# TV theme songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 26, 2016, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072 "2016-11-26T19:19:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/21 "2016-11-27T05:59:57Z")
Barney Miller The Rockford Files Welcome Back Kotter ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/22 "2016-11-27T06:07:56Z")
Hubby heard me listening to theme songs and asked me to mention his favorite. [Strikeback’s theme.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gn8_137btc) Which always reminded me of [The Soprano’s theme song.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDDkCiUhHCc) I like both of these gritty themes myself. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/23 "2016-11-27T06:37:27Z")
The theme for Dallas was great. That is the last great theme song I remember from network television. Not too long ago I heard a jazzed up version of a bunch of themes from old Westerns. They had the best music. Rawhide, Maverick, Have Gun Will Travel, I never watched any of those shows but I remembered the theme songs. And then they threw in the Dallas theme (I did watch that one. Obsessively). I actually turned off the sound so I wouldn’t hear the themes to Mad Men and Orange Is the New Black. (Not that I hated them so much, but I didn’t think they were great. And, uh, I was binge-watching.) Love the theme song for Trailer Park Boys though. The all time best though in my opinion was Alfred Hitchcock Presents, “Funeral March of a Marionette.” ---
**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:** [November 27, 2016, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/24 "2016-11-27T06:58:44Z")
_ **The Untouchables** _ (1959–63) \*\*\*The Avengers\*\*\* (1965--68) \*\*\*The Rat Patrol \*\*\*(1966--68) \*\*\*The Wild, Wild West\*\*\* (1965-69) \*\*\*Perry Mason\*\*\* (1959--65) \*\*\*Combat! \*\*\*(1962--67) \*\*\*Twelve O'Clock High\*\*\* (1964--67) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/uubEuPhti-I/hqdefault.jpg "Twelve O'Clock High") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uubEuPhti-I) _ **Cimmaron Strip** _ (1967–68) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/b8VpOQfI20E/hqdefault.jpg "Cimarron Strip Opening Credit") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8VpOQfI20E) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/25 "2016-11-27T07:00:01Z")
Anything by Mike Post (with or without Pete Carpenter). ---
**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:** [November 27, 2016, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/26 "2016-11-27T07:09:15Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > Not too long ago I heard a jazzed up version of a bunch of themes from old Westerns. They had the best music. _ **Maverick** _ \*\*\*Have Gun, Will Travel\*\*\* \*\*\*The Rifleman\*\*\* \*\*\*Gunsmoke\*\*\* [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/v1_BGm-8ANk/hqdefault.jpg "Theme From "Gunsmoke"--Warren Barker & His Orchestra") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1_BGm-8ANk) _ **The Virginian** _ [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S423KrdanTM/hqdefault.jpg "The Virginian TV Theme") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S423KrdanTM) ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/27 "2016-11-27T16:35:30Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Do you mean theme songs? Or title music (lacking words)? > > As for songs, I doubt anyone’s theme song beats that of The Addams Family. > > As for title music, _M_A_S_H\* is up there (it’s borderline, because it WAS a song, but was instrumental for the TV show). At the time, the _Miami Vice_ theme was quite popular. The intro music to _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ was quite good. > > God there’s so many. How do you pick? I could go either way, songs or just theme music. I thought of Mash, too, when I originally posted. As theme music I think it worked, not possible if someone had been singing the lyrics imo. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/28 "2016-11-27T17:03:11Z")
Not mentioned yet: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Archer The Venture Brothers ---
**Author:** ![Hocus\_Pocus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/41988e/32.png) [@Hocus\_Pocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hocus_Pocus)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/29 "2016-11-27T18:51:47Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Anything by Mike Post (with or without Pete Carpenter). ^^^^ This! I’m surprised that The Rockford Files hasn’t gotten more love in here (might be posters’ ages). Magnum P.I. was also damn good. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/30 "2016-11-27T19:08:09Z")
> [@Hocus\_Pocus](#): > > ^^^^ This! > > I’m surprised that The Rockford Files hasn’t gotten more love in here (might be posters’ ages). > > Magnum P.I. was also damn good. ////\ Seconding This! And adding a mention to Hill Street Blues ---
**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:** [November 27, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/31 "2016-11-27T19:22:57Z")
For my money, _ **Rockford Files** _ was the best theme of the '70s. The only one I can think of offhand that even comes close is the _ **Barnaby Jones** _ theme. (I omit _ **Hawaii Five-O** _ because it started in 1968.) The '80s really belonged to Post and Carpenter: _ **Hill Street Blues** _, _ **St Elsewhere** _, _ **LA Law** _, and so on. And, of course, to _ **Miami Vice** _. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/32 "2016-11-27T20:17:38Z")
_Night Court_ had pretty good theme song. So do _The Simpsons_ and _King of the Hill_. And\* South Park\* is one of my all-time favorites. ---
**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:** [November 28, 2016, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/33 "2016-11-28T02:17:45Z")
[Johnny Quest](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Yw8qMDips) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/34 "2016-11-28T10:07:43Z")
Some from my iPod. George, George, George, George George of the Jungle Massive Attack by Teardrop - House, M.D. Dirty Jobs, aka We Care a Lot by Faith No More Theme from Damages, aka When I Get Through With You Quantum Leap in the “Anything by Mike Post” category Secret Agent Man by Johnny Rivers (theme from the American broadcast of Danger Man, aka Secret Agent) ---
**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:** [November 28, 2016, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/35 "2016-11-28T10:22:57Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Secret Agent Man by Johnny Rivers (theme from the American broadcast of Danger Man, aka Secret Agent) The theme from _ **Danger Man** _ was pretty badassed itself: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u6jYfJgj-o) So was the theme from _ **The Persuaders** _. I can imagine walking into some dimly-lit bistro in Paris and hearing it sung (with French lyrics) by a sultry woman on a tiny stage: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r5Xn1x9npE) ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/36 "2016-11-28T10:30:22Z")
I actually find the Rockford Files theme song really annoying. Love the show (well, usually). ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/37 "2016-11-28T10:35:57Z")
Amazing. 36 posts and all of you are wrong. The best T.V. theme song is “(Wait 'Til You See) My Gidget” from the series _Gidget_. [This clip has a brief episode intro before the theme song starts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj3CWACel4c) but that episode intro gives you a chance to ogle 19 year old Sally Field in a bikini. The _second_ best T.V. theme song is “The Unknown Stuntman” from the series _The Fall Guy_. [This clip gives you the chance to ogle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4LX8PPMuOY) 25 year old Heather Thomas in a bikini. Markie Post does not appear in a bikini but, c’mon, she’s _Markie Post_ so she’s ridiculously cute nonetheless. ---
**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:** [November 28, 2016, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/38 "2016-11-28T11:57:12Z")
Nineteen-year-old Sally Field in a bikini … plus 25-year-old Heather Thomas in a bikini? :eek: I don’t know whether to drool or weep with joy. :o DOM, unite! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/39 "2016-11-28T14:50:27Z")
The Big Bang Theory. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072/40 "2016-11-28T14:55:04Z")
Bah. Obviously it’s [Batman: The Animated Series](https://youtu.be/oQVC2zCC5qA). Even as a kid I loved the theme, and today I appreciate the way the music blends seamlessly with the animations. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-songs/773072.md?page=3)