I read recently that catchy full-blown theme songs to open a show are becoming a thing of the past because of the increasing value of air time. There have been so many great TV theme songs over the years...what are your favorites?
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Best TV Theme Songs Ever?
- Thread starter dmargalotti
- Start date
All In The Family
Green Acres
Beverly Hillbillies
Laverne And Shirley
Petticoat Junction
That Girl(last season theme song when there was words to the song)
Partridge Family(both theme songs)
Get Smart
Mary Tyler Moore
Rhoda(the jazzy and discofied Moog and saxophone from the 5th and final season)
Patty Duke Show
The Jeffersons
The Big Valley
Gunsmoke
Bonanza
The Waltons
Little House On The Prairie
Green Acres
Beverly Hillbillies
Laverne And Shirley
Petticoat Junction
That Girl(last season theme song when there was words to the song)
Partridge Family(both theme songs)
Get Smart
Mary Tyler Moore
Rhoda(the jazzy and discofied Moog and saxophone from the 5th and final season)
Patty Duke Show
The Jeffersons
The Big Valley
Gunsmoke
Bonanza
The Waltons
Little House On The Prairie
My top 5:
Hawaii Five-O
The Rockford Files
Mission: Impossible
Bonanza
I Dream Of Jeannie
One other that is pretty much forgotten that I like a whole lot is the theme from Barnaby Jones.
Hawaii Five-O
The Rockford Files
Mission: Impossible
Bonanza
I Dream Of Jeannie
One other that is pretty much forgotten that I like a whole lot is the theme from Barnaby Jones.
My personal favourite has always been Maude, I remember laughing so hard the first time I heard "Joan Of Arc with the lord to guide her, she was a sister that really cooked."
I always thought the themes to It's A Living (Aka Making A Living ) "Life's Not the French Riviera, believe me life's not a charity ball.." and One Day At A Time "This is it, this is life the one you get.." were catchy too.
People seems to like Good Times and the Jeffersons too. In fact Wilona from Good Times sang the theme to the Jeffersons, Dobbie Gillis and I Married Joan were memorable too. Angie actually became a top 20 hit for Maureen McGovern.
The worst ones were:
Family Ties "Sha, la la la.. To quote an 80s expression gag me with a spoon. Who's The Boss, was bad, Small Wonder, so sappy, she wouldn't make my heart beat twice. God I can't believe I remember that. Charles In Charge was also pretty bad.
The worst was Alice. Actually it wasn't the theme so much as Linda Lavin who each year made the song worse than the previous year. She sang that horrible.
I always thought the themes to It's A Living (Aka Making A Living ) "Life's Not the French Riviera, believe me life's not a charity ball.." and One Day At A Time "This is it, this is life the one you get.." were catchy too.
People seems to like Good Times and the Jeffersons too. In fact Wilona from Good Times sang the theme to the Jeffersons, Dobbie Gillis and I Married Joan were memorable too. Angie actually became a top 20 hit for Maureen McGovern.
The worst ones were:
Family Ties "Sha, la la la.. To quote an 80s expression gag me with a spoon. Who's The Boss, was bad, Small Wonder, so sappy, she wouldn't make my heart beat twice. God I can't believe I remember that. Charles In Charge was also pretty bad.
The worst was Alice. Actually it wasn't the theme so much as Linda Lavin who each year made the song worse than the previous year. She sang that horrible.
I'm watching Hawaiian Eye, catchy song.....Hawaiian Eyyyyyyyyyeahh!
Mark said:
Ha ha ha, that's funny. Even though she made my beat twice. I watched that show religiously as a child, albeit in reruns in the early to mid-'90s on my local Fox affiliate, KTTV Channel 11/Los Angeles. My favorite character was Vicki the Robot. :-* As always, "She's a smaaaaaaaall wonder..."
...my choices, in alphabetical order:
The Avengers
The Beatles ("A Hard Day's Night" 1965-67, "And Your Bird Can Sing" 1967-69)
The Dick Cavett Show (the ABC 1969-74 version)
Get Smart
I Spy
Not Necessarily the News ("Hooray for the City" by Jack Mack & The Heart Attack)
Password (ABC run)
The Rockford Files
The Avengers
The Beatles ("A Hard Day's Night" 1965-67, "And Your Bird Can Sing" 1967-69)
The Dick Cavett Show (the ABC 1969-74 version)
Get Smart
I Spy
Not Necessarily the News ("Hooray for the City" by Jack Mack & The Heart Attack)
Password (ABC run)
The Rockford Files
You could actually break this down into two categories...1) Instrumentals and 2) Songs with Lyrics.
In the Instrumental category...my favorites would be Rockford Files, NYPD Blue, Mission Impossible, M.A.S.H., Bonanza, Get Smart and the Munsters.
As far as theme songs with lyrics, I'd add WKRP, All in the Family, Mister Ed, and Gilligan's Island.
In the Instrumental category...my favorites would be Rockford Files, NYPD Blue, Mission Impossible, M.A.S.H., Bonanza, Get Smart and the Munsters.
As far as theme songs with lyrics, I'd add WKRP, All in the Family, Mister Ed, and Gilligan's Island.
All great choices. The two I still find myself humming many years later are both instrumental - the theme from St. Elsewhere, and the funky theme from the less-than-great sitcom "What's Happening Now" - the 80s version, not the earlier 70s "What's Hapenning" version. I believe Henry Mancini wrote it - a man who could definitely write a catchy tune.
No certain order:
Get Smart
Gilligan's Island
Mystery Science Theatre 3000
The Munsters
Get Smart
Gilligan's Island
Mystery Science Theatre 3000
The Munsters
K
kirkiefan
Guest
Baby I'll Walk With You-Della Reese(Touched By An Angel)
Miami Vice-Jan Hammer
Beverly Hillbilies-Flatt & Scruggs
Welcome Back Kotter-John Sebastian
Who Are You-The Who (CSI)
The Rat Patrol-Dominic Frontiere
Rawhide-Frankie Laine
Hill St. Blues-Mike Post
Sanford & Son-Boots Randolph
Happy Days-Pratt & McClain
The Monkees-The Monkees
Miami Vice-Jan Hammer
Beverly Hillbilies-Flatt & Scruggs
Welcome Back Kotter-John Sebastian
Who Are You-The Who (CSI)
The Rat Patrol-Dominic Frontiere
Rawhide-Frankie Laine
Hill St. Blues-Mike Post
Sanford & Son-Boots Randolph
Happy Days-Pratt & McClain
The Monkees-The Monkees
I
IdentityProgramming
Guest
Theme from "The Jackie Gleason Show" Meloncholy Serenade
kirkiefan said:
Actually,it was Quincy Jones who did the theme to Sanford and Son(although Boots Randolph may have had it on an album of his). And speaking of Quincy Jones,he did the theme song of The Bill Cosby Show(1969-1971 show where Bill played basketball coach Chet Kincaid) and I think The Mod Squad theme as well(Peggy Lipton(Julie on The Mod Squad) was once married to Quincy Jones also).
I have some more themes that I like as well:
Room 222
Cannon
CHiPs
Baretta(Sammy Davis Jr. version)
Hawaii Five-0
Barnaby Jones
The Odd Couple
Quincy
Lost In Space(3rd season especially with the countdown and jazzed up music)
Land Of The Giants
Bob Newhart Show
Newhart
The Monkees
Three's Company
Charlie's Angels
W
weee
Guest
Mark said:
Sit UBU sit, good dog..ARF!
Mark said:
Kickin' ma-self for nuthin' wuz my fay-vrite sport! I hadda get out and start enjoyin' cuz life's too short!
One of my favorites was the theme to "The Greatest American Hero"
As most of my faves have already been posted above, I won't repeat them here. But, one good one that was forgotten was the theme from "That Girl" - all 3 versions. So classic that it was ripped off by both The Simpsons and The Family Guy.
Also, that show has been off the air for so long that I had to explain those scenes to my wife - she'd never seen it!!
Also, that show has been off the air for so long that I had to explain those scenes to my wife - she'd never seen it!!
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