Earworm

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The other day I started watching Seinfeld for the first time. I had just finished powering through Futurama for the umpteenth time on Disney+, and the TV fairies were whispering in my ear to find another series to binge. As Seinfeld was trending on Netflix, as I had heard the hyperbole, and as I had recently giggled my way through Jerry Seinfeld’s feature directorial début, Unfrosted, I thought I would give the series a go. The first few episodes were quite charming and funny, so I was onto a winner, but the thing that got me thinking was the musical interludes between scenes – the iconic bass lines of which I was somehow aware long before I had laid my eyes and ears on the young, sit-com Jerry.

This got me thinking about the amazing quality that TV music has – specifically theme tunes. For example, how many people know the theme tune to Friends when the show is as dull as dishwater? (I know! It is like I am trying to lose readers!)

Joking apart, I thought I would dedicate this post to all of the weird and wonderful musical motifs that serve as the perfect garnish to our favourite TV main dishes – the kind that have stuck with us throughout the years and that we will likely remember till the last time we ever switch off the beloved black boxes in our homes.

Best Instrumental TV Theme Songs

TV Show	Name of the Theme Tune
Doctor Who	Doctor Who Theme Music
Hawaii Five-O	Hawaii Five-O
Test Match Special	Soul Limbo
Match of the Day Theme	Match of the Day
The Simpsons	The Simpsons Theme

Doctor Who Theme from Doctor Who

The premise of this long-running BBC show from the 1960s is a two-hearted alien with a flair for fashion that gallivants around the universe in a time machine with a funky acronym for a name, accompanied by a string of (mostly) young female companions. He saves the day from a slew of extra-terrestrials, robots, and British comedians – Simon Pegg and Peter Kay, anyone? – before plonking back his sidekicks quicker than they can say why is there not a question mark in the title if Doctor Who is not the character’s name? He (one time she) also seems to have a penchant for day trips to London – especially in the Victorian era.

Quirky does not even cut it as a word to describe the chaotic forays of The Doctor, and the BBC were wise in entrusting Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire to capture this essence in theme-tune form. There are whole articles all over the internet on how it was created, involving clever manipulations of recordings of earthly instruments in order to create such an alien sound. The highlight for me is the ethereal theremin which pierces the ears in excitement and horror. Truly, as TV theme tunes go, the Doctor Who Theme is a masterpiece at explaining the whole premise of the show without even a single word.

Hawaii Five-O Theme from Hawaii Five-O

Hawaii Five-O was a huge hit in the States, but I think even the Brits would easily recognise this piece of TV theme-tune Americana. I have even had multiple taxi drivers who had this classic of a song as their mobile ringtone.

The show itself was not in its heyday when I was growing up, but I seem to remember reruns of it on one of the terrestrial channels in the UK. The fact that the show remained on British television in the ’90s/2000s shows just how popular it was.

One of the biggest draws about Hawaii Five-O was obviously the theme tune. To put into context how revered the brass-driven romp was, American instrumental band The Ventures recorded their own version of the theme tune which reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in May of 1969.

Soul Limbo from Test Match Special

Test Match Special, being a British-centric sports show on cricket, may not be a well-known programme around most of the world, but I think you have to give plaudits to its theme tune, Soul Limbo for its incredible musicality. Everything from the chirpy piano to that joyful organ just gets you in the mood to start watching the runs pile up and the wickets come tumbling down.

One of my fondest memories of watching cricket was at my old office with my English colleague. He had the match on his second screen whilst we both worked, both humming Soul Limbo before we tottled off to lunch. Our other colleagues were all intrigued by the infectious Caribbean-inspired rhythms as we sat at the kitchen table, tapping chopsticks in time and vocalising the different instruments.

At this point, I believe Soul Limbo‘s appeal even outstretches that of Test Match Special. The song is synonymous with the sport of cricket, even if many of the song’s fans can not remember from where it stemmed.

Match of the Day Theme from Match of the Day

I know I have picked another TV theme from a British sports show, but how could you not love the Match of the Day theme, even as a non-football fan like me?

Match of the Day ran on Saturday evenings, and it recapped highlights from the day’s play. How any of it used to get out on time in the 1960s with only half an hour or so for editing is a mystery, but somehow the BBC managed. Thankfully, the new digital systems for recording matches and editing replays makes the whole process a lot simpler.

The first use of the Match of the Day Theme came about in 1970, although still with what you could consider the sound of sixties flamboyance. The soaring trumpet line in the song is one that almost any Englishman would recognise, and the theme tune often pops up in music rounds of pub quizzes in the UK.

The Simpsons Theme from The Simpsons

I am disregarding the initial mention of the title in The Simpsons Theme and proudly bunging this on this list. Who could argue that this is not one of the best theme tunes on television? Danny Elfman worked a piece of magic on the music for the show, and I reckon millions of fans around the world will agree with this inclusion.

This was an iconic TV theme in my house. 6 o’clock would roll around, and I would be trying to wrestle the TV remote away from my family so I could watch The Simpsons. Channel 4 in the UK played an absolute blinder by managing to get several series of The Simpsons shown, and I know I was not the only child of my generation that tuned in to see the whacky yellow citizens of Springfield on their latest adventures. The only eventual downside was that you ended up rewatching the same four episodes on repeat because they did not have the licence for the full running. Still, beggars can not be choosers, right?

Best TV Theme Songs with Lyrics

TV Show	Name of the Theme Tune
Psych	I Know, You Know
Only Fools and Horses	Why Do Only Fools and Horses Work?
The Big Bang Theory	The History of Everything
Malcolm in the Middle	Boss of Me
Golden Girls	Thank You for Being a Friend
Peep Show	Flagpole Sitta
Red Dwarf	It’s Cold Outside
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air	The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Star Trek	Where No Man Has Gone Before
Friends	I’ll Be There for You

I Know, You Know from Psych

I have recently finished another marathon of Sean and Gus’s adventures, and I loved every minute of Psych. I think this may be one of the only shows on TV that maintained its quality of episodes throughout its extended run, and it is all bolstered by the theme I Know, You Know, which was written and performed by show creator Steve Frank’s band, The Friendly Indians.

What makes I Know, You Know particularly great outside of the original version is the various versions that accompanied themed episodes. This included special mixes for Christmas, in Spanish, in Bollywood style, in doo wop fashion by R&B group Boyz II Men, in ’80s style by Curt Smith of Tears for Fears fame, in Twin-Peaks style sung by Jules Cruise, in superhero-style, and à la The Shining.

Why Do Only Fools and Horses Work? from Only Fools and Horses

Another BBC classic, Only Fools and Horses is a tale of the London working class that still very much lives in the hearts of the British people. Some of the jokes may not have aged that well, given today’s sensibilities, but it is still ranked as ‘the nation’s favourite sitcom of all time’, also claiming the top spot for ‘funniest sitcom moment ever’, according to the Metro.

One of the highlights of the show is the opening theme tune, Why Do Only Fools and Horses Work? This was not the original theme for which the producers opted, but John Sullivan, the show writer pushed for this composition to be included for the second series, which became an immediate hit with fans. Sullivan is also known for writing the closing theme, Hooky Street, so it is fair to say he went two for two on nailing the music.

The History of Everything from The Big Bang Theory

As a band that has been nominated for two Grammy awards, it probably seems a little farfetched to say that one of Barenaked Ladies’ greatest achievements is a TV show theme. Nevertheless, I am making that bold claim, and I think fans of Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard would agree.

I spent a lot of time with my school friend, Greg trying to learn the lyrics to The History of Everything, and we often used to try to one up each other with our knowledge of the lyrics to the full version of this theme. In fact, our bravado on the subject got us kicked out of the library by the shushing Polish librarian on at least three occasions. If that is not testament to a fantastic TV theme tune, I do not know what is!

The Boss of Me from Malcolm in the Middle

Yes, no, maybe
I don’t know
Can you repeat the question?

Malcolm in the Middle was not really featured on terrestrial TV in the UK, and yet most people I meet of my age group have watched it and loved it, usually singing a snippet of The Boss of Me as our shibboleth. The show was a huge break for the likes of Bryan Cranston and Frankie Muniz – remember him? – and had me in stitches for all of the characters’ quirks. When I was a kid, I used to think that Francis was the coolest guy, and I think that probably speaks volumes about my pronoic attitude to life.

The theme tune was also incredible – loud, rebellious, and in touch with my teenage views that ‘life is unfair’. I know I have seen the entire series on multiple occasions, which means that I have rocked out to the They Might Be Giants’ classic near a thousand times. As things go though, I think there are worse ways to be.

Thank You for Being a Friend from Golden Girls

Anybody else thinking of Terry Crews lip syncing this to Betty White? No? Just me then.

I was introduced to The Golden Girls by a friend at university, Sam. It was not on any of the streaming services to which we had access, but when your friend has the complete boxset, that is no issue. I used to sit in my ex-girlfriend’s university flat, stuffed into one of the gaol-cell rooms, watching The Golden Girls. A fun aside: the architect of Bertrand Russell tower actually used to design prisons.

The full Floridian adventures of Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia kept us occupied for a good few months, but I particularly remember how often Sam and I used to sing the theme tune out of the blue, often much to the annoyance of the other flatmates. I still occasionally like to slip a quick rendition into casual conversation at the slightest provocation.

Flagpole Sitta from Peep Show

The first theme tune for this iconic Channel 4 comedy was a dreary affair that did little to enthuse the audience about what a magnificently whacky series Peep Show would become. Thankfully, as David Mitchell and Robert Webb turned up the heat with the writing for the show for series two, they matched the energy with American indie rock band Harvey Danger’s Flagpole Sitta. Lead singer, Sean Nelson once claimed about Peep Show that ‘it’s the only pop culture item the song has been associated with that feels like a kindred spirit to the original attitude of the lyric anyway’, so it seems like a match made in Heaven.

Peep Show is one of the shows to which I return time and again when I run out of things to watch – and I am somewhat surprised I am not on another marathon of it after I polished off Futurama. It therefore bears saying that I have heard and sang along to Flagpole Sitta in excess of 500 times – I did the maths.

It’s Cold Outside from Red Dwarf

Red Dwarf is arguably not the most well known of shows, and I would say it is certainly polarising in terms of its comedy style. My household certainly proves that point: it is legendary comedy by my Father’s standards, but as dry as eating a pallet of cardboard for my Mother. Nonetheless, the theme tune had a big cult following amongst fans of the show.

Much like my previous top TV theme tune, It’s Cold Outside did not get an outing till a later series of Red Dwarf – specifically series three. There was nothing particularly wrong with the original theme, but It’s Cold Outside, written by Howard Goodall and sang by Jenna Russell, certainly shot an adrenaline burst into the arm of a series that was trying to reinvent itself. The only issue with It’s Cold Outside is that I now start humming it every time someone mentions frigid conditions out of the house.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

I did not really catch the show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air when it first came out, and I dare say that I can not remember on which channel I saw it when my family first invested in Sky TV – how (not that) posh! The show itself was not my favourite, but like most kids from the UK of my age, I ended up obsessed with the theme tune.

From university friends and work colleagues at karaoke to one stranger in Wellington, New Zealand who accosted me with the song, I have heard all versions of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I guess it not a surprise, then, that this TV theme tune made number seven on Rolling Stone’s The 100 Greatest TV Theme Songs of All Time.

Where No Man Has Gone Before from Star Trek

Space, the final frontier…

I am going to start with a confession: I grew up with my Father watching The Next Generation, so I was unaware of the original theme, Where No Man Has Gone Before, till only a few years ago. I had to go with the more quirky variant from the sixties original, however, because this was the show that sparked a science fiction revolution and really pushed the music mark in terms of creating a believable soundscape for the adventurers of the final frontier.

There is the (un)forgivable grammar mistake of the split infinitive in William Shatner’s words – yes, I am going to be a grammar Nazi – but I do not think fans of the show or Where No Man Has Gone Before really care.

The legacy of the song is astounding. There are disco versions recorded by Star Trek cast members; it featured in the 1990s cult classic Wayne’s World; and a big-band version recorded by Maynard Ferguson was eventually used as the opening theme to The Larry King Show.

I’ll Be There for You from Friends

I know I made a joke about Friends in the beginning, but I could not deny that I’ll Be There for You needed to be on this list. Even the biggest naysayers of Friends still find themselves smiling and doing the four-clap intro when this song comes on.

The interesting fact about I’ll Be There for You is that it was the second choice of the producers. According to The Sun newspaper, R.E.M.’s Shiny Happy People was going to take the place of the theme, ‘back when the comedy was still called Friends Like Us’. I think it is fair to say that the producers seemed to have made the correct choice in subbing in The Rembrandts because I doubt many of us can imagine a world without I’ll Be There for You being the theme to Friends. Could it be any more popular?

Final Thoughts

I could not finish this post without throwing out a few honourable mentions:

TV Show	Name of the Theme Tune
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion	Colors
The Banana Splits Adventure Hour	The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)
Thunderbirds	The Thunderbirds March
Batman	Batman Theme
The Addams Family	The Addams Family Theme

What do you think of my top TV theme tunes? Do you agree with my list or are there a few that you think have slipped through the net? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.