Best and Worst TV Theme Songs?

Suprised no one posted this gem

 

I still listen to this all the time. Even better than Mrs. Peel and Steed

 

And the Saint...

 

The orchestra played the great theme from SWAT on the Oscars the other night:

 

I always liked the first couple seasons version of The Cosby Show theme before it was updated every season. I had never heard this one, I like this one, too!

 

There are several different arrangements of this - some with very different elements - all are good. The title of the song is "Park Avenue Beat" by Fred Steiner - if you search around youtube most all the different versions are available - great, great, song.

 

IMO, the Psych theme was one of the best:

 

Sanford and son, Rockford files, Mash, and Magnum P.I, the worst? any tune after 1981.....

 

I'm a Star Trek fan of 40 years vintage and I totally agree. What's even worse is how Gene Roddenberry wrote stupid lyrics for the tune so he could get a writer's credit and royalties. The fact that the series had a lot of incredible incidental music only magnifies the shame.

 

I was always partial to this.

 

While the FANTASY ISLAND music is nice and lush, I'd say it's not a great "theme" song, because you'll never find anyone who could actually hum the tune.

 

I really like that one. Its one of the few I always sung along to. Wish there was a good quality (not youtube sourced) file of the full song I could have. Do you know of one? If they had put out a limited edition fan CD with all the variations of the theme song over the run of the series, I'd have bought it.

 

Beverly Hillbillies, Cheers, and Get Smart! had great theme songs

 

Worst- Small Wonder.



It's just so damned sing-songy and annoying!

 

Another great 1970's classic theme song. Theme From CHIPS, by Corniche. Yes, it did get issued on 45 RPM on Windsong Records. I own a copy.

 

Right on!

 

I always liked the ALF theme song.

 

One for the "worst" category. Awful theme, awful show.

 

Yah, I loved chips, Ponch doing disco dances at a night club, cracked me up. Darn good series. Swat rocked too...

 

I've always liked this one:

"Theme From "Medical Center" " - Lalo Schifrin

 

Best:

"Sanford & Son Theme (The Streetbeater)" - Quincy Jones

 

How does one use the words, "Lalo Schifrin" in a sentance without the word, "Impossible" cropping up somewhere...?
- OR, for that matter, "Mannix"?

As for me, it doesn't get any better than Hoyt Curtain's "Johnny Quest" theme, if for no other reason, that it was unexpectedly good for a cartoon, even if Hannah-Barbara pulled out all the stops to produce it, and it almost ran the company dry.

For the same reason, I always count Mike Post's "Quantum Leap" theme as wasted potential. The music doesn't have anything to do with the show, neither its' themes or settings, or the general character of the show. It literally seems like Bellesario rang him up, and he just pulled it out of a drawer. The only nice part for me, is the middle section, where the birds fly up out of the field, and you know what was probably edited that way after the fact. I would have been more satisfied if they had licensed "The Time Tunnel" theme, and called it a day.

 

"Mission: Impossible" - Lalo Schifrin


"Mannix":
Lalo Schifrin - "Mannix"

 

What he said mate !

 

A lot of great ones:

The Bob Newhart Show
Barney Miller
Sanford and Son
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Mad About You
I Dream Of Genie
The Prisoner
Hawaii 50
The Avengers
Batman
Beverly Hillbillies
The Andy Griffith Show
Mission: Impossible
The Waltons
TAXI
Peter Gunn
News Radio
The Cosby Show
Perry Mason
The Naked City
Route 66
The Rockford Files
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
Bewitched
That Girl
Mary Tyler Moore
Green Acres
Petticoat Junction
The Fugitive
Hogan's Heroes
ER