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The Horrible Histories TV series is renowned for its musical numbers. There is at least one song in each episode (except episode 5 of Series 1), all of which are composed by Richie Webb (who also performs all keyboards, guitars and samples as well as most backing vocals) and produced by Matt Katz. Since series 2, special "Savage Songs" episodes have served as clip shows, featuring most of the songs from that series, and playing as the thirteenth and final episode of these series.
The first series items often had lyrics penned by Terry Deary and were generally simple, original musical comedy numbers, but as of the second series, Webb's frequent collaborator Dave Cohen became the chief lyricist and the music changed tack, becoming a weekly pastiche of a specific song, artist or genre, featuring in-joke lyrical references to the original source material and accompanied by elaborate visuals with high production values. This reformatted, musical-spoof-of-the-week approach purposely resurrected a then-dormant tradition of comedy shows past begun by Not The Nine O'Clock News, Radio Active and Spitting Image, and arguably was the ultimate catalyst for bringing the series to an adult audience.
The musical numbers have found a life outside the show, becoming popular in their own right as items on YouTube and featuring in a special concert staged for the 2011 BBC Proms, with some lyric sheets even crossing the 'spin-off' barrier and being printed in official Horrible Histories publications. Conspicuously, no commercial CD or digital release of the songs was ever forthcoming despite often being teased in interviews, so it is likely given public demand that any proposed compilation releases may have been scuppered by contractual issues with Scholastic or Deary himself. As a result, the only legal way to purchase the songs is via the DVD releases of the regular series.
Such has been the success of these segments that Webb and Katz have since been hired to create similar parody-of-the-week song pastiches deliberately in the same format for other CBBC shows, such as All Over The Place, Ed and Oucho's Excellent Inventions and the channel's own in-vision continuity.
Notes: Some recurring sketches such as "Stupid Deaths" and "Cliff Whiteley" have their own theme songs, while others (like "We Sell Any Monk", "Mummification", "The Incan Family Players", "Chuckle Resin", "God Compare" and "Queen-Fit") feature or comprise short songs not listed here. On-screen lyrics were included for most series 1 songs and those in Horrible Christmas, and specially-produced song compilations with lyric graphics were broadcast on the Red Button service after or during the third, fourth and fifth series. Additionally, all DVD releases feature subtitle tracks containing all the song lyrics.
