Law and Order Special Victims Unit premiered in 1999 as a spin off of Law and Order, and its chapter sting became one of television's most recognisable sounds. Composer Mike Post built the effect from layered orchestral and percussive hits to signal a new scene or a darker turn in an investigation. As clips moved to YouTube and social media in the 2010s, editors lifted the two second sting as a standalone punchline. It remains popular because viewers understand its meaning instantly without any context from an episode.