The Hundred Year Old Nokia Ringtone

The iconic Nokia ringtone was not written for a phone. It is actually a snippet from a classical Spanish guitar piece composed in 1902 by Francisco Tárrega.

This famous melody is officially titled Gran Vals. Nokia designers selected the specific sequence in the 1990s because it sounded upbeat and catchy on the limited speakers of early mobile devices. It holds the historical distinction of being the first identifiable musical ringtone ever used on a mass-market mobile phone. It is fascinating that a composition from the turn of the century became the soundtrack to the digital revolution.