What's the best TV theme song?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Angie had one of if not the most commercablity. And definitely sung by the best. Perhaps up there with Greatest American Hero.

Welcome Back Kotter and Happy Days were commercial but the song really was more or less popular because of the series.

Gilligan and Brady Bunch, and Beverly Hillbillies lead the pack for story. Along with the Mary Tyler Moore show. (Honorable mention to Dobbie Gillis and Phyllis)

Andy Griffith for whistleability. I have yet to see the theme to that show play in public where SOMEONE isn’t whistling along with it.

22

Wow…not even one vote for Highlander yet??? Count me in…80’s metal with that twang of hot guys with swords swoon

23

I can tell you one thing.

It is NOT the one for “Enterprise”.

24

The ones that have always send shots of excitement to the parts of my body one can not talk about in polite society are

MAS*H (its sad I know the lyrics to it)
Facts of Life
Red Dwarf
Young Ones
Family Ties
Golden Girls (I’ve wasted my life…)
Good Times
Laverne & Shirley

25

I’m with Muad’dib. I haven’t seen the whole show yet, because I went into shock.

Lyrics. They have lyrics to a Star Trek opening. A speech I can handle. Pompous music, yes.

But this sounds vaguely like country music. It’s just wrong.

26

I’ll agree with Cisco on The Simpsons. I’d love to see the score. I’d also love to see the score to The Jetsons. The “his boy Elroy”-type stupid lyrics I can do without, but the rest is magically delicious!

Also, what about:
The Sopranos
Drew Carey’s “Cleveland Rocks” theme
Malcolm in the Middle
(I’m waiting for someone to criticize me on these – that they’re actually songs just chosen for the show, but they rock. Sorry.)

The Muppet Show – can’t believe nobody’s said that one yet
Mystery Science Theatre 3000, anyone?

27

Lost in Space.

28

The Brady Bunch was the first to come to mind. Now that I’m through vomiting I’ll propose;

  • King of the Hill
  • The Daily Show.
29

excellent choices, all. Many of my favorites have already been named, but you’re missing out on some sizzlin’ big band tunes. Namely -

Munsters
Flinststones

Also, The Addams Family (snap snap) can’t be left out.

30

You people are still talking about this?

Why is this even in IMHO? There’s such a clear right
answer. Maybe the OP said “What’s the best TV theme song
besides Peter Gunn?” and I misread it.
Or maybe a Mod’ll move it to General Questions soon.

31

I think Hawaii 5-0 and Peter Gunn tie for first place. Mission: Impossible kicks some serious ass, too. One I haven’t seen mentioned yet is the theme to the now-defunct The Lone Gunmen. I love that one! As for British TV, I’d have to vote for Blackadder and Benny Hill.

32

Gack, the Enterprise theme is awful. Diane Warren. Yuck.

My favorite theme from a current show is Angel - cool cello stuff.

33

Hawaii Five-O - another vote here.

Bonanza and Rawhide…excellent cowboy themes.

And for the newest…Six Feet Under.

34

I have to admit that the first thing I thought of was Peter Gunn, but bup beat me to it, so let me just throw the theme from Twin Peaks into the mix.

35

Damn straight! “Hawaii Five-O” is the shit! :smiley:
~Kittie

36

My faves have already been mentioned, so here’s my votes for
“Six Feet Under”
“The Rockford Files”
“Hawaii Five-O”
“WKRP In Cincinatti”

Zappo

37

Hawaii-5-O and Dr.Who are hands down the best. The A-Team is a close second and the Simpsons take the bronze.

38

My personal favorite of all time has to be Fat Albert…

[Insert groovy bass]
Hey, hey, hey! Here’s Fat Albert And I’m gonna sing a song for you And this is gonna show you
A thing or two
You’ll have some fun now With me and the gang
Learning from each other
While we do our ??? Na, na, na
Gonna have a good time Na, na, na
Gonna have a good time Hey, hey, hey!

[/bass off]

39

All right, Peter Gunn is the one. But I can still mention a few that no one else seems to have remembered.

“T.H.E. Cat”. Strong horns, then the flute, going back to the horns.

“It Takes a Thief”, second season. The violins going up into the brass theme. Dave Grusin, a famous name in jazz circles.

“Search”, an old one. Dominic Frontiere. They would hit you with those brass pulses in the teaser, then fade into the melody.

“Babylon 5”, fifth season. Yes, I know no one besides me likes the thing, but I can forget the music (not the words) of the other four. That martial theme sticks with me.

Sorry again, but I like the “Crusade” theme. Call me tasteless. The cold, metallic tones and rhythms reminded me of Galen.

One thing about Irwin Allen: he may have done lousy science fiction, but the themes for his shows were great. Someone has already mentioned “Lost In Space”. Add “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea” (the sonar pulse was a great draw into the rest of the show), “The Time Tunnel” (the horn riff, the loud base horn rumble, and the flute over all — it got me, as well as the “tick, tick, tick” at the beginning), and “Land of the Giants” (horns again, all low to represent the huge scale of things). Allen had a trick of tying the music of the themes to the show better than anyone I can think of, except perhaps:

Both of the Whedon shows. Really. Someone has already mentioned the theme to “Angel” (the low chello, jazzing it up, the bell tolling at the end), and Buffy is just right (the organ at the beginning, the jazzy lift that just shouts teenagers, the great guitar riffs at the end).

Sorry, everyone, but I really like “NYPD Blue” as well. The incredible percussion at the start, fading into the peaceful electronic chords, puncutated with the percussion at the end. Great stuff.

One more. No one has mentioned “Due South”. Not only was the theme great, but it has one of the best soundtracks ever. “Victoria’s Theme” is now my audio representation of unrequited love.

I could go on, but that’s enough. I think I live in my head sometimes.

40

We don’t have a TV but we’ve been going to our downstair’s neighbor’s to watch Farscape on Fridays. I like to stay for those first few moments of the opening credits of LEXX. (I haven’t watched the show, I just like that part!)