a device with 2.5 hours of talk time, a single radio band, 125-entry phone book, and a four-line monochrome LCD.



source: Nokia US (YouTube)