ICQ launched in 1996 as one of the first popular instant messengers, and its short event sounds became part of everyday online life before smartphones took over. Users assigned different alerts to messages, URLs and web page sends, so regulars could tell what arrived without looking. As messenger sounds moved on to tones like the Discord Notification, the ICQ alerts survived in soundboards, retro videos and meme edits. Their appeal is mostly recognition, a tiny audio reminder of buddy lists, dial up connections and early chat culture.