Before Netflix came along and effectively made them a thing of the past, TV theme songs were a big deal. It’s what signalled that your favourite show was about to start. It’s what you hummed on the way to work or school the next morning.
They also made a great litmus test to see which generation someone was born in: if someone could sing every word of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme, they were probably a millennial; catch someone knowing all the lyrics to the Cheers theme and you’ve got yourself a Gen X person there, baby.
It got us wondering which was the most iconic TV theme of them all and we asked you for your suggestions. There was lots of agreement between you lot, with six shows being named again and again. Take a look below and see if we missed your favourite theme song!
The Greatest American Hero
I had never even heard of this TV show, I’ll be honest, but our readers seem to be huge fans. The theme song for The Greatest American Hero, titled ‘Believe It or Not’, was named more than any other theme. The superhero comedy-drama followed an ordinary man’s adventures after a suit given to him by a random group of aliens grants him superhuman abilities.
It only ran from 1981 until 1983 but its theme clearly has lived on much longer. Sung by Joey Scarbury, the song was so popular that it entered the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981, peaking at number two. It’s light and breezy, comical and cheesy. Oh, and it’s very 80’s. Listen and see for yourself.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4JCehDOy54
Seinfeld
Oh man, that big bass sound. That bloody big bass sound. Jerry Seinfeld’s iconic sitcom lacked a traditional title track but that didn’t stop its opening theme from becoming unforgettable.
Composed by Jonathan Wolff his distinctive sampled solo bass riff opens the show with a bubbly energy that feels achingly cool and hilariously uncool at the same time (kind of like the Seinfeld characters themselves). You could also just picture that bass playing on an endless loop in madman Kramer’s head.
Friends
You knew this one would be here. God damn, talk about classic. As a millennial, I can (un)proudly belt out every line of this theme song with a burning passion. It’s the sound of evenings after a rubbish day at high school. It’s the sound of comfort on a hungover Sunday. ‘I’ll Be There for You’ was actually written by the show’s creators David Crane, Marta Kauffman, Michael Skloff, and Allee Willis, but was performed by pop rock pair The Rembrandts (interestingly R.E.M. were originally asked for one of their tracks to be the theme but they turned down the opportunity like idiots).
After The Rembrandts wisely decided to release it as a single, it reached the top 10 in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K.. “So no one told you life was gonna be this way…Your love life’s DOA…It’s like you’re always stuck in second gear” – same, the Friends theme song, same.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Look, I’m sure West Philadelphia has a lot going on. I’m sure it’s great. But if you even so much as whisper the phrase ‘West Philadelphia’, I’m going to break into The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song; just enjoy the out-of-tune ride. Most known as a rapper before his classic sitcom aired, it was only right that Will Smith performed a rap to open the show (shout out to the wonderful DJ Jazzy Jeff on production duties).
The rap is the perfect entry into the show too, explaining the circumstances that brings young Will out West to California. Even if you’ve never seen one episode, you know exactly what to expect once that theme song finishes. Coming as it did in 1992 too, as hip-hop was increasingly in the ascendancy, it really captures a time and a place.
Welcome Back, Kotter
I once watched an episode of Welcome Back, Kotter on a seven hour airplane ride to the U.S.. I noticed John Travolta in it and that’s all I remembered of it until today. Our readers really seem to have a soft spot for the unheralded 70’s sitcom. It starred Gabe Kaplan as a high school teacher in charge of a racially and ethnically diverse remedial class called the “Sweathogs” and ran for four seasons.
Its theme song, ‘Welcome Back’, was written by John Sebastian (former frontman for The Lovin’ Spoonful) and even topped the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in 1976. And honestly, it’s quite a sweet little ditty, discussing Kotter returning to the place he grew up to make a positive difference.
The Golden Girls
Before Girls, before even Sex and the City, there was only one group of sassy and iconic ladies people wanted to watch. And they were ancient. The critically-acclaimed show ran for seven seasons and is often hailed as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. A wonderful ensemble contained Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty as four older women enjoying themselves in a shared home in Miami, Florida.
The theme song, though, was an older song, not originally written for the show. The soft rock track ‘Thank You for Being a Friend was a minor hit in 1976 and was covered by Cynthia Fee for The Golden Girls. It was a masterstroke because the lyrics really capture the sentimental and pleasant spirit of the show. ‘You’re a pal and a confidante’ – that’s what we all wish for when we’re in our old age.
