For example, when I first heard the theme for Dinosaurs (a
Jim Henson production from the 90's which was very good) I was interested. The
music was suspenseful, and made you feel like something very different was
coming. Then we see the reveal of Earl Sinclair, and the music changed to
something more light to inform me it was a fun show involving dinosaurs. I was really curious, and couldn't wait to
see what this show was going to be all about. This is an example of very, very
well done theme music. Check it out:
Here’s another good example, from Coach. This show was about
a college football coach. Of course there is more to it than that, but is the
basic premise. So the show would need a theme which makes you think of
collegiate sport, maybe sounding like a school band is playing in a half time
show, to get the idea across. That’s what we get, and it’s done very well. The
theme is one of the first things I loved about that show.
Final example before I get to my favorites. Say you have a
show about a group of aliens landing on Earth.
You need something with a unique sound, with kind of a sci fi angle to
it. That’s what 3rd Rock From the Sun did very well with this guitar
riff.
Now for my top 11. This is only for sitcoms, I will get to
the other amazing themes later on. The only rule for this list is it has to be
a theme which had no lyrics when it was on TV. Many of these tunes do in fact
have lyrics, but they were not presented when the series was broadcast.
#11. MASH
Ok this is the top for several reasons. The first is that I
argue if this is even a sitcom. The series is so depressing how does adding a
laugh track make it a sitcom? No disrespect to the show. Second is that this is
a very well know song. Suicide is Painless was played, with lyrics, in the
movie. Third, I was never a MASH fan as you may know so while I love the theme
there are others I like more. All that being said, this was an amazing show and
the theme music fit the mood perfectly.
#10. Bewitched
This is another one that actually has lyrics, but they were
never used in the broadcast theme. Instead we got this cool orchestral version. The bouncy theme fits well, even include the
trademark nose twitch sound used when Samantha used her magic. I loved this
show, watching all the time in syndication (was sort of not born yet when the
show was first on). It was this or I
Dream of Jeannie, and Bewitched has always been my favorite of the two.
#9.Head of the Class
This may be the most personal choice on here, but there is
something about the theme music for this show I love. Now when I say I love it,
I mean the long version of the theme. For some reason many theme songs are cut
for time when a show is syndicated into re-runs. It happened to Mr. Belvedere,
Friends, and this show among others. The long version is a really snappy tune
which goes so well with the opening. It starts kind of soft and then builds and
builds. I love this show and I love the theme.
#8. Will & Grace
I love the piano, and this shows theme has one of the best
piano melodies ever. The only problem is that it is not very long, lasting only
a few seconds when the show airs. There is a longer version available but even
that isn't that long. Still, I love the fast paced piano tune and so I had to
include it. I was going to put Everybody Loves Raymond on here but they have no
standard opening theme, the soft piano tune is the closing theme for the show.
It's nice, but when you listen to it its kind of clunky and boring.
#7.The Dick Van Dyke Show
The golden age of television had some great themes. I Love
Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, and even were all memorable. However I decided to
put this one on the list. This little tune is short and sweet. Of all the shows
from this time this is the only one I really like, it has a timeless humor to
it which people today can still find funny. Great show, great theme. And yes
there are lyrics, hunt them down if you’ve never heard them.
#6.Night Court
I love this smooth jazz tune! There is actually an extended version of this
I found and it’s really a nice piece of music.
Of course for TV they had to make it 30 seconds, but the tune works. The
best thing with this theme is that while the names of the cast may have
changed, the music was the same from the first episode to the last one. That’s
pretty cool. This may not be the best sitcom ever, but it’s one my favorite
themes. It’s similar in style to Barney Miller, which is a great theme to but I
never liked that show.
#5.TAXI
Kind of like what I said about Kotter last time, this was
not my favorite show ever. It could be a tad dark at times (thought very
funny). So for a show like this we need a catchy tune which is also kind of
somber. And that's what we get. This theme compliments the show perfectly, just
one of the best marriages of TV show and theme. It is quiet and smooth, but isn’t
totally depressing either.
#4.ALF & Benson
I couldn't decide! So I made it a tie. Both of these tunes
have a similar melody and I love them both. I still remember when I first saw
Alf's opening and the theme music played. Of course that was also our first
real look at Alf which may be part of it. But I love the music; there is just
something about the way the soothing tune goes that gives the theme a sense of
mystery. It's hard to explain, and for the record I prefer the smoother season
1 theme to the jazzier later theme. As for Benson, we have another theme slashed
for syndication. The full theme is pretty good. I love the music, it's just a
snappy little melody. This was one of the first sitcoms I adored, and the theme
was a serious part of that. While these shows couldn't be more different the themes are
similar.
#3.The Cosby Show
Which season would you like? The cool season one theme? The
exciting season 2 theme? How about the operatic season 5 theme? The jazzy
season 7 theme? My favorite was the season 2 theme, which is again cut in
syndication. The full theme is a nice piece of music. I like all of them really;
well maybe I could do without that operatic version. What was that about? Cosby
Show was one of the best sitcoms ever, and the theme song is part of the
package. The music just screams Cosby, and I remember being a kid when the show
was on. When you heard that melody you knew good things were coming.
#2.The Odd Couple
Want a memorable theme song? I have a great one for you!
Much like MASH, the theme song for this show came from the movie where it was
used (of course it was a play first). There is just something about this catchy
tune. In fact I seem to hear it all the time in commercials for various things.
It just does a great job of getting your attention.
#1. Seinfeld
I know big surprise. This may be one of the best
instrumental themes ever. It just fits the show so perfectly! Some of these
themes if you don't know the show you may not really recognize the music.
Seinfeld isn't like that; you hear that bass synthesizer you know what show it
is! I said about other shows that the theme mixed beautifully with the show.
This may be the best of them all, the theme is just amazing and I could listen
to it all day. There is just something so unique and fresh about the sound, and
the way it works into the episodes so flawlessly!
Man was this hard! I don't think a top 20 could have done
justice to this. The list of honorable mentions include The Andy Griffith Show,
Leave it to Beaver, My Three Sons, I Dream of Jeannie, Bob Newhart Show, Sanford
and Son, Kate & Allie, Newhart, Home Improvement, Roseanne (which almost made
it), NewsRadio, Just Shoot Me. There is
one other show many people may scream foul for not being here, and that is The
Simpsons. I like it just couldn't get it on here. The worst part is this is
only sitcoms!!
No comments:
Post a Comment