Best TV Theme songs

Welcome Back Kotter

One Day at a Time

Silver Spoons

Different Strokes

Facts of Life

Family Ties

The original opening to Monday Night Football (not Hank Williams Jr., the 'dum, dum dum, duuhhhh, version).

 

Bingo.

I saw the Stray Cats do the Mary Tyler Moore theme once in concert.

 

Sanford & Son anybody? (didn't see it on anyone's list)

Good Times?

Hell, I didn't even see M*A*S*H on here.

However, whoever it was that said Simon & Simon is fantastic is spot on.

I also liked In The Heat of the Night, The Wonder Years, and of course any and all of the STar Trek themes.

 

Sanford & Son, absolutely.

Mannix, yes.

Hawaii Five-O? Ten-4.

Miami Vice, for sure.

Kojak? We loves ya, baby.

Rockford Files, you betcha.

Ironside, natch.

The Streets of San Francisco is a classic.

I'm partial to Bonanza.

But don't forget The White Shadow!

 

A ton of great ones mentioned, but in the next division down, would be two I can't find on YouTube:

- Dave's World (the CBS series starring Harry Anderson as Dave Barry)
the theme song was Southside Johnny covering Billy Joel's "You May Be Right"

- Down the Shore (a series on FOX that lasted a season or less)
the theme song was Southside Johnny & the Jukes' "I Don't Want to go Home"
the song is here, can't find a clip from the show:

 

The Simpsons.

 

It's funny, just a few nights ago, with fuck all else to do, I was youtubing the intros to some 70s and 80s classic shows......the themes were great, but it was the whole intro experience I was looking for....like this:

"Once upon a time, there were three little girls who went to the police academy....and they were each assigned very hazardous duties. But I took them away from all that, and now they work for me - my name is Blake Carrington Charlie."

Or:

"Steve Austin, astronaut, a man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him....we have the technology."

Or comparing the various and incredibly diverse "Starsky and Hutch" theme songs (for my money, the first season theme and intro was the best, with the Gran Torino and the chase car circling in the intersection).

I also really liked the building blocks and theme for "Barnaby Jones." Actually, all the QM shows had fantastic openings, with cool graphics and appropriately solemn narrations that told you:

• it was indeed "a Quinn Martin Production";
  
• a list of that show's guest stars;
  
• "tonight's episode: This Thread Is Awesome."

 

A couple others that I thought of:

Dragnet (This is the city, Los Angeles, California)

Taxi (don't think I've seen it on here yet)

L.A. Law

The West Wing

 

Some not mentioned as of yet:

Green Acres -- love the little guitar riff in there.

Beverly Hillbillies -- Flatt/Scruggs. 'nuff said.

Get Smart -- not a great song per se, but sure fit to the show.

And from those mentioned earlier, another vote for The Munsters, Mash, Cheers and The Jeffersons.

 

You know what? I always kinda liked the "Petticoat Junction" theme just a wee bit better.

 

The Odd Couple
Mission Impossible
Partirdge Family, Come On Get Happy
Secret Agent Man
Bonanza

 

Agreed on M*A*S*H.

I have heard it other places as well, but I really like opening theme music on Cold Case.