The original, full version of Hawaii 5-0 has to be one of the best ever. In my estimation, the only something by Lalo Schiffrin could come close. I’ll leave the lesser mentioned theme to Mannix for reference.
Oh but wait, how can I not count Streetbeater AKA Sanford and Son on my list of favorites? I can’t. Or leave out Angela (Taxi) or the extended Barney Miller Theme
I obviously have a thing for old, old instrumental, sort of jazzy theme songs. What’s your favorite TV theme song?
I kind of preferred Simon & Simon’s theme from their first season. An instrumental version played in the opening credits, and a sung version played in the closing credits.
My all-time favorite is probably Battlestar Galactica
Oh, man, not fair, there are too many:
Third season Lost in Space.
FYI, the song immediately following, "The Streetbeater,’ on Quincey Jones’ album, “You’ve Got it Bad Girl,” was rather popular on '70s TV: “Chump Change,” co-written by Bill Cosby.
Rockford Files: The Rockford Files Theme - Mike Post - 1974 - YouTube
Miami Vice: - YouTube
Cowboy Bebop: Cowboy Bebop OST 1 - Tank! - YouTube
Two from Canada:
“Having an Average Weekend” - Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet (Kids in the Hall Theme)
The theme from Little Mosque on the Prairie, which I don’t think is an original song (it may be a folk song perhaps?) but I can’t find the info. Maybe someone here can help…
One from England:
The theme from Hustle
Egad. Now I have the Wonder Woman theme stuck in my head, alternating with Grizzly Adams
Curse you, Biggirl!!!
My favorite is the Fifth Doctor version of the Doctor Who Theme.
But probably the best is the theme to the It’s Garry Shandling’s Show
More recently, the theme for Season Two of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: silly, goofy, and incredibly dark.
Oops, missed the mention in the OP :smack:
Know how I know you only read the title of the OP?
Oops, missed the catch!
These are great! Secret Agent Man is in my top 10.
Since I love it so much, here’s the full version of Secret Asian Man. You cannot convince me Johnny Rivers isn’t saying “Asian”.
Old instrumental jazzy theme songs?
This sounds like a job for Jonny Quest!
And now I have it stuck in my * head. Nertz to you, ** mbh*:o
“in her satin tights, fighting for our rights and the old red, white and bluuuuuuuue”
There used to be a lot of great theme songs and I know I’m not the only one who sang along with them at every airing, amiright?
It seems broadcast tv has gotten away from that kind of thing but many of the series you see on the streaming channels use great ones. Most recently I watched a mini series called *Safe * (on Hulu, I think?) that had a Barns Courtney song called Glitter & Gold . That one stayed in my head for weeks (ting ting).
*Peaky Blinders * features Nick Cave’s Right Red Hand and is really fitting.
On the other side of the coin, You’ve Got Time became increasingly annoying each time I heard it; not to mention the clogged pores, white heads and moles of the women in the title sequence. Blech.
Yeah!!! I was 7 when that show came on and I remember thinking that was the funniest thing! No one ever seemed to know what I was talking about when I’d reference it when* The Larry Sanders Show* came up…
Oh, hells yeah! to Cowboy Bebop.
Oh yes. Man so many good ones! Being pre-teen little girls, me and my aunt were not overly fond of action cop shows but we turned the channel to SWAT every week just to hear the theme song. We would switch channels when the song was done.
I thought Kids In The Hall theme song was a Canadian radio hit that they took as there own. Kinda like Big Bang Theory’s Bare Naked Ladies theme song, even though that song wasn’t a hit, just something they sang in concert.
You guys are making my boring Thursday into a Theme Music Bonanza!. Thanks guys!