January 10, 2005

Discussion Topic of the Day - The Top TV Theme Songs

Retrocrush is compiling a list of the top 100.

What do I think should be on it? Among the themes that would make my top 20: Green Acres, Hong Kong Phoey, Bewitched, The Rockford Files, The Facts of Life (I'm not happy about that, but it's very catchy), and, of course, Twin Peaks. But having given this matter some thought (ok, about 90 seconds of thought) I think the all-time best might have been the theme for Dallas. Yes, of course it's cheesy - but it was so perfectly appropriate to the show.

Oh, as to British shows ... Absolutely Fabulous perhaps? Though perhaps it should be Red Dwarf - even though I hate that song. I once was unable to get that out of my head for days on end. That was really annoying.

Posted by armand at January 10, 2005 09:49 AM | TrackBack | Posted to Culture


Comments

Oh ... and The Jetsons too.

Posted by: Armand at January 11, 2005 08:53 AM | PERMALINK

The bass-line intro to "Barney Miller" I always thought was kinda cool. "Banana Splits" was neat.

Posted by: baltar at January 11, 2005 10:28 AM | PERMALINK

Shoutin' out for Dr. Who!

Posted by: binky at January 12, 2005 11:48 AM | PERMALINK

my thoughts, shamelessly biased, with one exception, toward newer shows:

1. sopranos (82) ought to be in the top 20 for sheer pervasiveness, not to mention that its brilliantly appropriate for the material.

2. taxi (75) also ought to be way higher.

3. knight rider (46) over any of the above as well as hill street blues, sesame street, and the simpsons? come on.

4. speed racer (41) above that?

as for the remainder, those shows that have yet to be mentioned, alls i'm saying is the following better be somewhere in there:

1. west wing. probably not much higher than the 37 that is next to be listed.

2. the x-files. i mean seriously.

3. greatest american hero.

4. the abc sports song. although everyone only hears that one snippet, it's actually a much longer composition, that a hip-hop dj i listen to (can't think of which one) once used in its 3+ minute entirety to open one of his studio mixes. very cool.

Posted by: joshua at January 12, 2005 12:45 PM | PERMALINK

And you know, you can't think of that piece without thinking of the "agony of defeat" and that skier cartwheeling off the ramp.

The other great music (they never should have changed it) was Monday Night Football.

...beeelieve it or not, Iiiii'm walkin' on air, I never thought I could feel so free-eee-eee.....

Posted by: binky at January 12, 2005 01:04 PM | PERMALINK

Yeah, Speed Racer should perhaps be higher. And the X-Files probably needs to be in the top 15, at least. I don't remember the MNF music. As to Greatest American Hero ... I guess. But to me that's sort of like Square Pegs or The Fall Guy - something you remember being popular and kind of fun (in its way) but impossible to remember now.

Posted by: Armand at January 12, 2005 01:23 PM | PERMALINK

Oh, and The Jeffersons - gotta have that on the list too.

Posted by: Armand at January 12, 2005 01:24 PM | PERMALINK

You know what song I had in my head when I was running the marathon last month? Sanford and Son. Could not get rid of it.

Posted by: binky at January 12, 2005 01:46 PM | PERMALINK

look at what happened to me-ee
i can't believe it myself
suddenly i'm on top of the world
should have been somebody else

believe it or not . . .

sadly, i could go on. as for not being memorable, i feel that way about sixty percent of the shows listed so far. and speed racer? you wanna bet more people can sing/hum SR than GAH? didn't think so.

what about fat albert? mister rogers? both top 20 IMHO.

Posted by: joshua at January 12, 2005 02:01 PM | PERMALINK

As Armand can testify, because I sang it to him yesterday morning as an antidote to the entirely shitty weather we've been having, I am a HUGE fan of the Mr. Rogers theme.

Posted by: binky at January 12, 2005 02:14 PM | PERMALINK

Of the people I know I bet more can hum SR than GAH.

I'm glad they added The Addams Family today. That's one where even the words stay with you.

Posted by: Armand at January 12, 2005 02:14 PM | PERMALINK

in the warm muck of morning, i rode my road bike into work today (too icky for the track bike, which i prefer to ride only on dry days). it was so warm that i didn't even wear a jacket, just a long sleeve under armor-type light undershirt and . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . a speed racer tee-shirt a friend bought for my once soon after the first time i gave her a ride in my car.

but i was most definitely not humming the theme as i rode along collecting grit on my exposed shins. why, you ask? because i don't know it. pffft!

Posted by: joshua at January 12, 2005 02:20 PM | PERMALINK

more:

miami vice, twilight zone (top 10), did he already list friends?, mash (top 10)

lots of top 10's.

and CHiPs should have been much much higher.

Posted by: joshua at January 12, 2005 02:23 PM | PERMALINK

True, but don't you think SR has been covered more than GAH? I would say that the Ramones version of Spider Man or the Butthole Surfers doing Underdog gets them lots more exposure than the song on its own (a la GAH). Do a little web search for Speed Racer covers, and I'll bet you come up with versions aplenty.

Posted by: binky at January 12, 2005 02:24 PM | PERMALINK

oh, and also, i'm toooootally with you on dallas, armand.

Posted by: joshua at January 12, 2005 02:42 PM | PERMALINK

duh. star trek. alright, i'm signing off. i have to stop.

Posted by: joshua at January 12, 2005 02:43 PM | PERMALINK

Armand,
That's pretty crazy you'd mention that, I was just listening to square pegs' theme in Dillard's last night. I've also got to go with Joshua's suggestion of Greatest American Hero, Speed Racer (even if it annoys the crap out of me), and the Sopranos, as well as Binky's MNF. But are there no fans of Airwolf and the Equalizer, or Aqua Teen Hunger Force for the kids today with the baggy pants? And what about the Transformers? They're robots in disguise.

Posted by: morris at January 12, 2005 06:02 PM | PERMALINK

i might have to concede transformers, and suggest thundercats as well.

has scooby doo come up yet? i think that's every bit as pervasive as the jetsons.

Posted by: joshua at January 13, 2005 10:59 AM | PERMALINK

Eep opp ork ah ah that means "I love you"

That's a better song from the Jetson's than the actual Jetson's theme.

Posted by: binky at January 13, 2005 11:26 AM | PERMALINK

Good call on the Thundercats, Joshua. And to follow up on Binky's stream of thought, what about the K-E-L-L-Y song from Cheers?

Posted by: Morris at January 13, 2005 12:27 PM | PERMALINK

People ... the list is top THEME songs. Not saying your choices aren't good ones ... but there will be a reason if they don't make the list.

I don't remember the Thundercats or Equalizer themes.

Posted by: Armand at January 13, 2005 01:05 PM | PERMALINK

Armand,
Equalizer was an instrumental theme, and the key phrase from the other is "Thundercats, Ho!" And get serious. You know you wanted to throw in some song out of Moonlighting, so stop holding back.

Posted by: Morris at January 13, 2005 01:12 PM | PERMALINK

Moonlighting? I barely remember it - did Agnes have some fantastic karaoke episode or something? If so, then yeah!

Posted by: Armand at January 13, 2005 01:15 PM | PERMALINK

For anyone who's interested, they've posted the entire list. Looks like Binky got the #1.

Posted by: Morris at March 14, 2005 01:51 PM | PERMALINK
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