Only Murders In The Building: Why One Season 3 Song Sounds Familiar To '90s Kids

The new season of Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building" is sure to have '90s kids nostalgic for a beloved adaptation of a Disney classic.

At the opening of the Season 3 premiere, a young girl (later revealed to be a younger version of Meryl Streep's Broadway hopeful, Loretta Durkin) is entranced by an actor singing on a Broadway stage. Based on the exact song, as well as a set piece depicting Paris' Eifel Tower looming in the background, we can safely assume that the show she's watching is 1962's "No Strings." In addition to debuting at an appropriate date (in real-life, Streep was a young girl when the musical opened on Broadway) and featuring the story of a French woman falling in love with an American man, the show begins with the very song Loretta hears the actor sing: "The Sweetest Sounds."

Originally composed by Richard Rodgers and performed by Diahann Carroll, "The Sweetest Sounds" became a breakout hit that was subsequently covered by a number of popular artists over the years, including Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland. But where it may have found its largest audience — at least among those millennials who watch "Only Murders in the Building" — was in the 1997 made-for-TV film adaptation of "Cinderella."

Titled "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella," this 90-minute movie musical was co-produced by the late musician Whitney Houston, who handpicked fellow musical artist Brandy to play the leading role. In addition to adapting the original Disney classic (the film aired on the Disney-owned network ABC), "Cinderella" was a quasi-revival of a previous TV musical composed by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II for Julie Andrews in 1957.

As both Rodgers and Hammerstein had passed away long before 1997, Disney opted to include two "new" songs that were not previously included or written for the 1957 version. One was "The Sweetest Sound," which Brandy sang with Prince Christopher actor Paolo Montalban during an early scene in the film. The other was "Falling in Love with Love," originally written by Rodgers and composer Lorenz Hart for "The Boys from Syracuse."

"Cinderella" was generally well-received by contemporary critics, many of whom praised the performances of the principal cast. It was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards and has since gained a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 74% based on over 10,000 audience reviews. Brandy and Montalban reunited to play their respective roles in the Disney Channel film series "The Descendants."