The 1-Up jingle comes from the Sonic the Hedgehog games, where it plays when Sonic earns an extra life. The short melody became one of the series' most recognisable audio cues as the games grew into a global franchise, and later versions kept its bright, rising shape. It spread beyond gameplay through Let's Plays, speedruns and short-form videos, where editors reuse it as shorthand for success. It remains popular because the sound instantly tells viewers something good has just happened.