Alf Clausen, Composer Behind Iconic ‘The Simpsons’ Music, Passes Away at 84

Alf Clausen, the distinguished composer and arranger whose musical compositions shaped the identity of the animated series ‘The Simpsons,’ passed away Thursday at his Los Angeles residence. He was 84 years old.

His daughter, Kaarin Clausen, revealed that he succumbed to progressive supranuclear palsy, a neurological disorder similar to Parkinson’s disease.

Clausen was the musical force behind every episode of ‘The Simpsons’ for 27 seasons, spanning from 1990 through 2017.

Although he did not compose the show’s iconic opening theme—that credit belongs to Danny Elfman—Clausen was responsible for nearly all other musical content, including beloved numbers such as “Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart,” “We Do (The Stonecutters’ Song),” “We Put the Spring in Springfield,” and “You’re Checking In.”

His work earned him Emmy Awards for the songs “We Put the Spring in Springfield” and “You’re Checking In” in 1997 and 1998, respectively. Over his career on the show, he received 19 additional Emmy nominations, along with nine more from previous projects.

Initially, Clausen was hesitant when approached to join the show by its creator, expressing a preference for composing for dramas rather than cartoons or comedic series.