Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)
The opening of the symphony is so famous that it has often been quoted. Other composers have used it in their compositions, e.g. Sergei Rachmaninoff in his song Fate. It has often been used in popular culture, from disco to rock and roll, and in film and television. During World War II, the BBC used the four-note motif to introduce its radio news broadcasts because "short-short-short-long" spells the letter "V" in Morse code. The "V" meant "Victory". It was played very quietly on a drum. People in Nazi occupied countries who wanted to hear the news listened in secret to the BBC news because it was more likely to be true.