Why is the final section of Gioachino Rossini’s William Tell Overture associated with the Lone Ranger?

The final section of the William Tell Overture, composed by Gioachino Rossini, is associated with the Lone Ranger because of its distinct, galloping energy.1

While Rossini originally intended this segment to represent a cavalry charge by mounted Swiss rebels in his opera William Tell, radio producers in the 1930s identified the music as a perfect fit for the Western hero. The overture became the iconic theme song for the Lone Ranger radio program, which debuted in 1933, and subsequently remained linked to the character across television and film adaptations.12

It is a common misconception that the music was written specifically for the character; in reality, Rossini had no intention of it serving as a theme for a masked avenger of the Wild West. The overture's association with the character became so pervasive that it is now considered a musical cliché, though it remains one of the most famous pieces of classical music in American popular culture.12