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12 March 2008

Inspired by bmarkey's agony, I ask: what are the best TV theme songs?
These are my official super jonmc nominees! tell me yours and we'll settle this question once and for all. [More:]

Honorable Mention.
This one, no doubt about it.
posted by mr_crash_davis 12 March | 19:53
What's Happening had a pretty good theme. Mancini. Taxi is another good one. And I'd probably have to put Fresh Prince of Bel Air out there, too. Ooh, and Angelo Badalamenti's Twin Peaks music.
posted by box 12 March | 20:00
One of my campfire standards is the Duke Boys theme. Everyone knows it, everyone loves it.
posted by Miko 12 March | 20:00
And, since I mentioned it in the other post, S.W.A.T..
posted by box 12 March | 20:01
Seconding Fresh Prince. That shit was off the hook.
posted by dismas 12 March | 20:05
Oh, and Peter Gunn.
posted by dismas 12 March | 20:06
Baretta. Totally. Off The Map!
posted by rainbaby 12 March | 20:07
I Dream of Jeanie. Hugh Montenegro is unbeatable.
posted by chewatadistance 12 March | 20:13
Barney Miller, Phyllis, the end theme to WKRP. And a big second to Twin Peaks.
posted by bmarkey 12 March | 20:14
Oooh, forgot a great one!
posted by jonmc 12 March | 20:18
Barney Miller and Sanford and Son, definitely.
posted by eekacat 12 March | 20:19
What the hell is wrong with me? Buffy the Vampire Slayer!
Duh!
posted by bmarkey 12 March | 20:21
Better Buffy theme.
posted by bmarkey 12 March | 20:24
Um, Facts of Life? It's kicky!

It's no Baretta, though.
posted by rainbaby 12 March | 20:28
I also love The Sopranos and Barney Miller. Last one - Six Feet Under.
posted by rainbaby 12 March | 20:31
I can't believe I forgot these four songs.
posted by jonmc 12 March | 20:33
On behalf of pips: and I cant believe we didn't put this one up sooner.
posted by jonmc 12 March | 20:35
Yeah, Will Smith isn't my favorite rapper either, but, by just about any standard you'd judge a teevee theme, that one's pretty good. It tells you exactly what the show's about, matches its tone perfectly (it's even echoed in the little bits of pre-commercial incidental music) and it's catchy/memorable as all hell.

If I recall correctly, it was Quincy Jones who did the Sanford & Son music. And his son, QD3, produced the Fresh Prince stuff.

And it's not something I'd listen to recreationally, but Jan Hammer's Miami Vice theme is pretty good for what it is.
posted by box 12 March | 20:36
I can't believe nobody's mentioned these.
posted by jonmc 12 March | 20:44
This one, without a doubt. Even if you'd never seen the show, you knew what it was abut after seeing this intro.

Also, funniest sitcom EVAR, so that's a bonus.
posted by BoringPostcards 12 March | 20:52
Lots of good ones already, but I'd like to mention Starsky & Hutch. I can't much hum it, and it had no lyrics, but man, what a great job of capturing the era and the vibe of the show. Magnum PI was pretty good too. And, what about CHIPS? WIth that terrible synth? Oh, and Dallas!

Oh, and I really liked how That 70s Show used a Big Star song. Until they got Cheap Trick to redo it.
posted by richat 12 March | 20:59
Okay, I think of this as more a good set of opening credits than a good theme per se, but: The A-Team.

(Come to think of it, a lot of those manly '80s shows--you know the ones I mean--had good themes. Thanks, Mike Post.)
posted by box 12 March | 21:07
Another one that should have been obvious...
posted by jonmc 12 March | 21:18
Duh.

Or.
posted by mullacc 12 March | 21:20
One of my favorite shows: Chico and the Man
posted by LoriFLA 12 March | 21:38
I might've missed it, because surely somebody already mentioned 'Suicide is Painless,' right?
posted by box 12 March | 21:42
Yes box, John mentioned it. Great song, probably one of the best.

What about Cheers!? Cheesy but heartwarming.
posted by LoriFLA 12 March | 21:45
I can't belive I'm getting no Baretta love. It is just so totally the best.

Possibly because I never watched the show, though. (Too young.) Hmm.
posted by rainbaby 12 March | 21:47
I might've missed it, because surely somebody already mentioned 'Suicide is Painless,' right?
Damn you!
posted by dg 12 March | 21:49
Also - Dr. Who, and The Kids in the Hall (which is the song "Having an Average Weekend" by Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet).
posted by Zack_Replica 12 March | 22:40
My personal Hall of TV Theme Fame, in alphabetical order:
Absolutely Fabulous (best use of a short snippet of an existing song)
The Addams Family (one word: OOKY!)
Alien Nation (after the perfunctory exposition, the 'alien tribal music' helps introduce viewers to the Newcomers culture, and the pause near the end for token-earthling Gary Graham's emotional outburst makes this opening sequence a total package)
The Amazing Race (bombastic and overdramatic as a theme for "A Race Around the World" must be)
Angel (Sorry, Buffy, this is one area where the spin-off was better)
Astroboy (go to the Original '60s version for one of my childhood faves)
The Avengers (Sixties, British, Stylish, Sexy, the Diana Rigg of theme songs)
The Bill Cosby Show (sixties again, with reegons and raggat and rolls and reezomizen)
Black Adder (same tune re-staged for each different era, and the closing lyrics, Brilliant!)
Black Sheep Squadron (the one the A-Team theme stole from)
Bobby's World (yes, Howie Mandel's kiddie show, IMO, blows Rugrats and the rest from that era away)
Branded (the best Western show theme with explanatory lyrics evah.)
The Bugs Bunny Show (This is IT. So many 60s toons had big opening themes [Alvin, Beany & Cecil] but Bugs was best.)
Captain Kangaroo (The ORIGINAL, please, for the class act of kids tv)
Chico and the Man (Jose Feliciano, 'nuff said)
Dobie Gillis (How do you do 'teen comedy' without real rock & roll? This is how.)
The Dean Carey Show (the FIRST theme he used, "Moon Over Parma" was funnier than the show)
Dudley DoRight (the best of a fine crop of Jay Ward segment themes, no lyrics required, thank you)
The Electric Company (Turn it on!)
ER (the images in the opening were always Cliche City, so close your eyes and enjoy)
Farscape (GREATEST SCI-FI SHOW THEME EVER. Sorry Trekkers, but it was the only one that showed how WEIRD space sci-fi can be.)
The Flying Nun (Who needs wings to fly? who needed the lyrics?)
Futurama (Is that really a "Louie Louie" hook in there? Who cares?!?)
The Greatest American Hero (because the cheesy 70/80s pop fit the show perfectly)
Green Acres (Eddie Albert & Eva Gabor's call-and-response? Perfect!)
Hawaii Five-O (best cop show song of its era, and the Ventures surf guitar version didn't hurt)
Here Come the Brides (Let's hear it for Seattle!)
Highlander (The #1 excuse for the existance of Queen)
Highway Patrol (narrowly edging out Dragnet for Best Cop Show Overdramatics)
I Spy (best spy-show theme, extra points for the minor-key bits in the intro)
It's Gary Shandling's Show (From the days when it was 'self-referential', not 'meta')
Kids in the Hall (the first great hipster rock theme)
Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson ("You can always sleep at work tomorrow" - best. lyric. evah.)
The Littlest Hobo (Never heard of it? '60s Family Show about a stray dog and the people who temporarily befriend him... and the theme was my #1 earworm for my Tween years. This recording doesn't do the song justice. Honest.)

I wouldn't rank em among MY faves, but I'm surprised nobody mentioned Batman, Bewitched, Bob Newhart (both series), Dragnet, I Love Lucy, Jeopardy, Jonny Quest, Kung Fu, true earworms all.

I've been going through the Television Tunes site for OVER TWO HOURS and I'm only through the letter L. DAMN YOU JONMC FOR THIS TIME SINK!!!!

posted by wendell 12 March | 23:16
I remember liking the La Femme Nikita theme song but it wasn't exactly catchy.
posted by small_ruminant 12 March | 23:40
I never heard Baretta before- like it!
posted by small_ruminant 12 March | 23:41
Seconding S.W.A.T.
Love it.
posted by Hellbient 12 March | 23:46
I can't believe nobody's mentioned Clone High yet.
posted by heeeraldo 13 March | 01:32
i love Clone High.
"They flipped the bitch!"
posted by ethylene 13 March | 01:39
's ok rainbaby, I'm not getting any I Dream of Jeannie love either. Hummph.
posted by chewatadistance 13 March | 07:01
chewie, I should have mentioned: "I Dream of Jeannie" is the main ringtone on my cell phone.
posted by BoringPostcards 13 March | 07:25
Simon and Simon
posted by kirkaracha 13 March | 11:59
Can anyone explain || So I got me some tickets to see Eddie Izzard in Memphis today,

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