Favorite TV Theme Songs
 

I don't know how it got brought up, but my wife and I were discussing the best TV theme songs a few days ago. I wasn't able to narrow it done to just a single theme, so I'm curious what others have to say on the subject.

Here's my nominations so far (in no particular order):

1) Odd Couple
2) M*A*S*H (Bonus points if you know the words)
3) Buffy the Vampire Slayer
4) King of the Hill
5) Dick Van Dyke Show
6) Cheers
7) Secret Agent Man

I'm really tempted to nominate The Golden Girls theme, because I'm positive that if you started singing it in a room filled with 25-32 year olds everyone would join in. But, I just can't bring myself to do it.

I always liked Hill Street Blues (showing my age here), Fraggle Rock, Mission Impossiable and Angel.

Barney Miller, WKRP, Animaniacs, Looney Tunes.

I thought about adding Barney Miller, but figured I needed to make a cut off point somewhere.

Semi Interesting Sidenote: When I was in high school I spent a quarter on home study. I pretty much spent the entire day watching TV while I did my class work. I still remember the schedule I watched:

• The Price Is Right
• I Love Lucy
• The Andy Griffith's Show (another deserving nominee)
• Gomer Pyle, USMC
• Barney Miller
• Perry Mason
• Various afternoon cartoons

The <a href="http://mythemes.tv/series/themes/opening/nightcou.mp3">Night Court</a> opening theme is pure funk jazz brilliance!

Also, thanks for exposing me to MyThemes.tv! What a great site!

Hmm, pretty hard to pick the best ones...

Let's see...
Grizzly Adams---------------------------------Magnum P.I.
Eight Is Enough (the second theme song)------Wonder Woman
The Brady Bunch------------------------------McGuyver
Mary Tyler Moore Show------------------------Hawaii Five-0
Monkees--------------------------------------Sanford and Son
Branded--------------------------------------The Lone Ranger
High Chaparral--------------------------------Fall Guy
One Day At a Time----------------------------The Andy Griffith Show
Jonny Quest----------------------------------Airwolf
Green Acres----------------------------------Charmed
Greatest American Hero------------------------Buck Rogers In The 25th Century
Dynasty--------------------------------------Bonanza
Family Ties-----------------------------------Welcome Back, Kotter
Facts of Life----------------------------------Gilligan's Island
Star Trek-------------------------------------Incredible Hulk
Star Trek: The Next Generation----------------Newhart
Battlestar Galactica---------------------------Mystery Science Theater 3000

So many more rattling around in my skull...;)

Fraggle Rock and Alf had nice theme songs.. They come to mind off the top of my head..

Also, the theme song to Doogie Howser is pretty memorable.

Wow. I can't believe I forgot Hawaii 5.0 and Jonny Quest. Both of them were my computer startup sounds for awhile.

Although, I gotta say, the JQ theme loses something without the accompanying visuals. So, that may be a mark down in the "greatest theme song" ever scoring. (I mean, if you can't see crocodile men, what's the point?)

Unless I missed them here are some more themes to throw in:

Growing pains
Knight Rider
The A-team
Miami Vice

I wiill say that Greatest American hero was the first theme to come to my mind when I saw this subject

Damn! There are so many and I know my brain won't recall them all. When I have time to think, I'll edit and add more.

Little House on the Prairie
The Waltons
Courtship of Eddie's Father
Land of the Lost
Gilligans Island
Family Affair
Shazzam!
Captain Caveman
I Dream of Jeannie
Leave it to Beaver
All in the Family
Barney Miller
Silver Spoons
Benson

I'm guessing only Gen-Xer's (I hate that term) will remember some of those...
O'kay, to tired to think beyond the mid 80's, I'll have to post more tomorrow.

Oh, one recent...Malcolm in the Middle..."Life is unfair....!"

Ali

I always loved:
Seaquest
the Outer Limits (1995-2000)
Black Sheep Squad.
Cheers
Stargate SG-1/Stargate: Atlantis
MacGuyver
Star Trek: TNG/DS9/VOY (NOT ENTERPRISE, GO AWAY RUSSEL WONG)
Simpsons
Farscape (I don't know why, I guess it grew on me)
Cowboy Bebop
the short lived Spiderman series on MTV (recent)
I can't think of any more.

EDIT: I forgot Airwolf, thanks Fremen.

Tour of Duty.

Underdog rocks

Naruto Season 1, 2, 4
Cowboy Bebop
Star Trek: The Next Generation
MacGyver

-Lasereth

It's time to play the music
It's time to light the lights
It's time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight.

Gotta love the Muppet Show...

or
We've got a gorilla for sale...a yellow gorilla for sale.
Won't you buy him...take him home and try him...gorilla for sale.
See in the window, Magilla Gorilla...full of charm and appeal.
Handsome, elegant, intelligent, sweet...He's really ideal.
So if you want a yellow gorilla you can call your own...
a gorilla who'll be with ya when you're all alone.
"Its the MAGILLA GORILLA SHOW.

I've not got some serious ear worms going on -- Thanks... :D

Angel
A-Team
Knight Rider
Early seasons of Andromeda

As said above, Buffy and the Muppets.

I'll also add:

Kim Possible
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy

And, I kinda hate to do this to the guy with the TV tunes site, but he left a directory open...

Muppet Show.
Joan of Arcadia is a song I don't like. :P
The Simpsons always always always...gets stuck in my head.
As well as Malcolm in the Middle and King of the Hill
and finally
FAMILY GUY.

The Muppet Show, hands down.

Runners up include:
The West Wing
Charmed
Dallas
Night Court
Falcon's Crest
Battlestar Gallactica

Muppet Show definitely

No one's mentioned the Simpsons yet, and I also throw in Batman Beyond's theme by Crystal Method

My favorites at the moment are from "Gilmore Girls", "American Dreams", and "The O.C."

Nickelodeon's The Tomorrow People. Both themes.

Also, agreed on Malcolm in the Middle.

Sealab 2021 comes to mind.

welcome back mr. kotter
batman
the fall guy

the older shows have the best theme songs!

i always liked the "Angel" theme song done by Darling Violetta. the cello really makes the theme fit with the show.

Muppet Show sure, but does anyone remember the Banana Splits theme songs or is it just me. For some reason I think about that one all the time.

Millennium
NYPD Blue ( only thing i like about this series is the theme music )

All the Disney afternoon ones.
Ducktales,
Dark Wing Duck,
Gummi Bears,
Tale Spin,
Chip N' Dale: Rescue Rangers,
Goof Troop.
- - - - - -

TMNT,
Super Mario Brothers Super Show,
and there's another one i just can't put my finger on it. . . ><

Dayum! How did I forget the Muppet Show and Night Court?

Couple more:
The Ren and Stimpy Show - Reverend Horton Heat being clever.
The Tick (the cartoon)- dop DWEE dopdopdop DWEEdau!

Yes it's stupid, and yes it's probably very cheesy, and yes you'll probably laugh, but I kinda always liked the "Space: Above and Beyond" theme. I have a soft spot for martial themes.

The Angel theme is awesome...very mellow and almost haunting.

Get Smart
Alien Nation
Parker Lewis Can't Lose
Sopranos
Fox NFL Sunday

And the guilty pleasure...
Spongebob Squarepants

-Mikey

Rockford Files

My vote goes to McGyver.

Airwolf, Great American Hero, Boston Public, those would be my top 3!

How about Smallville? I love 'Save Me'

doubt many of you would know it... but McCallum (starred John Hannah).

it used a really really sexy version of Cry Me A River (no, i don't mean that Timberfake crap, i mean the original).

that and Cowboy Bebop are the only ones that immediately spring to mind.


oh... how could i forget... ASTROBOY!!!... hands down...

I'll add a few I didn't see mentioned here- Highlander (can't believe this one wasn't listed), Band of Brothers (even though it was a limited run), Six Feet Under, and Oz. I'm sure I'm missing big ones, and I'll add them if I remember them.

captain planet

Cowboy Bebop!!!!
FLCL!!! (the whole soundtrack is great)
Harvey Birdman attorney at Law!!!
The Secret Life of...
Good Eats!!!
And of course...Benny Hill!!!