# 1960s TODAY Show theme (Jazz xylophone)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1960s-today-show-theme-jazz-xylophone/977593>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 3, 2023, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1960s-today-show-theme-jazz-xylophone/977593 "2023-01-03T15:24:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1960s-today-show-theme-jazz-xylophone/977593/1 "2023-01-03T15:24:36Z")

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Those of us over the age of 60 might remember the theme song from **The Today Show** during its 1960s Barbara Walters/Hugh Downs incarnation, circa 1965-69. Does anybody here happen to know the name of the tune, or the musician(s) playing it?

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**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1960s-today-show-theme-jazz-xylophone/977593/2 "2023-01-03T16:08:08Z")

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**Erroll Garner** , a Jazz pianist, wrote it. Amazingly, I can’t find it on YouTube.

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**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1960s-today-show-theme-jazz-xylophone/977593/3 "2023-01-03T16:13:57Z")

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[This site](http://blackhistorynow.com/erroll-garner/) says it was “Misty”, one of the most played songs of the 20th Century.

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**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1960s-today-show-theme-jazz-xylophone/977593/4 "2023-01-03T16:59:43Z")

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Here is what Wiki has to say about it  
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Today\_(American\_TV\_program)#Music](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Today_(American_TV_program)#Music)

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**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1960s-today-show-theme-jazz-xylophone/977593/5 "2023-01-03T18:09:04Z")

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Maybe it was made to disappear for copyright reasons, like Peggy Lee’s Disney music? Maybe it was “incidental music” and not the theme. But it wasn’t “Misty” and it wasn’t “This Is Today,” it was in between those two in the late 60s.