In the world of The Simpsons, all three of the family's children -- Bart, Lisa and Maggie -- have displayed amazing aptitudes for music. Surprisingly, this skill-set might have come directly from their father, with music being one of the few things Homer ever expressed interest in that he showed real promise at. A subtle throughline of The Simpsons has always been Homer's musical skills and ambitions -- and how he ultimately chose his family over that kind of life.
Various flashback episodes of The Simpsons have shown Homer to be a largely lazy and underestimated young man with brief flashes of talent, such as in gymnastics (as revealed in Season 9's "Bart Star"), being snuffed out by an uncaring world around him. Throughout his young life, Homer was shown to have a deep-seated appreciation for music. Depending on the era that Homer grew up in -- which shifts depending on the episode, thanks to the show's elastic canon -- the music styles and genres change. Season 8's "Homer-Palooza" had him be a fan of stadium rock, while Season 32's "Do PizzaBots Dream of Electric Guitars?" reimagined Homer as an aspiring DJ. But while the specifics may be tweaked, the throughline remains the same -- Homer loves music and wanted to spend his life making it.
Homer even became a musician for a time. Season 18's "Springfield UP" revealed Homer started a one-man-band, which gained little traction despite his talents with multiple instruments. Season 19's "That 90's Show" showcased Homer as part of an R&B group desperately trying to find success, only for a despondent Homer -- following a brief split with Marge -- to push the group into more angsty grunge rock. Their band, Sadgasm, was a brief success, but Homer quickly buckled and ended up back with Marge, and his fame depleted. Homer and Marge soon began a family, resulting in Homer giving up his musical ambitions for a time, though he found success once more as part of the Be-Sharps in Season 5's "Homer's Barbershop Quartet," even earning a Grammy for the songs he wrote.
As Homer grew older, his appreciation for music became increasingly tied with his lost youth. "Homer-Palooza" largely centered on Homer's attempts to reignite some of that young energy by getting into the music of the time. In Season 14's "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation," Homer even got the chance to live a rockstar life once more, thanks to a "rockstar" summer camp his family sent him on. He would later start a band with other Springfield dads in Season 26's "Covercraft," but he was quickly overshadowed by Apu's impressive vocals.
Despite his love for music, Homer is usually happy to put aside his musical ambitions to provide for his family. This is a genuine shame, as Homer is frequently hinted to be a pretty fantastic, natural musician. He's an award-winning songwriter capable of cranking out catchy pop songs for Lisa while she's in an American Idol-esque contest in Season 16's "A Star Is Torn." He collaborated with David Byrne on the mega-popular song "Everybody Hates Ned Flanders" from Season 14's "Dude, Where's My Ranch?" and even has an impressive opera voice (albeit while laying on his back) in Season 19's "The Homer of Seville."
Homer is proficient behind a piano and with a guitar. Ultimately, an argument can be made that his children's innate musical skills could stem from him. It's a quiet and bittersweet throughline for Homer. Although music is a constant in his life, he deems his family far more important than that dream. Throughout The Simpsons, Homer has often detested fame, preferring to just be with his loved ones, but it's a shame he can't find a way to do both.
The Simpsons stars the voices of Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer, Julie Kavner, Yeardley Smith and Hank Azaria. New episodes air Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
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