The sound was created for Microsoft Windows 95, released in 1995, and was composed by musician Brian Eno. Eno later explained he was asked for a short piece that felt inspiring and futuristic, and he produced a chime only a few seconds long that became one of the most recognisable startup sounds ever made. As Windows 95 machines disappeared from daily use, the clip survived online in retro compilations, emulator videos and meme edits, where it now instantly marks anything as old school computing.