"The Springfield Files"- why couldn't it use the real X-Files theme?

[DaffyDonaldQW93]

I don't have the boxset for the commentary but why "The Springfield Files"(The Simpons episode) couldn't use the actual X-Files theme?

[King_of_doom]

Its been awhile but they actually did use the theme of the X-files when Homer encounter the Alien like Mr. Burns for the first time.

[Ragebot]

Its been awhile but they actually did use the theme of the X-files when Homer encounter the Alien like Mr. Burns for the first time.

They did use Mark Snow's theme for the episode, yes. It was for "Grampa Simpson vs. Sexual Inadequacy" that they used a sound-alike.

[xmendude]

Wow!! I wanted to see this episode for a while and my local FOX affiliate aired this episode today! Anyways, the theme kind of sounded like the one from "The X-Files" but it sounded kind of different....

[Monterey Jack]

I just think that when the ep "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" was first released, The X-Files wasn't nearly as famous as the show would become in later seasons, ergo the soundalike version of Mark Snow's theme music. By the time "The Springfield Files" aired, The X-Files had become one of Fox's most popular shows, hence not only the use of the actual series theme but the guest appearances from David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.