History Main / SteelDrumsAndSunshine

* Steel drums are Ebony Steel Band's speciality. Many people who once used the Encarta Encyclopedia in The90s will remember [[https://youtu.be/vpA-uiUNHSg "Dollar Wine"]] from the quiz game in the software's WorldMusic section.

* Music/JeanMichelJarre, usually known for electronic music (''Music/{{Oxygene}}''), teamed up with the UsefulNotes/{{Trinidad|AndTobago}}-based]] steel drum band Amoco Renegades on his 1990 album ''Waiting For Cousteau''. The opener, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLulE8_KAZc Calypso]]", is this trope in spades. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNIjDUSIOzY It got even better]] when Jarre got the Amoco Renegades to Paris for his mega-concert the same year.

The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steelpan steelpan]], more commonly known as the steel drum, is a percussion instrument originating from Trinidad & Tobago. The steel drum is just that - a steel drum with an open lid, with multiple concaves that the pannist (the name for a steelpan/steel drum player) hits with mallets to play notes.

* In "Beachfront Celebration" by Creator/KevinMacLeod, the melody is handed off from a jazzy piano to steel pans to mariachi trumpets, then a combination of all three.

[[quoteright:317:[[WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tomandjerrycalypsocat1.jpg]]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'': In the Gene Deitch short "Calypso Cat", the titular duo and Tom's love interest for the episode arrive via cruise to a Carribean island, where a musician cat plays a funky beat on the steel drum. Unfortunately for Tom, his girlfriend falls in love with the Calypso cat and leaves Tom for him.
* The "Marge in Chains" episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has Mayor Quimby giving a news conference from his office proclaiming to the public that he has postponed his trip to the Bahamas due to the flu outbreak...only for TheReveal to show he ''is'' there as a steel drum player walks through the shot.

* Noisestorm's "[[https://youtu.be/LDU_Txk06tM Crab Rave]]" by {{Music/Noisestorm}}, uses a steel drum-esque sound for its catchy, grooving main melody. The music video features dozens of crabs dancing on a tropical island.

* ''Franchise/Kirby'':
** ''VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn'''s remix of [[https://youtu.be/NAK1vntPNnc Ice Cream Island]] uses steel drums for part of the main melody to fit the tropical level Meta Melon Isle.

* ''VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn'''s remix of [[https://youtu.be/NAK1vntPNnc Ice Cream Island]] uses steel drums for part of the main melody to fit the tropical level Meta Melon Isle.

* ''VideoGame/PizzaTower'': "Wednesdays", a variation of a tropical-themed hub theme, uses steel drums.

Since the steel drum comes from the [[UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean Caribbean islands]], it is often associated with tropical places. Because of that, in fiction, you're likely to hear steel drums in island, jungle, ocean, and especially beach settings. This means that in video games, they'll likely be used in PalmtreePanic and UnderTheSea levels.

Since the steel drum comes from the [[WelcomeToTheCaribbeanMon Caribbean islands]], it is often associated with tropical places. Because of that, in fiction, you're likely to hear steel drums in island, jungle, ocean, and especially beach settings. This means that in video games, they'll likely be used in PalmtreePanic and UnderTheSea levels.

* Music/JeanMichelJarre, usually known for electronic music (''Music/{{Oxygene}}''), teamed up with the [[WelcomeToTheCaribbeanMon Trinidad-based]] steel drum band Amoco Renegades on his 1990 album ''Waiting For Cousteau''. The opener, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLulE8_KAZc Calypso]]", is this trope in spades. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNIjDUSIOzY It got even better]] when Jarre got the Amoco Renegades to Paris for his mega-concert the same year.

* Noisestorm's "[[https://youtu.be/LDU_Txk06tM Crab Rave]]" uses a steel drum-esque sound for its catchy, grooving main melody. The music video features dozens of crabs dancing on a tropical island.

* ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood'': "Have you ever heard of an musical instrument called a steelpan? Some people call it a steel drum, but the correct name is a steelpan."

*** ''8'': Goomba's Booty Boardwalk
*** ''10'': Whimsical Waters
*** ''Super'': Megafruit Paradise

** Most ''VideoGame/MarioParty'' games have one board whose background music utilises steel drums:

*** ''4'': Koopa's Seaside Soirée
*** ''5'': Undersea Dream
*** ''6'': Castaway Bay

*** Additionally, due to its vacation theme, steel drums are present in numerous tracks in ''7''.

*** ''VideoGame/MarioParty1'': Yoshi's Tropical Island
*** ''VideoGame/MarioParty2'': Pirate Land
*** ''4'': Koopa's Seaside Soirée
*** ''5'': Undersea Dream
*** ''6'': Castaway Bay
*** ''8'': Goomba's Booty Boardwalk