Often it’s the unintentional that ignites the most memorable musical moments. In the case of “Beverly Hills 90210,” the theme song’s iconic claps were mere filler for a gap that had composer John E.

The Clapper™ is a miracle of the 1980s, turning lights and TVs on and off with the simple clap of the hands, and engraving itself into the collective human unconsciousness with a little jingle that ...