Luke Cage.
The second theme song (the one with lyrics) from Eight Is Enough.
The theme to The Nanny always went through my head like a nail.
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In the same vein, there’s Two and a Half Men:
[/QUOTE]But it’s a riff on “Stout-Hearted Men”! I thought it was hilarious, since the men on that show were the exact not what the song was asking for.
The theme song that always annoyed me was the one for Family Ties. I don’t know why. Maybe because they were essentially bragging about what a great family they were, when the show suggested that they were maybe in the 75th percentile on a good day, and sometimes they failed miserably. Diff’rent Strokes was pretty bad too. It sort of explained the show, but was kind of cryptic. I guess if you put the words with the opening credits, it worked, but it annoyed me-- maybe it was just the whole show that annoyed me, and my brother insisted on watching it, so when I’d hear that theme, it was time to stuff a towel under my door.
The Love Boat was a terrible song, but I think it did succeed in catching the “70s lounge singer” sound, which, while I’ve never been on a pleasure cruise myself, I understand usually features entertainment like this. I think the effect was deliberate. Perhaps it didn’t come off, because not enough people picked up on it, but still, I think whoever gave the go-ahead on the song wanted a particular effect.
I liked The Brady Bunch theme song because it was so utilitarian. If you’d never seen the show before, but you paid attention to the words of the theme song, you were all caught up. All theme songs should be like that.
The Beverly Hillbillies theme song personally annoys me (again, it might just be the whole show that does), but I give it credit for doing what it ought to do-- introduce the audience to the backstory of the show.
If I heard someone singing “fantastic, made of plastic, microchips here and there”, I’d think it was silly but harmless. If I heard some singing “howdy folks, I’m Louis Armstrong squeedily doo-doo doot I couldn’t stop 9/11” (or humming the theme “song” to Homicide), I’d think they were having a stroke.
The theme to Newhart was pretty sickening, but it fit the overall feel of the show pretty well.
Even as a kid, I hated every single thing about that show.
The theme to Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown show.
I would love to see some of the short-lived sitcoms from the 1970s. I don’t remember any of them except for Bridget Loves Bernie.
Liz Phair did a great cover version. She could sing “Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper, and Snork” and make it sound sexy.
Sickening? Gato, that was Henry Freakin’ Mancini.
If we want to veer off into movies as well:
https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=850276
Liz Phair and Material Issue (sorry, big fan of both artists. In fact, I’m wearing a Material Issue tee-shirt right now.) Great theme song if only for the fact that it begat the cover. They also did a decent cover of “Turning Japanese” together.
YouTube is your friend… but only if you have a spare couple of hours. I can’t watch just one episode of Dobie Gillis or WKRP (or Fernwood, or Quark, or Mr. T and Tina…) and then go to bed; instead I’m up til 2.
I should also add a shout-out to the excellent straight-up punk Dickies cover, too.
OMG, I haven’t thought about it or the show in years, yet the song instantly sprang right to mind - thank you *** Lorne Armstong* :dubious: 
" Though we spend our days like bright and shiny new diiiiiiimes,
If we’re ever puzzled by the changing times,
There’s a plate of homemade wishes on the kitchen window sill,
And eight is enough to fill our lives with love."
The only thing worse than the glurgy lyrics was Grant Goodeve’s overly earnest warbling. Funny thing is, I think I actually liked it at the time. I certainly sang along with it :smack:
Thank You for Being a Friend was tolerable when you’d hear Andrew Gold’s original version occasionally on the radio but now if I hear the opening bars at the start of The Golden Girls I can’t change the channel fast enough.
I’ve mentioned the theme to Orange is the New Black before. I think a big part of it is the repugnant montage of extreme closeups of women’s faces. Also, when I watch OITNB I tend to watch several eps in a row and that song really only needs to be heard once. I had no trouble using the “skip into” feature this time around but for some reason in past seasons it would either not work or skip ahead a few minutes into the show so I’d just use that time to use the bathroom or get a snack or whatever.
It’s not the worst theme ever, but is anyone else old enough to remember the summer after the first season of Friends premiered, when the theme to the show was every other song on the radio? You couldn’t get away from it. By the time season two premiered, I had to mute the theme song, because I was so sick of it.
Are those the real words to 8 is Enough? I watched it only sporadically, so I never really paid attention to the words of the song. They don’t even make any sense.
I’m sure I’m going to get murderized for shitting on the iconic folk song but Little Houses from the first (few?) season of Weeds was grating and terrible. I like that they started doing covers. Sorry Malvina.
Oh, yes ma’am. Behold the treacle.
Also, I can’t believe I forgot about the *Friends * theme. The Rembrandts actually had some good songs but that ain’t one of 'em.
Trashed the song and couldn’t even get the name right. It’s Little Boxes.
The OITNB theme also jars my brain – thank gawd for the Skip Intro command.
If we are including ring themes for pro wrestlers there is always this: