# Earliest TV cartoons with a rock music theme song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** cartoons-animation, music\ **Created:** [December 30, 2020, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293 "2020-12-30T20:47:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/1 "2020-12-30T20:47:41Z")
I’ve been thinking lately about classic TV cartoon theme songs and the variety of genres they span. The jazz themes of _[The Flintstones](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xec1luS53_o)_, _[The Pink Panther Show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loe15pnVGTs)_, _[Spider-Man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsx3JCw62WQ)_, and _[Family Guy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXuyAC2FilY)_ are all particularly memorable, as is the Johnny Mathis-style _[The Mighty Hercules](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laoBvt9CcQo)_. For catchy rock or pop-rock themes, there’s _[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxuvUAjHYWQ)_ and _[Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_C2HJvtRDY)_. This got me wondering about the following: 1. What’s the _earliest_ TV cartoon that used rock music for its theme song? 2. If the earliest such cartoon didn’t use an original theme tune (but rather repurposed it from a previous film score, album, etc.), what’s the earliest TV cartoon that used an original rock song for its theme? 3. If the earliest such cartoon wasn’t a superhero cartoon, what’s the earliest superhero cartoon that used rock music for its theme song? ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/2 "2020-12-30T20:53:57Z")
First thing that comes to mind is _The Beatles_, 1965-1967 made for TV animated series. The theme song was “Can’t Buy Me Love” by the Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/3 "2020-12-30T20:55:18Z")
Indeed. That might be the answer to my question #1, unless someone can come up with an earlier example. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/4 "2020-12-30T21:02:30Z")
> **[Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Morning:_Cartoons%27_Greatest_Hits)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits is a tribute album of songs from Saturday morning children's television shows and cartoons (mostly) from the 1960s and 1970s. The project was produced by Ralph Sall, with the songs performed by alternative rock artists. It was released in 1995 by MCA on LP, cassette, and CD, and peaked at #67 on the Billboard 200. Promotion for the album included a comic book from Marvel Comics and a music video collectio... This album is cartoon music covered my modern alternative rock bands. Some cartoons back then had ‘Rock’ themes. Some of the songs on this album I would not consider ‘Rock’. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/5 "2020-12-30T22:57:18Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > First thing that comes to mind is _The Beatles_ , 1965-1967 I was going to say The Monkees but that beat them by a year. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/6 "2020-12-30T23:16:20Z")
The Monkees had a cartoon? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/7 "2020-12-30T23:26:36Z")
Sorry, I missed that this was about cartoons. Not sure how I missed it 'cuz every other word in the OP was “cartoon.” 😬 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/8 "2020-12-30T23:39:58Z")
I don’t know that it was ‘rock’ music, but the theme to “Johnny Quest” was definitely not “kids” music, with a strong jazz-type flavor not often seen in TV in 1964-65. IMHO as always. YMMV. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SIhEpjnaNlo/hqdefault.jpg "Jonny Quest intro music for the show") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIhEpjnaNlo) ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/9 "2020-12-30T23:40:19Z")
The next one I find is _The Jackson 5ive_, 1971-1972, which featured a medley of their songs as its theme. That may be more pop than rock, though. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/10 "2020-12-31T00:03:11Z")
It didn’t have a rock theme, but _ **The Flintstones** _ may well have been the first cartoon series to feature rock music. The first example is from 1960; the second, from 1962: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Gc9ZPPyVn7g/hqdefault.jpg "Hi-Fye - LISTEN TO THE ROCKIN' BIRD - 1960 !") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc9ZPPyVn7g) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/5haMVR5my-s/hqdefault.jpg "Bedrock Twitch") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5haMVR5my-s) I include “Bedrock Twitch” because I heard the tune being played the other day on another show. It was coming out of Eb’s radio on _ **Green Acres** _. Took me a second to identify it, but there was no mistaking the instrumental melody. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/11 "2020-12-31T00:42:51Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > _ **The Flintstones** _ may well have been the first cartoon series to feature rock music Naturally. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/12 "2020-12-31T01:25:27Z")
[The Alvin Show](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alvin_Show) premiered in 1961, it was the first animated series of Alvin and the Chipmunks. Their theme song wouldn’t be considered rock but on Dec. 6th 1961 they featured their original single [Witch Doctor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-3GqJFNjGU) which certainly is rock because it’s been played on rock radio stations many times. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/13 "2020-12-31T01:41:24Z")
Jet Screamer did his thing on The Jetsons in September of 1962. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/14 "2020-12-31T11:50:10Z")
So it seems that we’re currently at the following: 1. Earliest cartoon with a rock music theme: _The Beatles_ (1965) 2. Earliest cartoon with an original rock music theme: _Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!_ (1969) 3. Earliest superhero cartoon with a rock music theme: _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ (1987) Can anyone find earlier examples? Surely there’s some show earlier than 1987 that fits the bill for #3. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/15 "2020-12-31T12:17:58Z")
_The Super 6_, created 1966, had a theme song written and performed by Gary Lewis & the Playboys. Link: [super 6 theme - Bing video](https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=super+6+theme&docid=608030158339245275&mid=53F0D19160C8E841DD0153F0D19160C8E841DD01&view=detail&FORM=VIRE) ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2020, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/16 "2020-12-31T13:08:30Z")
Good catch! That sets the earliest examples for questions #2 and #3 back to 1966. ---
**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:** [December 31, 2020, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-cartoons-with-a-rock-music-theme-song/929293/17 "2020-12-31T15:13:45Z")
1967 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/89GkmegK9NQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Speed Racer Season 1 Opening and Closing Credits and Theme Song") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89GkmegK9NQ)