Best TV theme songs?

[Bunny]

Two categories:

1. With lyrics - the lyrics should actually explain the pretext of the show, a la Gilligan's Island, OR represent the flavor of the show, as in Cheers or Friends.

2. Without lyrics - shows with cool musical themes songs, like Peter Gunn, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, etc.

Anyone want to start?

[Kamika]

1. Ok 2nd category

Miami Vice (crockets theme is great too)
Airwolf
A-Team
Transformers (more then meets the eye)
Knight Rider

[AngryAmish]

2. Rockford Files

Hawaii -5-O

[Catch22Dem]

3. Lyrics: Cheers | NoLyrics: M*A*S*H

However, the "Suicide is Painless" lyrics that go with the M*A*S*H theme were great, but as far as I know were never used on TV.

[gyopsy]

4. Here's my pick....

With Lyrics: "Friends"

Without Lyrics: "Sanford & Son"

[Deja Q]

5. Okey dokey

Best TV show eve, Without lyrics: "Doctor Who". It was highly innovative in 1963, and compared with today's theme songs, it's easily still the highest innovative...

Best TV show eve, With lyrics: "Red Dwarf". Catchy tune, wacky lyrics that were just thrown together with a loose interpretation.

Without lyrics, best American show: Dunno enough American shows, fortunately, but I'd have to say "Get Smart". Catchy tune, remarkably timeless. #2 is "The X Files". Nice haunting little score... The show itself is overrated when not stupid or outrageously gruesome (and why oh why did Charles Nelson Reilly guest star in an episode?!) but the theme is nice.

With lyrics, best American show: "Three's Company" - catchy tune, innocent sounding lyrics to a show that was anything but innocent at the time, yet still is hysterically funny today...

[SmileyBoy]

6. 2nd category: The opening theme to Monday Night Football in 1987-88.

They should have stuck with that opening theme. I get chills down my spine whenever I hear a recording of it. The full video version is better, the one with the football-themed pinball machine. if anyone has a video link to it, I'd greatly appreciate it.

The reason is the nostalgia factor more than anything. Those were the years when I was in kindergarten or so that I was starting to watch football.

1st category: the theme to Perfect Strangers.

(I'm living in 1988, I know. :):):):))

[Shoedogg]

7. Hmmm...

With lyrics: It's Garry Shandling's Show.

Without: Law & Order

[Bunny]

16. This is the theme to Garry's show.

The opening theme to Garry's show.
Garry called me up and asked if I would write his theme song!
We're almost halfway finished.
How do you like it so far?


I cannot remember the rest of the words, but it WAS funny!

On edit: remembered more lyrics to Garry's show:

[Butterflies]

8. without lyrics - Barney Miller

with lyrics - One Day at a Time (explained it.)

[GOPisEvil]

57. Agree on Barney Miller.

I bought the DVD of season one. Still very funny! :D

[Richardo]

9. The zen of The Jetsons lyrics, paired with the swinginest tune ever..

The lyrics, In their entirety:

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

YEAH! :yourock:

[Richardo]

10. Without lyrics: Get Smart...

[Bunny]

12. Richardo you never disappoint!!

That is a great song - so brief, with completely swingin' music! I'd forgotten about the Jetsons!:bounce:

[Richardo]

25. ;-)

:hi: bunnyj!

[CanuckAmok]

11. Instrumental: Either Dr. Who or The Prisoner...

Lyrical, it's gotta be the Flintstones, with that BOSS horn section.

[Bunny]

13. Forgot one.

The Jeffersons. Great song in all ways.

[disgruntled_goat]

14. MANNIX`

great theme song, good swing.
also good treadmill/workout music.

[blondeatlast]

15. WKRP in Cincinnati; both categories.

Genius.

[Butterflies]

17. Maude!!!

how could I forget that one :D

[Deja Q]

30. Good one!

I should update my post but it's too late. I apologize for forgetting it myself! Awesome show, "Maude" was...

[Nay]

18. Miami Vice! Loved it!

[xultar]

21. Second that and what about Crockett's theme! Awesome n/t

[xultar]

19. Hawaii 5-0, Good Times, Sanford & Son!! n/t

[regularguy]

20. No Words: Get Smart. The first tune that stuck with me.

Lyrics: Flintstones. Classic Bebop with rhythm changes.

[ewagner]

22. In the second catgegory

Almost anything written by Mike Post...and he did a lot of em

[PragMantisT]

23. No lyrics

I can't believe no one ever mentions Mission: Impossible.

There was a similar thread before and even I forgot M:I

[Richardo]

27. Oooooooo good one, PragMantisT....

:thumbsup: M:I was one of my favorite tunes ever. 5/4 time, baby! :D

[xultar]

24. The Jeffersons!! Don't forget that one...we're movin on up, to the sky

to a Delux apartment in the Sky, ie, ie, aw we're movin own up to the Sky, we finaly got a piece of the Pie, ie, ie, ie, iiiiiii!

AWESOME

[earthman dave]

26. The Tripods.

"The Tripods" may not have been screened in the US, it was a UK children's sci-fi show. Bloody good theme tune though, really nasty punchy synth bassline and ominous minor-key strings and stabs. Excellent!

[xultar]

28. Ah, the Adams family! The Brady Bunch, Giligan's Island n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

29. I always thought The Courtship of Eddie's Father was kinda hummable.

n/t

[Bunny]

31. People let me tell you 'bout my best friend.

another good one.

[Burma Jones]

32. Words - All in the Family, Inst. - Six Feet Under

[arwalden]

42. Six Feet Under Is Definitely HAUNTING... So Is The Theme From "Carnivale"

[Burma Jones]

43. The Composer Uses the English Horn so well in it

And there's that break in the rhythm where we see the time lapse of the flowers wilting. I liked Carnivale's theme too. Come to think of it, I really like the Sopranos Theme song too. Oh and Stuart Copeland's theme to Showtime's Dead Like Me.

[arwalden]

52. Dead Like Me... Was That Cancelled?

Or was it just a "short-run" that's waiting to be picked up again?

-- Allen

[Burma Jones]

56. It's filming its second season now

[arwalden]

58. That's Good News. Thanks (nt)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

33. Both oldies

1. With words:Secret Agentstarring Patrick McGoohan, theme song sung by Johnny Rivers
There's a man who leads a life of danger
Everyone he meets he stays a stranger...
With every move he makes
Another chance he takes
Odds are he won't live to see tomorrw.
Secret agent man! Secret agent man!
They've given you a number
And taken away your name.

Instrumental: the original Perry Mason

[screwfacecapone]

34. my favs

With lyrics
G-gundam, and gundam seed
spiderman (the 1995 animated series)
I'd start a revolution (birds of prey theme)
Teenage mutant ninja turtles (the original series)
Noir (i don't know if it counts, but it's a tv series in japan. it was released on dvd last year)

without lyrics
X-men evolution

[philosophie_en_rose]

35. With Lyrics: The Jeffersons Without Lyrics: Invader Zim

:evilgrin:

[AmandaRuth]

36. i can't resist

w/o The Simpsons
w/ The Sopranos

[oxymoron]

37. "Here's Kathy who's lived most everywhere,

from Zanzibar to Barkley Square,
but Patty's only seen the sights
a girl can see from Brooklyn Heights.
What a crazy pair!

But they're cousins,
identical cousins and you'll find,
they laugh alike, they walk alike,
at times they even talk alike.
You could loose your mind!

When cousins are two of a kind"!

[PragMantisT]

38. Can't resist another no lyric choice

I'm in a Space Ghost Coast to Coast mood.
Original instrumental by the late Sonny Sharrock (Man....or Astroman)

[elperromagico]

39. Without Lyrics: Sanford and Son. With Lyrics: Hello Larry.

lol

[arwalden]

40. Instrumental: Bewitched / Lyrics: Oblongs

[arwalden]

41. Two Other Instrumentals: HBO's "OZ" and "Sex & The City"

[Delarage]

44. Simon & Simon / Battlestar Gallactica

I think the first episodes of Simon & Simon had a cool guitar thing with some words about brothers.

Battlestar Gallactica had dramatic music that I got into as a child

[ChoralScholar]

45. I was always a fan of the Good Times Theme Song

Good times, anytime you meet a payment
Good times, anytime you're feelin' free
Good times, anytime you're out from under
Not getting hassled
Not getting hustled

Keeping your head above water
Making your way when you can
Temporary layoff (good times)
Easy credit rip-off (good times)
Scratchin' and survivin' (good times)
Hangin' in and jivin' (good times)
Ain't we lucky we got 'em Good Times

Just looking out of the window
Watching the asphalt flow
Thinkin' how it all looks hand-me-down
Good times, good times

http://www.cis.usouthal.edu/~lynn/tvshows/goodtimes/themesong.html

[Goldberg]

46. Without lyrics: The theme from "Angel"

Too bad the show is cancelled after this season. :cry:

With Lyrics: The theme from WWE Monday Night Raw!

[mykpart]

47. With lyrics:

The theme from "Bosom Buddies." (I don't care what you say anymore this is my life, etc.)
theme from "The Greatest American Hero." (Believe it or not, I'm walking on air, I never thought I could be so free)

[area51]

48. Category 2:

Dark Shadows theme.

[VOX]

49. Instrumental: Route 66, Peter Gunn, Combat!, The Virginian...

With lyrics: The Addams Family!

[Supply Side Jesus]

50. Mission Impossible

i really got a kick out of the techno mix for the stupid film.

[bubba_fett]

51. Space Ghost! nt

[mac56]

53. With lyrics: MST3K. Without: 60 Minutes.

nm

[Az]

54. Tank from Cowboy Bebop is first but here are some others

Lost In Space John Williams composer

The Munsters

Peter Gunn

Rockford Files

Star Trek

Muppet Show

Honorable mention: Dark Shadows (for use of Theramin)

[terrya]

55. With lyrics "Green Acres" Without lyrics: "LA Law" and "Jonny Quest"

Terry

[Spider Jerusalem]

59. Does it have to be original?

If not, my vote goes to "Funeral March of the Marionettes", composed by Charles François Gounod (better known to most as the theme from "Alfred Hitchcock Presents").

[Anaxamander]

60. Instrumental: The Simpsons

unless you count when it says, "The Simpsons."