TV Themes

Like a catchphrase that filters into everyday lingo, TV theme songs have the power to infiltrate our national brainwaves until they stand for something all their own. Fire up the super pop of "I'll Be There for You" by the Rembrandts and you can feel the warm fuzzies of Friends well up inside. Press play on theme great Vic Mizzy's altogether ooky song for The Addams Family and the urge to snap your fingers becomes irresistible. Cue up Quincy Jones's swingin' "Soul Bossa Nova" and you're guessing the letters on '70s/'80s game show, Definition. Head to Next Steps for the themes to Due South, Cold Case, House and more.

For tunes designed to see us through the opening credits, TV themes sure have attracted a who's who of musical masters. Maybe it's the lure of creating cultural moments, like Lalo Schifrin did with the bold-and-brassy jazz of his instantly recognizable theme for Mission: Impossible; or the Ventures, with their drum-solo surf monster "Hawaii Five-O." These days, you can hear British electronica wizards Massive Attack launching the weird and wonderful world of House with the profound sounds of their song "Teardrop." Tune in to Deep Cuts for more great TV themes.

Some songs are written specially for a show, and then — like José Feliciano's chord-striking Main Theme for Chico and the Man — become smash hits in their own right. But that works the other way around, too, as existing tunes find new life as TV themes. Witness "We Used to Be Friends," a rocker by the Dandy Warhols that found a new entrée on Veronica Mars, or "Next Year" by the Foo Fighters, borrowed for Ed. Then, there's always the signature instrumental that opens the floodgates of nostalgia every time your hear just a few bars: exhibit A, the theme from The A Team.

Here's a story of a lovely theme song, a catchy little ditty sung by three girls and three boys about their family – it never became a chart buster, it never won a GRAMMY®, but the "Theme from the Brady Bunch" wrapped up the goofy innocence of the TV show in one scant musical minute, and wound up a beloved pop culture nugget. Our TV Themes Essentials is packed with these small-screen wonders, from Danny Elfman's fantastic, bombastic Main Title Theme from The Simpsons, to the work of TV theme maestro Mike Post, notably his saucy "Theme from the Rockford Files."