I write today about the passing of something special, fading away so subtly many of us have failed to take proper notice. The death of the TV theme song.
Everybody’s got a different story about that one composition that sticks in the head.
That’s how it is with these songs; they worm into your heart and mind in the most unexpected ways.
There’s the wonderful anticipation kicked off by the first notes of explanatory themes such as “Gilligan’s Island” (“Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale “) or “The Brady Bunch” (” till the one day when the lady met this fellow “).
Some themes even became hit records. Duane Eddy’s signature guitar twang powered the theme for “Peter Gunn” to Grammy awards in the ’50s and the ’80s; the themes for “Welcome Back Kotter,” “S.W.A.T.” and “Miami Vice” all reached No. 1 on singles sales charts.
So why do so few current TV shows have memorable themes? My hunch is that modern TV producers fear flip-happy viewers will take any excuse to surf away from a show and sample other channels. Eliminating the theme song is just another way to deal with the multitude of channels and remote-control technology offered today’s consumer, locking them into an unfolding show before they even realize it has begun.
And the three or four of us who still watch “ER” have noticed that the theme song, which once featured a fresh-faced George Clooney charging through the halls of County General Hospital with his co-stars, now all long gone, has been reduced to a single chord of music.
Let’s admit upfront that my list of TV’s top 10 theme songs is completely subjective, created mostly according to my nostalgia and musical preferences.
10. “Sanford and Son”: The swampy groove. The loopy melody. Toots Thielemans’ amazing harmonica work.
9. “The Addams Family”/”The Munsters”: Both tunes meld campy horror gloom with wacky comedy touches.
8. “The Love Boat”: Looking back, this lounge lizard classic nails the faded ’70s celebrity vibe of the series so well, you’d almost think it was intentional.
7. “M*A*S*H”: Transformed an elevator music classic into a resonant, powerful theme.
6. “The Benny Hill Show”: No composition in the history of television so quickly communicates the idea: “wacky comedy ahead.”
5. “Gilligan’s Island”: Among all the explainer theme songs, this is most hallowed.
4. “Miami Vice”: What hipster didn’t walk into a club during the ’80s, pastel shirt and loafers securely in place, without this song playing in his head?
3. “The Jeffersons”: Only in the ’70s would a sitcom about a successful black businessman come complete with a gospelized theme song (“Movin’ on up!”) straight from the pulpit.
2. “The Sopranos”: A3’s throbbing, dance floor masterpiece “Woke Up This Morning” stands as the best modern-day TV theme song.
1. “All in the Family”: “Those Were the Days” may be the best explainer theme song that wasn’t.
