Best TV theme songs, past or present

maestrowork · Feb 10, 2009

They don't write TV themes like they used to. Where is the equivalence of Hill Street Blue, Cheers, or even the Brady Bunch (I know, I know)?

So, I am really racking my brain thinking of a current worthy theme song... anyone?

KTC · Feb 10, 2009

ALICE

lock thread

ETA: There are no current ones worthy of old ones.

Just Jack · Feb 10, 2009

Rawhide

I could listen to the theme song all day.

maestrowork · Feb 10, 2009

I did like X-Files, but again, that's a long time ago....

SirOtter · Feb 10, 2009

Perry Mason
Peter Gunn
Mission: Impossible
Man from UNCLE
Have Gun Will Travel
And of course, Underdog

I agree, Rawhide is a great one, too.

katiemac · Feb 10, 2009

Part of it for today's themes is that they've significantly reduced the time allotted to opening credits. And the only songs [with lyrics] I can think of within the last couple years were pre-recorded, not composed specifically for the show.

I do like Smallville's pick of using Remy Zero's "Save Me" as their song. It was a favorite of mine and then I heard it changing channels one day after the show debuted. It fits thematically. Too bad the band broke up.

Let's dig up a YouTube clip of Josh Groban doing a tribute to theme songs during the last Emmy Awards ...

My favorite is in there ... Happy Days.

For current theme without lyrics, I like The Office.

katiemac · Feb 10, 2009

Also ... Friends. And that one, I think, was actually original, for the show. It didn't make a Rembrandts album until 1995 and the show premiered in 1994.

benbradley · Feb 10, 2009

"Book'em, Dano."
Hawaii Five-0
or the full 3:22 top-40 Song

benbradley · Feb 10, 2009

Secret Agent Man

poetinahat · Feb 10, 2009

Current faves:

Boston Legal -- BOW BOW babaa bup bup bowwwwwww!
Becker -- sweeeeet guitar licks
...

favorites from the Seventies:

Barney Miller
M*A*S*H
Sanford and Son
Chico and the Man

SirOtter · Feb 10, 2009

benbradley said:
"Book'em, Dano."
Hawaii Five-0
or the full 3:22 top-40 Song

Gawd, yes, the Ventures! Great band.

Nakhlasmoke · Feb 10, 2009

The first song that sprang to mind was Hawaii Five-O

Then The A-Team.

uh...yeah.

Zelenka · Feb 10, 2009

I love Jim Diamond's 'Hi Ho Silver' from the series 'Boon' in the 90s. I like all the old Barry Gray ones from the 60s though for the Gerry Anderson series, UFO, Joe 90, that sort of thing.

TerzaRima · Feb 10, 2009

Shut up, haters!

SirOtter · Feb 10, 2009

Dragnet (Danger Ahead)
Bonanza
Get Smart
Lost in Space
and Al Hirt blowing the hell out of that trumpet on The Green Hornet.

Geez, I'm really showing my age, aren't I?

thethinker42 · Feb 10, 2009

I'm still partial to the theme to "The X-Files".

katiemac · Feb 10, 2009

SirOtter said:
Dragnet (Danger Ahead)
Bonanza
Get Smart
Lost in Space
and Al Hirt blowing the hell out of that trumpet on The Green Hornet.

Geez, I'm really showing my age, aren't I?

Get Smart is great. I always loved the opening credits.

I loved the I Dream of Jeannie theme, too.
Annd Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
And Gilligan's Island.

katiemac · Feb 10, 2009

The Andy Griffith Show

SirOtter · Feb 10, 2009

katiemac said:
The Andy Griffith Show

'The Fishin' Hole'. Good tune.

BenPanced · Feb 10, 2009

(First one to pop into my head.)

This example of Love, American Style from features credits from the episode with "Love And the Happy Days", the pilot for Happy Days.)

Space: 1999 first season theme. ("Well, it's 1999 now." "Yep." both sip coffee "Shouldn't Martin Landau be on the moon by now?")

Captain Kangaroo original theme. ("Puffin Billy") Not that "Good Morning, Captain!" crap they used in the mid 70's.

First season theme for That Girl. I can't find a clip from the final years where they had lyrics.

justsomeguy · Feb 10, 2009

some more recent ones

Firefly
Rescue Me
Ed (first season only)

ETA Highlander

DaddyCat · Feb 11, 2009

A couple from the late 1980's not mentioned yet:

Miami Vice
L.A. Law

Both made a stereo hookup to the T.V. worthwhile. "Star Trek"'s Deep Space Nine and Voyager sounded great, too.

maestrowork · Feb 11, 2009

katiemac said:
Let's dig up a YouTube clip of Josh Groban doing a tribute to theme songs during the last Emmy Awards ...

His range is amazing... HAHA, he did a great Cartman imitation.

Don Allen · Feb 11, 2009

I was always partial to the theme music created for the old Johnny Carson show, you just felt excited when Doc Severenson got the band going and ed McMahon made the announcement...Great theatre....

CaroGirl · Feb 11, 2009

Welcome Back, Kotter! Whatever you thought about the show, the theme song matched perfectly in tone and lyric.

I also liked Facts of Life and WKRP.

Most recently, I like The Office and Survivor.

Best TV theme songs, past or present

Fear the Death Ray

Stand in the Place Where You Live

King of Procrastination

Fear the Death Ray

Il Cavaliere Marino

Five by Five

Five by Five

It's a doggy dog world

It's a doggy dog world

Numbers are beautiful

Il Cavaliere Marino

yes

Going home!

Absinthe O'Malice

Il Cavaliere Marino

Abnormal Romance Author

Five by Five

Five by Five

Il Cavaliere Marino

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

Fear the Death Ray

Seeking a Sanctuary of Intelligence

Living the dream