Released March 18, 1997 Release date 18 March 1997 | Length 55:27 | |
 | ||
Recorded June 1989 – August 1996 Similar Go Simpsonic with The, The Yellow Album, The Simpsons Sing the, The Simpsons: Testify, The Simpsons Movie: Th | ||
Songs in the Key of Springfield is a soundtrack/novelty album from The Simpsons compiling many of the musical numbers from the series. The album was released in the United States on March 18, 1997, and in the United Kingdom in June 1997. This was the second album released in associate with the Simpsons television series; however, the previous release, The Simpsons Sing the Blues, contained original recordings as opposed to songs featured in episodes of the series.
Contents
The album was followed by The Yellow Album, a second album of original songs.
Chart performance
Compared to the previous album released in The Simpsons franchise, The Simpsons Sing the Blues, the album failed to match the success of their previous record. It managed to peak at #18 in the United Kingdom, where it would become the last charting album for the franchise in that country.
The album was less successful in the United States, where it peaked at #103 on the Billboard 200. However, it was successful on Billboard's Top Kid Audio chart, where it peaked at #1, becoming the first #1 on that chart for the franchise.
Music
The first track, which is the extended version of the main title theme, notes that it is from the episode "Cape Feare". However, the actual episode does feature the extended opening and the same couch gag (the "chorus line" version), but Lisa's sax solo is different from the version featured on the album. Similarly, syndicated reruns of "Cape Feare" replace the entire opening altogether with the couch gag with the Simpsons finding exact doubles of themselves on the couch. However, the opening sequence that matches the one on the CD was used, complete with the same sax solo and couch gag, on the episodes "Monty Can't Buy Me Love", "Simpson Safari" and "The Bart Wants What It Wants", which aired well after the album's release.
Songs
1The Simpsons Main Title Theme (extended version)1:39
2We Do (The Stonecutters' Song)1:19
3Dancin' Homer (medley): Crosstown Bridge / Capitol City1:44