Butterfly in the Synth: Reading Rainbow’s Magical Theme Song

Twenty Thousand Hertz - The stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds.

The theme song to Reading Rainbow has been delighting kids (and nostalgic grown-ups) for over 40 years. But how did this instantly iconic track come to be? In this episode, composer Steve Horelick reveals the unlikely story of its creation, from its empowering lyrics, to its “fluttering butterfly” synth sound, to how Chaka Khan and a mystery drummer helped shape one of its later versions.


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2026-01-12 27 min

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