# Best theme music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 23, 2002, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507 "2002-05-23T16:49:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/1 "2002-05-23T16:49:38Z")
I’d say it’s the Superman theme from the 78 movie. I’d forgotten just how good it was until I downloaded an mp3 of it. Might have something to do with the movie being a childhood favorite but it’s still imho a really good piece of music. As an aside, was there a memorable Spiderman theme from the movie? I saw it twice and don’t recall one at all. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/2 "2002-05-23T18:57:33Z")
60 Minutes ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/3 "2002-05-23T20:20:15Z")
Star Trek: TNG And the obligatory Star Wars Main Theme and the Imperial March. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/4 "2002-05-23T20:25:54Z")
Hawaii 5-0. No contest. ---
**Author:** ![monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/5 "2002-05-23T20:27:45Z")
If we’re talking movies, I like Raiders of the Lost Ark. If we’re talking TV, there are several: Cheers The Jeffersons Sandford and Son Night Court ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/6 "2002-05-23T20:47:47Z")
Theme from _Shaft_. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/7 "2002-05-23T21:48:15Z")
> [@](#): > > As an aside, was there a memorable Spiderman theme from the movie? I saw it twice and don’t recall one at all. No, but they did have a brief shot of a hippie street performer singing a variation of the classic Spiderman theme. Except instead of “he’s got radioactive blood”, it was “I think we should all just give him a hug”. For TV themes, the synthesizer music from _Doogie Howser_ did a great job of setting the tone for the show. With movies, I’d have to nominate _Jaws_ and _2001_. Yes, I know that the music for _2001_ wasn’t written for the movie, but it was integrated very well. ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/8 "2002-05-23T22:01:18Z")
_Peter Gunn_. I could hum that thing under my breath for hours and not notice it. The Imperial March and March of the Raiders. The James Bond theme (the jazzy version, not the horrid techno thing). ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/9 "2002-05-23T22:05:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > \*\*Hawaii 5-0. No contest. \*\* Which was done by Lalo Shifrin (sp?). He also did the music for Enter the Dragon, which I was going to put for number 1. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/10 "2002-05-23T22:56:02Z")
For TV, the obvious outright winner, by a long streak, is **Mission Impossible**. Also written by Lalo Schiffrin. For movies, I don’t really know, but I would have thought the sound track to ‘Psycho’ took some beating. Maybe that doesn’t really count as a theme tune, though, in that it’s not the opening titles music that anyone remembers. But Bernard Herrmann was a genius. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/11 "2002-05-23T23:02:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > \*\*Hawaii 5-0. No contest. \*\* Agreed, runner up: SWAT ---
**Author:** ![haardvark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@haardvark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haardvark)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/12 "2002-05-23T23:22:26Z")
_ **Simon and Simon.** _ [Tim Reid]Oh, you mean my _cousin_, Air-to-ground Brown.[/Tim Reid] ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/13 "2002-05-24T00:06:02Z")
Movies: _Bullitt, The Professionals, The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three_ TV: _Cowboy Bebop, Due South, Peter Gunn_ ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/14 "2002-05-24T00:11:04Z")
James Bond The Godfather MIssion Impossible Star Wars Pink Panther ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Frink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Mr.Frink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Frink)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/15 "2002-05-24T01:38:08Z")
The theme to **Welcome Back Kotter**. One of the few television theme songs to go to #1 on the Billboard charts, I believe… ---
**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/16 "2002-05-24T03:36:47Z")
I always liked the theme to **Angel** , even though I never watch it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/17 "2002-05-24T03:42:59Z")
The Tonight Show, With Johnny Carson. Instantly recognizable (but the frequent airings helped) and punchy, and I always liked it. Are we talking personal favorites, critics’ choices, or the most easily recognizable trademark/branding/marketing sort of “best”? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/18 "2002-05-24T04:10:43Z")
I’ll see your Mission Impossible and raise you a Rockford Files. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/19 "2002-05-24T04:51:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by World Eater \*(Hawaii 5-0) > Which was done by Lalo Shifrin (sp?). Sorry to be picky, but [Morton Stevens](http://www.discogs.com/release/28118) composed Hawaii 5-0. My #1 favorite theme is “Patton” by Jerry Goldsmith. You’ll hear that theme used _everywhere._ I also like “ST-TNG” (Goldsmith and Alexander Courage) “The Imperial March” from “Star Wars” (John Williams). “The Pink Panther” (Henry Mancini) “The Poppy Fields” from “The Shadow” (w/ Alec Baldwin) by Jerry Goldsmith. “Marco Polo” by Ennio Morricone. “Days of Heaven” by Ennio Morricone “Bajo Fuego” from “Under Fire” by Jerry Goldsmith …and I could go on and on. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507/20 "2002-05-24T12:39:41Z")
**Jurassic Park** has a soundtrack that actually feels like the movie is supposed to as well. Big, majestic, awe inspiring. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-theme-music/110507.md?page=2)