Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson that premiered in 1976, built around two families guessing the most popular survey answers. Its production sound design uses clear audio cues for correct and incorrect responses, with the wrong answer buzzer becoming one of the format's most recognisable signals as the show was revived and syndicated internationally over decades. Online, clips and edits borrowed the cue as a universal reaction, and the windows xp error music shares a similar second life as an instant error signal.
About this sound
The harsh wrong answer buzzer from Family Feud, the game show sound played for a bad guess and used online to mark mistakes and failed attempts.
This is the short, grating electronic buzzer heard on Family Feud whenever a contestant gives an answer that is not on the board. It lasts under a second, a low, harsh double tone that cuts straight through the studio applause and cheerful music. The sound instantly signals failure without needing any explanation, which is why it feels so deflating for the player and so funny for everyone watching. Even people who have never seen a full episode recognise it immediately as television shorthand for wrong, rejected, and better luck next time.
