B Movies Blog

Hello, Movie Mavens! Welcome back to the B Movies Blog. Today, we’re popping Schoolhouse Rock! into the ol’ VCR.

As a kid, no other educational cartoon ever hit as hard for me as Schoolhouse Rock! did. 

From how our political system works (or should work) to grammar rules, I watched in awe as a cavalcade of animated characters taught me about the foundational things I needed to know. 

As an adult, I still listen to the cover album Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks regularly and even got a Schoolhouse Rock! tattoo last year to honor “Sufferin’ till Suffrage.” 

I’ve been curious about the origins of Schoolhouse Rock!, so I thought I’d do a little research and share both my findings and some of my favorite songs with you. 

Because, y’know, the ol’ Rock! is one of the reasons I love learning to begin with. 

So without further ado, let’s dive in. 

Schoolhouse Rock! was initially the brainchild of an advertising exec named David McCall; McCall’s son was having difficulties with math but could memorize song lyrics with ease. 

He reached out to Bob Dorough to write a song to help his son with math that would eventually evolve into “Three Is a Magic Number,” and Tom Yohe, who was an illustrator at the same firm as McCall, created some designs for it. 

Then, Radford Stone, who was a writer and producer at ABC at the time, encouraged the group to pitch a television series. That pitch caught the attention of both Michael Eisner and Chuck Jones, and the rest is history. 

While Schoolhouse Rock! first debuted as a full show in 1973, “Three Is a Magic Number” actually came on the scene in 1971 as a clip in the educational cartoon Curiosity Shop. 

The only bummer is this original version has never been broadcast or released, but the longer song can be heard on the show’s soundtrack. 

The original run of Schoolhouse Rock! spanned from 1973-1985, but the show’s entire run includes two revivals: one from 1993-1996 and a brief stint in 2009.* 

*The latter run only included direct-to-video content. 

Over the entirety of its run, Schoolhouse Rock! blessed us with Multiplication Rock, Grammar Rock, America Rock, and Science Rock (among other things), teaching many of us basic math, sentence structure, and governmental workings (again, as they should be). 

But in my opinion, not all the songs are created equal. 

My favorite Schoolhouse Rock! songs

That’s right, friends. 

We’ve reached the part of the program where I share with you some of my favorite Schoolhouse Rock! songs. 

But before we dig in, I wanted to get on my soapbox for a second.

Schoolhouse Rock! is a prime example of how a) the arts are vital to education and b) how kids learn in different ways. 

I’ll always be a proponent of arts programs because I was in band for six years, and it definitely taught me endurance, discipline, and collaboration, among other things. 

Additionally, listen to your kids. I know I don’t have children, but if you notice that your kid learns better with music, visuals, etc…, help them find a learning style that’s conducive to their needs instead of trying to force them into a box they don’t belong in. 

Okay, I’m done. 

Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my top five Schoolhouse Rock! songs:

• “I’m Just a Bill” 
• “My Hero, Zero” 
• “Conjunction Junction” 
• “Sufferin’ till Suffrage”
• “Three Is a Magic Number”