IGIF Presents: Show Tunes: The Best TV Theme Songs of the Last 20 Years
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A little over two years ago we published a feature called Sound Tracks that aimed to highlight some of the most memorable and musical scenes in modern cinematic history with the intention of demonstrating just how important musical scores and soundtracks are to any given film and scene-- some of the most revered scenes wouldn't be as powerful without the music that accompanied the action. We've been planning a follow-up to that feature, a sort of sequel (which will come in due time), but for this feature we took the general idea of Sound Tracks and applied it instead to television, and more specifically to television theme songs.
There have been hundreds of television shows and debuts over the past 20 years, so this list is by no means as comprehensive as it could be. We actually started by doing year-by-year selections but when we hit 1990 and had to decide between Seinfeld and The Fresh Prince, well, we just couldn't leave either one of those out. We tried to keep the list varied, a mix of sitcoms, dramas, cartoons, and classics. If we forgot your favorite show, let us know! If you know of crappy show with a great theme song, let us know! Think of "Show Tunes" as an introduction, not an ultimatum, to some of the best and most famous TV theme songs in the world. Without further ado, here is Show Tunes :
COPS - [1988]
You know you've got one of the greatest theme songs of all time when nearly every westernized person on the planet would recognize this tune without ever having watched the show. If there's one song in the history of music composition that quintessentially represents the sheer stupidity of humanity, the crotch-grabbing fear-mongering power of the Po, and the desperation of urban America, this is that song. [MP3] Inner Circle - Bad Boys
The Simpsons - [1989]
Take the first sentence about COPS above and multiply the hyperbole by a million. Anyone between the ages of 8 and 80 should be able to hum along to the entire 2-minute tune, and real Simpsons fanatics know all the variations of Lisa's saxophone solo and can probably visualize the opening sequence in their heads. Unlike many shows that change the opening theme as seasons change (or in every episode like Weeds), this has remained unchanged for nearly 20 years. In a 1999 LA Times article , Elfman joked that the theme earns him $11.50 every time it is played. He's also commented that, not surprisingly, the Emmy-nominated theme is the most popular his career.[MP3] Danny Elfman - Simsons Main Title Theme
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air - [1990]
It's hard to believe that Hollywood's most bankable star got his start doing an old-school narrative rap songs with a guy named "Jazzy Jeff" about the transition from the ghetto to the Hills. It's even harder to imagine the infinitely likable, baby-face Will Smith living the thug life (his only attempt was Bad Boys, which was more of a parody than any attempt at reality). Either way, The Fresh Prince theme song, composed by Quincy Jones III and written by Smith, is an ode to Smith's career - the selling out / buying in, the rise to wealth and fame, and the harmless, inoffensive rap that launched him to stardom.[MP3] DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
Seinfeld - [1990]
Who knew that a slap-bass riff would become one of the definitive musical segments of the 1990s? When every other show was doing some sort of feel-good, "progressive" politically-correct-sounding theme in an attempt to distance the new decade from the failures of 80s pop-culture, composer Jonathan Wolff brought back the funk. It perfectly didn't fit: a nonsense track for a postmodern sitcom about nothing in particular.[MP3] Jonathan Wolff - Seinfeld Main Title Theme
Beavis & Butthead - [1993]
It starts with a riff that's equal parts grunge and hair-band, and ends with the two most infamous cartoon stoner morons sitting on a couch, laughing at essentially nothing, plotting the course of their day. Beavis & Butthead didn't win any awards for content or creativity, but in retrospect their half-assed and often pointless diatribe on some of the 90's biggest music videos provided a counter to the "meaningful" and "necessary" music critiques of Rolling Stone and the show's network, MTV. [MP3] Mike Judge - Beavis & Butthead Theme Song
Friends - [1994]
One of the biggest ironies of Friends, a show spanning ten years and 236 episodes, is contained in the chorus of its theme song by The Rembrandts: "I'll be there for you." For many of those who feverishly watched, and re-watched, and loved and admired the goings-on of these six New Yorkers, what emerged at the series' end was a sense of loneliness: the shock of not only losing Friends , but also of losing, for some TV-addict couch potatoes, their only friends. "I'll be there for you" was a constant reassurance from day one that every week we'd meet up with Joey, Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, and Phoebe at Central Perk, gab in an upscale NY loft, and share the mutual comfort of a big, plush, sink-in sofa.[MP3] The Rembrandts - "I'll Be There For You"
My So-Called Life - [1995]
This is actually exactly the post-eighties feel-good music I was referring to in the Seinfeld commentary. If it wasn't for the short-lived awesomeness of My So-Called Life, which was covering the ails of teen angst way before Dawson's Creek and The O.C., this track wouldn't have made our list. I've been waiting, for about 13 years now, for a reunion since the show was left at a major cliffhanger. Does Jordan win back Angela? Will Jared Leto ever stop being an emo tool long enough to make a MSCL movie? Oh, forget it. It's over. But the song lives on.[MP3] W.G. Walden - My So-Called Life Theme
The Daily Show - [1996]
When Comedy Central began planning The Daily Show with Craig Kilborn, it was hardly what it is today. Bob Mould's "Dog On Fire" was re-recorded by They Might Be Giants when Jon Stewart took over in 1999, not your average news show theme song for a nightly news program that's hardly average. Still, it's difficult to imagine any other song or any other band so perfectly projecting the absurdity of modern American media and politics. As The Daily Show redefined the term "newsworthy," TMBG redefined the boring, placid "This is CNN" style elevator music and kicked it up a notch.[MP3] They Might Be Giants - Dogs On Fire
South Park - [1997]
In retrospect, Primus's song seems an unlikely choice for one of the most celebrated animated shows of all time. It's nearly a-melodic, features vulgar contributions from Kenny, and ends with a fart noise as a walking, talking, singing turd called "Mr. Hankey" is thrown at the town's welcome sign. Still, the twistedly odd and off-kilter opening sequence has come to define the show. When you've got an anti-hero like Eric Cartman, without a doubt the most dispicible, atrocious, and downright evil character--human or cartoon--in the history of television, the song makes perfect sense.[MP3] Primus - South Park Theme Song
Sex And The City - [1998]
Combining a sexy New York swagger with a witty chic not seen or heard on modern TV, the infamous and catchy theme song to Sex And The City perfectly coupled the show's post-feminist empowerment through, among many things, sex, shoes, and singleness. While some critics argue against what they call "sexual immorality" and the main characters' superficiality, one of the show's most prominent and ironic conclusions is the characters' failures to achieve what they're after in the end. As the opening song closes with a scaled tumble of punched piano notes, Carrie, in her pristine pink tutu, is doused in water by her own successes: a drive-by splash from a bus advertising her tell-all newspaper column.[MP3] Douglas Cuomo & Mark Berman - Sex And The City
The Sopranos - [1999]
I don't think anyone would argue this one. It's hard to believe it's been nearly ten years since Alabama 3's "Woke Up This Morning" first introduced us to Tony Soprano and his Montclair/Caldwell digs. The Sopranos has been praised for its unusual use of music within the show, from Andrea Boccelli's beautiful rendition of "Con Te Partiró" to "Don't Stop Believing." If there was one show that would unveil the true magic behind the world's most overplayed song as if we were hearing it for the very first time, it was always going to be The Sopranos.[MP3] Alabama 3 - Woke Up This Morning
Aqua Teen Hunger Force - [2000]
This probably isn't the likeliest choice for this feature, but I decided to take a stab in the dark that a good portion of our readership falls into the Aqua Teen-watching demographic, at least enough to have seen one episode. If so, hopefully that episode was "Hand Banana," the definitive post-9/11 cartoon episode about a yellow, hand-shaped canine serial rapist. Need I say more? Schooly-D, you're on --[MP3] Schooly D - Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Six Feet Under - [2001]
With American Beauty writer Alan Ball at the helm of a new family drama taking place in a funeral home, who better than Thomas Newman (Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty ) to court to compose the title music. Setting the stage for, in my opinion, one of the best TV shows ever is hardly an easy task, but with the gorgeous string arrangement from Newman and the beautiful cinematography of the opening segment they managed to create (along with Dexter) one of the best openers in history.[MP3] Thomas Newman - Six Feet Under Theme
The Wire - [2002]
Here's a show that more often than not is breathlessly described by critics and fans alike as the proverbial "Greatest Show in the History of Television," so it would make sense that the creative geniuses behind the placards would have made an equally brilliant title music choice. Each season of the Wire covers one of five different facets about the city of Baltimore (and more broadly, the modern city), so it makes sense that each season also showcases a different version of Tom Waits' "Way Down In The Hole." Waits' own version, from 1987's Franks Wild Years , was the title music for season 2.[MP3] Tom Waits - Way Down In The Hole
Nip/Tuck - [2003]
Since its debut, Nip/Tuck had a knack for being on the cutting edge (no pun) both dramatically and musically. For every sick and twisted plot line that altered the show's ever-changing dynamic, there always seemed to be an excellent set of tunes carefully embedded in pivotal scenes to compliment the twist. For a show that, for the first three or four seasons, showcased its lack of a creative ceiling definitely matched that with an unspecific style of music. Using everything from glitchy Erin McKeown to soft Sufjan Stevens, Nip/Tuck's penchant for good music and solid theme crafted by The Engine Room fit the drama perfectly. -N[MP3] The Engine Room - A Perfect Lie (Theme)
The O.C. - [2003]
I've actually never sat through an entire episode of The O.C.. And the image above isn't from the show, it's Mischa Barton lying next to a few random vinyls in a Keds ad. Crap TV show mimicking its numerous predecessors, or revelation in prime-time teen dramas, The O.C. was a huge, supernova of a success, and to its credit helped many indie bands reach a wider audience. Although Phantom Planet's "California" was already a hit before the show took to the airwaves, it since became one of the most recognized songs in teenie TV history. Plus, Jason Schwartzman played drums for Phantom Planet. For some high schoolin', Wes Anderson lovin' folk, it doesn't get any cooler than that.[MP3] Phantom Planet - California
Entourage - [2004]
Even though the show is starting to wear thin, with the plot in a continuos "Vince gets job / something throws job into question / everything works out in the end" cycle, it's hard to deny Entourage's original charm. Ari's vulgarity and Drama's naivete will never get old, Turtle will always take the fuzzy pink backseat, and E will always be the little man in the big suit. Jane's Addiction's "Superhero" might no longer perfectly represent the plot or themes, but just like the Hollywood lifestyle the show flashes to its audience, it's all style over substance.[MP3] Jane's Addiction - Superhero
Weeds - [2005]
Some might say that the slow but steady decriminalization of marijuana over the last few years was an inevitable effect of our society's progression out of the Reagan 80s, away from nonsensical "family values" laws and towards laws that make logical sense, those that succumb to the demand of society. We're going to smoke pot, society roared, even if you don't want us to. But would it be that far of a stretch to think that the proliferation of shows like Weeds helped the drug come out of the proverbial closet a little? Strangely, the show's opening song, a folk song from the days of Pete Seeger (himself an avid pot supporter), has nothing to do with drugs but rather directly to do with the cookie-cutter Californian suburbs in which the show takes place. Hidden, though, amongst these perfect little boxes on a hillside is a widowed mother of two making ends meet as a pot dealer. Society 1, Suburbia 0.[MP3] Melvina Reynolds - Little Boxes
The Office - [2005]
The evolution of great comedic sitcoms seems to follow a peculiar path, one decorated with your typical jokes, knee-jerk audience laughter, and even hidden messages of morality. Every now and again you'll get a new comedy series completely different, taking those rigid elements to task by melting them down into something that the creator/writers can manipulate and mold into something they like. Seinfeld developed a formula that injected wit into everyday, mundane life and I'd venture to say that The Office is eerily similar to what Seinfeld represented some 15 or so years ago. Only time will tell if it becomes the Seinfeld of my generation, but one thing that remains true is the show's lack of music outside its catchy theme. With pleasant piano, melodica, and an upbeat bass line it's hard to not like the theme.. hell, I even use it as ringtone. -N [MP3] The Scrantones - The Office Theme Song
Dexter - [2006]
If there's a better marriage of sound and image for an opening sequence than the one from Dexter, someone please let me know. Highly mysterious, slightly morbid, and endlessly chilling, the title music created by Rolfe Kent might be the best since Thomas Newman's score for Six Feet Under. Props to Michael C. Hall for being cast in both, although his respective characters couldn't be an less alike. If you haven't yet seen an episode of Dexter, hit up Sidereel or your favorite watching post and tune in. I haven't been this hooked to a show since Lost.[MP3] Rolfe Kent - Dexter Main Title
The Big Bang Theory - [2007]
Although The Big Bang Theory is only in the midst of its second season, the combination of academic geekiness and socialite suaveness in the same half-an-hour timeframe provides for some hilarious moments. The show has been steadily gaining more viewers, both domestically and abroad, and having an excellent original theme song doesn't hurt. The Barenaked Ladies put their collective musical heads together and penned one of their typical tunes; melodically pleasing, musically fast, and lyrically clever into an under 2-minute song. It's a great tune that quickly highlights the talking points of the history of the universe that, as they sing, all started with the big bang! -N[MP3] Barenaked Ladies - The Big Bang Theory
Mad Men - [2007]
With Mad Men just two seasons deep, it's hard to pin the show (or it's title music) as a classic, although some critics have given the show top honors. Still, if you've seen the opening sequence, which perfectly captures the main characters' tumble through the challenges of the 1960s advertising industry (and life, for that matter), it will likely draw you in. The opening sequence, for which RJD2 supplied a track called "A Beautiful Mine" from his 2004 album Magnificent City Instrumentals , coupled with the style and swagger of the time, makes you feel cool just by sitting back and watching the eye and ear candy unfold.[MP3] RJD2 - A Beautfiul Mine
True Blood - [2008]
True Blood just wrapped up its first full season last night with a finale that was action-packed, answered some significant questions, and left viewers with a handful of cliff hangers that could lead anywhere. I've always enjoyed the fiction behind vampire stuff but this show may take the cake, it too (much like Six Feet Under) was created/produced by Alan Ball and gets better with each episode. After establishing the characters early in the season, the plot began to grow exponentially and the show is currently slated to be HBO's third most watched series behind The Sopranos and Sex and the City. Not too shabby for its first season and neither was the music, always interjecting mixes of original scores and eerie tunes handpicked to match the bluesy bayou scenery. The theme is borrowed from a dark country song called "Bad Things" by Jace Everett and sets the tone for the show from the first credit to the last - I'm looking forward to this summer and the second season coming with it. -N[MP3] Jace Everett - Bad Things (Theme)
That does it for this presentation of "Show Tunes." Although I (Connor) am credited as the author, Nathaniel contributed the selections and write-ups for Nip/Tuck, The Office, The Big Bang Theory, and True Blood.
If you'd prefer to own the mix with the encompassing artwork and correct tracklist, you can download it here:[ZIP] IGIF Presents - Show Tunes
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