television theme songs

100 Memorable TV Theme Songs – The Top 5

This project actually began a decade ago. I don’t remember exactly what was going on in my life or what my thought process was at the time, but when I ran across the original post several months ago it struck me that I could do better. I hope I have achieved that goal. Like so many of my favorite topics I’ve written about in this space, these past few months have allowed me to take a trip down Memory Lane and do a bit of self analysis, understanding the fun little bits & pieces that shaped my childhood, youth, and adult years. Once upon a time I took pride in addressing the important issues, using this site as my own bully pulpit. That hasn’t completely changed, but it has evolved into more of a refuge from the gravity of our world. I retain very little interest in being divisive or dogmatic…most of the time. Don’t hold me to that in the future when I get fired up about a hot topic though. The bully pulpit isn’t retired, it’s just in storage and used sparingly. At any rate, you came here for the conclusion of our musical journey, and I shall provide. As always, if, for some odd reason, you have somehow skipped over the first nine parts of our countdown and landed at the end rather than the beginning, please go here to get caught up.

5 Meet the Flintstones (The Flintstones)

Meet the Flintstones

They’re the modern stone age family

From the town of Bedrock

They’re a page right out of history

Have a yabba dabba doo time, a dabba doo time

We’ll have a gay old time

WILMAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

There is a fun little scene in the greatest Thanksgiving movie of all time…Planes, Trains, and Automobiles…in which extrovert Del Griffith goads uptight Neal Page into leading a bus full of passengers in a singalong. Neil’s choice of Frank Sinatra’s 1954 Oscar winning hit Three Coins in the Fountain is met with bewildered indifference, but Griffith saves the day with Meet the Flintstones. It’s an upbeat, big band song that everyone remembers, sure to lighten up even the grumpiest of moods. Meet the Flintstones, which was inspired by Beethoven’s The Tempest, wasn’t the original theme song for the show, but more than a half century later it’s the one we all know and love.

4 Good Ol’ Boys (The Dukes of Hazzard)

Just the good old boys

Never meanin’ no harm

Beats all you never saw

Been in trouble with the law since the day they was born

Y’all know that, despite hailing from West By God Virginia, I am not a country music fan. I prefer George Thorogood to George Strait, Kenny Loggins over Kenny Chesney, and Hall & Oates instead of Brooks & Dunn. Having said that, it is irrefutable that the legendary Waylon Jennings was a key ingredient in the success of The Dukes of Hazzard, which was probably my favorite pre-teen era show. Jennings had served as The Balladeer (i.e. narrator) in the 1975 film Moonrunners, on which the television program is based. He also wrote & performed the theme song, which reached #1 on the country charts in 1980.

3 Movin’ on Up (The Jeffersons)

Fish don’t fry in the kitchen, beans don’t burn on the grill

Took a whole lotta tryin’ just to get up that hill

Now we’re up in the big leagues gettin’ our turn at bat

As long as we live it’s you and me baby

There ain’t nothin’ wrong with that

Well we’re movin’ on up

One of the personal benefits of projects like this is that I get to relive my childhood, and in some cases clarify an otherwise fuzzy memory. The Jeffersons…a spinoff of All in the Family…aired from 1975-85, so it actually debuted when I was two years old. Two!! The back half of that run (and reruns of the first few years) must’ve really made an impression on me. The theme song was co-written & performed by actress Ja’Net DuBois, who had a supporting role in Good Times. A gospel choir backed DuBois, which is certainly one of the elements that makes the song so memorable.

2 Where Everybody Knows Your Name (Cheers)

Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name

And they’re always glad you came

You want to be where you can see our troubles are all the same

You want to be where everybody knows your name

Childhood is fascinating. As a friend of mine is fond of saying, we don’t know what we don’t know. Ignorance is bliss, right?? So when a sitcom set in a bar premiered in 1982…a week before my 10th birthday…all I knew was that it was funny. It made my Dad laugh. By the time the show ended I was 20 years old and simply thought of it as one of the best comedy shows I’d ever seen. It wasn’t until much later that I realized, in real life, middle aged adults spending every night in a bar is profoundly sad. It is a testament to the brilliance of the Cheers cast & writers that they turned that premise into one of the greatest television programs of all time. Gary Portnoy is a singer/songwriter who had penned a few songs for artists like Dolly Parton & Air Supply, and would eventually write the theme for Mr. Belvedere. As opposed to The Jeffersons quasi-inspirational, gospel infused title sequence, the Cheers theme is a piano driven, somewhat wistful tune that effectively does its job of making the bar seem like an amazing place to hang.

1 The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle (Gilligan’s Island)

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip

That started from this tropic port aboard this tiny ship

We’ve reached the summit. The most memorable television theme song of them all. The truth, of course, is that these things are subjective, influenced by a myriad of factors. Gilligan’s Island probably shouldn’t even register on my radar, given the fact that it only lasted for three seasons in the mid-1960s and was canceled five years before I was born. However, as we’ve discussed, syndicated reruns were abundant in the 1970s & 80s, allowing multiple shows that had played roles in the childhoods of kids much older than me to also be infused into my life. These days television programming embraces darker, edgier, more sinister content. Even comedy tends to evoke a sardonic, highly strung worldview. The sitcoms I grew up watching were goofy, irreverent, and guileless. Gilligan’s Island is quaint when viewed thru a modern prism, but in its time it worked, and we shouldn’t overlook the contribution of a theme song that is not only catchy, but also explains the premise AND introduces each of the cast members. It is no coincidence that the song was co-written by the show’s creator, Sherwood Schwartz. He also created The Brady Bunch and co-wrote that theme song, which followed the same formula of setting up the premise & characters. 

100 Memorable TV Theme Songs – The Top Ten

I have decided to break the Top 10 into two parts because…well, I can – it’s my website. No, seriously…I feel like these final ten theme songs deserve a bit more attention, some room to breathe. I appreciate anyone who has stuck with me thus far, but if you’re late to the party that’s okay too. Just go here & here and you be able to navigate the entire series to this point.

10 The Brady Bunch (The Brady Bunch)

Here’s a story of a lovely lady who was bringing up three very lovely girls
All of them had hair of gold like their mother, the youngest one in curls

Here’s a story of a man named Brady who was busy with three boys of his own
They were four men living all together, yet they were all alone

Perception is an odd thing. We may view something thru a certain prism then later find out that our comprehension was a bit skewed. If you’d have asked me or probably just about any kid in the late 70s/early 80s we’d have told you that The Brady Bunch had been on television for many years with hundreds of episodes. The truth?? It aired 117 episodes in the course of five seasons. What do Perfect Strangers, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, According to Jim, Designing Women, and Boy Meets World all have in common?? Each show produced atleast 150 episodes. That tells you just how pervasive reruns were when I was a kid, especially given the fact that we didn’t have a fraction of the channels available now. The immense popularity of The Brady Bunch in syndication led to multiple reunion specials, a few reboots/spinoffs, and a couple of funny big screen spoofs in the mid-1990s. I’m not going to analyze why the program became so legendary, but I do know one piece of the puzzle is an unforgettable theme song that actually tells a story. 

9 WKRP in Cincinnati (WKRP in Cincinnati)

Baby, if you’ve ever wondered

Wondered whatever became of me

I’m livin’ on the air in Cincinnati

Cincinnati, WKRP

The Brady Bunch is a model of longevity compared to WKRP, which lasted just 90 episodes and four seasons. In retrospect the powers-that-be at CBS torpedoed a program that could’ve easily stuck around for a decade by moving it around the schedule multiple times. In my youth I went thru a brief phase in which I wanted to be a disc jockey, and I think it may have been because of WKRP, with guys like Dr. Johnny Fever & Venus Flytrap making it look like such a fun job. 

8 Yo Home to Bel-Air  (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)

In west Philadelphia born and raised

On the playground was where I spent most of my days

Chillin’ out maxin’ relaxin’ all cool

Shootin’ some b-ball outside the school

When a couple of guys who were up to no good

Startin’ making trouble in my neighborhood

I got in one little fight and my Mom got scared

She said ‘You’re movin’ with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air’

Had I been about five years younger I think The Fresh Prince might’ve become one of my favorite sitcoms. However, while I enjoyed it just fine, the show debuted mere weeks after I started college, and watching television wasn’t a priority in those years. Having said that, three decades after the program ended I could…if properly motivated…bust out what would likely be the worst rendition of the theme song to ever exist, and I’m willing to bet there are tons of 40/50-somethings that could do the same.

7 Those Were the Days (All in the Family)

Boy the way Glenn Miller played

Songs that made the Hit Parade

Guys like us we had it made

Those were the days

Choosing cast members to perform a TV show’s theme song isn’t that unusual, but in the case of All in the Family it’s a bit odd because…well, Archie & Edith Bunker weren’t good singers. I have no idea if Carroll O’Connor & Jean Stapleton could sing in real life, but when utilizing the Queens, NY inspired affectations of their characters, its a performance that wouldn’t exactly make the cut on American Idol. Perhaps though it is that unconventional screeching coupled with the nostalgia soaked lyrics that makes the tune so damn memorable.

6 The Love Boat (The Love Boat)

The Love Boat soon will be making another run

The Love Boat promises something for everyone

Set a course for adventure, your mind on a new romance

I really enjoyed The Love Boat and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Every Saturday night at 9pm thru the first half of the 1980s I sat in front of the television watching the adventures of Captain Stubing, Doc Bricker, bartender Isaac Washington, yeoman purser (essentially the ship’s financial officer) Gopher Smith, cruise director Julie McCoy, and a parade of guest stars navigating love & other drama aboard the Pacific Princess. The revolving door of weekly guests provided a soft landing for once prominent stars as their fame descended, as well as an opportunity for up & coming actors who would go on to much bigger things. For most of the show’s run the theme was belted out by Grammy Award winning singer Jack Jones, but he was replaced in the final season by the legendary Dionne Warwick.

That’s all you get for now!! Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of this fun musical adventure!!

100 Memorable TV Theme Songs – The Top 20

And down the stretch they come!!!! If you need to catch up just go here and it’ll take you everywhere you need to go. It has always been my understanding that cream rises to the top. As much as I appreciate the previous 80 tunes we’ve discussed, I believe these last few entries are truly legendary earworms that have stood the test of time. Anyone of a certain age can probably sing, hum, whistle, or play these songs on some kind of instrument. Sadly, if you are under a certain age you missed out on the greatness of classic television theme songs, but hey, atleast you have binging & reboots going for you, which is nice I suppose.

20 The Office (The Office)

I was fashionably late to The Office party. I never watched a single episode when it originally aired on NBC from 2005-13. And then we had a global pandemic in 2020. I’ve spoken of my various issues during that time so there’s no need to beat a dead horse, but suffice to say I found myself with ample downtime, which is when I discovered The Office on Netflix. Apparently I wasn’t the only one, as it has been reported that the show was, by far, the most streamed program in 2020, setting new records. Five years later, The Office is available on Peacock and airs frequently on Comedy Central, meaning that it is just as relevant & popular now…perhaps moreso…than first run episodes were a decade ago. Anyway, the composer of the synth-laden theme also wrote the score for 1989’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 5, which seems oddly appropriate.

19 The Facts of Life (The Facts of Life)

When the world never seems to be livin up to your dreams

And suddenly you’re finding out the facts of life are all about you

Actors Alan Thicke (Growing Pains) & Gloria Loring (Days of Our Lives) were married from 1970-84. Younger folks with questionable taste in music might be familiar with their son Robin Thicke. During their marriage Thicke & Loring wrote and performed two notable television theme songs. The Facts of Life was a spinoff of Diff’rent Strokes that actually lasted longer than its parent show and, in my opinion, had an even snappier theme.

18 Rock Around the Clock / Happy Days (Happy Days)

When the clock strikes two, three, and four

If the band slows down we’ll yell for more

We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight

We’re gonna rock, rock, rock, ’til broad daylight

We’re gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight

Sunday Monday happy days

Tuesday Wednesday happy days

Thursday Friday happy days

Saturday what a day

Rockin’ all week for you

Okay, stay with me…

Happy Days can’t outdo The Drew Carey Show and its three different theme songs, but it did have two. The first season utilized a revamped version of the 1954 hit Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets. Starting in Season 2 and for the remainder of the show’s run a song called Happy Days (obviously) was written & performed specifically for that purpose. I assume due to music rights issues. 

17 Making Our Dreams Come True (Laverne & Shirley)

Schlemiel! Schlimazel! 

Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!

More than four decades after Laverne & Shirley aired its final episode, I’m willing to bet almost anyone who has tried to sing its theme song gets it wrong, but that’s alright…it’s an infectious tune that stays with those of us who enjoyed the show back in the day. Happy Days was undoubtedly the superior sitcom, but its most famous spinoff has the more memorable (kind of) theme.

16 Batman (Batman)

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na

Batman!

The 1966-68 superhero comedy is a bit controversial amongst fans of The Caped Crusader. Comic book purists sometimes rail against its kitschy vibe that couldn’t be more different than the dark tone of the original stories. Most big screen adaptations of Batman have embraced the traditional noir aura, with one notable exception…1997’s Batman & Robin. That film seemingly paid homage to the TV show and got lambasted as one of the worst movies of all time. Personally, while I agree that it isn’t a great movie, I feel like it’s not THAT bad, and that opinion likely stems from my appreciation for the television program. Its theme is influenced by spy films & the surfing craze, and performed by a group of session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew who also contributed to the Beach Boys seminal album Pet Sounds, Sonny & Cher’s signature tune I’ve Got You Babe, as well as The Godfather film score.

15 The Fishin’ Hole (The Andy Griffith Show)

Whether it’s hot, whether it’s cool

Oh what a spot for whistling like a fool

What a fine day to take a stroll and wind up at the fishing hole

I can’t think of a better way to pass the time of day

Did you know that the TAGS theme has lyrics?? Neither did I until a few years ago when I was working on a project and stumbled across that fact. Fans of the legendary television show are used to hearing the song whistled by its composer Earle Hagen, which adds to the innocence & charm that we love. To be fair, the whistling version was the original, and then a year after TAGS’ debut someone somewhere came up with the idea of updating it with lyrics (sang by Andy Griffith himself). Thankfully it was never used on television.

14 I’ll Be There For You (Friends)

You′re still in bed at ten and work began at eight

You’ve burned your breakfast so far

Things are goin’ great

Your mother warned you there′d be days like these

But she didn′t tell you when the world has brought you down to your knees that 

I’ll be there for you

Not too long ago I saw a headline that said something to the effect that kids viewing Friends nowadays find it super offensive. Thankfully I don’t give a rat’s ass what Zoomers or Gen Alphas think. In the 1990s Friends landed at the perfect time to make 20-somethings of that era feel seen. The fact that it was a Top Ten show for a decade and continues to be popular on streaming services validates its greatness. R.E.M. turned down the opportunity to have their 1991 hit Shiny Happy People serve as the theme song, so series creators wrote a tune themselves and Warner Brothers asked The Rembrandts, whose only notable success at the time was the 1990 song Just the Way It Is Baby, which charted in the Top 20, to record it. 

13 Welcome Back (Welcome Back Kotter)

Welcome back

Your dreams were your ticket out

Welcome back

To that same old place that you laughed about

In retrospect, Kotter is mostly remembered as the launching pad for John Travolta’s career, but that’s a bit unfair. It was a well written, funny show with a great cast. It stayed in the Top 20 during its first two seasons, but in its fourth & final year a confluence of events…new writers, new characters, Travolta taking a step back into a part time role as his movie stardom exploded…led to declining ratings & cancellation. The theme song was written & performed by John Sebastian, former frontman of The Lovin’ Spoonful, whose hits include Do You Believe in Magic? and Summer in the City. Welcome Back became a #1 hit for Sebastian in 1976.

12 The Ballad of Jed Clampett (The Beverly Hillbillies)

Come and listen to a story ’bout a man named Jed

Poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed

Then one day he was shooting at some food

And up through the ground come a bubbling crude

Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea

I tend to be overly sensitive about the way southerners, rednecks, hillbillies, hayseeds, hicks, yokels, and bumpkins are portrayed in pop culture. Having lived my entire life in West Virginia I long ago grew weary of jokes, ridicule, and preconceived notions that are largely off base, atleast in my personal experience. At any rate, there are exceptions to every rule, and the Clampetts hail from Tennessee anyway 😂. The show’s nine season run ended the year before I was born, but it’s another 60s sitcom that was in heavy rotation in syndication when I was a young boy. The theme song was recorded by legendary bluegrass duo Flatt & Scruggs and succinctly sets up the program’s entire premise. It actually spent a few weeks atop the country charts.

11 Thank You For Being A Friend (The Golden Girls)

If you threw a party

Invited everyone you knew

You would see the biggest gift would be from me

And the card attached would say

Thank you for being a friend

During its seven seasons The Golden Girls won eleven Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes, and a variety of other accolades. All four actresses in the cast…Betty White, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, and Bea Arthur…won Emmys. I was a 12 year old seventh grader when the show premiered, certainly not the target demographic for a sitcom about retired women sharing a house in Miami. However, because of its superb writing & top notch cast, The Golden Girls is one of those rare cases of something being so good it defies any traditional parameters. Thank You for Being a Friend had been a Top 25 hit in 1978 for Andrew Gold, although the TV show utilized a cover performed by a female artist.

Please stay tuned for the Top Ten…you don’t want to miss it!!

100 Memorable TV Theme Songs – Part 8

Here’s a truth bomb: I don’t actually watch much television anymore. Specifically, I don’t watch hardly any traditional sitcoms or dramas. Don’t misunderstand…my TV is on alot, but either a) it’s background noise and I’m not really paying attention, or b) I am tuned in to very specific programming. I DVR “my stories” (thanks to my grandmothers & a childhood babysitter). I love my wrasslin’. On autumn weekends I am happy to vegg out watching hours upon hours of football. Occasionally I might check out the local news. And that’s pretty much it. Once upon a time I used to scope out the Fall Preview edition of TV Guide and decide what new shows I wanted to give a whirl, but that was a LONG time ago. Is TV Guide even a thing anymore?? I sincerely have no idea. The last network television program I remember being excited about was Designated Survivor almost a decade ago, and it faded into the abyss rather quickly. Am I missing out on some good stuff?? Probably. Do I care?? No. Thanks to streaming, if I REALLY get in the mood to watch a conventional TV program I can just rewatch an old favorite. Which reminds me of the task at hand. If you need to catch up please check out the following:

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

Part 4  Part 5  Part 6

Part 7

30 Peter Gunn (Peter Gunn)

Peter Gunn was a detective series that aired in the late 1950s. It is unlikely that I would’ve been interested in it even if I had been born, which I wasn’t yet. However, the iconic theme song, composed by the legendary Henry Mancini, was also used two decades later on the big screen for The Blues Brothers.

29 Mister Ed (Mister Ed)

A horse is a horse, of course, of course

And no one can talk to a horse of course

That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mr. Ed

Just imagine that pitch meeting, in which someone floats the idea of a sitcom starring a talking horse. Whatever the approach may have been obviously worked. The theme was written by the same songwriting duo who won an Academy Award for the Doris Day tune Que Sera Sera (from the 1956 Alfred Hitchcock/Jimmy Stewart film The Man Who Knew Too Much) and also wrote the Christmas classic Silver Bells. It is interesting to note that the actor who voiced Mr. Ed…Allan Lane…portrayed cowboy Red Ryder on the big screen in the 1940s. Red Ryder, as we’re reminded each December, is admired by a certain enthusiastic young boy in northern Indiana who desperately wants a replica of the crime fighter’s gun.

28 Mickey Mouse March (Mickey Mouse Club)

Come along 

Sing the song 

And join the jamboree

M-I-C-K-E-Y  M-O-U-S-E

Mickey Mouse has been the beloved mascot of Disney for nearly a century. The character has starred in movies, comic strips, and TV shows, most notably The Mickey Mouse Club in the 1950s, which also introduced the world to Annette Funicello. It’s been revived a few times, including the early 90s with a cast that included Justin TImberlake, Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, Keri Russell, and Christina Aguilera. 

27 William Tell Overture (The Lone Ranger)

The Lone Ranger has been around since the 1930s. He was introduced on a radio program, and has since spawned books, TV shows, comics, and movies. Italian composer Gioachino Rossini wrote the William Tell Overture in 1829, Tell being a legendary 14th century Swiss folk hero. It’s a beautiful piece of music that’s actually about 11 minutes long, but most of us are only familiar with the finale section associated with The Old West’s masked vigilante lawman.

26 Dallas (Dallas)

Every Friday night at 9pm for over a decade my whole family would gather in front of our television to watch the wheelin’ & dealin’ and tribal conflict of the uber wealthy Ewing Family, especially the battles between sibling oilmen JR & Bobby. Because the show ran for 14 seasons the instrumental theme music was tweaked a few times, with the disco vibe of the early years giving way to a slightly New Wave interpretation. Having said that, unless one sat down & listened to each season’s opening individually, most probably wouldn’t notice a huge difference.

25 Angela (Taxi)

On the opposite end of the spectrum from Dallas’ majestic orchestral theme that evolved over a decade & a half, we have a simple, laid back, almost melancholy jazz tune from a sitcom that aired for a criminally short five seasons. The song wasn’t originally intended to be used as the show’s theme, as it was written for an early episode featuring a character named…you guessed it…Angela. However, the powers-that-be pivoted, making that cab ride across the Queensboro Bridge a journey that lives on in the collective memory of an entire generation. The song’s composer, Bob James, is allegedly the second most sampled artist in hip-hop history, after James Brown. I cannot opine on the veracity of that claim.

24 With a Little Help from My Friends (The Wonder Years)

What would you think if I sang out of tune?

Would you stand up and walk out on me?

Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you a song

And I’ll try not to sing out of key

My friend Greg once advanced the notion that “time travel is always cool”, a statement with which I generally agree. The Wonder Years didn’t necessarily address time travel, but the framing device was that of a middle aged narrator in the 1980s reflecting on his teen years in the 1960s. Perhaps, in this case, it’d be more accurate to say that nostalgia is cool, which is also mostly true. Actually, the television show was partly inspired by the 1983 film A Christmas Story, which is now a beloved holiday classic, but The Wonder Years had come & gone long before the 24 hour Christmas Eve marathon became an annual tradition. Kudos to the series’ creators for recognizing genius way before anyone else. Anyway, the theme song was originally a Beatles’ tune from the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Joe Cocker released his cover a year later, and it became a #1 hit. 

23 The Streetbeater (Sanford & Son)

Harmonica isn’t an instrument we hear very often, and rarely is it the centerpiece of a song. That’s what sets The Streetbeater apart. Motown icon Quincy Jones apparently composed it in less than a half hour then recorded it just as quickly. That’s quite impressive for a tune that is still instantly recognizable nearly a half century later.

22 Tossed Salads & Scrambled Eggs (Frasier)

Hey baby, I hear the blues a-callin’

Tossed salads and scrambled eggs

And maybe I seem a bit confused

Yeah maybe, but I got you pegged!

But I don’t know what to do with those tossed salads and scrambled eggs

I LOVED Frasier. If you catch me in the right mood I might be bold enough to assert that Frasier is a better sitcom than Cheers, which I am fully aware is sacrilege to many people. I think it has something to do with my age and the fact that Cheers began when I was nine years old, airing until I was in college, while Frasier debuted when I was in college and was a source of comfort during my complicated 20s. At any rate, the mandate from producers to songwriters tasked with crafting the theme was that there be no direct mentions of psychiatry or a radio program. I think we can all agree that what they came up with is quite creative & snappy. It is also unique that the theme song was not played during the brief opening sequence, but was part of the closing credits.

21 Johnny’s Theme (The Tonight Show)

Late night television has been part of a national conversation lately, and I haven’t been shy about expressing my opinions on the subject for several years. Suffice to say, no one did it better than Johnny Carson. My father loved Carson’s Tonight Show, and I grew up watching it whenever I didn’t have school the next day and could stay up late. Johnny’s Theme originated as a song called Toot Sweet, written by Paul Anka for teen pop star Annette Funicello in 1959. Anka then released his own cover, retitled It’s Only Love. Carson asked Anka to compose an instrumental version, which opened each Tonight Show for three decades.

Stay tuned for Part 9…coming soon!!

100 Memorable TV Theme Songs – Part 6

I promised y’all we wouldn’t have another big delay, and I am a man of my word. Actually, now that my weekends will be filled with an abundance of football action (unless I receive an offer that just can’t be refused to actually leave the cozy confines of my humble abode), it is the perfect time to work on projects like this since I enjoy multitasking while in vegg mode. If you are new here please take a look around, and catch up with this series by going here…then here…then here…then here…and finally, here. Take your time…we’ll leave the light on for you.

50 Petticoat Junction (Petticoat Junction)

Come ride the litte train

That is rollin’ down the tracks to the junction

Forget about your cares

It is time to relax at the junction

This is another one of those shows that I admit to not watching much of, partly because its original run ended before I was born, but also because, even though reruns were available during my childhood, it just didn’t interest me. Having said that, the theme song is a fun little ditty with a bluegrass vibe.

49 Together (Silver Spoons)

Together, we’re going to find our way

Together, taking the time each day

To learn all about those things you just cant buy

I feel like Silver Spoons gets overlooked by those who fondly reminisce about great 80s sitcoms. Rick Schroder never really became the kind of big star that many expected after his Golden Globe winning performance in 1979’s The Champ when he was nine years old, and the show itself wasn’t a huge hit. However, it did launch the careers of Alfonso Ribeiro and Jason Bateman. The theme song is exactly the kind of schmaltzy, soft rock-esque vibe one would expect to find in an 80s time capsule.

48 Gomer Pyle, USMC (Gomer Pyle, USMC)

Gomer Pyle was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and was almost as successful. One can enjoy Gomer Pyle on its own merits, even if you’ve never seen an episode of TAGS. However, in my humble opinion, the character works better as a supporting player amongst the hilarious antics in Mayberry, and I kind of wish he’d never left to join the service. Pyle’s theme song is NOT an official Marine tune, although composer Earle Hagen (who also wrote & whistled the TAGS theme) did a really nice job of capturing the essence of a military style march.

47 Suicide is Painless (MASH)

I freakin’ hated MASH when I was a kid. Not only did I not understand the humor (or drama) of the well written program, but I seem to recall it aired at 9pm on Mondays, when all I wanted to do was watch a little bit of Monday Night Football before I had to go to bed. Unfortunately my father loved MASH, and he had control of the only television in our house at the time. Having said that, I did develop an appreciation for the show as an adult, though it still isn’t something I seek out on streaming platforms. There are lots of other things I prefer for a jolt of nostalgia (although the 1970 film starring Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Tom Skerritt, Sally Kellerman, and Robert Duvall is rather entertaining). The theme song’s title contains the word “suicide”, which is obviously a downer, but it’s one of the most memorable themes in television history.

46 I Love You (Barney)

I love you, you love me

We’re a happy family

With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you

Won’t you say you love me too

It haunts my dreams. That damn purple dinosaur was really popular when my nephew was a toddler, and he wanted to watch the videos over & over & over & over & over…😱.

45 Linus & Lucy (Peanuts)

When the first Peanuts holiday special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, was being produced in the 1960s, the comic strip’s creator Charles Schulz & TV producer Lee Mendelson battled network suits who were a bit hesitant about jazz musician Vince Guaraldi writing & performing the score. Needless to say the suits were wrong, and Generation X is thankful that Schulz & Mendelson got their way, with Linus & Lucy becoming the unofficial Peanuts theme song. I am the kind of dork who assigns various ringtones to my frequent contacts, and Linus & Lucy was my sister’s tone (because Lucy is Linus’ sister and that’s how my brain works). Though she passed more than two years ago I have not deleted the tune from my phone, and I never will.

44 All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight (Monday Night Football)

Are you ready for some football?

A Monday night party

Yes, sir, this is Hank and my mission is to get this party started

You know helmets crashin’, the crowd is psyched

Cause all my rowdy friends are here on Monday night

I had the opportunity to see Hank Williams Jr. in concert when I was in college. Unfortunately, because that was WAY before smart phones & social media, and due to enthusiastic “pre-gaming”, memories of the event are…vague. At any rate, a modified version of his 1984 Top Ten hit opened MNF from 1989-2011, until Williams dared to criticize President Obama with an analogy that “journalists” & Hollywood types now use routinely with President Trump, which prompted ABC/Disney to do that thing they do of ruining a perfectly good thing for no real reason.

43 Big Bang (The Big Bang Theory)

Our whole universe was in a hot, dense state

Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started, wait

The earth began to cool, the autotrophs began to drool

Neanderthals developed tools

We built a wall (we built the pyramids)

Math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries

That all started with the big bang

I LOVED TBBT and was glued to my TV every Thursday night for over a decade. There was a time when I used to watch a copious amount of reruns on TBS, although that phase seems to have passed. I was not a fan of 90s rock band Barenaked Ladies, but kudos to them for writing perhaps the last great television theme song.

42 The Addams Family (The Addams Family)

They’re creepy and they’re kooky

Mysterious and spooky

They’re all together ooky

The Addams Family

The Munsters (The Munsters)

Yes, I am aware that they are two different shows. However, it is difficult to overlook the similarities. Both featured odd, macabre, goth families seemingly unaware of their peculiarities. Both aired for only two seasons from 1964-66. Despite both shows producing less than 100 episodes, their popularity continues decades later thanks to almost always being aired somewhere on television. And finally, both had unique, infectious theme songs that everyone of a certain age remembers. The Addams Family theme has been used for various films & television revivals. The Munsters instrumental theme had a strangely effective surfer vibe and was actually nominated for Grammy.

41 My Life (Bosom Buddies)

I don’t need you to worry for me ’cause I’m alright
I don’t want you to tell me it’s time to come home
I don’t care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life, leave me alone

Bosom Buddies’ most enduring legacy is introducing the world to Tom Hanks. It’s also a sitcom that’d never be greenlit in this day & age for fairly obvious reasons. The 1980s were just different. Anyway, My Life had been a Top 5 hit for Billy Joel in the late 70s, although it was performed by a different singer for the show and jettisoned altogether for syndication & home video. I am sure all of that is related to licensing, money, and legal mumbo jumbo.

We’re heading down the home stretch!! Please stay tuned for Part 7.

100 Memorable TV Theme Songs – Part 5

The little break we’ve taken from this series was unintentional. Life happens, right?? Nothing bad has occurred…I’ve just had other things going on. At any rate, we’ve reached the halfway point!! Thanks to those who have enjoyed the project thus far, but if you’re a newbie just go here to get caught up, and we’ll see you when you get back.

60 We’re the Chipmunks (The Chipmunks)

We’re the Chipmunks

C-H-I-P-M-U-N-K-S

We’re the Chipmunks

Guaranteed to brighten your day

Alvin, Simon, & Theodore were introduced to the masses in 1958 with the holiday tune Christmas Don’t Be Late, and made their television debut in 1961. The incarnation I best remember aired in the 1980s when I was not yet too old for cartoons but pretty damn close. While the Christmas tune is still heard regularly each December I haven’t paid attention to the various movies & TV shows that have been produced in the last few decades. That 80s theme is still memorable though.

59 Hill Street Blues / The Rockford Files / Greatest American Hero / The A-Team / Magnum PI

You’ve probably never heard the name Mike Post, but if you watched television in the 1980s you undoubtedly heard his work. He is perhaps the most prolific composer in the history of television, winning five Grammys & an Emmy in the process. He also produced the 1998 album Van Halen III, the band’s only one with singer Gary Cherone. VH purists often dump all over it, but it has a few good songs.

58 The Smurf Song (The Smurfs)

La la la-la la la, sing a happy song

La la la-la la la, smurf the whole day long

Okay, okay…so I liked cartoons when I was a kid. Sue me. Much like The Chipmunks, I haven’t kept up with The Smurfs as an adult, but their Saturday morning show in the 1980s was good, and the theme song is simple & upbeat.

57 Love & Marriage (Married…With Children)

Love and marriage, love and marriage

They go together like a horse and carriage

This I tell you brother

You can’t have one without the other

You can’t go wrong with Ol’ Blue Eyes!! I wasn’t a fan of the show, which struck me as rather crass & borderline vulgar when I was 14 years old. I’m sure there was something else on in the same time slot as well, and DVR wasn’t a thing nearly four decades ago. In hindsight I understand that the creators (and the powers-that-be at fledgling network Fox) were being contrarian, intending to foist upon the masses a satire of traditional family sitcoms. I guess I wasn’t ready to appreciate such cynicism yet, which is ironic given how my personality developed thru the years. Love & Marriage was a Top 5 hit for Frank Sinatra in 1955.

56 Hogan’s Heroes March (Hogan’s Heroes)

Hogan’s Heroes is one of those shows that came & went before I was born, but found new life in syndication. I seem to recall my father enjoying it because, at that time (in the early 1980’s), he was going thru that phase that so many Dads experience when they’re really into war movies & TV shows. At any rate, the military style march used for the theme is undeniably memorable. 

55 It Takes Diff’rent Strokes (Diff’rent Strokes)

Now, the world don’t move to the beat of just one drum

What might be right for you may not be right for some

A man is born, he’s a man of means

Then along come two, they got nothing but their jeans

But they got, Diff’rent Strokes

It takes Diff’rent Strokes

It takes Diff’rent Strokes to move the world

Whatchu talking ‘bout Willis?!?!?? Actor Alan Thicke is remembered for starring in his own sitcom Growing Pains, but before that he was a successful singer & composer. Along with his wife Gloria Loring, Thicke wrote and/or performed the theme song for this show, as well as The Facts of Life and several game shows. This particular tune is a core memory for Gen X.

54 A Little Less Conversation (Las Vegas)

A little less conversation, a little more action please

All this aggravation ain’t satisfactioning me

A little more bite and a little less bark

A little less fight and a little more spark

Close your mouth and open up your heart and maybe satisfy me

First we had Sinatra, now we have Elvis Presley. When this program aired a couple of decades ago I had developed a hardcore Vegas fetish. It is still a dream vacation but will likely remain an unfulfilled fantasy. The show itself went thru too many changes and was moved around NBC’s schedule, to the point that I pretty much checked out when James Caan left the cast before the final season and was replaced by Tom Selleck (no disrespect intended toward Selleck, who is a great actor and seems like a cool guy). The song wasn’t a big hit for Elvis in 1968, but obviously people appreciate all of his music now.

53 Spider-Man (Spider-Man)

Spider-Man, Spider-Man
Does whatever a spider can
Spins a web, any size
Catches thieves just like flies
Look out!
Here comes the Spider-Man

Modern audiences are more familiar with the big screen adaptations starring Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland as Spidey (aka Peter Parker), but numerous live action & animated TV shows starring one of our greatest superheroes have been produced, with some version of the same theme being used.

52 Everywhere You Look (Full House)

Everywhere you look, everywhere you go

There’s a heart, a hand to hold onto

Everywhere you look, everywhere you go

There’s a face of somebody who needs you

Okay, I’ll admit it…despite the fact that I was a high school student then a drunken frat boy, I enjoyed ABC’s TGIF lineup of sitcoms like Full House, Perfect Strangers, Family Matters, and Boy Meets World, amongst others. I was familiar with John Stamos from his brief run on General Hospital in the early 80s, and found the rest of the cast charming & funny. The older I get the more the theme song resonates. What did happen to predictability?!?!?? 

51 Come and Knock on Our Door (Three’s Company)

Come and knock on our door

We’ve been waiting for you

Where the kisses are hers and hers and his, three’s company too

During an episode of Friends Chandler Bing once deadpanned “I think this is the episode of Three’s Company where there’s some kind of misunderstanding”, and it was hilarious because it’s true. They called it Jiggle TV, and as a young boy in the late 70s/early 80s I appreciated the visuals, even if I didn’t fully understand the urges they stirred in my loins. At any rate, like alot of other television programs of that era, Three’s Company was a product of its time that won’t ever be remembered fondly by erudite, critical types, but holds a special place in the hearts of Gen X. The theme song was, ironically enough, composed by the same guy who did the music for Sesame Street and The Electric Company.

I’ll get to Part 6 MUCH FASTER than we arrived at this point…I promise!!

100 Memorable TV Theme Songs – Part 4

I’m going to spare y’all a long preamble and only reiterate the fact that my earliest television memories begin in the 1970’s, my formative years were mostly in the 1980’s, and by the time the 1990’s rolled around I segued from college to the “real” world. Entertainment after the turn of the century has been a mostly prosaic blur, with my tastes firmly focused on particular areas that don’t include many prime time dramas or comedies, and no stupid “reality” shows. Take that information however you want, with the knowledge that it shapes this project significantly. If you haven’t already, please check out parts 1, 2, and 3.

70 Bewitched (Bewitched)

Chances are, if I’ve enjoyed a television show even a little bit and its theme song is a lively big band tune, I’m going to hold it in high regard. Bewitched ended its eight season run a few months before I was born, but it’s one of those older programs that was available in syndication well into the 1980’s, and with all the entertainment platforms at our disposal nowadays I’m sure it remains accessible to those who seek it out.

69 A Different World (A Different World)

Here’s our chance to make it

If we focus on our goal

You can dish it, we can take it 

Just remember that you’ve been told

It’s a different world than where you come from

Remember what I said about In Living Color?? Well, I didn’t feel the same about A Different World. Perhaps, because it not only was a traditional half hour sitcom, but also a spinoff of the beloved Cosby Show, I felt it was relatable. It also premiered when I was still in high school so I didn’t have the collegiate distractions yet. Sure, there was a distinct point of view and heavier subjects were addressed in that special way that  situation comedies have of weaving such topics into the narrative, but it was well written, funny, and offered great performances. Bill Cosby himself, as well as cast member Dawnn Lewis, contributed to the writing process of the theme song, which evolved thru the years from a bluesy tune to more hip-hop infused. The Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin actually sang it for a few seasons.

68 Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood)

It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood

A beautiful day for a neighbor

Would you be mine? Could you be mine?

Won’t you be my neighbor?

Anyone who grew up in the 70’s, 80’s, or even the 90’s was blessed to have Fred Rogers imprint our childhood. It sure as hell was far superior to the twisted indoctrination children receive nowadays. At any rate, Mr. Rogers himself wrote & performed the theme, which still creates warm fuzzies all these years later. We’d all do well to emulate its message.

67 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Heroes in a half-shell 

Turtle Power!

I’m going to blame this one on my elder nephew, who was born in the early 1990’s, right around the time TMNT surged in popularity. I think I may have watched the first movie, but otherwise lost interest rather quickly. The TV show was cooler anyway. The idea of badass turtles trained in martial arts & named after Renaissance artists is undeniably quirky in the best possible way. They loved pizza too!! 

66 Star Trek: TOS / Star Trek: TNG

Space…the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.

Shoutout to an old friend who made me a Trekkie in college. Well, okay, I think I was more of a Trekker. Actually, my fandom is rather odd. TOS came & went before I was born, but I LOVE the six movies with the original crew that were produced from 1979-91. Alright alright…some of those films were way better than others, but that’s a debate for another day. Conversely, I adore TNG, but the four big screen offerings we got between 1994 & 2002 just don’t frost my cupcake. Contrary to what some may assume, the shows had two distinct themes. TOS’ opening was composed by Alexander Courage (what a fantastic name), while TNG’s theme was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, who had done the music for several Trek films.

65 Scooby-Doo Where Are You? (Scooby-Doo)

Scooby Dooby Doo, where are you?

We got some work to do now

Scooby Dooby Doo, where are you?

We need some help from you now

Scooby-Do was always one of my favorite cartoons. I laugh now, looking at it thru the prism of adulthood and wondering what exactly Shaggy & Scooby were doing in their spare time. 

64 As Long As We Got Each Other (Growing Pains)

As long as we got each other

We got the world spinnin’ right in our hands

Baby, you and me, we gotta be

The luckiest dreamers who never quit dreamin’

Family sitcoms were much more strait-laced and far less sardonic four decades ago. Dr. Jason Seaver is a laid back Long Island psychiatrist, while his wife Maggie is a news reporter. Their three children are boilerplate sitcom kids: uptight & scholarly Carol, wiseass Mike, and slacker Ben. A fourth child was added at some point, and in the final season the Seavers took in a homeless teen portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. You may have heard of him. At any rate, the show’s theme was a duet featuring BJ Thomas, known for hit songs Hooked on a Feeling, Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song, and Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, and Jennifer Warnes, probably best remembered for two fantastic film duets…Up Where We Belong with Joe Cocker (for the 1983 movie An Officer & A Gentleman) and I’ve Had The Time of My Life with Bill Medley (for the 1987 classic Dirty Dancing).

63 The Jetsons (The Jetsons)

Meet George Jetson
His boy, Elroy
Daughter Judy
Jane, his wife

In retrospect it’s kind of cool how The Jetsons, in the 1960s, portrayed the future 2062, which is now less than four decades away. While we haven’t yet achieved George’s work week of two hours two days per week, video calls, flat-screen TVs, smartwatches, and robot assistants are a few things that have moved from science fiction to reality. The theme song is a peppy, upbeat “spacey”, big band/lounge number that introduces each character by name, and it became a Top Ten hit in 1986 when new episodes of the show were produced.

62 The Pink Panther (The Pink Panther)

If you’re a Boomer then you probably remember the 1960’s Pink Panther film series featuring bumbling French detective Inspector Clousseau. If you’re a Gen-Xer you might remember the Pink Panther starring in commercials for fiberglass insulation. The character has also been in over 100 theatrical shorts and multiple cartoon shows. No matter where you know it from, we’re all familiar with the jazzy theme composed by the legendary Henry Mancini.

61 Bandstand Boogie (American Bandstand)

We’re goin’ hoppin’ 

We’re goin’ hoppin’ today

Where things are poppin’ 

The Philadelphia way

We’re gonna drop in 

On all the music they play

On the Bandstand (Bandstand)

Dick Clark was an American treasure. From hosting the $10k Pyramid game show to co-hosting TV’s Bloopers & Practical Jokes with Ed McMahon to creating so many holiday memories with New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, Clark was a radio & television icon. He might be most remembered for hosting the coolest of all song & dance programs for the vast majority of its 37 year run. Bandstand Boogie had been recorded by various artists, but the version we all know & love was performed by Barry Manilow starting in 1977.

Part 5 will be heading your way soon!!

100 Memorable TV Theme Songs – Part III

While catchy theme songs haven’t disappeared completely, they are less common than they once were. TV theme songs began to decline in popularity during the mid-1990s for various reasons. Networks became concerned about viewers changing channels during opening credits, so they decided to jump into the show’s content faster to retain the audience. Removing theme songs obviously creates more time for commercials. And these days, with streaming, the “skip intro” feature caters to a population with less patience & shorter attention spans. I won’t dive down the rabbit hole of modern culture vs. “the good ol’ days”, but if you’re of a certain age like me you probably have some opinions. At any rate, please take a moment to peruse Part 1 & Part 2 if you haven’t already done so.

80 Mission: Impossible (Mission: Impossible)

I’ve never watched a single episode of the 1960’s television show nor any of the dozens of Tom Cruise films, but come on…everyone has heard that theme song.

79 CHiPs (CHiPs)

I vaguely recall being a fan of CHiPs in the early 80’s. Cop shows aren’t usually my thing, but maybe Grade School Me had a motorcycle fetish. Since the program premiered in 1977 its theme obviously had a cool disco vibe. I’m sure it was in the rotation at every dance club back then.

78 Miami Vice (Miami Vice)

I am sensing a trend. Two actually. Not only is it another instrumental theme, but also from a show I never watched. As mentioned, cop shows just don’t frost my cupcake. That being said, the cool people were all watching Miami Vice in the 1980’s, and even those of us who weren’t viewers got caught up in the fashion trends it inspired. Composer Jan Hammer won two Grammys for his synthesizer heavy theme song.

77 Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?)

Well she sneaks around the world from Kiev to Carolina

She’s a sticky-fingered filcher from Berlin down to Belize

She’ll take you for a ride on a slow boat to China

Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

I don’t know where Carmen Sandiego is or was back in the day. Heck, I never even watched the PBS show because its purpose was to teach geography to kids, and by then I was a college student. However, that song is straight fire and introduced the world to the vocal group Rockapella. It is my understanding that they are still around & performing.

76 What’s Happening!! (What’s Happening!!)

It’s impossible to be in a bad mood when you hear the bouncy instrumental theme for What’s Happening!!. You might be surprised to know that it was written by Oscar, Grammy, & Golden Globe winning composer Henry Mancini. You’ve heard his other work if you’ve watched Peter Gunn, The Pink Panther, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, or Charlie’s Angels. 

75 Hawaii Five-O (Hawaii Five-O)

I have a vague recollection of watching the original Hawaii Five-O when I was a kid, and I tried (unsuccessfully) to get into the reboot that aired about a decade ago. While the show itself was popular, this might be the prime example of a theme song’s legacy eclipsing the source material.

74 The Monkees (The Monkees)

Hey, hey, we’re the Monkees and people say we monkey around

But we’re too busy singing to put anybody down

Well okay, Hawaii 5-O…hold our beer. Were The Monkees a fictional band?? Or were they a real band that starred in a television show?? The answer is both. They were created for the TV show, but did produce albums and go out on tour. The show only lasted two seasons in the late 1960’s (before I was a gleam in my father’s eye), but lots of us rediscovered it when MTV aired reruns in the mid-80’s. The band’s music…Daydream Believer, Last Train to Clarksville, I’m a Believer…is a far greater legacy than the television program. I had an opportunity to see Mickey Dolenz in concert about seven years ago, which was fun.

73 Closer to Free (Party of Five)

Everybody wants to live how they wanna live

Everybody wants to love how they wanna love

Everybody wants to be closer to free

When Party of Five aired in the mid-90’s I had graduated from college and certainly grown beyond teen drama. However, there was much more to the show than that, and let’s be honest…Jennifer Love Hewitt was easy on the eyes. Closer to Free became a Top 20 hit for The BoDeans.

72 Saved by the Bell (Saved by the Bell)

When I wake up in the morning
And the alarm gives out a warning
And I don’t think I’ll ever make it on time
By the time I grab my books
And I give myself a look
I’m at the corner just in time to see the bus fly by

It’s alright ’cause I’m saved by the bell

Yes it was corny. Sure, I was in college and not really the target demographic. However, Saved by the Bell fit into a unique niche. It was lighthearted, easily digestible entertainment for people who had outgrown cartoons but enjoyed a harmless distraction on a lazy Saturday morning.

71 Without Us (Family Ties)

What would we do, baby without us?

There ain’t no nothing we can’t love each other through

What would we do, baby without us?

Shalalala

Everyone knows & loves Michael J. Fox, especially if you’re a fan of Back to the Future, Teen Wolf, or any of his lesser known movies. However, let’s not forget that 80’s sitcom Family Ties was not only his big break, but a damn fine television program. The laid back, soulful theme song is a duet by the legendary Johnny Mathis & 80’s icon Deniece Williams.

Stay tuned for Part 4!!