It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown soundtrack to be uncovered on September 18, 2026

The dedicated folks at Lee Mendelson Film Productions are back with their second new Vince Guaraldi album of 2026 - the complete score for the 1974 Peanuts special It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown.

The 21 track album includes the full 15 cue score for It's a Mystery, plus four alternate and unused tracks along with two cover tunes performed by Vince Guaraldi and his musical compatriots.

In the show, Woodstock's newly-built nest disappears, so Snoopy puts on his world famous detective's outfit and goes on a rambunctious investigation of the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Sally worries about a science exhibit for school. Could there be a connection?

All tracks on It's a Mystery have been mastered from the original session tapes for excellent stereo sound with a total runtime of 42 minutes, making it one of the longest Peanuts soundtrack releases to date.

The album will be available on CD, several different vinyl versions, and digitally on September 18, 2026.

In keeping with the mystery theme, all physical versions of the album (vinyl and CD) come with a "Snoopy Holmes" magnifying glass, so that you can "find all the tiny Peppermint Patty robbers" and "search for clues and solve puzzles in the packaging that will lead to more surprises". Be sure to investigate once you get your copy!

The CD, digital, and regular black vinyl can be pre-ordered from Amazon and other stores now.

The other specially colored vinyl variant exclusives and their pre-order links are:

• Mysterious Magenta, from Urban Outfitters
• Mystifying Teal, from Barnes & Noble
• Magnifying Glass Clear, available only at participating independent record stores (call your local store if you don't see it listed!)

You can find more information about the It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown soundtrack album on the Lee Mendelson Film Productions website and in the full press release.

The album track listing:

 1. Little Birdie

 2. Mystery Theme / Mystery Theme (Reprise)

 3. It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown

 4. Sassy Sally / It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown (Reprise)

 5. Mystery Theme (2nd Reprise)

 6. Cops and Robbers

 7. It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown (2nd Reprise)

 8/ Mystery Theme (3rd Reprise)

 9. It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown (3rd Reprise)

10. Sally’s Blues

11. Mystery Interlude #1

12. Joe Cool

13. It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown (4th Reprise)

14. Mystery Theme (4th Reprise)

15. Mystery Theme (5th Reprise)

Bonus tracks:

16. It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown (2nd Reprise Alternate Take)

17. Snoopy Holmes

18. Mystery Theme (Vibraslap Mix) / (Studio Banter) / Little Burdie (Alternate Vince Whistle) / Cops and Robbers (Rhythm Section Mix)

19. Joe Cool (Just Vince Mix)

20. Autumn Leaves (by Joseph Kosma)

21. Billie’s Bounce (by Charlie Parker)

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Meanwhile, in August 2026, Craft Music is releasing several new "60th anniversary" vinyl variants of the It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown soundtrack, including a spiffy new zoetrope version of the album.

You can order the Great Pumpkin zoetrope album directly from Craft, or your favorite record store.

Additionally, there are several new pumpkin-shaped vinyl variants of the Great Pumpkin soundtrack in various colors: "electric pumpkin patch" from Barnes & Noble, "pumpkin spice" from Walmart, "ghost white" from Target and "candy corn" from Craft Recordings. Plus, the previous released "orange pumpkin" pressing will be re-released and available at all major retailers. You can find order links here (be sure to scroll the list of buttons to find all of the options).

Emmy Award madness

Lee Mendelson, Charles M. Schulz and Bill Melendez celebrate their Emmy Award
victory for A Charlie Brown Christmas.

It’s common knowledge that A Charlie Brown Christmas won both an Emmy Award, for Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Programming; and the even more prestigious Peabody Award, for the “gentleness [with which this] little gem of a show faithfully and sensitively introduced to television the Peanuts collection of newspaper characters created by Charles Schulz.”

While researching the liner notes written for Lee Mendelson Film Productions’ March 2026 debut release of Vince Guaraldi’s score for 1966’s Charlie Brown’s All Stars! — paired with his score for It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown — Ye Humble Blog Authors were reminded that both All Stars! and 1966’s It’s the Great Pumpkin had shared nominations for an Emmy Award in that same category. Alas, that likely split the vote, because when the awards were presented on June 4, 1967, both Peanuts specials lost to Hanna/Barbera’s live action/animated production of Jack and the Beanstalk, starring and directed by Gene Kelly.

That loss aside, our curiosity was piqued: How long did the Peanuts TV specials’ run of consecutive Emmy nominations continue, during those early days?

Sure enough, both 1967’s You’re in Love, Charlie Brown and 1968’s He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown also received Emmy nominations in that same category, once again vying against each other (because both debuted during the 1967/68 television season).

But then an odd thing happened.

As reported the following day by longtime Cincinnati Post & Times-Star entertainment journalist Mary Wood, the award for Outstanding Children’s Program wasn’t announced during the ceremony televised on May 19, 1968.

Worse yet, as further research revealed — baffling as it seems — nothing won in that category!

A visit to the Television Academy’s Emmy Award archive verifies that You’re in Love and He’s Your Dog competed for the award, alongside Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood ... and no winner is shown.

This called for a deeper dive into history. 

We have a friend who works for Variety. He has access to that publication’s archives, so we briefed him about the situation. He got back to us the following day, with information and charts from the Daily Variety issue of May 20, 1968.

He verified that no winner had been presented in our desired category. Perhaps worse, six musicians competed for the category of Individual Achievement in Music ... and no winner was announced there either! The Daily Variety article confirmed this: “No awards were given in musical competition and children program categories.”

“This kind of thing ticked off members during the 1960s,” our friend reported. “It was so bad that nearly every composer in the music branch resigned a year or two before, because this was happening regularly: multiple nominees but no winners chosen. The governors fixed it somehow, and by the late 1960s, someone won something in virtually every category.

“At least you can say that Peanuts dominated the category, with two out of three nominations!”

True ... but Lee Mendelson must’ve felt cheated, having lost the opportunity to have picked up another Emmy.

Another friend and mutual Guaraldi fan summed up the situation with deliciously scathing humor.

“A national television awards ceremony with nominees, no winner, scattered records, and just enough confusion to keep people annoyed 58 years later, feels entirely appropriate for American television. [It was] one of those charming Academy practices where the nominees were invited to the party, and the award stayed home!”