Best TV Theme songs?

[Archae]

My top three:

1. Peter Gunn
2. Miami Vice
3. Star Trek: DS9

[geardaddy]

1. The Twighlight Zone

[Archae]

3. Which one?

Original or re-make?

[geardaddy]

6. Original

[Manifestor_of_Light]

63. Bernard Herrmann??

Not sure.

[SKKY]

2. Here are my heavily biased top 3...

1. Theme from "The Dukes of Hazard"
2. Theme from "Different Strokes"
3. Theme from "Good Times"

[ceile]

4. Dr. Who and Stargate SG1

Garry Shandling song was pretty good too.

[geardaddy]

10. Dr. Who during the 70s?

Or is the theme unchanged? I haven't seen any of the new/recent ones.

I do love that theme!

[ceile]

12. The new one is almost the same.

Just a little more techno. I like them both equally.

[Taverner]

5. "Some walk byyyyyyy niiiiiiiiight....

Some fly by daaaaaaaaaaaay.
Nothing could change you,
Set and sure of the way.

[Archae]

9. Never heard that one...

What's it from?

[ceile]

13. Moonlighting n/t

[Taverner]

16. Moonlighting

Al Jearau (sp) tune

[hellbound-liberal]

18. I liked that one too. Here's a video to enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf0K4UU7GYU

[hellbound-liberal]

19. Hill Street Blues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb2V9OAhM40

[haf216]

30. I so miss that show.

It was the first "adult" show that I watched.

[Shell Beau]

7. A few

Jeffersons
Sanford and Son
Sopranos

[charlie and algernon]

8. 1. Cheers

2. Mash
3. The Muppet Show

[HuskerDU]

11. Mine

1. Sanford and Son- local band used to rock it out!
2. Hawaii Five-O
3. Jackass- never watched the show- but 'Corona' by the Minutemen is always a welcome listen!

[Va Lefty]

14. My top three:

Rockford Files
Hawaii Five-O
Tour of Duty

[geardaddy]

15. I forgot this one:

The Mod Squad.

[ElizabethDC]

17. Three's Company

also Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

[supernova]

20. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Wild, Wild, West

M*A*S*H

[Mojambo]

21. "This is the theme to Gary's show."

The theme to Garry's show.
Garry called me up and asked
Would I write his theme song?
I'm almost half-way finished,
How do you like it so far?
How do you like the theme to Garry's show?

This is the theme to Garry's show.
The opening theme to Garry's show.
This is the music that you hear
As you watch the credits.
We're almost at the part
Where I will start to whistle
Then we'll watch "It's Garry Shandling's Show"

(whistle whistle whistle whistle)
(whistle whistle whistle whistle)
Now it's time for Garry Shandling's Show.

[NewJeffCT]

22. MASH, Hawaii 5-0, Mission Impossible, Dragnet

Cheers was good as well.

Both Star Trek & Star Trek TNG are classic with their spoken openings.

[MsKandice01]

23. Gotta go with Sanford & Son also...

The beginning "buh buh buh buh booooooow buh booooow" makes me happy.

[MysticalChicken]

24. ahh!

I MUST sing along to the Scrubs theme song (in a Southern accent, oddly enough, and I'm not Southern) every time I watch that show.

I haven't watched it in a while, but the Sopranos theme is just about the best theme song ever.

I also love the theme for House, Massive Attack's "Teardrop." I even burned that song onto a mix CD.

Booking a time machine back to the early 90s: I still remember all the words to both the Tiny Toon Adventures and the Animaniacs themes.

[YankeyMCC]

25. Star Trek: The original

Cheers
All in the Family
NYPD Blue
Firefly

Honorable mention: The New Battlestar Galactica

And just another mention - I'm one of the apparently few that liked the Star Trek: Enterprise Theme song (from the First Season, I liked the later arrangement less)

[SacredCow]

26. X-Files....

Not very listenable on its own, but it fit the mood.

[MAGICBULLET]

27. the Simpsons

and all the varieties they have done of the theme.

[JANdad]

28. How about Magnum PI

Cool Riffs in that one!

Hi ALL!

[cedahlia]

29. Simon and Simon, Barney Miller, Knight Rider...

Different Strokes (Dave Chappelle brought new meaning to that one for me!)
The A-TEAM (totally ROCKIN'!):headbang:
Wonder Woman
Dallas
Hawaii 5-0

There's so many good ones! :-)

[gemdem]

31. My favorites without lyrics...

Rockford Files
Taxi
Six Feet Under
Wild, Wild West
Hawaii Five-O
Twilight Zone

No lyrics to any of them. You hear then and you know what's coming.

Also, just for fun in the no-lyric category...

The Dick Van Dyke Show
My Three Sons

[GenDem]

32. And don't forget 'The Andy Griffith Show'

No lyrics, but whistling.

Hogan's Heroes was another theme with no lyrics.

[gemdem]

53. Actually there are lyrics...

to the Andy Griffith Show song, they were never used as part of the theme. I know that I've heard them some place (possibly in an episode, or a TV Land special), I just don't recall where. Believe it or not, another theme that had lyrics is Bonanza. I recall a retrospective of the show where the song was being sung by the characters (while on horseback no less).

[KamaAina]

58. I notice you both left off "Star Trek"

and just as well, because there are lyrics.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/trek1.htm

Beyond
The rim of the star-light
My love
Is wand'ring in star-flight
I know
He'll find in star-clustered reaches
Love,
Strange love a star woman teaches.
I know
His journey ends never
His star trek
Will go on forever.
But tell him
While he wanders his starry sea
Remember, remember me.

:scared: I'm going to go shower now...

[RushIsRot]

33. Newhart, St. Elsewhere and Dallas.

[sarge43]

34. Hill Street Blues n/t

[taterguy]

35. Zevon's Even A Dog Can Shake Hands for Action

Too bad that show only lasted about 6 episodes before it got cancelled

[meegbear]

36. Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah ...

BATMAN!

[Roon]

37. Malcom in the middle n/t

[Frank Cannon]

38. I always liked Dallas

A store I worked at a long time ago sold car horns that played the theme from Dallas. I wanted one, but alas, couldn't afford it.

[peekaloo]

39. Boston Legal

especially when sung by Hands. ;-)

[Bassic]

40. MacGuyver

:D

[Starbucks Anarchist]

41. Peter Gunn, The Wire, and What's Happening.

[Parche]

42. BEST

[Giant Robot]

43. What no Gilligan's Island??

No Brady Bunch??

Well ok I can understand that. But how about the Coyote/Roadrunner theme?

[Mad_Dem_X]

44. MASH and Hawaii 5-0 n/t

[southpaw]

45. Northern Exposure or Barney Miller

I'm a sucker for a catchy bass line.

[Robeson]

64. Barney Miller! Good call....

...:thumbsup:

[Kashka-Kat]

46. GET YOUR KICKS - on route 66!

[Kashka-Kat]

47. That 70s show - not the greatest song in the world but as a "THEME" song its perfect-- states the

"theme" very clearly I think....

[taterguy]

51. You know about the subliminable drug reference right?

The original version of that song contains the lyric: Wish we had, a joint so bad.

[HughBeaumont]

48. 47 posts and NO mention of "Theme from S.W.A.T."?

COME on.

That and

Sanford and Son
Good Times
Alice

[hellbound-liberal]

54. How could we have missed the theme from S.W.A.T.?? Here's another one we missed

The Rookies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLkKD09xKBY

Here's the theme from S.W.A.T

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXhu2Onqp4o

[electprogdems]

49. The Avengers!

Emma Peel!!

[smoogatz]

67. I have no memory of the theme song

but Mrs Peel will live in my heart (and elsewhere) forever.

[guitar man]

50. Sanford and Son

Quincy Jones retro-funk at it's best. :)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFMKQx_PDBM

[philosophie_en_rose]

52. Maude, Gilmore Girls, Different Strokes, the Jeffersons

:bounce:

[theophilus]

55. There are too many! I liked Rawhide and The Rifleman.

I also liked Daniel Boone and many of the Sci-Fi ones mentioned like the Outer Limits and Star Trek Voyager. Here is a neat site for themes, etc:
http://mythemes.tv/

Take a look.

[KamaAina]

56. Hawaii Five-O

has even been performed by the Yale Precision Marching Band!

[KamaAina]

57. A number of real songs have been adapted as TV themes

"Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?" - Louis Armstrong, "Frank's Place"

"Stand" -R.E.M., "Get A Life"

"Thank You For being a Friend" -don't remember who 'cause it sucks, "Golden Girls"

[ChoralScholar]

59. Mine

1.)Good Times
2.)Family Ties
3.)WKRP in Cincinatti

[shawmut]

60. 60 minutes

:P

[Telly Savalas]

61. CHiPs

Gotta love the painfully optimistic disco anthem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSzEmPEnYxo&mode=related&search=

[nytemare]

62. "Addams Family" and "Green Acres"

Vic Mizzy all the way, baby!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

65. Peter Gunn and Mike Hammer w/Stacy Keach.

Mike Hammer's theme is "Harlem Nocturne", a jazz classic.

[Strawman]

66. Gene Gene the Dancing Machine's theme music

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ACpNVD5GMUw

[IntravenousDemilo]

68. MANNIX!

Lalo Schifrin! Yeah, baby!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJbU0ssrvm4

Also, in no particular order:

The Greatest American Hero (Mike Post & Pete Carpenter) Hey, sing along!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBKqwdxUH8U&mode=related&search=

St Elsewhere (Dave Grusin)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20Na3uirw5o&mode=related&search=

Northern Exposure (David Schwartz)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoM6IM1w7Hg

The Odd Couple (Neal Hefti)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45dDogmtGoo&mode=related&search=

Mary Tyler Moore (Patrick Williams)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql8G0Ikko5I&mode=related&search=

Phyllis (Dick DeBenedictis)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUwrXQubC-k

The Jetsons (Hoyt S Curtin)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsaky8GSHQA

Wonderfalls (Andy Partridge)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25EaSgw9xY4

Lost in Space (Alexander Courage)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hOJ4NI4dKo

Green Acres (Vic Mizzy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNsDpuoeaRI

And how could we forget Twin Peaks? (Angelo Badalamenti)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWy_roR8TrE

[terrya]

76. Thank you for posting these!

A few comments:

"Mannix" is my all time favorite TV theme. I absolutely love it to this day. I can barely remember the show itself...but that brilliant piece of genius from Lalo Schifrin...oh, man. Great stuff.

Thank you for posting the theme from "Phyllis". Isn't that nice? Very Broadway....a nice intro.

Another one is "The Great American Hero". Mike Post was and is one of the greats of television theme composers. Very 80's stuff...as is "LA Law", another of my favorites of Mike Post.

I've always liked "The Mary Tyler Moore" theme. But I just couldn't listen to Sammy Davis, Jr's rendition of it on that You Tube clip. Don't improvise the lyrics, ok, Sammy? Thanks.

Thanks again for posting these, honey. Nice listening for a Friday morning.

SHMILY

[Mr. Blonde]

69. Down in a Hole

originally by Tom Waits performed by someone different each season on The Wire. Great song and I think works well with the themes of the show.

[jberryhill]

70. Room 222 - Among the Collection here

http://www.earthstation1.com/ThemeSongs/

[Adsos Letter]

71. "Mash", "Hawaii 5-0" and "Peter Gunn" and "Combat" n/t

[ironflange]

72. My top five

Newhart
Cheers
Secret Agent
All in the Family
60 Minutes

[gauguin57]

73. The jazzy piano of "Will & Grace"

A real toe-tapper. Maybe not the best ever ... but all my faves have been mentioned already!

[BrotherBuzz]

74. Rawhide

Rawhide Lyrics


Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Keep movin', movin', movin',
Though they're disapprovin',
Keep them doggies movin' Rawhide!
Don't try to understand 'em,
Just rope and throw and grab 'em,
Soon we'll be living high and wide.
Boy my heart's calculatin'
My true love will be waitin', be waiting at the end of my ride.

Move 'em on, head 'em up,
Head 'em up, move 'em out,
Move 'em on, head 'em out Rawhide!
Set 'em out, ride 'em in
Ride 'em in, let 'em out,
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in Rawhide.

Full Lyrics

Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Rawhide!

Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Though the streams are swollen
Keep them dogies rollin'
Rawhide!
Rain and wind and weather
Hell-bent for leather
Wishin' my gal was by my side.
All the things I'm missin',
Good vittles, love, and kissin',
Are waiting at the end of my ride

CHORUS
Move 'em on, head 'em up
Head 'em up, move 'em on
Move 'em on, head 'em up
Rawhide
Count 'em out, ride 'em in,
Ride 'em in, count 'em out,
Count 'em out, ride 'em in
Rawhide!

Keep movin', movin', movin'
Though they're disapprovin'
Keep them dogies movin'
Rawhide!
Don't try to understand 'em
Just rope, throw, and brand 'em
Soon we'll be living high and wide.
My hearts calculatin'
My true love will be waitin',
Be waitin' at the end of my ride.

Rawhide!
Rawhide!

[Awsi Dooger]

75. Hawaii 5-0, Gilligan's Island, Wild Wild West

Also Green Acres because that show cracks me up, and Beverly Hillbillies because strangely I don't see it mentioned