You’ve heard it. Honestly, if you’ve ever called a doctor’s office, a government agency, or a massive tech support line in the last thirty years, you’ve definitely heard it. It’s that infectious, slightly shimmering, synth-pop loop that makes being stuck on hold feel weirdly like you’re in a 1980s corporate training video about the future.
The song is called Opus No. 1.
It wasn't written by a board of corporate psychologists trying to keep you calm. It wasn't even written for phones. Tim Carleton and Darrick Deel, two high school friends from California, recorded it in a garage in 1989. They were just kids messing around with gear. Now, their five-minute masterpiece is arguably the most-played song in human history, racking up billions of "streams" through millions of Cisco IP phones globally.
The Garage Tape That Conquered the World
Back in 1989, Tim Carleton was a 16-year-old self-described "computer nerd" who really liked Yanni. That’s not a joke. He was into that dreamy, melodic New Age synth sound. He sat down with a Roland D-20 (a classic synthesizer of the era) and a drum machine, and he just started layering tracks.
He wasn’t trying to change telecommunications. He was just making music.
His friend Darrick Deel was the one with the four-track cassette recorder. Together, they captured the performance. If you listen closely to the full version of Opus No. 1, you can hear the limitations of the tech. Tim has mentioned in interviews that he used a specific "3-tap pan" effect on an Alesis Midiverb to hide the fact that the notes would sometimes cut off. The synth simply didn't have enough "voices" (polyphony) to handle everything he was playing at once.
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It was a DIY solution to a technical problem. It ended up giving the song its signature "pulsing" feel.
How it ended up on your phone
The song sat on a shelf for years. It was just a memory from high school. But in the late 90s, Darrick Deel landed a job at a little startup you might have heard of: Cisco Systems.
Cisco was building its very first Voice over IP (VoIP) phone system. They needed a default track for the "music on hold" feature. Darrick remembered the song he and Tim had recorded a decade earlier. He called Tim, asked if they could use it, and Tim said sure.
Basically, it was a convenience hire for a song.
Why Opus No. 1 Is Actually a Masterpiece
Most hold music is terrible. It’s either distorted classical music that sounds like it’s being played through a tin can, or it’s "smooth jazz" that feels like a dental extraction.
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Opus No. 1 is different.
It has this driving, upbeat tempo that suggests progress. It says, "Don't worry, we're working on it." It’s "ambiguous yet chill," as Cisco once described it. Musicians have since analyzed the track and found that its popularity comes from its frequency range. Because it was recorded with clean synths, it doesn't have the muddy mid-tones that make other songs sound like garbage over low-bandwidth phone lines.
It survives the "telephone filter" better than almost any other piece of music.
The Cult Following
People are genuinely obsessed with this track.
- There are 10-hour loops of it on YouTube with millions of views.
- It was featured in a 2023 Super Bowl commercial for Bud Light.
- The indie rock band Osees covered it under the title "LADWP Hold."
- It’s been sampled by electronic artists like How To Dress Well.
There is even a segment on This American Life where a man becomes obsessed with finding the identity of the composers. When he finally tracks down Tim Carleton, he discovers that Tim is just a regular IT guy in the Bay Area who happens to have written the world's most famous "invisible" hit.
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The Question of Royalties
Here is the kicker: for a long time, Tim and Darrick didn't make a cent from the song.
Because it was just a "default" file included in the Cisco CallManager software, there wasn't a traditional licensing deal in place. For years, Tim's "most legit claim as a music artist," as he put it, was that he didn't make any money from his music.
However, things changed around 2014. After the song became a viral sensation and its history was uncovered, Cisco and Tim struck a deal. While the specific numbers aren't public, Tim now officially licenses the music to Cisco. He finally owns 100% of the song that defined an entire era of customer service frustration.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you want to experience Opus No. 1 outside of a 45-minute wait for the IRS, you actually have options now.
- Listen to the High-Fidelity Version: Most people have only heard the mono, compressed version. Search for the "fully mastered stereo mix" on SoundCloud or YouTube. It sounds surprisingly lush and reveals a lot of the synth layers you can't hear over a phone.
- Check Your Own Office System: If you work in IT or manage a Cisco-based phone system, Opus No. 1 is almost certainly sitting in your default files. You can actually swap it out, but honestly, why would you? Most employees find it weirdly comforting.
- Explore the "Hold Music" Genre: If you like the vibe of Tim and Darrick's work, look into the "Vaporwave" or "Mallsoft" genres. These music styles specifically sample and celebrate the "liminal space" music of the 80s and 90s.
The legacy of Opus No. 1 is a reminder that you don't need a million-dollar studio to create something immortal. Sometimes, all you need is a Roland synth, a four-track recorder, and a friend who happens to work at a networking giant.