Like the best movie songs, TV show theme songs add a lot to the series' quality. Brilliant intro songs can create a foundation for the greatest TV shows and get stuck in our minds. The ingredients of the best TV show theme songs depend on the series itself. They can be short and sweet — or long and harsh. It’s a mixing and balancing game that plays a vital role in any series long-term success.
The first job of many theme songs from TV shows is to set up the series. The tune must present the theme of the series without revealing too much of the story. Breaking Bad can do this in just a couple of seconds. Lastly, theme songs must be catchy to be remembered by a wider audience. For example, the theme song of Narcos has Spanish lyrics, but they are captivating enough to get stuck in any person's mind.
In the end, some songs from TV series are more remembered than others. Users Mounal89 and maxeatsworld asked on Askreddit two similar questions focusing on the best series intro songs. With so many answers, we have compiled the best ones in the list below. Be sure to upvote the songs that you remember fondly. Also, share your thoughts on the longevity of the listed tune.
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The Pink Panther Theme Song Is One Of The Most Iconic Ever, I Think
bluebananah replied: "A 100%. It's actually my ringtone. Always brings a smile to everyone's face."
The Simpsons, Because Of The Couch Gages
Doctor Who
Scnikki16 replied: "Whenever it has the skip intro button I always think 'What Whovian would skip the intro?'"
Game Of Thrones
PenguinColada replied: "I loved how it changed based on what was happening in the show. The little details just made it."
The caption reminds me of the show "Once Upon A Time" which has a slightly different intro to most episodes, depending on what happens in it. There are a few more too, but this one sticks out.
Stranger Things
xenozeph replied: "Same, the tune is so mysterious and catchy, I love it."
What's New Scooby Doo
seasonedturkey replied: "We're coming after you."
Pokémon
Legitimate_Release65 replied: "I wanna be the very best like no one ever was."
The Fairly OddParents
mackjagee replied: "Obtuse, rubber goose, green moose, guava juice, giant snake, birthday cake, large fries, chocolate shake!"
Timmy is an average kid That no one understands Mom and Dad and Vicky Always giving him commands (Bed, twerp!) Doom and gloom up in his room Is broken instantly By his magic little fish who grant his every wish 'Cause in reality, they are his [Chorus: Choir, Wanda, and Cosmo] Oddparents, fairly oddparents Wands and wings Floaty, crowny things Oddparents, fairly oddparents Really mod, pea pod Buff bod, hot Obtuse, rubber goose, green moose, guava juice Giant snake, birthday cake, large fries, chocolate shake! [Outro: Choir, Vicky] Oddparents, fairly oddparents It flips your lid when you are a kid With fairly oddparents (Yeah right)
M.A.S.H
TheDorkKnight53 wrote: "And it was written by a 14-year-old."
doxtorwhom replied: I thought you were talking nonsense, but ended up checking it out: "Bob was going to take a shot at the lyrics. But he came back two days later and said, I'm sorry. but there's just too much stuff in this 45-year-old brain. I can't write anything nearly as stupid as what we need.' Bob said, 'All is not lost, I've got a 15-year-old kid.' So Michael Altman, at age 15, wrote the lyrics and I wrote music to them."
Futurama, I Just Keep Admiring All Those Little Details
The different caption on the opening screen too! like "also available in smell 'o' vision.
The X-Files
girhen replied: "Some themes are good. Some themes set the tone perfectly. Some are both turned to 11."
Animaniacs
devoidz replied: "Works great as a ringtone."
This is the thing I like that I’m ashamed of liking because it’s so stupid
Buffy The Vampyre Slayer
GVanquish replied: "My wife and I will jump up from the couch and do terrible fast-paced karate to the theme every time."
And then the orchestral version for the "Once More, With Feeling" episode.
Friends
aRandomNiceKaren replied: "Anyone who doesn't is dead to me."
Inspector Gadget
The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air
cowbob_horsepants replied: "Never skip the opening of Prince, it’s a crime!"
Now, this is a story all about how My life got flipped-turned upside down And I'd like to take a minute Just sit right there I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air In West Philadelphia born and raised On the playground was where I spent most of my days Chillin' out, maxin', relaxin', all cool And all shootin' some b-ball outside of the school When a couple of guys who were up to no good Started making trouble in my neighborhood I got in one little fight and my mom got scared She said, "You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel-Air" I begged and pleaded with her day after day But she packed my suitcase and sent me on my way She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket I put my Walkman on and said, "I might as well kick it" First class, yo this is bad Drinking orange juice out of a champagne glass Is this what the people of Bel-Air living like? Hmm, this might be alright But wait, I hear they're prissy, bourgeois, all that Is this the type of place that
Psych
sonotamused_1 replied: "Same here. Also, love the different themed ones as well."
The Muppet Show!
Law And Order: Get Ready To Get Intense - But Also Jazzy And Cool Because Of The Flute Solo
"My dog used to howl in perfect harmony with the guitar. He'd lose his mind every time the show come on, head cocked to one side, whining and howling."
Golden Girls
Until recently, I had no idea "Thank You For Being a Friend" was a remake! It was originally done by Andrew Gold in 1978.
Cowboy Bebop
flamebroiledhodor replied: "I think it's time to blow this scene, get everybody and the stuff together. 'OK, 3-2-1 lets jam.' How can you NOT listen to it!"
Ok if you're gonna put anime here you have to also put: half of all Naruto's intros, 90% of Fairy Tail intros, Ergo Proxy intro and finish songs ( epicly good both of them ), GITS séries SAC1 and 2 with the vocals of the late Origa, WitchBlade intro also amazing. And these are One the ones on top of my head.
Gravity Falls
ae51 replied: "There is an episode where Mabel says her favorite part of the show that they are about to go and watch is theme song, just before 'Gravity Falls' itself cuts to the theme song. Alex Hirsch knew his audience well."
As soon as I read this, I felt compelled to new tab and play it. My mate immediately started whistling along.
Adventure Time
ActualPopularMonster replied: "I love the end credit music too."
"Come along with me
And the butterflies and bees.
We can wander through the forest
And do so as we please."
Avatar: The Last Airbender
derthert123 replied: "Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony..."
The Sopranos
bagelchips replied: "My partner and I made a rule that we never skip the Sopranos theme. It's so long though, that if you watch every episode over the entire series, you will have watched the equivalent of a feature-length movie of just theme song by the end."
Bob's Burgers
Natural_Interest_77 replied: "I never skip the endings, either."
Yesssss! The endings are the best, such good songs, they really need an album with the full versions.
Breaking Bad... It's Like 7 Seconds
rephlexi0n replied: "To add to this, 'Better Call Saul.' Also short and straight to the point and it's such a vibe."
Scrubs. It's Like 10 Seconds Long. Literally The Definition Of "Short And Sweet"
cowbob_horsepants replied: "I'm not superman!"
"I can't do this all on my ownnnn..." The actual full song version is also very good imo
Attack On Titan
Vile_Bilereplied: "Especially the first season."
Twin Peaks
tcumpst replied: "It’s hard to describe the feeling it gives me. It’s literally comforting and uncomfortable at the same time."
Duuuuude now you just made me want to listen it again, i love this intro song.
DuckTales, Woo-Hoo
Trash_Redaction replied: "For the longest time I thought the DuckTales theme and 'You Make My Dreams' by Hall & Oates were the same song."
The Mandolorian
newbstreethero replied: "And even the end credits are great, the music and the sketches."
Narcos
bloopbleepblorperz replied: "Ooh that buttery voice. And the chord resolution when he says, 'El aire que resssspiro yo.'"
House M.D Has Such A Good Choice For A Song That It's Worth Listening To On Its Own
vikings_know_better replied: "I was today years old when I learned that in Europe the theme song of House M.D was a different one than in the US."
The Office!
"I used to fall asleep to 'The Office' every night and that theme song could jolt me awake. Why is it so much louder than the show?"
Airwolf
Father_VitoCornelius replied: "When the sound of that wind roaring and helicopter rising up came on TV, the evening just got good."
Gilligan's Island! You Hear It Once And You Know The Whole Plot, No Need To Invest Four Years
There's a meme going around that points out that the works of Emily Dickinson match the meter of this song. Try it! (Because I could not stop for death/ He kindly stopped for me/ The carriage held but just ourselves/ And immorality)
One Punch Man, Especially Season 1
pinkypunkster replied: "I'd love that as my ringtone! When it's my time to control the TV, I often end with one episode of One Punch Man before bad. I never skip the intro song it hypes me up!"
YES! I still listen to it! I binged season one while in Vancouver! YEEES!! 🎶 Sanjou! Hisshou! Shijou saikyou!! (Nan da tten da? Furasutoreeshon ore wa tomaranai) ONE PUNCH! Kanryou! Rensen renshou! (Ore wa katsu!! Tsune ni katsu!! Asshou!!) Power! Get the power! Girigiri genkai made HERO! Ore o tataeru koe ya kassai nante hoshiku wa nai sa HERO! Dakara hitoshirezu aku to tatakau (Nobody knows who he is.) Sora ooi oshiyoseru teki ore wa se o muki wa shinai HERO! Naraba yuruginaki kakugo shita tame kuridase tekken Sanjou! Go on! Seiseidoudou!! (Dou natten da? Nani mo kanjinee mohaya teki inee!) Justice! Shikkou! Mondou muyou! (Ore ga tatsu!! Aku o tatsu!! Gasshou!!) Power! Get the power! Adorenarin afuredasu ze! Power! Get the power! Kitaeta waza o buchikamase! HERO! Donna ni tsuyoi yatsu mo chippoke na gaki dattan da HERO! 🎶
Dexter
"I never skipped the opening to this show. I don't know why, but it always brought me about as much joy as the show itself. I loved it."
Neon Genesis Evangelion
TwoUnicycles replied: "Dude. When I watched this year ago, we never skipped the outro either, (all various versions of 'Fly Me To The Moon).
Cruel Angels Thesis is the best though so WHY is this not HIGHER. IT IS F*****G ICONIC. ITS SO ICONIC IT SHOULD JUST BE THE JAPANESE NATIONAL ANTHEM.
Firefly
West Wing
your_opinions_false replied: "The theme perfectly captures the concept of a group of dedicated people working hard to better their country. Also, the way some of the cold-opens transition into it, building up the theme while ratcheting up the tension or pulling off a good joke, is sublime."
Westworld
Devi1_May_Cry replied: "Tinkle of piano keys while an artificial samurai and his horse are created in a milk bath."
I've never watched this, but the user who captioned it is called Devil May Cry, which reminded me of the games, and now I want to play them!
The Expanse. It's Really Short But The Graphics Are Beautiful And The Music Is Even Better
AcidaliaPlanitia replied: "This, and the way it evolves with the plot is outstanding."
Community
cheeseball_3 wrote: "The intro just got sadder as some of the cast started to leave and their names got removed from the intro."
ddotevs replied: "One by one, they all just fade away."
Parks And Recreation
"I honestly can't recall the music, but I always felt 'Parks and Recreation' had the best all-around intro. It wasn't too long, it introduced the actors alongside their characters without a ton of shots, and generally matched the tone of the show. And when they added people to the intro, they shortened everyone's screen time so it wasn't longer."
I see this list is very americanized. Anyway... for the British millenial/cusper people here: "I can make my dreams come true...~ " (if you dont know this i s2g i am sad now)
I see this list is very americanized. Anyway... for the British millenial/cusper people here: "I can make my dreams come true...~ " (if you dont know this i s2g i am sad now)
