A 1987 a cappella Suzanne Vega song remixed in 1990 by DNA into a club hit, and later used as the audio test signal for the development of the MP3 codec.
Composition
Tom’s Diner was written by Suzanne Vega in 1981 and recorded as the opening a cappella track on her 1987 album “Solitude Standing.” The lyric describes scenes observed from a New York diner counter.
DNA Remix
British production duo DNA released an unauthorized dance remix of the song in 1990 with added drum machine and electric piano. Vega and her label retroactively authorized the release, and it reached the top ten in many countries.
Legacy
Audio engineer Karlheinz Brandenburg used Tom’s Diner as a primary test signal during development of the MP3 audio codec in the 1990s. The song has been called the “mother of the MP3” in tech publications for that reason.