# Best music in a TV show. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 22, 2002, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180 "2002-07-22T06:37:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Iteki\_actually](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b2d939/32.png) [@Iteki\_actually](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki_actually)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/21 "2002-07-22T23:15:36Z")
Both X files and Milleneum have great intro music, as does ER. I second the call about the excellent use of music within the wonder years. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/22 "2002-07-23T01:09:57Z")
Theme music for a currently running show: **NYPD Blues** Memerable music from older shows: **Twin Peaks** , very moody. And **Northern Exposure** a real blend of esoteric and often obscure stuff. The only show where we would watch the credits closely to see if they would relent and name the artists. They never did, the bastids! My own personal favorites from long ago: the **Peter Gun** theme, and the theme from _MAS_H\*\*\*. ---
**Author:** ![A\_wizard\_song\_for\_thee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@A\_wizard\_song\_for\_thee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_wizard_song_for_thee)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/23 "2002-07-23T07:02:57Z")
**Twin Peaks** had some of the most brilliant made-for-T.V. music I’ve ever heard, but, for brilliant use of existing music, especially existing pop music, my vote has to go to **Buffy the Vampire Slayer**. The theme leaves something to be desired, but I still remember a sequence set to The Cure’s “Watching me Fall.” Oh, but I suppose I should give honorable mention to **The West Wing** for the montage set to Jeff Buckley’s cover of “Hallelujah” in last season’s finale. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/24 "2002-07-23T08:07:13Z")
Girls were girls and men were men Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again (why?) Didn’t need no welfare state (well, I do, since I’ve been laid off) Every body pulled his weight, Gee, our old LaSalle ran great (took me twenty years to figure that one out) Those were the days (until that annoying dark-haired girl came on the show)! ---
**Author:** ![yellow\_peril](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ee7513/32.png) [@yellow\_peril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellow_peril)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/25 "2002-07-23T08:29:16Z")
**The Equaliser.** Can’t beat it. ---
**Author:** ![QueenAl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/d26b3c/32.png) [@QueenAl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QueenAl)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/26 "2002-07-23T13:27:06Z")
Ooh, the Equaliser, good call. On British TV (probably on Masterpiece Theatre in the US), the theme tune to **Inspector Morse** is perfect for that series. ---
**Author:** ![irkenDoom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c2a13f/32.png) [@irkenDoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irkenDoom)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/27 "2002-07-23T15:27:59Z")
What about **Barney Miller?** ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/28 "2002-07-23T15:35:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by A wizard song for thee \* > \*\*Oh, but I suppose I should give honorable mention to _The West Wing_ for the montage set to Jeff Buckley’s cover of “Hallelujah” in last season’s finale. \*\* That was just on TV here tonight (we are _so_ far behind it’s not funny), and I thought that sequence was brilliant. Theme song; _Six Feet Under_, by Thomas Newman. ---
**Author:** ![Allen\_Parine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/57b2e6/32.png) [@Allen\_Parine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Allen_Parine)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/29 "2002-07-23T18:29:11Z")
_Doctor Who_, especially the main theme and the music from the Pertwee era (I’m thinking Sea Devils here). **yosemitebabe** already mentioned _Cosmos_. And of course, \Kyuun kyuun, kyuun kyuun, watashi no kare wa pilot\. Bubblegum pop: humanity’s last hope 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/30 "2002-07-23T19:40:55Z")
_Come ‘n’ listen to my story ‘Bout a man named Jed, A poor mountaineer Who barely kept his fam’ly fed An’ then one day He was shootin’ at some food An’ up from the ground Come a’ bubblin’ crude Oil, that is… black gold… Texas tea…_ You know the rest. I’m surprised that I am the first to mention _The Addams Family_. As for instrumentals, I’d mention _Quantum Leap_, _Batman, the Animated Series_ and _Airwolf_. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/31 "2002-07-23T19:49:27Z")
The Jeffersons, LA Law, and Boston Public are all good choices. And Mystery! too- very creative one there. I also like the theme to “Frasier”- the opening one is cool. Brief, but nice, and I like the closing theme, as performend by Kelsey Grammer. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/32 "2002-07-23T19:50:56Z")
Oh, and one other one…huge guilty pleasure, but “Sailor Moon.” The theme song is good. (What? It’s catchy!!) And the music they play when they show the title of the episode. Also the background music for whenever they’re with the Negaverse. The high pitched sort of droning one. ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/33 "2002-07-24T07:20:12Z")
Just remembered another one myself - the theme for Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I know it was an Eagles song, for all it didn’t sound like it; think it was called _Journey of the Sorceror_. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/34 "2002-07-24T08:09:40Z")
When I saw the title of the thread, I first thought of **Cowboy Bebop**. I can’t believe that all that music was written by one person – Yoko Kanno is my hero. Other great themes are **Space: 1999** and **Lost in Space** (both versions). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/35 "2002-07-27T06:03:41Z")
Angelo Badalamenti’s work for **Twin Peaks** (and **Wild at Heart** and **Blue Velvet** as well) was magical. I’m the only one impressed with what Christopher Franke did on **Babylon 5**? The third and fifth season themes alone held more emotion than entire seasons of various **Star Trek** series. ---
**Author:** ![Lapin\_de\_poussiere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a4c791/32.png) [@Lapin\_de\_poussiere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lapin_de_poussiere)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/36 "2002-07-27T14:38:24Z")
> [@](#): > > X-Files, Mark Snow In particular, the episode from last season with Burt Reynolds and the Spanish/French/Italian music. The _Star Trek: Voyager_ theme was my favorite of all the ST series theme music. For currently running series, I like the _West Wing_ theme and _CSI_’s use of The Who’s “Who Are You?”. ---
**Author:** ![rexnervous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rexnervous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rexnervous)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/37 "2002-07-27T20:14:30Z")
for theme/opening music, **Hill Street Blues** , hands down. My wife would say **Party of Five** , as that was her favorite show. Every time that BoDeans song comes on the radio, she starts dancing around. ---
**Author:** ![hegel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cab0a1/32.png) [@hegel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hegel)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/38 "2002-07-27T20:54:59Z")
**The Streets of San Francisco** Man, I love that tune. ---
**Author:** ![grendel72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/91b2a8/32.png) [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/39 "2002-07-27T21:18:11Z")
Ladies and gentlemen, **Cop Rock**. Seriously, most people who claim it was a bad show never saw it. I wouldn’t say it was good, but it was unique and interesting and the music _was_ good. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2002, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180/40 "2002-07-28T00:52:26Z")
> [@](#): > > The theme for the original Star Trek episode “The Doomsday Machine” was always one of my favorites… I suspect John Williams ripped it off for his theme for Jaws. That same relentless pounding… great stuff. No, I believe Williams was ripping off a classical composer in this case, but I can’t remember which one. However, I’ve heard an almost identical theme in a 19th century piece. Williams has good taste; ripped of Tchaikovsky and Holdst for _Star Wars_, Copland for _The Cowboys_ and again for the crappy fanfare they’ve been playing the last couple of Olympics, etc., etc. Anyway, I don’t think anybody has mentioned _The Rockford Files_. Unforgettable instrumental theme. I loved a short-lived show called _EZ Streets_. It featured a lot of sad, Celtic-sounding music. If any of you saw the scene the cuts between Jamaicans trying to assassinate Jimmy Murtha and the cop having sex with Murtha’s half-crazy lawyer/girlfriend on a cot in the basement of an abandoned tenement, you might remember the song they used. (This one scene establishes a) that the cop and the lawyer have a sad old history together; b) that the young man who had taken a prison sentence in Murtha’s place is bound to Murtha for life; c) that you don’t get happy endings in this show; the best you can hope for is survival. The haunting ballad they use nails the tone down.) [hijack]Actually I never really figured this show out, because I missed the pilot. I never knew who the hell “Frency” was, or why the police department seems to be a big empty building, or who was really corrupt and working for the bad guys, and who wasn’t. But during its short run that show had some of the most extraordinary scenes I’ve ever seen on tv. (Like the Mayor, in thrall to organized crime, blasted on coke, standing in an abandoned, shut-down factory, reliving his stirring speech from when he was running for city council and promised the factory workers he’d “draw a line in the sand” and save their jobs – trying to recapture a time when he wasn’t corrupted.)[/hijack] Oh and “The Fishing Hole” from _The Andy Griffith Show_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-music-in-a-tv-show/120180.md?page=3)