The melody comes from Gran Vals, a guitar piece written by Spanish composer Francisco Tárrega in 1902, and Nokia adopted a short phrase from it as its signature ringtone in the 1990s. Played on millions of mobile phones, it became one of the most recognisable sounds in the world and a shorthand for the early mobile era. Piano versions later spread online as softer, more emotional reinterpretations, often used in nostalgic videos, covers and edits that recall a time when phones flipped open and ringtones were simple.